1 Samuel 12:1-25
Context12:1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done 1 everything you requested. 2 I have given you a king. 3 12:2 Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. 12:3 Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. 4 Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, 5 and I will return it to you!”
12:4 They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.” 12:5 He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king 6 is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.” 7 They said, “He is witness!”
12:6 Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors 8 up from the land of Egypt. 12:7 Now take your positions, so I may confront you 9 before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors. 10 12:8 When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
12:9 “But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave 11 them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s 12 army, 13 and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 12:10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, 14 ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. 15 Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’ 16 12:11 So the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, 17 Barak, 18 Jephthah, and Samuel, 19 and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.
12:12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God is your king! 12:13 Now look! Here is the king you have chosen – the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king! 12:14 If you fear the Lord, serving him and obeying him 20 and not rebelling against what he says, 21 and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the Lord your God, all will be well. 22 12:15 But if you don’t obey 23 the Lord and rebel against what the Lord says, the hand of the Lord will be against both you and your king. 24
12:16 “So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the Lord is about to do in your sight. 12:17 Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the Lord so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the Lord by asking for a king for yourselves.”
12:18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 12:19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” 25
12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned. 26 However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 12:21 You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty. 27 12:22 The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. 28 The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 12:23 As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 12:24 However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! 12:25 But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
Romans 10:1-21
Context10:1 Brothers and sisters, 29 my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites 30 is for their salvation. 10:2 For I can testify that they are zealous for God, 31 but their zeal is not in line with the truth. 32 10:3 For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law, with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who believes.
10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is by the law: “The one who does these things will live by them.” 33 10:6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, 34 ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” 35 (that is, to bring Christ down) 10:7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?” 36 (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” 37 (that is, the word of faith that we preach), 10:9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord 38 and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10:10 For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness 39 and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. 40 10:11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 41 10:12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 10:13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 42
10:14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them 43 ? 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely 44 is the arrival 45 of those who proclaim the good news.” 46 10:16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 47 10:17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word 48 of Christ. 49
10:18 But I ask, have they 50 not heard? 51 Yes, they have: 52 Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. 53 10:19 But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? 54 First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.” 55 10:20 And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me.” 56 10:21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!” 57
Jeremiah 49:1-39
Context49:1 The Lord spoke about the Ammonites. 58
“Do you think there are not any people of the nation of Israel remaining?
Do you think there are not any of them remaining to reinherit their land?
Is that why you people who worship the god Milcom 59
have taken possession of the territory of Gad and live in his cities? 60
49:2 Because you did that,
I, the Lord, affirm that 61 a time is coming
when I will make Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon,
hear the sound of the battle cry.
It will become a mound covered with ruins. 62
Its villages will be burned to the ground. 63
Then Israel will take back its land
from those who took their land from them.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 64
49:3 Wail, you people in Heshbon, because Ai in Ammon is destroyed.
Cry out in anguish, you people in the villages surrounding 65 Rabbah.
Put on sackcloth and cry out in mourning.
Run about covered with gashes. 66
For your god Milcom will go into exile
along with his priests and officials. 67
49:4 Why do you brag about your great power?
Your power is ebbing away, 68 you rebellious people of Ammon, 69
who trust in your riches and say,
‘Who would dare to attack us?’
49:5 I will bring terror on you from every side,”
says the Lord God who rules over all. 70
“You will be scattered in every direction. 71
No one will gather the fugitives back together.
49:6 Yet in days to come
I will reverse Ammon’s ill fortune.” 72
says the Lord. 73
49:7 The Lord who rules over all 74 spoke about Edom. 75
“Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman? 76
Can Edom’s counselors not give her any good advice? 77
Has all of their wisdom turned bad? 78
49:8 Turn and flee! Take up refuge in remote places, 79
you people who live in Dedan. 80
For I will bring disaster on the descendants of Esau.
I have decided it is time for me to punish them. 81
49:9 If grape pickers came to pick your grapes,
would they not leave a few grapes behind? 82
If robbers came at night,
would they not pillage only what they needed? 83
49:10 But I will strip everything away from Esau’s descendants.
I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide.
Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed.
Not one of them will be left!
49:11 Leave your orphans behind and I will keep them alive.
Your widows too can depend on me.” 84
49:12 For the Lord says, “If even those who did not deserve to drink from the cup of my wrath must drink from it, do you think you will go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must certainly drink from the cup of my wrath. 85 49:13 For I solemnly swear,” 86 says the Lord, “that Bozrah 87 will become a pile of ruins. It will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example to be used in curses. 88 All the towns around it will lie in ruins forever.”
49:14 I said, 89 “I have heard a message from the Lord.
A messenger has been sent among the nations to say,
‘Gather your armies and march out against her!
Prepare to do battle with her!’” 90
49:15 The Lord says to Edom, 91
“I will certainly make you small among nations.
I will make you despised by all humankind.
49:16 The terror you inspire in others 92
and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you.
You may make your home in the clefts of the rocks;
you may occupy the highest places in the hills. 93
But even if you made your home where the eagles nest,
I would bring you down from there,”
says the Lord.
49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror.
All who pass by it will be filled with horror;
they will hiss out their scorn
because of all the disasters that have happened to it. 94
49:18 Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah
and the towns that were around them.
No one will live there.
No human being will settle in it,”
says the Lord.
49:19 “A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan 95
scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it. 96
So too I will chase the Edomites off their land. 97
Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose. 98
For there is no one like me, and there is no one who can call me to account. 99
There is no 100 ruler 101 who can stand up against me.
49:20 So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Edom,
what I intend to do to 102 the people who live in Teman. 103
Their little ones will be dragged off.
I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done. 104
49:21 The people of the earth will quake when they hear of their downfall. 105
Their cries of anguish will be heard all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba. 106
49:22 Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings,
a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah.
At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful
as a woman in labor.” 107
49:23 The Lord spoke 108 about Damascus. 109
“The people of Hamath and Arpad 110 will be dismayed
because they have heard bad news.
Their courage will melt away because of worry.
Their hearts will not be able to rest. 111
49:24 The people of Damascus will lose heart and turn to flee.
Panic will grip them.
Pain and anguish will seize them
like a woman in labor.
49:25 How deserted will that once-famous city 112 be,
that city that was once filled with 113 joy! 114
49:26 For her young men will fall in her city squares.
All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,”
says the Lord who rules over all. 115
49:27 “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;
it will burn up the palaces of Ben Hadad.” 116
49:28 The Lord spoke about Kedar 117 and the kingdoms of Hazor 118 that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered.
“Army of Babylon, 119 go and attack Kedar.
Lay waste those who live in the eastern desert. 120
49:29 Their tents and their flocks will be taken away.
Their tent curtains, equipment, and camels will be carried off.
People will shout 121 to them,
‘Terror is all around you!’” 122
49:30 The Lord says, 123 “Flee quickly, you who live in Hazor. 124
Take up refuge in remote places. 125
For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has laid out plans to attack you.
He has formed his strategy on how to defeat you.” 126
49:31 The Lord says, 127 “Army of Babylon, 128 go and attack
a nation that lives in peace and security.
They have no gates or walls to protect them. 129
They live all alone.
49:32 Their camels will be taken as plunder.
Their vast herds will be taken as spoil.
I will scatter to the four winds
those desert peoples who cut their hair short at the temples. 130
I will bring disaster against them
from every direction,” says the Lord. 131
49:33 “Hazor will become a permanent wasteland,
a place where only jackals live. 132
No one will live there.
No human being will settle in it.” 133
49:34 Early in the reign 134 of King Zedekiah of Judah, the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Elam. 135
49:35 The Lord who rules over all said,
“I will kill all the archers of Elam,
who are the chief source of her military might. 136
49:36 I will cause enemies to blow through Elam from every direction
like the winds blowing in from the four quarters of heaven.
I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds.
There will not be any nation where the refugees of Elam will not go. 137
49:37 I will make the people of Elam terrified of their enemies,
who are seeking to kill them.
I will vent my fierce anger
and bring disaster upon them,” 138 says the Lord. 139
“I will send armies chasing after them 140
until I have completely destroyed them.
49:38 I will establish my sovereignty over Elam. 141
I will destroy their king and their leaders,” 142 says the Lord. 143
49:39 “Yet in days to come
I will reverse Elam’s ill fortune.” 144
says the Lord. 145
Psalms 26:1--27:14
ContextBy David.
26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have integrity, 147
and I trust in the Lord without wavering.
26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!
Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! 148
26:3 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, 149
and your loyalty continually motivates me. 150
26:4 I do not associate 151 with deceitful men,
or consort 152 with those who are dishonest. 153
26:5 I hate the mob 154 of evil men,
and do not associate 155 with the wicked.
26:6 I maintain a pure lifestyle, 156
so I can appear before your altar, 157 O Lord,
and to tell about all your amazing deeds. 159
26:8 O Lord, I love the temple where you live, 160
the place where your splendor is revealed. 161
26:9 Do not sweep me away 162 with sinners,
or execute me along with violent people, 163
26:10 who are always ready to do wrong 164
or offer a bribe. 165
26:11 But I have integrity! 166
Rescue me 167 and have mercy on me!
and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord.
By David.
27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! 170
I fear no one! 171
The Lord protects my life!
I am afraid of no one! 172
27:2 When evil men attack me 173
to devour my flesh, 174
when my adversaries and enemies attack me, 175
they stumble and fall. 176
27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,
I do not fear. 177
Even when war is imminent, 178
I remain confident. 179
27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –
this is what I desire!
I want to live 180 in the Lord’s house 181 all the days of my life,
so I can gaze at the splendor 182 of the Lord
and contemplate in his temple.
27:5 He will surely 183 give me shelter 184 in the day of danger; 185
he will hide me in his home; 186
he will place me 187 on an inaccessible rocky summit. 188
27:6 Now I will triumph
over my enemies who surround me! 189
I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy! 190
I will sing praises to the Lord!
27:7 Hear me, 191 O Lord, when I cry out!
Have mercy on me and answer me!
27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, 192
and I do pray to you, O Lord. 193
Do not push your servant away in anger!
You are my deliverer! 195
Do not forsake or abandon me,
O God who vindicates me!
27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me, 196
the Lord would take me in. 197
27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; 198
lead me along a level path 199 because of those who wait to ambush me! 200
27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 201
for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 202
27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience
the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? 203
Be strong and confident! 205
Rely on the Lord!
1 tn Heb “Look, I have listened to your voice.”
2 tn Heb “to all which you said to me.”
3 tn Heb “and I have installed a king over you.”
4 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
5 tn The words “tell me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
7 tn Heb “that you have not found anything in my hand.”
8 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 8).
9 tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”
10 tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”
11 tn Heb “sold” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera”; NLT “he let them be conquered by Sisera.”
12 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
13 tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”
14 tn Heb “and said.”
15 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied in both vv. 3 and 4 for clarity.
sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.
16 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
17 sn Jerub-Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The Book of Judges uses both names for him.
18 tc The MT has “Bedan” (בְּדָן) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”
19 tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”
20 tn Heb “and you listen to his voice.”
21 tn Heb “the mouth of the
22 tn The words “all will be well” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
23 tn Heb “listen to the voice of.”
24 tc The LXX reads “your king” rather than the MT’s “your fathers.” The latter makes little sense here. Some follow MT, but translate “as it was against your fathers.” See P. K. McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), 212.
25 tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”
26 tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”
27 tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”
28 tn Heb “on account of his great name.”
29 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
30 tn Grk “on behalf of them”; the referent (Paul’s fellow Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 tn Grk “they have a zeal for God.”
32 tn Grk “in accord with knowledge.”
sn Their zeal is not in line with the truth means that the Jews’ passion for God was strong, but it ignored the true righteousness of God (v. 3; cf. also 3:21).
33 sn A quotation from Lev 18:5.
34 sn A quotation from Deut 9:4.
35 sn A quotation from Deut 30:12.
36 sn A quotation from Deut 30:13.
37 sn A quotation from Deut 30:14.
38 tn Or “the Lord.” The Greek construction, along with the quotation from Joel 2:32 in v. 13 (in which the same “Lord” seems to be in view) suggests that κύριον (kurion) is to be taken as “the Lord,” that is, Yahweh. Cf. D. B. Wallace, “The Semantics and Exegetical Significance of the Object-Complement Construction in the New Testament,” GTJ 6 (1985): 91-112.
39 tn Grk “believes to righteousness.”
40 tn Grk “confesses to salvation.”
41 sn A quotation from Isa 28:16.
42 sn A quotation from Joel 2:32.
43 tn Grk “preaching”; the words “to them” are supplied for clarification.
44 tn The word in this context seems to mean “coming at the right or opportune time” (see BDAG 1103 s.v. ὡραῖος 1); it may also mean “beautiful, attractive, welcome.”
45 tn Grk “the feet.” The metaphorical nuance of “beautiful feet” is that such represent timely news.
46 sn A quotation from Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15.
47 sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.
48 tn The Greek term here is ῥῆμα (rJhma), which often (but not exclusively) focuses on the spoken word.
49 tc Most
tn The genitive could be understood as either subjective (“Christ does the speaking”) or objective (“Christ is spoken about”), but the latter is more likely here.
50 tn That is, Israel (see the following verse).
51 tn Grk “they have not ‘not heard,’ have they?” This question is difficult to render in English. The basic question is a negative sentence (“Have they not heard?”), but it is preceded by the particle μή (mh) which expects a negative response. The end result in English is a double negative (“They have not ‘not heard,’ have they?”). This has been changed to a positive question in the translation for clarity. See BDAG 646 s.v. μή 3.a.; D. Moo, Romans (NICNT), 666, fn. 32; and C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans (ICC), 537, for discussion.
52 tn Here the particle μενοῦνγε (menounge) is correcting the negative response expected by the particle μή (mh) in the preceding question. Since the question has been translated positively, the translation was changed here to reflect that rendering.
53 sn A quotation from Ps 19:4.
54 tn Grk “Israel did not ‘not know,’ did he?” The double negative in Greek has been translated as a positive affirmation for clarity (see v. 18 above for a similar situation).
55 sn A quotation from Deut 32:21.
56 sn A quotation from Isa 65:1.
57 sn A quotation from Isa 65:2.
58 sn Ammonites. Ammon was a small kingdom to the north and east of Moab which was in constant conflict with the Transjordanian tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh over territorial rights to the lands north and south of the Jabbok River. Ammon mainly centered on the city of Rabbah which is modern Amman. According to Judg 11:13 the Ammonites claimed the land between the Jabbok and the Arnon but this was land taken from them by Sihon and Og and land that the Israelites captured from the latter two kings. The Ammonites attempted to expand into the territory of Israel in the Transjordan in the time of Jephthah (Judg 10-11) and the time of Saul (1 Sam 11). Apparently when Tiglath Pileser carried away the Israelite tribes in Transjordan in 733
59 tc The reading here and in v. 3 follows the reading of the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13. The Hebrew reads “Malcom” both here, in v. 3, and Zeph 1:5. This god is to be identified with the god known elsewhere as Molech (cf. 1 Kgs 11:7).
60 tn Heb “Does not Israel have any sons? Does not he have any heir [or “heirs” as a collective]? Why [then] has Malcom taken possession of Gad and [why] do his [Malcom’s] people live in his [Gad’s] land?” A literal translation here will not produce any meaning without major commentary. Hence the meaning that is generally agreed on is reflected in an admittedly paraphrastic translation. The reference is to the fact that the Ammonites had taken possession of the cities that had been deserted when the Assyrians carried off the Transjordanian tribes in 733
61 tn Heb “oracle of the
62 tn Heb “a desolate tel.” For the explanation of what a “tel” is see the study note on 30:18.
63 tn Heb “Its daughters will be burned with fire.” For the use of the word “daughters” to refer to the villages surrounding a larger city see BDB 123 s.v. I בַּת 4 and compare the usage in Judg 1:27.
64 tn Heb “says the
65 tn Or “you women of Rabbah”; Heb “daughters of Rabbah.” It is difficult to tell whether the word “daughters” is used here in the same sense that it has in v. 2 (see the translator’s note there) or in the literal sense of “daughters.” The former has been preferred because the cities themselves (e.g., Heshbon) are called to wail in the earlier part of the verse and the term “daughters” has been used in the previous verse of the surrounding villages.
66 tc Or “Run back and forth inside the walls of your towns.” Or “slash yourselves with gashes.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads “run back and forth among the walls.” The word “run back and forth” is generally taken as a Hitpolel of a verb that means to “go about” in the Qal and to “go back and forth” in the Polel (cf. BDB 1002 s.v. I שׁוּט). The noun that follows in the Hebrew means “wall, hedge” and is quite commonly modified by the noun צֹאן (tso’n, “sheep”) referring to sheepfolds (cf., e.g., Num 32:36; 1 Sam 24:3). But the phrase “run back and forth among the sheepfolds” yields little meaning here. In Ps 89:40 (89:41 HT) the word “wall” is used in parallelism with fortified cities and refers to the walls of the city. That is the sense that is assumed in one of the alternate translations with the words “of your towns” being supplied in the translation for clarification. However, that figure is a little odd in a context which speaks of mourning rites. Hence, some emend the word “walls” (גְּדֵרוֹת, gÿderot) to “gashes” (גְּדֻדוֹת, gÿdudot), a word that has occurred in a similar context in Jer 48:37. That would involve only the common confusion of ר and ד. That is the reading adopted here and fits the context nicely. NRSV appears to go one step further and read the verb as a Hitpolel from a root that is otherwise used only as a noun to mean “whip” or “scourge.” NRSV reads “slash yourselves with whips” which also makes excellent sense in the context but is not supported by any parallel use of the verb.
67 sn Compare Jer 48:7 and the study note there.
68 tn Or “Why do you brag about your valleys, about the fruitfulness of your valleys.” The meaning of the first two lines of this verse are uncertain primarily due to the ambiguity of the expression זָב עִמְקֵךְ (zav ’imqekh). The form זָב (zav) is either a Qal perfect or Qal participle of a verb meaning flow. It is common in the expression “a land flowing with milk and honey” and is also common to refer to the seminal discharge or discharge of blood which makes a man or woman unclean. BDB 264 s.v. זוּב Qal.2 sees it as an abbreviation of the idea of “flowing with milk and honey” and sees it as referring to the fertility of Ammon’s valley. However, there are no other examples of such an ellipsis. Several of the modern English versions and commentaries have taken the word עֵמֶק (’emeq) not as a reference to a valley but to the homonym cited in the note on 47:5 and see the reference here to the flowing away of Ammon’s strength. That interpretation is followed here. Instead of explaining the plural ending on עֲמָקִים (’amaqim) as being an enclitic ם (mem) as others who follow this interpretation (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 325), the present translation understands the plural as a plural of amplification (cf. GKC 397-98 §124.e and compare the noun “might” in Isa 40:26).
69 tn Heb “apostate daughter.” This same term is applied to Israel in Jer 31:22 but seems inappropriate here to Ammon because she had never been loyal to the
70 tn Heb “The Lord Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of the rendering here and of the significance of this title see the study note on 2:19.
71 tn Heb “You will be scattered each man [straight] before him.”
72 tn See Jer 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.
73 tn Heb “Oracle of the
74 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for this title.
75 sn Edom was a kingdom to the south and east of Judah. Its borders varied over time but basically Edom lay in the hundred mile strip between the Gulf of Aqaba on the south and the Zered River on the north. It straddled the Arabah leading down from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, having as its northern neighbors both Judah and Moab. A long history of hostility existed between Israel and Edom, making Edom one of the favorite objects of the prophets’ oracles of judgment (cf., e.g., Isa 21:11-12; 34:5-15; 63:1-6; Amos 1:11-12; Ezek 25:12-14; 35:1-15; Obad 1-16). Not much is known about Edom at this time other than the fact that they participated in the discussions regarding rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in 594
76 sn Teman was the name of one of Esau’s descendants, the name of an Edomite clan and the name of the district where they lived (Gen 36:11, 15, 34). Like the name Bozrah, it is used poetically for all of Edom (Jer 49:20; Ezek 25:13).
77 tn Heb “Has counsel perished from men of understanding?”
78 tn The meaning of this last word is based on the definition given in KBL 668 s.v. II סָרַח Nif and HALOT 726 s.v. II סָרַח Nif, which give the nuance “to be [or become] corrupt” rather than that of BDB 710 s.v. סָרַח Niph who give the nuance “let loose (i.e., to be dismissed; to be gone)” from a verb that is elsewhere used of the overhanging of a curtains or a cliff.
79 tn Heb “make deep to dwell.” The meaning of this phrase is debated. Some take it as a reference for the Dedanites who were not native to Edom to go down from the heights of Edom and go back home (so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 330). The majority of commentaries, however, take it as a reference to the Dedanites disassociating themselves from the Edomites and finding remote hiding places to live in (so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 718). For the options see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:375.
80 sn Dedan. The Dedanites were an Arabian tribe who lived to the southeast of Edom. They are warned here to disassociate themselves from Edom because Edom is about to suffer disaster.
81 tn Heb “For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him, the time when I will punish him.” Esau was the progenitor of the tribes and nation of Edom (cf. Gen 36:1, 8, 9, 19).
82 tn The translation of this verse is generally based on the parallels in Obad 5. There the second line has a ה interrogative in front of it. The question can still be assumed because questions can be asked in Hebrew without a formal marker (cf. GKC 473 §150.a and BDB 519 s.v. לֹא 1.a[e] and compare usage in 2 Kgs 5:26).
83 tn The tense and nuance of the verb translated “pillage” are both different than the verb in Obad 5. There the verb is the imperfect of גָּנַב (ganav, “to steal”). Here the verb is the perfect of a verb which means to “ruin” or “spoil.” The English versions and commentaries, however, almost all render the verb here in much the same way as in Obad 5. The nuance must mean they only “ruin, destroy” (by stealing) only as much as they need (Heb “their sufficiency”), and the verb is used as metonymical substitute, effect for cause. The perfect must be some kind of a future perfect; “would they not have destroyed only…” The negative question is carried over by ellipsis from the preceding lines.
84 tn Or “Their children and relatives will all be destroyed. And none of their neighbors will say, ‘Leave your orphans with me and I’ll keep them alive. Your widows can trust in me.’” This latter interpretation is based on a reading in a couple of the Greek versions (Symmachus and Lucian) and is accepted by a number of the modern commentaries, (J. Bright, J. A. Thompson, W. L. Holladay, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers). However, the majority of modern English versions do not follow it and lacking any other Hebrew or versional evidence it is probable that this is an interpretation to explain the mitigation of what appears as a prophecy of utter annihilation. There have been other cases in Jeremiah where a universal affirmation (either positive or negative) has been modified in the verses that follow. The verb in the second line תִּבְטָחוּ (tivtakhu) is highly unusual; it is a second masculine plural form with a feminine plural subject. The form is explained in GKC 127-28 §47.k and 160-61 §60.a, n. 1 as a pausal substitution for the normal form תִּבְטַחְנָה (tivtakhnah) and a similar form in Ezek 37:7 cited as a parallel.
85 tn The words “of my wrath” after “cup” in the first line and “from the cup of my wrath” in the last line are not in the text but are implicit in the metaphor. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
sn The reference here is to the cup of God’s wrath which is connected with the punishment of war at the hands of the Babylonians referred to already in Jer 25:15-29. Those who do not deserve to drink are the innocent victims of war who get swept away with the guilty. Edom was certainly not one of the innocent victims as is clear from this judgment speech and those referred to in the study note on 49:7.
86 tn Heb “I swear by myself.” See 22:5 and the study note there.
87 sn Bozrah appears to have been the chief city in Edom, its capital city (see its parallelism with Edom in Isa 34:6; 63:1; Jer 49:22). The reference to “its towns” (translated here “all the towns around it”) could then be a reference to all the towns in Edom. It was located about twenty-five miles southeast of the southern end of the Dead Sea apparently in the district of Teman (see the parallelism in Amos 1:12).
88 tn See the study note on 24:9 for the rendering of this term.
89 tn The words “I said” are not in the text but it is generally agreed that the words that follow are Jeremiah’s. These words are supplied in the translation to make clear that the speaker has shifted from the
90 tn Heb “Rise up for battle.” The idea “against her” is implicit from the context and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
91 tn The words “The
92 tn The meaning of this Hebrew word (תִּפְלֶצֶת, tifletset) is uncertain because it occurs only here. However, it is related to a verb root that refers to the shaking of the pillars (of the earth) in Job 9:6 and a noun (מִפְלֶצֶת, mifletset) that refers to “horror” or “shuddering” used in Job 21:6; Isa 21:4; Ezek 7:18; Ps 55:6. This is the nuance that is accepted by BDB, KBL, HAL and a majority of the modern English versions. The suffix is an objective genitive. The fact that the following verb is masculine singular suggests that the text here (הִשִּׁיא אֹתָךְ, hishi’ ’otakh) is in error for הִשִּׁיאָתָךְ (hishi’atakh; so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 327, n. 16.a).
93 tn The Hebrew text of the first four lines reads: “Your terror [= the terror you inspire] has deceived you, [and] the arrogance of your heart, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the heights of the hill.” The sentence is broken up and restructured to better conform with English style.
94 sn This verse is very similar to Jer 19:8 where the same judgment is pronounced on Jerusalem. For the meaning of some of the terms here (“hiss out their scorn” and “all the disasters that have happened to it”) see the notes on that verse.
95 tn See the study note on Jer 12:5 for the rendering of this term.
96 tn “The pasture-ground on the everflowing river” according to KBL 42 s.v. I אֵיתָן 1. The “everflowing river” refers to the Jordan.
97 tn Heb “Behold, like a lion comes up from the thicket of the Jordan into the pastureland of everflowing water so [reading כֵּן (ken) for כִּי (ki); or “indeed” (reading כִּי as an asseverative particle with J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 719, n. 6)] I will suddenly chase him [Edom] from upon it [the land].” The sentence has been restructured to better conform with contemporary English style and the significance of the simile drawn from the comparison has been spelled out for the sake of clarity. The form אַרְגִּיעָה (’argi’ah) is functioning here as an adverbial modifier in a verbal hendiadys (cf. GKC 386 §120.g).
98 tn For the use of the interrogative מִי (mi) in the sense of “whoever” and functioning like an adjective see BDB 567 s.v. מִי g and compare the usage in Prov 9:4, 16.
99 tn For the meaning of this verb in the sense of “arraign” or “call before the bar of justice” compare Job 9:19 and see BDB 417 s.v. יָעַד Hiph.
100 tn The interrogative מִי (mi) is rendered “there is no one” in each of the last three occurrences in this verse because it is used in a rhetorical question that expects the answer “no one” or “none” and is according to BDB 566 s.v. מִי f(c) equivalent to a rhetorical negative.
101 tn The word “shepherd” (רֹעֶה, ro’eh) has been used often in the book of Jeremiah to refer metaphorically to the ruler or leader (cf. BDB 945 s.v. I רָעָה Qal.1.d(2) and compare usage, e.g., in Jer 2:8; 23:1).
102 tn Heb “Therefore listen to the plan of the
103 sn Teman here appears to be a poetic equivalent for Edom, a common figure of speech in Hebrew poetry where the part is put for the whole. “The people of Teman” is thus equivalent to all the people of Edom.
104 tn Heb “They will surely drag them off, namely the young ones of the flock. He will devastate their habitation [or their sheepfold] on account of them.” The figure of the lion among the flock of sheep appears to be carried on here where the people are referred to as a flock and their homeland is referred to as a sheepfold. It is hard, however, to carry the figure over here into the translation, so the figures have been interpreted instead. Both of these last two sentences are introduced by a formula that indicates a strong affirmative oath (i.e., they are introduced by אִם לֹא [’im lo’; cf. BDB 50 s.v. אִם 1.b(2)]). The subject of the verb “they will drag them off” is the indefinite third plural which may be taken as a passive in English (cf. GKC 460 §144.g). The subject of the last line is the
105 tn Heb “The earth will quake when at the sound of their downfall.” However, as in many other places “earth” stands here metonymically for the inhabitants or people of the earth (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 578-79, and compare usage in 2 Sam 15:23; Ps 66:4).
106 tn Heb “the Red Sea,” of which the Gulf of Aqaba formed the northeastern arm. The land of Edom once reached this far according to 1 Kgs 9:26.
107 sn Compare Jer 48:40-41 for a similar prophecy about Moab. The parallelism here suggests that Bozrah, like Teman in v. 20, is a poetic equivalent for Edom.
108 tn The words “The
109 sn Damascus is a city in Syria, located below the eastern slopes of the Anti-lebanon Mountains. It was the capital of the Aramean state that was in constant hostility with Israel from the time of David until its destruction by the Assyrians in 732
110 tn Heb “Hamath and Arpad.” There is no word for people in the text. The cities are being personified. However, since it is really the people who are involved and it is clearer for the modern reader, the present translation supplies the words “people of” both here and in v. 24. The verbs in vv. 23-25 are all to be interpreted as prophetic perfects, the tense of the Hebrew verb that views an action as though it were as good as done. The verbs are clearly future in vv. 26-27 which begin with a “therefore.”
sn Hamath was a city on the Orontes River about 110 miles (183 km) north of Damascus. Arpad was a city that was 95 miles (158 km) farther north from there. These two cities were in the path of the northern descent of the kings of Assyria and Babylonia and had been conquered earlier under the Assyrian kings (Isa 10:9; 36:19; 37:13). The apparent reference here is to their terror and loss of courage when they hear the news that Nebuchadnezzar’s armies are on the move toward them and Damascus. They would have been in the path of Nebuchadnezzar as he chased Necho south after the battle of Carchemish.
111 tc The meaning of this verse is very uncertain. The Hebrew text apparently reads “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed. They melt away because they have heard bad news. Anxiety is in the sea; it [the sea] cannot be quiet.” Many commentaries and English versions redivide the verse and read “like the sea” for “in the sea” (כַּיָּם [kayyam] for בַּיָּם [bayyam]) and read the feminine singular noun דְּאָגָה (dÿ’agam) as though it were the third masculine plural verb דָּאֲגוּ (da’agu): “They are troubled like the sea.” The translation follows the emendation proposed in BHS and accepted by a number of commentaries (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 333; J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 723, n. 1). That emendation involves reading נָמֹג לִבָּם מִדְּאָגָה (namog libbam middÿ’agah) instead of נָמֹגוּ בַּיָּם דְּאָגָה (namogu bayyam dÿ’agah). The translation also involves a double reading of “heart,” for the sake of English style, once in the sense of courage (BDB 525 s.v. לֵב 10) because that is the nuance that best fits “melts” in the English idiom and once in the more general sense of hearts as the seat of fear, anxiety, worry. The double translation is a concession to English style.
112 tn Heb “city of praise.”
113 tn Heb “city of joy.”
114 tc Or “Why has that famous city not been abandoned, that city I once took delight in?” The translation follows the majority of modern commentaries in understanding לֹא (lo’, “not”) before “abandoned” as a misunderstanding of the emphatic ל (lamed; so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 723, n. 3, and J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 333, n. c; see also IBHS 211-12 §11.2.10i and HALOT 485-86 s.v. II לְ for the phenomenon). The particle is missing from the Vulgate. The translation also follows the versions in omitting the suffix on the word “joy” that is found in the Hebrew text (see BHS note b for a listing of the versions). This gives a better connection with the preceding and the following verse than the alternate translation.
115 tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of armies.” For this title for God see the study note on 2:19.
116 sn Ben-Hadad was a common name borne by a number of the kings of Damascus, e.g., one during the time of Asa around 900
117 sn Kedar appears to refer to an Arabic tribe of nomads descended from Ishmael (Gen 25:13). They are associated here with the people who live in the eastern desert (Heb “the children of the east”; בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם, bÿne-qedem). In Isa 21:16 they are associated with the Temanites and the Dedanites, Arabic tribes in the north Arabian desert. They were sheep breeders (Isa 60:7) who lived in tents (Ps 120:5) and unwalled villages (Isa 42:11). According to Assyrian records they clashed with Assyria from the time of Shalmaneser in 850 until the time of Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal in the late seventh century. According to the Babylonian Chronicles, Nebuchadnezzar defeated them in 599
118 sn Hazor. Nothing is know about this Hazor other than what is said here in vv. 28, 30, 33. They appear to also be nomadic tent dwellers who had a loose association with the Kedarites.
119 tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the Hebrew text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
120 sn Heb “the children of the east.” Nothing much is known about them other than their association with the Midianites and Amalekites in their attack on Israel in the time of Gideon (Judg 6:3, 33) and the fact that God would let tribes from the eastern desert capture Moab and Ammon in the future (Ezek 25:4, 10). Midian and Amalek were consider to be located in the region in north Arabia east of Ezion Geber. That would put them in the same general locality as the region of Kedar. The parallelism here suggests that they are the same as the people of Kedar. The words here are apparently addressed to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar.
121 tn Or “Let their tents…be taken….Let their tent…be carried…. Let people shout….”
122 sn This expression is a favorite theme in the book of Jeremiah. It describes the terrors of war awaiting the people of Judah and Jerusalem (6:25), the Egyptians at Carchemish (46:5), and here the Kedarites.
123 tn Heb “Oracle of the
124 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
125 tn Heb “Make deep to dwell.” See Jer 49:8 and the translator’s note there. The use of this same phrase here argues against the alternative there of going down from a height and going back home.
126 tn Heb “has counseled a counsel against you, has planned a plan against you.”
127 tn Heb “Oracle of the
128 tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
129 tn Heb “no gates and no bar,” i.e., “that lives securely without gates or bars.” The phrase is used by the figure of species for genus (synecdoche) to refer to the fact that they have no defenses, i.e., no walls, gates, or bars on the gates. The figure has been interpreted in the translation for the benefit of the average reader.
130 tn See the translator’s note at Jer 9:26 and compare the usage in 9:26 and 25:23.
131 tn Heb “Oracle of the
133 sn Compare Jer 49:18 and 50:40 where the same thing is said about Edom and Babylon.
134 tn Or “In the beginning of the reign.” For a discussion of the usage of the terms here see the translator’s note on 28:1. If this refers to the accession year the dating would be 598/97
135 tn Heb “That which came [as] the word of the
sn Elam was a country on the eastern side of the Tigris River in what is now southwestern Iran. Its capital city was Susa. It was destroyed in 640
136 tn Heb “I will break the bow of Elam, the chief source of their might.” The phrase does not mean that God will break literal bows or that he will destroy their weapons (synecdoche of species for genus) or their military power (so Hos 1:5). Because of the parallelism, the “bow” here stands for the archers who wield the bow, and were the strongest force (or chief contingent) in their military.
137 tn Or more simply, “I will bring enemies against Elam from every direction. / And I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. // There won’t be any nation / where the refugees of Elam will not go.” Or more literally, “I will bring the four winds against Elam / from the four quarters of heaven. / I will scatter….” However, the winds are not to be understood literally here. God isn’t going to “blow the Elamites” out of Elam with natural forces. The winds must figuratively represent enemy forces that God will use to drive them out. Translating literally would be misleading at this point.
138 tn Heb “I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger.”
139 tn Heb “Oracle of the
140 tn Heb “I will send the sword after them.”
141 tn Or “I will sit in judgment over Elam”; Heb “I will set up my throne in Elam.” Commentators are divided over whether this refers to a king sitting in judgment over his captured enemies or whether it refers to formally establishing his rule over the country. Those who argue for the former idea point to the supposed parallels in 1:15 (which the present translation understands not to refer to this but to setting up siege) and 43:8-13. The parallelism in the verse here, however, argues that it refers to the
142 tn Heb “I will destroy king and leaders from there.”
143 tn Heb “Oracle of the
144 tn See Jer 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.
sn See a similar note on the reversal of Moab’s fortunes in Jer 48:47 and compare also 46:26 for a future restoration of Egypt.
145 tn Heb “Oracle of the
146 sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.
147 tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”
148 tn Heb “evaluate my kidneys and my heart.” The kidneys and heart were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
149 tn Heb “for your faithfulness [is] before my eyes.”
150 tn Heb “and I walk about in your loyalty.”
sn The psalmist’s awareness of the Lord’s faithfulness and…loyalty toward him motivates him to remain loyal to the Lord and to maintain his moral purity.
151 tn Heb “sit.”
152 tn Heb “go.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.
153 tn Heb “[those who] conceal themselves.”
154 tn Heb “assembly, company.”
155 tn Heb “sit.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.
156 tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.
157 tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
158 tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”
159 tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.
160 tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”
161 tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”
162 tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”
163 tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
164 tn Heb “who [have] in their hands evil.”
165 tn Heb “and their right hand is full of a bribe.”
166 tn Heb “and I in my integrity walk.” The psalmist uses the imperfect verbal form to emphasize this is his practice. The construction at the beginning of the verse (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist and the sinners mentioned in vv. 9-10.
167 tn Or “redeem me.”
168 tn Heb “my foot stands in a level place.”
169 sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.
170 tn Heb “the
171 tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
172 tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
173 tn Heb “draw near to me.”
174 sn To devour my flesh. The psalmist compares his enemies to dangerous, hungry predators (see 2 Kgs 9:36; Ezek 39:17).
175 tn Heb “my adversaries and my enemies against me.” The verb “draw near” (that is, “attack”) is understood by ellipsis; see the previous line.
176 tn The Hebrew verbal forms are perfects. The translation assumes the psalmist is generalizing here, but another option is to take this as a report of past experience, “when evil men attacked me…they stumbled and fell.”
177 tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”
178 tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”
179 tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”
180 tn Heb “my living.”
181 sn The
182 tn Or “beauty.”
183 tn Or “for he will.” The translation assumes the כִּי (ki) is asseverative here, rather than causal.
184 tn Heb “he will hide me in his hut.”
185 tn Or “trouble.”
186 tn Heb “tent.”
187 tn The three imperfect verb forms in v. 5 anticipate a positive response to the prayer offered in vv. 7-12.
188 tn Heb “on a rocky summit he lifts me up.” The
189 tn Heb “and now my head will be lifted up over my enemies all around me.”
sn In vv. 1-3 the psalmist generalizes, but here we discover that he is facing a crisis and is under attack from enemies (see vv. 11-12).
190 tn Heb “I will sacrifice in his tent sacrifices of a shout for joy” (that is, “sacrifices accompanied by a joyful shout”).
191 tn Heb “my voice.”
192 tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the
193 tn Heb “your face, O
194 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
195 tn Or “[source of] help.”
196 tn Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”
197 tn Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”
198 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The
199 sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).
200 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.
201 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
202 tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.
203 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the
204 tn Or “wait.”
205 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”