1 Kings 19:1-21 
Context19:1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. 19:2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, 1 “May the gods judge me severely 2 if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!” 3
19:3 Elijah was afraid, 4 so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 19:4 while he went a day’s journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub 5 and asked the Lord to take his life: 6 “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.” 7 19:5 He stretched out 8 and fell asleep under the shrub. All of a sudden an angelic messenger 9 touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 19:6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more. 10 19:7 The Lord’s angelic messenger came back again, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, for otherwise you won’t be able to make the journey.” 11 19:8 So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
19:9 He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the Lord spoke to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 19:10 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal 12 to the Lord, the sovereign God, 13 even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, 14 torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” 15 19:11 The Lord 16 said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.”
A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, 17 but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 19:12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. 18 19:13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden 19 a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 19:14 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal 20 to the Lord, the sovereign God, 21 even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, 22 torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” 23 19:15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria. 19:16 You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to take your place as prophet. 19:17 Jehu will kill anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword. 19:18 I still have left in Israel seven thousand followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.” 24
19:19 Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen; he was near the twelfth pair. Elijah passed by him and threw his robe over him. 19:20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I will follow you.” Elijah 25 said to him, “Go back! Indeed, what have I done to you?” 19:21 Elisha 26 went back and took his pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He cooked the meat over a fire that he made by burning the harness and yoke. 27 He gave the people meat and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and became his assistant.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
Context2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, 28 about our coming to you – it has not proven to be purposeless. 29 2:2 But although we suffered earlier and were mistreated in Philippi, 30 as you know, we had the courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God 31 in spite of much opposition. 2:3 For the appeal we make 32 does not come 33 from error or impurity or with deceit, 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts. 2:5 For we never appeared 34 with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is our witness – 2:6 nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others, 2:7 35 although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became 36 little children 37 among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children, 2:8 with such affection for you 38 we were happy 39 to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 2:9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, 40 our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. 2:10 You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe. 2:11 As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children, 2:12 exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory. 2:13 And so 41 we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, 42 you accepted it not as a human message, 43 but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe. 2:14 For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, 44 of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews, 2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets 45 and persecuted us severely. 46 They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people, 2:16 because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, 47 but wrath 48 has come upon them completely. 49
2:17 But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, 50 for a short time (in presence, not in affection) 51 we became all the more fervent in our great desire 52 to see you in person. 53 2:18 For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) 54 but Satan thwarted us. 2:19 For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of 55 before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you? 2:20 For you are our glory and joy!
Daniel 1:1-21
Context1:1 In the third 56 year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar 57 of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem 58 and laid it under siege. 59 1:2 Now the Lord 60 delivered 61 King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power, 62 along with some of the vessels 63 of the temple of God. 64 He brought them to the land of Babylonia 65 to the temple of his god 66 and put 67 the vessels in the treasury of his god.
1:3 The king commanded 68 Ashpenaz, 69 who was in charge of his court officials, 70 to choose 71 some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent 72 – 1:4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, 73 well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated 74 and having keen insight, 75 and who were capable 76 of entering the king’s royal service 77 – and to teach them the literature and language 78 of the Babylonians. 79 1:5 So the king assigned them a daily ration 80 from his royal delicacies 81 and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained 82 for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king’s service. 83 1:6 As it turned out, 84 among these young men 85 were some from Judah: 86 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 87 1:7 But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave 88 Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego. 89
1:8 But Daniel made up his mind 90 that he would not defile 91 himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. 92 He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. 1:9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. 93 1:10 But he 94 responded to Daniel, “I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided 95 your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? 96 If that happened, 97 you would endanger my life 98 with the king!” 1:11 Daniel then spoke to the warden 99 whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 1:13 Then compare our appearance 100 with that of 101 the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; 102 deal with us 103 in light of what you see.” 1:14 So the warden 104 agreed to their proposal 105 and tested them for ten 106 days.
1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier 107 than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. 1:16 So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine 108 from their diet 109 and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. 1:17 Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom – and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, 110 the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence. 1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group 111 anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. 112 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and 113 insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times 114 better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. 1:21 Now Daniel lived on until the first 115 year of Cyrus the king.
Psalms 105:1-45
Context105:1 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
105:2 Sing to him!
Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
105:3 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
105:4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presence continually!
105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, 117
105:6 O children 118 of Abraham, 119 God’s 120 servant,
you descendants 121 of Jacob, God’s 122 chosen ones!
105:7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 123
105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made 124 to a thousand generations –
105:9 the promise 125 he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac!
105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise, 126
105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
105:12 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and resident aliens within it,
105:13 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another. 127
105:14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
105:15 saying, 128 “Don’t touch my chosen 129 ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth;
he cut off all the food supply. 130
105:17 He sent a man ahead of them 131 –
Joseph was sold as a servant.
105:18 The shackles hurt his feet; 132
his neck was placed in an iron collar, 133
105:19 until the time when his prediction 134 came true.
The Lord’s word 135 proved him right. 136
105:20 The king authorized his release; 137
the ruler of nations set him free.
105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, 138
and made him manager of all his property,
105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials 139
and to teach his advisers. 140
105:23 Israel moved to 141 Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time 142 in the land of Ham.
105:24 The Lord 143 made his people very fruitful,
and made them 144 more numerous than their 145 enemies.
105:25 He caused them 146 to hate his people,
and to mistreat 147 his servants.
105:26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, 148
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
they did not disobey his orders. 150
105:29 He turned their water into blood,
and killed their fish.
105:30 Their land was overrun by frogs,
which even got into the rooms of their kings.
105:31 He ordered flies to come; 151
gnats invaded their whole territory.
105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; 152
there was lightning in their land. 153
105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
105:34 He ordered locusts to come, 154
innumerable grasshoppers.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields. 155
105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power. 156
105:37 He brought his people 157 out enriched 158 with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled.
105:38 Egypt was happy when they left,
for they were afraid of them. 159
105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, 160
and provided a fire to light up the night.
105:40 They asked for food, 161 and he sent quails;
he satisfied them with food from the sky. 162
105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;
a river ran through dry regions.
105:42 Yes, 163 he remembered the sacred promise 164
he made to Abraham his servant.
105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy. 165
105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,
and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, 166
105:45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey 167 his laws.
Praise the Lord!
1 tn Heb “saying.”
2 tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”
3 tn Heb “I do not make your life like the life of one of them.”
4 tc The MT has “and he saw,” but some medieval Hebrew
5 tn Or “broom tree” (also in v. 5).
6 tn Heb “and asked with respect to his life to die.”
7 tn Heb “fathers.”
8 tn Or “lay down.”
9 tn Heb “Look, a messenger.”
10 tn Heb “and again lay down”
11 tn Heb “for the journey is too great for you.”
12 tn Or “very zealous.” The infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb emphasizes the degree of his zeal and allegiance.
13 tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”
14 tn Heb “abandoned your covenant.”
15 tn Heb “and they are seeking my life to take it.”
16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
17 tn Heb “tearing away the mountains and breaking the cliffs” (or perhaps, “breaking the stones”).
18 tn Heb “a voice, calm, soft.”
19 tn Heb “look.”
20 tn Or “very zealous.” The infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb emphasizes the degree of his zeal and allegiance.
21 tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”
22 tn Heb “abandoned your covenant.”
23 tn Heb “and they are seeking my life to take it.”
24 tn Heb “I have kept in Israel seven thousand, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and all the mouths that have not kissed him.”
25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 tn Heb “and with the equipment of the oxen he cooked them, the flesh.”
28 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
29 tn Grk “has not become empty.” Paul is defending himself against the charge that he lacked earnestness and personal concern for them, but appeared in their city out of greed or egotism. In his defense he appeals to what they recall of his ministry and what has become of it since he left, all of which demonstrates his God-given earnestness and effectiveness.
30 map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.
31 tn The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. This same phrase occurs in vv. 8 and 9 as well.
32 tn Grk “For our exhortation.” Paul here uses παράκλησις (paraklhsis) to speak in broad terms about his preaching of the gospel, in which he urges or appeals to people to respond to God’s salvation (cf. the verb form παρακαλοῦντος [parakalounto"] in 2 Cor 5:20).
33 tn Grk “[is] not” (the verb “to be” is implied in the Greek construction).
34 tn Or “came on the scene,” “came.”
35 tn Punctuating vv. 6 and 7 is difficult. One must consider the difficult textual problem of v. 7 (see tc note on the word “children” in that verse) as well as the grammar of the verse. In the translation above, “little children” is understood to be a predicate nominative connected to the verb “became.” This allows a full stop to be placed at the end of v. 6 and before the phrase “like a nursing mother” in v. 7. This separates the two metaphors which impact the textual problem and allows for greater clarity in the way the sentence is read.
36 tn Or “were,” “proved to be.”
37 tc The variant ἤπιοι (hpioi, “gentle”) has fair support (א2 A C2 D2 Ψc 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï), but νήπιοι (nhpioi, “little children”) has significantly stronger backing (Ì65 א* B C* D* F G I Ψ* pc it bo). It is not insignificant that the earliest Alexandrian and Western witnesses in support of ἤπιοι are actually not Alexandrian or Western; they are the second correctors of Alexandrian and Western
38 tn Grk “longing for you in this way.”
39 tn Or “we are happy.” This verb may be past or present tense, but the context favors the past.
40 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
41 tn Grk “for this reason,” which seems to look back to Paul’s behavior just described. But it may look forward to v. 13b and mean: “and here is another reason that we constantly thank God: that…”
42 tn Grk “God’s word of hearing from us.”
43 tn Paul’s focus is their attitude toward the message he preached: They received it not as a human message but a message from God.
44 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
45 tc ἰδίους (idious, “their own prophets”) is found in D1 Ψ Ï sy McionT. This is obviously a secondary reading. Marcion’s influence may stand behind part of the tradition, but the Byzantine text probably added the adjective in light of its mention in v. 14 and as a clarification or interpretation of which prophets were in view.
46 tn Or “and drove us out” (cf. Acts 17:5-10).
47 tn Grk “to fill up their sins always.”
48 tc The Western text (D F G latt) adds τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) to ὀργή (orgh) to read “the wrath of God,” in emulation of the normal Pauline idiom (cf., e.g., Rom 1:18; Eph 5:6; Col 3:6) and, most likely, to clarify which wrath is in view (since ὀργή is articular).
tn Or “the wrath,” possibly referring back to the mention of wrath in 1:10.
49 tn Or “at last.”
50 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
51 tn Grk “in face, not in heart.”
52 tn Grk “with great desire.”
53 tn Grk “to see your face.”
54 tn Or “several times”; Grk, “both once and twice.” The literal expression “once and twice” is frequently used as a Greek idiom referring to an indefinite low number, but more than once (“several times”); see L&N 60.70.
55 sn Crown to boast of (Grk “crown of boasting”). Paul uses boasting or exultation to describe the Christian’s delight in being commended for faithful service by the Lord at his return (1 Cor 9:15-16; 2 Cor 1:12-14; 10:13-18; Phil 2:16; and 1 Cor 3:14; 4:5).
56 sn The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim would be ca. 605
57 sn King Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon from ca. 605-562
58 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
59 sn This attack culminated in the first of three major deportations of Jews to Babylon. The second one occurred in 597
60 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
61 tn Heb “gave.”
62 tn Heb “hand,” which is often used idiomatically for one’s power and authority. See BDB 390 s.v. יָד 2.
63 tn Or “utensils”; or “articles.”
64 tn Heb “house of God.”
65 sn The land of Babylonia (Heb “the land of Shinar”) is another name for Sumer and Akkad, where Babylon was located (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1, 9; Josh 7:21; Isa 11:11; Zech 5:11).
66 tn Or “gods” (NCV, NRSV, TEV; also later in this verse). The Hebrew term can be used as a numerical plural for many gods or as a plural of majesty for one particular god. Since Nebuchadnezzar was a polytheist, it is not clear if the reference here is to many gods or one particular deity. The plural of majesty, while normally used for Israel’s God, is occasionally used of foreign gods (cf. BDB 43 s.v. אֱלֹהִים 1, 2). See Judg 11:24 (of the Moabite god Chemosh); 1 Sam 5:7 (of the Philistine god Dagon); 1 Kgs 11:33 (of the Canaanite goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom); 2 Kgs 19:37 (of the Assyrian god Nisroch). Since gods normally had their own individual temples, Dan 1:2 probably refers to a particular deity, perhaps Marduk, the supreme god of Babylon, or Marduk’s son Nabu, after whom Nebuchadnezzar was named. The name Nebuchadnezzar means “Nabu has protected the son who will inherit” (HALOT 660 s.v. נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר). For a discussion of how temples functioned in Babylonian religion see H. Ringgren, Religions of the Ancient Near East, 77-81.
67 tn Heb “brought.” Though the Hebrew verb “brought” is repeated in this verse, the translation uses “brought…put” for stylistic variation.
68 tn Or “gave orders to.” Heb “said to.”
69 sn It is possible that the word Ashpenaz is not a proper name at all, but a general term for “innkeeper.” See J. J. Collins, Daniel (Hermeneia), 127, n. 9. However, the ancient versions understand the term to be a name, and the present translation (along with most English versions) understands the word in this way.
70 sn The word court official (Hebrew saris) need not mean “eunuch” in a technical sense (see Gen 37:36, where the term refers to Potiphar, who had a wife), although in the case of the book of Daniel there was in Jewish literature a common tradition to that effect. On the OT usage of this word see HALOT 769-70 s.v. סָרֹיס.
71 tn Heb “bring.”
72 tn Heb “and from the seed of royalty and from the nobles.”
73 tn Heb “good of appearance.”
74 tn Heb “knowers of knowledge.”
75 tn Heb “understanders of knowledge.”
76 tn Heb “who had strength.”
77 tn Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19.
78 sn The language of the Chaldeans referred to here is Akkadian, an East Semitic cuneiform language.
79 tn Heb “Chaldeans” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV). This is an ancient name for the Babylonians.
80 tn Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”
81 tn Heb “from the delicacies of the king.”
82 tn Or “educated.” See HALOT 179 s.v. I גדל.
83 tn Heb “stand before the king.”
84 tn Heb “and it happened that.”
85 tn Heb “among them”; the referent (the young men taken captive from Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
86 tn Heb “the sons of Judah.”
87 sn The names reflect a Jewish heritage. In Hebrew Daniel means “God is my judge”; Hananiah means “the Lord is gracious”; Mishael means “who is what God is?”; Azariah means “the Lord has helped.”
88 tc The LXX and Vulgate lack the verb here.
89 sn The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the MT vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.
90 tn Heb “placed on his heart.”
91 tn Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; TEV “become ritually unclean.”
sn Various reasons have been suggested as to why such food would defile Daniel. Perhaps it had to do with violations of Mosaic law with regard to unclean foods, or perhaps it had to do with such food having been offered to idols. Daniel’s practice in this regard is strikingly different from that of Esther, who was able successfully to conceal her Jewish identity.
92 tn Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”
93 tn Heb “Then God granted Daniel loyal love and compassion before the overseer of the court officials.” The expression “loyal love and compassion” is a hendiadys; the two words combine to express one idea.
94 tn Heb “The overseer of the court officials.” The subject has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
95 tn Heb “assigned.” See v. 5.
96 tn Heb “Why should he see your faces thin from the young men who are according to your age?” The term translated “thin” occurs only here and in Gen 40:6, where it appears to refer to a dejected facial expression. The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “be weak.” See HALOT 277 s.v. II זעף.
97 tn The words “if that happened” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
98 tn Heb “my head.” Presumably this is an implicit reference to capital punishment (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT), although this is not entirely clear.
99 sn Having failed to convince the overseer, Daniel sought the favor of the warden whom the overseer had appointed to care for the young men.
100 tn Heb “let our appearance be seen before you.”
101 tn Heb “the appearance of.”
102 tn Heb “delicacies of the king.” So also in v. 15.
103 tn Heb “your servants.”
104 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the warden mentioned in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
105 tn Heb “listened to them with regard to this matter.”
106 sn The number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number of completeness. Cf. v. 20; Zech 8:23; Rev 2:10.
107 tn Heb “fat of flesh”; KJV, ASV “fatter in flesh”; NASB, NRSV “fatter” (although this is no longer a sign of health in Western culture).
108 tn Heb “the wine of their drinking.”
109 tn The words “from their diet” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
110 tn Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”
111 tn Heb “from all of them.”
112 tn Heb “stood before the king.”
113 tc The MT lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.
114 tn Heb “hands.”
115 sn The Persian king Cyrus’ first year in control of Babylon was 539
116 sn Psalm 105. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God because he delivered his people from Egypt in fulfillment of his covenantal promises to Abraham. A parallel version of vv. 1-15 appears in 1 Chr 16:8-22.
117 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
118 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
119 tc Some
120 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
121 tn Heb “sons.”
122 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
123 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
124 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.
125 tn Heb “which.”
126 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
127 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
128 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
129 tn Heb “anointed.”
130 tn Heb “and every staff of food he broke.” The psalmist refers to the famine that occurred in Joseph’s time (see v. 17 and Gen 41:53-57).
131 tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).
132 tn Heb “they afflicted his feet with shackles.”
133 tn Heb “his neck came [into] iron.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with the suffix could mean simply “he” or “his life.” But the nuance “neck” makes good sense here (note the reference to his “feet” in the preceding line). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 38.
134 tn Heb “word,” probably referring to Joseph’s prediction about the fate of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (see Gen 41:9-14).
135 tn This line may refer to Joseph’s prediction of the famine in response to Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph emphasized to Pharaoh that the interpretation of the dream came from God (see Gen 41:16, 25, 28, 32, 39).
136 tn Heb “refined him.”
137 tn Heb “[the] king sent and set him free.”
138 tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”
139 tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”
140 tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”
141 tn Heb “entered.”
142 tn Heb “lived as a resident alien.”
143 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
144 tn Heb “him,” referring to “his people.”
145 tn Heb “his,” referring to “his people.”
146 tn Heb “their heart.”
147 tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.
148 tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).
149 tn Heb “he sent darkness and made it dark.”
sn He made it dark. The psalmist begins with the ninth plague (see Exod 10:21-29).
150 tn Heb “they did not rebel against his words.” Apparently this refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out God’s orders.
151 tn Heb “he spoke and flies came.”
152 tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”
153 tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”
154 tn Heb “he spoke and locusts came.”
155 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
156 tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).
sn Verses 28-36 recall the plagues in a different order than the one presented in Exodus: v. 28 (plague 9), v. 29 (plague 1), v. 30 (plague 2), v. 31a (plague 4), v. 31b (plague 3), vv. 32-33 (plague 7), vv. 34-35 (plague 8), v. 36 (plague 10). No reference is made in Ps 105 to plagues 5 and 6.
157 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the
158 tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
159 tn Heb “for fear of them had fallen upon them.”
160 tn Or “curtain.”
161 tn Heb “he [i.e., his people] asked.” The singular form should probably be emended to a plural שָׁאֲלוּ (sha’alu, “they asked”), the vav (ו) having fallen off by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the following form).
162 tn Or “bread of heaven.” The reference is to manna (see Exod 16:4, 13-15).
163 tn Or “for.”
164 tn Heb “his holy word.”
165 tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”
166 tn Heb “and the [product of the] work of peoples they possessed.”
167 tn Heb “guard.”
