1 Samuel 5:1--6:21 
Context5:1 Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 5:2 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon. 5:3 When the residents of Ashdod got up early the next day, 1 Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 5:4 But when they got up early the following day, Dagon was again lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and his two hands were sheared off and were lying at the threshold. Only Dagon’s body was left intact. 2 5:5 (For this reason, to this very day, neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon’s temple step on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.)
5:6 The Lord attacked 3 the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of 4 both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores. 5 5:7 When the people 6 of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked 7 both us and our god Dagon!”
5:8 So they assembled 8 all the leaders of the Philistines and asked, “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
5:9 But after it had been moved the Lord attacked 9 that city as well, causing a great deal of panic. He struck all the people of that city 10 with sores. 11 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron, the residents of Ekron cried out saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here 12 to kill our 13 people!” 5:11 So they assembled 14 all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “Get the ark of the God of Israel out of here! Let it go back to its own place so that it won’t kill us 15 and our 16 people!” The terror 17 of death was throughout the entire city; God was attacking them very severely there. 18 5:12 The people 19 who did not die were struck with sores; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven.
6:1 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land 20 of the Philistines for seven months, 21 6:2 the Philistines called the priests and the omen readers, saying, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Advise us as to how we should send it back to its place.”
6:3 They replied, “If you are going to send the ark of 22 the God of Israel back, don’t send it away empty. Be sure to return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand is not removed from you.” 6:4 They inquired, “What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?”
They replied, “The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice, for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders. 6:5 You should make images of the sores and images of the mice 23 that are destroying the land. You should honor the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his grip on you, your gods, and your land. 24 6:6 Why harden your hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? 25 When God 26 treated them harshly, didn’t the Egyptians send the Israelites on their way? 27 6:7 So now go and make a new cart. Get two cows that have calves and that have never had a yoke placed on them. Harness the cows to the cart and take their calves from them back to their stalls. 6:8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart, and put in a chest beside it the gold objects you are sending to him as a guilt offering. You should then send it on its way. 6:9 But keep an eye on it. If it should go up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has brought this great calamity on us. But if that is not the case, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us; rather, it just happened to us by accident.”
6:10 So the men did as instructed. 28 They took two cows that had calves and harnessed them to a cart; they also removed their calves to their stalls. 6:11 They put the ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the chest, the gold mice, and the images of the sores. 6:12 Then the cows went directly on the road to Beth Shemesh. They went along, mooing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left. The leaders of the Philistines were walking along behind them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh.
6:13 Now the residents of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the ark, they were pleased at the sight. 6:14 The cart was coming to the field of Joshua, who was from Beth Shemesh. It paused there near a big stone. Then they cut up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 6:15 The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it, which contained the gold objects. They placed them near the big stone. At that time the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 6:16 The five leaders of the Philistines watched what was happening and then returned to Ekron on the same day.
6:17 These are the gold sores that the Philistines brought as a guilt offering to the Lord – one for each of the following cities: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 6:18 The gold mice corresponded in number to all the Philistine cities of the five leaders, from the fortified cities to hamlet villages, to greater Abel, 29 where they positioned the ark of the Lord until this very day in the field of Joshua who was from Beth Shemesh.
6:19 But the Lord 30 struck down some of the people of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; he struck down 50,070 31 of the men. The people grieved because the Lord had struck the people with a hard blow. 6:20 The residents of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark 32 go up from here?”
6:21 So they sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down here and take it back home with you.”
Romans 5:1-21
Context5:1 33 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have 34 peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:2 through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice 35 in the hope of God’s glory. 5:3 Not 36 only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 5:4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5:5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God 37 has been poured out 38 in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 5:7 (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) 39 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 5:9 Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous 40 by his blood, 41 we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. 42 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? 5:11 Not 43 only this, but we also rejoice 44 in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.
5:12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people 45 because 46 all sinned – 5:13 for before the law was given, 47 sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin 48 when there is no law. 5:14 Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type 49 of the coming one) transgressed. 50 5:15 But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. 51 For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, 52 how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many! 5:16 And the gift is not like the one who sinned. 53 For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, 54 led to condemnation, but 55 the gracious gift from the many failures 56 led to justification. 5:17 For if, by the transgression of the one man, 57 death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!
5:18 Consequently, 58 just as condemnation 59 for all people 60 came 61 through one transgression, 62 so too through the one righteous act 63 came righteousness leading to life 64 for all people. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man 65 many 66 were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man 67 many 68 will be made righteous. 5:20 Now the law came in 69 so that the transgression 70 may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 5:21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jeremiah 43:1-13
Context43:1 Jeremiah finished telling all the people all these things the Lord their God had sent him to tell them. 71 43:2 Then Azariah 72 son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and other arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! The Lord our God did not send you to tell us, ‘You must not go to Egypt and settle there.’ 43:3 But Baruch son of Neriah is stirring you up against us. 73 He wants to hand us over 74 to the Babylonians 75 so that they will kill us or carry us off into exile in Babylon.” 43:4 So Johanan son of Kareah, all the army officers, and all the rest of the people did not obey the Lord’s command to stay in the land. 43:5 Instead Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led off all the Judean remnant who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 76 43:6 They also led off all the men, women, children, and royal princesses 77 that Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, had left with Gedaliah, 78 the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. This included the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch son of Neriah. 43:7 They went on to Egypt 79 because they refused to obey the Lord, and came to Tahpanhes. 80
43:8 At Tahpanhes the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 81 43:9 “Take some large stones 82 and bury them in the mortar of the clay pavement 83 at the entrance of Pharaoh’s residence 84 here in Tahpanhes. Do it while the people of Judah present there are watching. 85 43:10 Then tell them, 86 ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 87 says, “I will bring 88 my servant 89 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones which I 90 have buried. He will pitch his royal tent 91 over them. 43:11 He will come and attack Egypt. Those who are destined to die of disease will die of disease. Those who are destined to be carried off into exile will be carried off into exile. Those who are destined to die in war will die in war. 92 43:12 He will set fire 93 to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their gods or carry them off as captives. 94 He will pick Egypt clean like a shepherd picks the lice from his clothing. 95 He will leave there unharmed. 96 43:13 He will demolish the sacred pillars in the temple of the sun 97 in Egypt and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.”’”
Psalms 19:1-14
ContextFor the music director; a psalm of David.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; 99
the sky displays his handiwork. 100
19:2 Day after day it speaks out; 101
night after night it reveals his greatness. 102
19:3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its 103 voice literally heard.
19:4 Yet its voice 104 echoes 105 throughout the earth;
its 106 words carry 107 to the distant horizon. 108
In the sky 109 he has pitched a tent for the sun. 110
19:5 Like a bridegroom it emerges 111 from its chamber; 112
like a strong man it enjoys 113 running its course. 114
19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, 115
and goes from one end of the sky to the other; 116
nothing can escape 117 its heat.
19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 118
The rules set down by the Lord 119 are reliable 120
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 121
19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair 122
and make one joyful. 123
The Lord’s commands 124 are pure 125
and give insight for life. 126
19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right 127
and endure forever. 128
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just. 129
19:10 They are of greater value 130 than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight 131 than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
19:11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; 132
those who obey them receive a rich reward. 133
19:12 Who can know all his errors? 134
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 135
19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant 136 sins;
do not allow such sins to control me. 137
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant 138 rebellion.
19:14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight, 139
1 tc The LXX adds “they entered the temple of Dagon and saw.”
2 tc Heb “only Dagon was left.” We should probably read the word גֵּו (gev, “back”) before Dagon, understanding it to have the sense of the similar word גְּוִיָּה (gÿviyyah, “body”). This variant is supported by the following evidence: The LXX has ἡ ῥάχις (Jh rJacis, “the back” or “trunk”); the Syriac Peshitta has wegusmeh (“and the body of”); the Targum has gupyeh (“the body of”); the Vulgate has truncus (“the trunk of,” cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT). On the strength of this evidence the present translation employs the phrase “Dagon’s body.”
3 tn Heb “the hand of the
4 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
5 tc The LXX and Vulgate add the following: “And mice multiplied in their land, and the terror of death was throughout the entire city.”
tn Or “tumors” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “growths on their skin”; KJV “emerods”; NAB “hemorrhoids.”
6 tn Heb “men.”
7 tn Heb “for his hand is severe upon.”
8 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
9 tn Heb “the hand of the
10 tn Heb “and he struck the men of the city from small and to great.”
11 tn See the note on this term in v. 6. Cf. KJV “and they had emerods in their secret parts.”
12 tn Heb “to me.”
13 tn Heb “my.”
14 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
15 tn Heb “me.”
16 tn Heb “my.”
17 tn Or “panic.”
18 tn Heb “the hand of God was very heavy there.”
19 tn Heb “men.”
20 tn Heb “field.”
21 tc The LXX adds “and their land swarmed with mice.”
22 tc The LXX and a Qumran
23 tn Heb “your mice.” A Qumran
24 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lighten his hand from upon you and from upon your gods and from upon your land.”
25 tn Heb “like Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their heart.”
26 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 tn Heb “and they sent them away and they went.”
28 tn Heb “and the men did so.”
29 tc A few Hebrew
30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
31 tc The number 50,070 is surprisingly large, although it finds almost unanimous textual support in the MT and in the ancient versions. Only a few medieval Hebrew
32 tn Heb “he” or “it”; the referent here (the ark) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. also NIV, CEV, NLT). Others, however, take the referent to be the
33 sn Many interpreters see Rom 5:1 as beginning the second major division of the letter.
34 tc A number of important witnesses have the subjunctive ἔχωμεν (ecwmen, “let us have”) instead of ἔχομεν (ecomen, “we have”) in v. 1. Included in the subjunctive’s support are א* A B* C D K L 33 81 630 1175 1739* pm lat bo. But the indicative is not without its supporters: א1 B2 F G P Ψ 0220vid 104 365 1241 1505 1506 1739c 1881 2464 pm. If the problem were to be solved on an external basis only, the subjunctive would be preferred. Because of this, the “A” rating on behalf of the indicative in the UBS4 appears overly confident. Nevertheless, the indicative is probably correct. First, the earliest witness to Rom 5:1 has the indicative (0220vid, third century). Second, the first set of correctors is sometimes, if not often, of equal importance with the original hand. Hence, א1 might be given equal value with א*. Third, there is a good cross-section of witnesses for the indicative: Alexandrian (in 0220vid, probably א1 1241 1506 1881 al), Western (in F G), and Byzantine (noted in NA27 as pm). Thus, although the external evidence is strongly in favor of the subjunctive, the indicative is represented well enough that its ancestry could easily go back to the original. Turning to the internal evidence, the indicative gains much ground. (1) The variant may have been produced via an error of hearing (since omicron and omega were pronounced alike in ancient Greek). This, of course, does not indicate which reading was original – just that an error of hearing may have produced one of them. In light of the indecisiveness of the transcriptional evidence, intrinsic evidence could play a much larger role. This is indeed the case here. (2) The indicative fits well with the overall argument of the book to this point. Up until now, Paul has been establishing the “indicatives of the faith.” There is only one imperative (used rhetorically) and only one hortatory subjunctive (and this in a quotation within a diatribe) up till this point, while from ch. 6 on there are sixty-one imperatives and seven hortatory subjunctives. Clearly, an exhortation would be out of place in ch. 5. (3) Paul presupposes that the audience has peace with God (via reconciliation) in 5:10. This seems to assume the indicative in v. 1. (4) As C. E. B. Cranfield notes, “it would surely be strange for Paul, in such a carefully argued writing as this, to exhort his readers to enjoy or to guard a peace which he has not yet explicitly shown to be possessed by them” (Romans [ICC], 1:257). (5) The notion that εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν (eirhnhn ecwmen) can even naturally mean “enjoy peace” is problematic (ExSyn 464), yet those who embrace the subjunctive have to give the verb some such force. Thus, although the external evidence is stronger in support of the subjunctive, the internal evidence points to the indicative. Although a decision is difficult, ἔχομεν appears to be the authentic reading.
35 tn Or “exult, boast.”
36 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
37 tn The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ (Jh agaph tou qeou, “the love of God”) could be interpreted as either an objective genitive (“our love for God”), subjective genitive (“God’s love for us”), or both (M. Zerwick’s “general” genitive [Biblical Greek, §§36-39]; D. B. Wallace’s “plenary” genitive [ExSyn 119-21]). The immediate context, which discusses what God has done for believers, favors a subjective genitive, but the fact that this love is poured out within the hearts of believers implies that it may be the source for believers’ love for God; consequently an objective genitive cannot be ruled out. It is possible that both these ideas are meant in the text and that this is a plenary genitive: “The love that comes from God and that produces our love for God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (ExSyn 121).
38 sn On the OT background of the Spirit being poured out, see Isa 32:15; Joel 2:28-29.
39 sn Verse 7 forms something of a parenthetical comment in Paul’s argument.
40 tn Grk “having now been declared righteous.” The participle δικαιωθέντες (dikaiwqente") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
41 tn Or, according to BDF §219.3, “at the price of his blood.”
42 tn Grk “the wrath,” referring to God’s wrath as v. 10 shows.
43 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
44 tn Or “exult, boast.”
45 tn Here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") has been translated as a generic (“people”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
46 tn The translation of the phrase ἐφ᾿ ᾧ (ef Jw) has been heavily debated. For a discussion of all the possibilities, see C. E. B. Cranfield, “On Some of the Problems in the Interpretation of Romans 5.12,” SJT 22 (1969): 324-41. Only a few of the major options can be mentioned here: (1) the phrase can be taken as a relative clause in which the pronoun refers to Adam, “death spread to all people in whom [Adam] all sinned.” (2) The phrase can be taken with consecutive (resultative) force, meaning “death spread to all people with the result that all sinned.” (3) Others take the phrase as causal in force: “death spread to all people because all sinned.”
47 tn Grk “for before the law.”
48 tn Or “sin is not reckoned.”
49 tn Or “pattern.”
50 tn Or “disobeyed”; Grk “in the likeness of Adam’s transgression.”
51 tn Grk “but not as the transgression, so also [is] the gracious gift.”
52 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
53 tn Grk “and not as through the one who sinned [is] the gift.”
54 tn The word “transgression” is not in the Greek text at this point, but has been supplied for clarity.
55 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.
56 tn Or “falls, trespasses,” the same word used in vv. 15, 17, 18, 20.
57 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
58 tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.
59 tn Grk “[it is] unto condemnation for all people.”
60 tn Here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") has been translated as a generic (“people”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
61 tn There are no verbs in the Greek text of v. 18, forcing translators to supply phrases like “came through one transgression,” “resulted from one transgression,” etc.
62 sn One transgression refers to the sin of Adam in Gen 3:1-24.
63 sn The one righteous act refers to Jesus’ death on the cross.
64 tn Grk “righteousness of life.”
65 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
66 tn Grk “the many.”
67 sn One man refers here to Jesus Christ.
68 tn Grk “the many.”
69 tn Grk “slipped in.”
70 tn Or “trespass.”
71 tn This sentence contains an emphasis that is impossible to translate into idiomatic English that would not sound redundant. In Hebrew the sentence reads: “When Jeremiah finished [the temporal subordination is left out here because it would make the sentence too long] telling all the people all the words [or all the things] which the
72 sn See the study note on 42:1 for the possible identification of this man with Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite.
73 tn Or “is inciting you against us.”
74 tn Heb “in order to give us into the hands of the Chaldeans.” The substitution “he wants to” as the equivalent of the purpose clause has been chosen to shorten the sentence to better conform with contemporary English style.
75 tn Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.
76 sn These are the people who are referred to in Jer 40:11-12.
77 tn Heb “the daughters of the king.” See the translator’s note on 41:10.
78 sn This refers to the group mentioned in Jer 40:7 and 41:10. The two groups together constituted all the people who were at Mizpah when Gedaliah was murdered, had been taken captive by Ishmael, had been rescued by Johanan and the other army officers, and had consulted Jeremiah at Geruth Chimham.
79 sn This had been their intention all along (41:17). Though they consulted the
80 sn Tahpanhes was an important fortress city on the northern border of Egypt in the northeastern Nile delta. It is generally equated with the Greek city of Daphne. It has already been mentioned in 2:16 in conjunction with Memphis (the Hebrew name is “Noph”) as a source of soldiers who did violence to the Israelites in the past.
81 tn Heb “The word of the
82 tn Heb “Take some large stones in your hands.”
83 tn The meaning of the expression “mortar of the clay pavement” is uncertain. The noun translated “mortar” occurs only here and the etymology is debated. Both BDB 572 s.v. מֶלֶט and KBL 529 s.v. מֶלֶט give the meaning “mortar.” The noun translated “clay pavement” is elsewhere used of a “brick mold.” Here BDB 527 s.v. מַלְבֵּן 2 gives “quadrangle” and KBL 527 s.v. מַלְבֵּן 2 gives “terrace of bricks.” HALOT 558 s.v. מֶלֶט and מַלְבֵּן 2 give “loamy soil” for both words, seeing the second noun as a dittography or gloss of the first (see also note c in BHS).
84 sn All the commentaries point out that this was not Pharaoh’s (main) palace but a governor’s residence or other government building that Pharaoh occupied when he was in Tahpanhes.
85 tn Heb “in Tahpanhes in the eyes of the men of Judah.”
86 sn This is another of those symbolic prophecies of Jeremiah which involved an action and an explanation. Compare Jer 19, 27.
87 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” Compare 7:3 and see the study note on 2:19 for explanation of the translation and significance of this title.
88 tn Heb “send and take/fetch.”
89 sn See the study note on Jer 25:9 for the use of this epithet for foreign rulers. The term emphasizes God’s sovereignty over history.
90 tn The Greek version reads the verbs in this sentence as third person, “he will set,” and second person, “you have buried.” This fits the context better but it is difficult to explain how the Hebrew could have arisen from this smoother reading. The figure of substitution (metonymy of cause for effect) is probably involved: “I will have him set” and “I have had you bury.” The effect of these substitutions is to emphasize the sovereignty of God.
91 tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. The word here (שַׁפְרִירוֹ [shafriro] Qere, שַׁפְרוּרוֹ [shafruro] Kethib) occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. According to the lexicons it refers to either the carpet for his throne or the canopy over it. See, e.g., HALOT 1510 s.v. שַׁפְרִיר.
92 tn As in 15:2 the Hebrew is very brief and staccato-like: “those to death to death, and those to captivity to captivity, and those to the sword to the sword.” As in 15:2 most commentaries and English versions assume that the word “death” refers to death by disease. See the translator’s note on 15:2 and compare also 18:21 where the sword is distinctly connected with “war” or “battle” and is distinct from “killed by death [i.e., disease].”
93 tc The translation follows the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions. The Hebrew text reads: “I will set fire to.” While it would be possible to explain the first person subject here in the same way as in the two verbs in v. 12b, the corruption of the Hebrew text is easy to explain here as a metathesis of two letters, י (yod) and ת (tav). The Hebrew reads הִצַּתִּי (hitsatti) and the versions presuppose הִצִּית (hitsit).
94 tn Heb “burn them or carry them off as captives.” Some of the commentaries and English versions make a distinction between the objects of the verbs, i.e., burn the temples and carry off the gods. However, the burning down of the temples is referred to later in v. 13.
sn It was typical in the ancient Near East for the images of the gods of vanquished nations to be carried off and displayed in triumphal procession on the return from battle to show the superiority of the victor’s gods over those of the vanquished (cf., e.g., Isa 46:1-2).
95 tn Or “he will take over Egypt as easily as a shepherd wraps his cloak around him.” The translation follows the interpretation of HALOT 769 s.v. II ָעטָה Qal, the Greek translation, and a number of the modern commentaries (e.g., J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 671). The only other passage where that translation is suggested for this verb is Isa 22:17 according to HAL. The alternate translation follows the more normal meaning of עָטָה (’atah; cf. BDB 741 s.v. I עָטָה Qal which explains “so completely will it be in his power”). The fact that the subject is “a shepherd” lends more credence to the former view though there may be a deliberate double meaning playing on the homonyms (cf. W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:302).
96 tn Heb “in peace/wholeness/well-being/safety [shalom].”
97 sn It is generally agreed that the temple of the sun was located in Heliopolis, which is elsewhere referred to as On (cf. Gen 41:45). It was the center for the worship of Amon-Re, the Egyptian sun god, and was famous for its obelisks (conical shaped pillars) dedicated to that god. It was located about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of modern-day Cairo.
98 sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.
99 sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.
100 tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.
101 tn Heb “it gushes forth a word.” The “sky” (see v. 1b) is the subject of the verb. Though not literally speaking (see v. 3), it clearly reveals God’s royal majesty. The sun’s splendor and its movement across the sky is in view (see vv. 4-6).
102 tn Heb “it [i.e., the sky] declares knowledge,” i.e., knowledge about God’s royal majesty and power (see v. 1). This apparently refers to the splendor and movements of the stars. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 2, like the participles in the preceding verse, combine with the temporal phrases (“day after day” and “night after night”) to emphasize the ongoing testimony of the sky.
103 tn Heb “their.” The antecedent of the plural pronoun is “heavens” (v. 1).
104 tc The MT reads, “their measuring line” (קוּם, qum). The noun קַו (qav, “measuring line”) makes no sense in this context. The reading קוֹלָם (qolam, “their voice”) which is supported by the LXX, is preferable.
105 tn Heb “goes out,” or “proceeds forth.”
106 tn Heb “their” (see the note on the word “its” in v. 3).
107 tn The verb is supplied in the translation. The Hebrew text has no verb; יָצָא (yatsa’, “goes out”) is understood by ellipsis.
108 tn Heb “to the end of the world.”
109 tn Heb “in them” (i.e., the heavens).
110 sn He has pitched a tent for the sun. The personified sun emerges from this “tent” in order to make its daytime journey across the sky. So the “tent” must refer metaphorically to the place where the sun goes to rest during the night.
111 tn The participle expresses the repeated or regular nature of the action.
112 tn The Hebrew noun חֻפָּה (khufah, “chamber”) occurs elsewhere only in Isa 4:5 and Joel 2:16 (where it refers to the bedroom of a bride and groom).
sn Like a bridegroom. The metaphor likens the sun to a bridegroom who rejoices on his wedding night.
113 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the regularity of the action.
114 tn Heb “[on] a path.”
sn Like a strong man. The metaphorical language reflects the brilliance of the sunrise, which attests to the sun’s vigor.
115 tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”
116 tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”
117 tn Heb “is hidden from.”
118 tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.
119 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the
120 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
121 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.
122 tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.
123 tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.
124 tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.
125 tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.
126 tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.
127 tn Heb “the fear of the
128 tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”
129 sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.
130 tn Heb “more desirable.”
131 tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).
132 tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”
133 tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”
134 tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.
135 tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.
136 tn Or “presumptuous.”
137 tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”
138 tn Heb “great.”
139 tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”
140 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
141 tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.
