2 Kings 7:1-20 
Context7:1 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord says, ‘About this time tomorrow a seah 1 of finely milled flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.’” 7:2 An officer who was the king’s right-hand man 2 responded to the prophet, 3 “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?” 4 Elisha 5 said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!” 6
7:3 Now four men with a skin disease 7 were sitting at the entrance of the city gate. They said to one another, “Why are we just sitting here waiting to die? 8 7:4 If we go into the city, we’ll die of starvation, 9 and if we stay here we’ll die! So come on, let’s defect 10 to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, 11 we’ll live; if they kill us – well, we were going to die anyway.” 12 7:5 So they started toward 13 the Syrian camp at dusk. When they reached the edge of the Syrian camp, there was no one there. 7:6 The Lord had caused the Syrian camp to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a large army. Then they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has paid the kings of the Hittites and Egypt to attack us!” 7:7 So they got up and fled at dusk, leaving behind their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. 7:8 When the men with a skin disease reached the edge of the camp, they entered a tent and had a meal. 14 They also took some silver, gold, and clothes and went and hid it all. 15 Then they went back and entered another tent. They looted it 16 and went and hid what they had taken. 7:9 Then they said to one another, “It’s not right what we’re doing! This is a day to celebrate, but we haven’t told anyone. 17 If we wait until dawn, 18 we’ll be punished. 19 So come on, let’s go and inform the royal palace.” 7:10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers 20 of the city. They told them, “We entered the Syrian camp and there was no one there. We didn’t even hear a man’s voice. 21 But the horses and donkeys are still tied up, and the tents remain up.” 22 7:11 The gatekeepers relayed the news to the royal palace. 23
7:12 The king got up in the night and said to his advisers, 24 “I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know we are starving, so they left the camp and hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and enter the city.’” 7:13 One of his advisers replied, “Pick some men and have them take five of the horses that are left in the city. (Even if they are killed, their fate will be no different than that of all the Israelite people – we’re all going to die!) 25 Let’s send them out so we can know for sure what’s going on.” 26 7:14 So they picked two horsemen and the king sent them out to track the Syrian army. 27 He ordered them, “Go and find out what’s going on.” 28 7:15 So they tracked them 29 as far as the Jordan. The road was filled with clothes and equipment that the Syrians had discarded in their haste. 30 The scouts 31 went back and told the king. 7:16 Then the people went out and looted the Syrian camp. A seah 32 of finely milled flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, just as the Lord had said they would. 33
7:17 Now the king had placed the officer who was his right-hand man 34 at the city gate. When the people rushed out, they trampled him to death in the gate. 35 This fulfilled the prophet’s word which he had spoken when the king tried to arrest him. 36 7:18 The prophet told the king, “Two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of finely milled flour for a shekel; this will happen about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.” 7:19 But the officer replied to the prophet, “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?” 37 Elisha 38 said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!” 39 7:20 This is exactly what happened to him. The people trampled him to death in the city gate.
1 Timothy 4:1-16
Context4:1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves 40 with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, 41 4:2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars 42 whose consciences are seared. 43 4:3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4:4 For every creation of God is good and no food 44 is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. 4:5 For it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.
4:6 By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, 45 you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 46 4:7 But reject those myths 47 fit only for the godless and gullible, 48 and train yourself for godliness. 4:8 For “physical exercise 49 has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” 4:9 This saying 50 is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. 4:10 In fact this is why 51 we work hard and struggle, 52 because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, 53 especially of believers.
4:11 Command and teach these things. 4:12 Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, 54 and purity. 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, 55 to exhortation, to teaching. 4:14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have, 56 given to you and confirmed by prophetic words 57 when the elders laid hands on you. 58 4:15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. 59 4:16 Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. 60 Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.
Daniel 11:1-45
Context11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I 61 stood to strengthen him and to provide protection for him.) 11:2 Now I will tell you the truth.
“Three 62 more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth 63 king will be unusually rich, 64 more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against 65 the kingdom of Greece. 11:3 Then a powerful king 66 will arise, exercising great authority and doing as he pleases. 11:4 Shortly after his rise to power, 67 his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky 68 – but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these.
11:5 “Then the king of the south 69 and one of his subordinates 70 will grow strong. His subordinate 71 will resist 72 him and will rule a kingdom greater than his. 73 11:6 After some years have passed, they 74 will form an alliance. Then the daughter 75 of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power, 76 nor will he continue 77 in his strength. 78 She, together with the one who brought her, her child, 79 and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time. 80
11:7 “There will arise in his 81 place one from her family line 82 who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully. 83 11:8 He will also take their gods into captivity to Egypt, along with their cast images and prized utensils of silver and gold. Then he will withdraw for some years from 84 the king of the north. 11:9 Then the king of the north 85 will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land. 11:10 His sons 86 will wage war, mustering a large army which will advance like an overflowing river and carrying the battle all the way to the enemy’s 87 fortress. 88
11:11 “Then the king of the south 89 will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a large army, but that army will be delivered into his hand. 11:12 When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant. 90 He will be responsible for the death 91 of thousands and thousands of people, 92 but he will not continue to prevail. 11:13 For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies.
11:14 “In those times many will oppose 93 the king of the south. 94 Those who are violent 95 among your own people will rise up in confirmation of 96 the vision, but they will falter. 11:15 Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city. 97 The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents. 98 They will have no strength to prevail. 11:16 The one advancing against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand before him. He will prevail in the beautiful land, and its annihilation will be within his power. 99 11:17 His intention 100 will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, and he will form alliances. 101 He will give the king of the south 102 a daughter 103 in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but it will not turn out to his advantage. 11:18 Then he will turn his attention 104 to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander 105 will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, 106 he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. 107 11:19 He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again. 11:20 There will arise after him 108 one 109 who will send out an exactor 110 of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, 111 though not in anger or battle.
11:21 “Then there will arise in his place a despicable person 112 to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit. 11:22 Armies 113 will be suddenly 114 swept away in defeat 115 before him; both they and a covenant leader 116 will be destroyed. 117 11:23 After 118 entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force. 119 11:24 In a time of prosperity for the most productive areas of the province he will come and accomplish what neither his fathers nor their fathers accomplished. He will distribute loot, spoils, and property to his followers, and he will devise plans against fortified cities, but not for long. 120 11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm 121 against the king of the south 122 with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him. 11:26 Those who share the king’s fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; 123 many will be killed in battle. 11:27 These two kings, their minds 124 filled with evil intentions, will trade 125 lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time. 11:28 Then the king of the north 126 will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land. 11:29 At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did. 11:30 The ships of Kittim 127 will come against him, leaving him disheartened. 128 He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor 129 those who forsake the holy covenant. 11:31 His forces 130 will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, 131 stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up 132 the abomination that causes desolation. 11:32 Then with smooth words he will defile 133 those who have rejected 134 the covenant. But the people who are loyal to 135 their God will act valiantly. 136 11:33 These who are wise among the people will teach the masses. 137 However, they will fall 138 by the sword and by the flame, 139 and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time. 140 11:34 When they stumble, they will be granted some help. But many will unite with them deceitfully. 11:35 Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time.
11:36 “Then the king 141 will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of 142 wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. 143 11:37 He will not respect 144 the gods of his fathers – not even the god loved by women. 145 He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all. 11:38 What he will honor is a god of fortresses – a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities. 11:39 He will attack 146 mighty fortresses, aided by 147 a foreign deity. To those who recognize him he will grant considerable honor. He will place them in authority over many people, and he will parcel out land for a price. 148
11:40 “At the time of the end the king of the south will attack 149 him. Then the king of the north will storm against him 150 with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships. 151 He 152 will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river. 153 11:41 Then he will enter the beautiful land. 154 Many 155 will fall, but these will escape: 156 Edom, Moab, and the Ammonite leadership. 11:42 He will extend his power 157 against other lands; the land of Egypt will not escape. 11:43 He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians 158 will submit to him. 159 11:44 But reports will trouble him from the east and north, and he will set out in a tremendous rage to destroy and wipe out many. 11:45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas 160 toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him.
Psalms 119:25-48
Contextד (Dalet)
119:25 I collapse in the dirt. 161
Revive me with your word! 162
119:26 I told you about my ways 163 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean! 164
Then I can meditate 165 on your marvelous teachings. 166
119:28 I collapse 167 from grief.
Sustain me by your word! 168
119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! 169
Graciously give me 170 your law!
119:30 I choose the path of faithfulness;
I am committed to 171 your regulations.
119:31 I hold fast 172 to your rules.
O Lord, do not let me be ashamed!
119:32 I run along the path of your commands,
for you enable me to do so. 173
ה (He)
119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, 174
so that I might observe it continually. 175
119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,
and keep it with all my heart. 176
119:35 Guide me 177 in the path of your commands,
for I delight to walk in it. 178
119:36 Give me a desire for your rules, 179
rather than for wealth gained unjustly. 180
119:37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! 181
Revive me with your word! 182
119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, 183
which you made to the one who honors you. 184
119:39 Take away the insults that I dread! 185
Indeed, 186 your regulations are good.
119:40 Look, I long for your precepts.
Revive me with your deliverance! 187
ו (Vav)
119:41 May I experience your loyal love, 188 O Lord,
and your deliverance, 189 as you promised. 190
119:42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me, 191
for I trust in your word.
119:43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, 192
for I await your justice.
119:44 Then I will keep 193 your law continually
now and for all time. 194
for I seek your precepts.
119:46 I will speak 196 about your regulations before kings
and not be ashamed.
119:47 I will find delight in your commands,
which I love.
119:48 I will lift my hands to 197 your commands,
which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
1 sn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about 7 quarts.
2 tn Heb “the officer on whose hand the king leans.”
3 tn Heb “man of God.”
4 tn Heb “the
5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “you will not eat from there.”
7 sn See the note at 2 Kgs 5:1.
8 tn Heb “until we die.”
9 tn Heb “If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city and we will die there.”
10 tn Heb “fall.”
11 tn Heb “keep us alive.”
12 tn Heb “we will die.” The paraphrastic translation attempts to bring out the logical force of their reasoning.
13 tn Heb “they arose to go to.”
14 tn Heb “they ate and drank.”
15 tn Heb “and they hid [it].”
16 tn Heb “and they took from there.”
17 tn Heb “this day is a day of good news and we are keeping silent.”
18 tn Heb “the light of the morning.”
19 tn Heb “punishment will find us.”
20 tn The MT has a singular form (“gatekeeper”), but the context suggests a plural. The pronoun that follows (“them”) is plural and a plural noun appears in v. 11. The Syriac Peshitta and the Targum have the plural here.
21 tn Heb “and, look, there was no man or voice of a man there.”
22 tn Heb “but the horses are tied up and the donkeys are tied up and the tents are as they were.”
23 tn Heb “and the gatekeepers called out and they told [it] to the house of the king.”
24 tn Heb “servants” (also in v. 13).
25 tn Heb “Let them take five of the remaining horses that remain in it. Look, they are like all the people of Israel that remain in it. Look, they are like all the people of Israel that have come to an end.” The MT is dittographic here; the words “that remain in it. Look they are like all the people of Israel” have been accidentally repeated. The original text read, “Let them take five of the remaining horses that remain in it. Look, they are like all the people of Israel that have come to an end.”
26 tn Heb “and let us send so we might see.”
27 tn Heb “and the king sent [them] after the Syrian camp.”
28 tn Heb “Go and see.”
29 tn Heb “went after.”
30 tn Heb “and look, all the road was full of clothes and equipment that Syria had thrown away in their haste.”
31 tn Or “messengers.”
32 sn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about 7 quarts.
33 tn Heb “according to the word of the
34 tn Heb “the officer on whose hand he leans.”
35 tn Heb “and the people trampled him in the gate and he died.”
36 tn Heb “just as the man of God had spoken, [the word] which he spoke when the king came down to him.”
37 tn Heb “the
38 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 tn Heb “you will not eat from there.”
tn In the Hebrew text vv. 18-19a are one lengthy sentence, “When the man of God spoke to the king…, the officer replied to the man of God, ‘Look…so soon?’” The translation divides this sentence up for stylistic reasons.
40 tn Or “desert the faith by occupying themselves.”
41 tn Grk “teachings of demons” (speaking of the source of these doctrines).
42 tn Grk “in the hypocrisy of liars.”
43 tn Or “branded.” The Greek verb καυστηριάζω (kausthriazw) can be used to refer either to the cause (“brand”) or the effect (“seared”).
sn Consciences are seared. The precise meaning of this phrase is somewhat debated. Three primary interpretations are (1) the consciences of these false teachers are “branded” with Satan’s mark to indicate ownership, (2) their consciences are “branded” with a penal mark to show they are lawbreakers, or (3) their consciences have been “seared” (i.e., totally burnt and desensitized) so that they are unable to notice the difference between right and wrong. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles (NIGTC), 189.
44 tn Grk “nothing.”
45 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
46 sn By pointing out…you have followed. This verse gives a theme statement for what follows in the chapter about Timothy’s ministry. The situation in Ephesus requires him to be a good servant of Christ, and he will do that by sound teaching and by living an exemplary life himself.
47 sn Those myths refer to legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 2 Tim 4:4; and Titus 1:14.
48 tn Grk “the godless and old-wifely myths.”
49 tn Grk “bodily training” (using the noun form of the verb “train” in v. 7b).
50 tn Grk “the saying.”
sn This saying. The literal phrase “the saying” refers to the preceding citation. See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase.
51 tn Grk “for toward this,” denoting purpose. The conjunction “for” gives confirmation or emphasis to 1 Tim 4:8-9.
52 tc A number of
53 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, and is thus translated “people.”
54 tn Or “faith.”
55 tn Grk “reading.”
sn The public reading of scripture refers to reading the scripture out loud in the church services. In a context where many were illiterate and few could afford private copies of scripture, such public reading was especially important.
56 tn Grk “in you.”
57 tn Grk “which was given to you through prophecy.” Here as in 2:15 the preposition “through” denotes not “means” but accompanying circumstances: “accompanied by prophecy.”
sn These prophetic words perhaps spoke of what God would do through Timothy in his ministry (cf. 1 Tim 1:18).
58 tn Grk “with the imposition of the hands of the presbytery” (i.e., the council of elders).
59 tn Grk “that your progress may be evident to all.”
60 tn Grk “about yourself and your teaching.”
61 sn The antecedent of the pronoun “I” is the angel, not Daniel. The traditional chapter division at this point, and the presence of a chronological note in the verse similar to ones used elsewhere in the book to position Daniel’s activities in relation to imperial affairs, sometimes lead to confusion on this matter.
62 sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522
63 sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465
64 tn Heb “rich with great riches.”
65 tn The text is difficult. The Hebrew has here אֶת (’et), the marker of a definite direct object. As it stands, this would suggest the meaning that “he will arouse everyone, that is, the kingdom of Greece.” The context, however, seems to suggest the idea that this Persian king will arouse in hostility against Greece the constituent elements of his own empire. This requires supplying the word “against,” which is not actually present in the Hebrew text.
66 sn The powerful king mentioned here is Alexander the Great (ca. 336-323
67 tn Heb “and when he stands.”
68 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
69 sn The king of the south is Ptolemy I Soter (ca. 323-285
70 tn Heb “princes.”
71 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the subordinate prince mentioned in the previous clause) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
72 tn Heb “be strong against.”
73 tn Heb “greater than his kingdom.”
74 sn Here they refers to Ptolemy II Philadelphus (ca. 285-246
75 sn The daughter refers to Berenice, who was given in marriage to Antiochus II Theos.
76 tn Heb “the strength of the arm.”
77 tn Heb “stand.” So also in vv. 7, 8, 11, 13.
78 tn Heb “and his arm.” Some understand this to refer to the descendants of the king of the north.
79 tc The present translation reads יַלְדָּה (yaldah, “her child”) rather than the MT יֹלְדָהּ (yolÿdah, “the one who begot her”). Cf. Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate.
80 sn Antiochus II eventually divorced Berenice and remarried his former wife Laodice, who then poisoned her husband, had Berenice put to death, and installed her own son, Seleucus II Callinicus (ca. 246-227
81 sn The reference is to the king of Egypt.
82 tn Heb “the stock of her roots.”
sn The reference to one from her family line is probably to Berenice’s brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (ca. 246-221
83 tn Heb “will deal with them and prevail.”
84 tn The Hebrew preposition מִן (min) is used here with the verb עָמַד (’amad, “to stand”). It probably has a sense of separation (“stand away from”), although it may also be understood in an adversative sense (“stand against”).
85 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
86 sn The sons of Seleucus II Callinicus were Seleucus III Ceraunus (ca. 227-223
87 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the enemy of the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
88 tn Heb “and he will certainly come and overflow and cross over and return and be aroused unto a fortress.” The translation has attempted to simplify the syntax of this difficult sequence.
89 sn This king of the south refers to Ptolemy IV Philopator (ca. 221-204
90 tn Heb “his heart will be lifted up.” The referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
91 tn Heb “cause to fall.”
92 tn Heb “of myriads.”
93 tn Heb “stand against.”
94 sn This was Ptolemy V Epiphanes (ca. 203-181
95 tn Heb “sons of violence.” “Son(s) is sometimes used idiomatically in Hebrew to indicate that someone is characterized by a certain quality. So the expression “sons of violence” means that these individuals will be characterized by violent deeds.
96 tn Heb “to cause to stand.”
97 sn This well-fortified city is apparently Sidon. Its capture from the Ptolemies by Antiochus the Great was a strategic victory for the Seleucid kingdom.
98 tn Or “choice troops” (BDB 104 s.v. מִבְחָר), or “elite troops” (HALOT 542 s.v. מִבְחָר).
99 tn Heb “hand.”
100 tn Heb “and he will set his face.” Cf. vv. 18, 19.
101 tc The present translation reads מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim, “alliances”) for the MT וִישָׁרִים (viysharim, “uprightness”).
102 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of the south) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
103 tn Heb “the daughter of the women.”
sn The daughter refers to Cleopatra, the daughter of Antiochus, who was given in marriage to Ptolemy V.
104 tn Heb “his face.” See v. 19 as well.
105 sn The commander is probably the Roman commander, Lucius Cornelius Scipio.
106 tn The Hebrew here is difficult in that the negative בִּלְתִּי (biltiy, “not”) is used in an unusual way. The sense is not entirely clear.
107 tn Heb “his shameful conduct he will return to him.”
108 tn Heb “on his place.”
109 sn The one who will send out an exactor of tribute was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176
110 sn Perhaps this exactor of tribute was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Maccabees 3).
111 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
112 sn This despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164
113 tn Heb “arms.”
114 tc The present translation reads הִשָּׁטֹף (hishatof), Niphal infinitive absolute of שָׁטַף (shataf, “to overflow”), for the MT הַשֶּׁטֶף (hashetef, “flood”).
115 tn The words “in defeat” are added in the translation for clarification.
116 tn Heb “a prince of the covenant.”
117 tn Heb “broken” or “shattered.”
118 tn The preposition מִן (min) is probably temporal here (so BDB 583 s.v. 7.c; cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV), although it could also be understood here as indicating means (so J. Goldingay, Daniel [WBC], 279, n. 23a; cf. TEV, NLT).
119 tn Heb “nation.”
120 tn Heb “and unto a time.”
121 tn Heb “heart.”
122 sn This king of the south was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145
123 tc The present translation reads יִשָׁטֵף (yishatef, passive) rather than the MT יִשְׁטוֹף (yishtof, active).
124 tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 28.
125 tn Heb “speak.”
126 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of the north) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
127 sn The name Kittim has various designations in extra-biblical literature. It can refer to a location on the island of Cyprus, or more generally to the island itself, or it can be an inclusive term to refer to parts of the Mediterranean world that lay west of the Middle East (e.g., Rome). For ships of Kittim the Greek OT (LXX) has “Romans,” an interpretation followed by a few English versions (e.g., TEV). A number of times in the Dead Sea Scrolls the word is used in reference to the Romans. Other English versions are more generic: “[ships] of the western coastlands” (NIV, NLT); “from the west” (NCV, CEV).
128 sn This is apparently a reference to the Roman forces, led by Gaius Popilius Laenas, which confronted Antiochus when he came to Egypt and demanded that he withdraw or face the wrath of Rome. Antiochus wisely withdrew from Egypt, albeit in a state of bitter frustration.
129 tn Heb “show regard for.”
130 tn Heb “arms.”
131 tn Heb “the sanctuary, the fortress.”
132 tn Heb “will give.”
133 tn Or “corrupt.”
134 tn Heb “acted wickedly toward.”
135 tn Heb “know.” The term “know” sometimes means “to recognize.” In relational contexts it can have the connotation “recognize the authority of, be loyal to,” as it does here.
136 sn This is an allusion to the Maccabean revolt, which struggled to bring about Jewish independence in the second century
137 tn Heb “the many.”
138 tn Heb “stumble.”
139 tn Or “by burning.”
140 tn Heb “days.”
141 sn The identity of this king is problematic. If vv. 36-45 continue the description of Antiochus Epiphanes, the account must be viewed as erroneous, since the details do not match what is known of Antiochus’ latter days. Most modern scholars take this view, concluding that this section was written just shortly before the death of Antiochus and that the writer erred on several key points as he tried to predict what would follow the events of his own day. Conservative scholars, however, usually understand the reference to shift at this point to an eschatological figure, viz., the Antichrist. The chronological gap that this would presuppose to be in the narrative is not necessarily a problem, since by all accounts there are many chronological gaps throughout the chapter, as the historical figures intended by such expressions as “king of the north” and “king of the south” repeatedly shift.
142 tn The words “the time of” are added in the translation for clarification.
143 tn Heb “has been done.” The Hebrew verb used here is the perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of fulfillment.
144 tn Heb “consider.”
145 tn Heb “[the one] desired by women.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
146 tn Heb “act against.”
147 tn Heb “with.”
148 tn Or perhaps “for a reward.”
149 tn Heb “engage in thrusting.”
150 tn The referent of the pronoun is most likely the king of the south, in which case the text describes the king of the north countering the attack of the king of the south.
151 tn Heb “many ships.”
152 tn This most likely refers to the king of the north who, in response to the aggression of the king of the south, launches an invasion of the southern regions.
153 tn Heb “and will overflow and pass over.”
154 sn The beautiful land is a cryptic reference to the land of Israel.
155 tn This can be understood as “many people” (cf. NRSV) or “many countries” (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
156 tn Heb “be delivered from his hand.”
157 tn Heb “hand.”
158 tn Or “Nubians” (NIV, NCV); Heb “Cushites.”
159 tn Heb “Libyans and Cushites [will be] at his footsteps.”
160 sn Presumably seas refers to the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.
161 tn Heb “my soul clings to the dirt.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
162 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
163 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
164 tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”
165 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
166 tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).
167 tn Some translate “my soul weeps,” taking the verb דָלַף (dalaf) from a root meaning “to drip; to drop” (BDB 196 s.v. דֶּלַף). On the basis of cognate evidence from Arabic and Akkadian, HALOT 223 s.v. II דלף proposes a homonymic root here, meaning “be sleepless.” Following L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 127, 135) the translation assumes that the verb is cognate with Ugaritic dlp, “to collapse; to crumple” in CTA 2 iv. 17, 26. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 44, 144.
168 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
169 tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.
170 tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)
171 tn BDB 1000-1001 s.v. I שָׁוָה derives the verb from the first homonym listed, meaning “to agree with; to be like; to resemble.” It here means (in the Piel stem) “to be accounted suitable,” which in turn would mean by metonymy “to accept; to be committed to.” Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to place; to set,” but in this case an elliptical prepositional phrase must be understood, “I place your regulations [before me]” (see Ps 16:8).
172 tn Or “cling to.”
173 tn Heb “for you make wide my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and understanding. The
174 tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”
175 tn Heb “and I will keep it to the end.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. The Hebrew term עֵקֶב (’eqev) is understood to mean “end” here. Another option is to take עֵקֶב (’eqev) as meaning “reward” here (see Ps 19:11) and to translate, “so that I might observe it and be rewarded.”
176 tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.
177 tn Or “make me walk.”
178 tn Heb “for in it I delight.”
179 tn Heb “turn my heart to your rules.”
180 tn Heb “and not unjust gain.”
181 tn Heb “Make my eyes pass by from looking at what is worthless.”
182 tn Heb “by your word.”
183 tn Heb “word.”
184 tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.
185 tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”
186 tn Or “for.”
187 tn Or “righteousness.”
188 tn Heb “and may your loyal love come to me.”
189 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions).
190 tn Heb “according to your word.”
191 tn Heb “and I will answer [the] one who insults me a word.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive (see v. 41).
192 tn Heb “do not snatch from my mouth a word of truth to excess.” The psalmist wants to be able to give a reliable testimony about the
193 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the negated jussive (see v. 43).
194 tn Or “forever and ever.”
195 tn Heb “and I will walk about in a wide place.” The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive gives a further consequence of the anticipated positive divine response (see vv. 43-44). Another option is to take the cohortative as expressing the psalmist’s request. In this case one could translate, “and please give me security.”
196 tn The series of four cohortatives with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive in vv. 46-48 list further consequences of the anticipated positive divine response to the request made in v. 43.
197 tn Lifting the hands is often associated with prayer (Pss 28:2; 63:4; Lam 2:19). (1) Because praying to God’s law borders on the extreme, some prefer to emend the text to “I lift up my hands to you,” eliminating “your commands, which I love” as dittographic. In this view these words were accidentally repeated from the previous verse. (2) However, it is possible that the psalmist closely associates the law with God himself because he views the law as the expression of the divine will. (3) Another option is that “lifting the hands” does not refer to prayer here, but to the psalmist’s desire to receive and appropriate the law. (4) Still others understand this to be an action praising God’s commands (so NCV; cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
