Deuteronomy 15:1-23 
Context15:1 At the end of every seven years you must declare a cancellation 1 of debts. 15:2 This is the nature of the cancellation: Every creditor must remit what he has loaned to another person; 2 he must not force payment from his fellow Israelite, 3 for it is to be recognized as “the Lord’s cancellation of debts.” 15:3 You may exact payment from a foreigner, but whatever your fellow Israelite 4 owes you, you must remit. 15:4 However, there should not be any poor among you, for the Lord 5 will surely bless 6 you in the land that he 7 is giving you as an inheritance, 8 15:5 if you carefully obey 9 him 10 by keeping 11 all these commandments that I am giving 12 you today. 15:6 For the Lord your God will bless you just as he has promised; you will lend to many nations but will not borrow from any, and you will rule over many nations but they will not rule over you.
15:7 If a fellow Israelite 13 from one of your villages 14 in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive 15 to his impoverished condition. 16 15:8 Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend 17 him whatever he needs. 18 15:9 Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude 19 be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite 20 and you do not lend 21 him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned. 22 15:10 You must by all means lend 23 to him and not be upset by doing it, 24 for because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you attempt. 15:11 There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open 25 your hand to your fellow Israelites 26 who are needy and poor in your land.
15:12 If your fellow Hebrew 27 – whether male or female 28 – is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let that servant 29 go free. 30 15:13 If you set them free, you must not send them away empty-handed. 15:14 You must supply them generously 31 from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress – as the Lord your God has blessed you, you must give to them. 15:15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you to do this thing today. 15:16 However, if the servant 32 says to you, “I do not want to leave 33 you,” because he loves you and your household, since he is well off with you, 15:17 you shall take an awl and pierce a hole through his ear to the door. 34 Then he will become your servant permanently (this applies to your female servant as well). 15:18 You should not consider it difficult to let him go free, for he will have served you for six years, twice 35 the time of a hired worker; the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
15:19 You must set apart 36 for the Lord your God every firstborn male born to your herds and flocks. You must not work the firstborn of your bulls or shear the firstborn of your flocks. 15:20 You and your household must eat them annually before the Lord your God in the place he 37 chooses. 15:21 If they have any kind of blemish – lameness, blindness, or anything else 38 – you may not offer them as a sacrifice to the Lord your God. 15:22 You may eat it in your villages, 39 whether you are ritually impure or clean, 40 just as you would eat a gazelle or an ibex. 15:23 However, you must not eat its blood; you must pour it out on the ground like water.
Psalms 102:1-28
ContextThe prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help! 42
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! 43
Listen to me! 44
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:3 For my days go up in smoke, 45
and my bones are charred like a fireplace. 46
102:4 My heart is parched 47 and withered like grass,
for I am unable 48 to eat food. 49
102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin. 50
102:6 I am like an owl 51 in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl 52 among the ruins. 53
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses. 55
102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, 56
and mix my drink with my tears, 57
102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed, 58 you pick me up and throw me away.
102:11 My days are coming to an end, 59
and I am withered like grass.
102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, 60
and your reputation endures. 61
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. 62
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, 63 your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for 64 the dust of her ruins. 65
102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord, 66
and all the kings of the earth will respect 67 his splendor,
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, 68
and does not reject 69 their request. 70
102:18 The account of his intervention 71 will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; 72
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, 73
102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die, 74
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 75 in Jerusalem, 76
102:22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord. 77
102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life; 78
he has cut short my days.
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! 79
You endure through all generations. 80
102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
102:26 They will perish,
but you will endure. 81
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear. 82
your years do not come to an end.
102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,
and their descendants 84 will live securely in your presence.” 85
Isaiah 42:1-25
Context42:1 86 “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my spirit on him;
he will make just decrees 87 for the nations. 88
42:2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets. 89
42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish; 90
he will faithfully make just decrees. 91
42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed 92
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands 93 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 94
42:5 This is what the true God, 95 the Lord, says –
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, 96
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it: 97
42:6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; 98
I take hold of your hand.
I protect you 99 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 100
and a light 101 to the nations, 102
to release prisoners 104 from dungeons,
those who live in darkness from prisons.
42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name!
I will not share my glory with anyone else,
or the praise due me with idols.
42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; 105
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.” 106
42:10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song!
Praise him 107 from the horizon of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it, 108
you coastlands 109 and those who live there!
42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,
the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!
Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;
let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; 110
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands. 111
42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; 112
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power. 113
42:14 “I have been inactive 114 for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp. 115
42:15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up; 116
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands, 117
and dry up pools of water. 118
42:16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; 119
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. 120
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground. 121
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
42:17 Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated, 122
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’”
42:18 “Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice, 123 you blind ones!
42:19 My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner, 124 the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. 125
42:20 You see 126 many things, but don’t comprehend; 127
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
42:21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it. 128
42:22 But these people are looted and plundered;
all of them are trapped in pits 129
and held captive 130 in prisons.
They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;
they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!” 131
42:23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Who will listen attentively in the future? 132
42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters? 133
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law. 134
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 135 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 136
it burned against them, but they did notice. 137
Revelation 12:1-17
Context12:1 Then 138 a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. 139 12:2 She 140 was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling 141 to give birth. 12:3 Then 142 another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. 143 12:4 Now 144 the dragon’s 145 tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then 146 the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 12:5 So 147 the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, 148 who is going to rule 149 over all the nations 150 with an iron rod. 151 Her 152 child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 12:6 and she 153 fled into the wilderness 154 where a place had been prepared for her 155 by God, so she could be taken care of 156 for 1,260 days.
12:7 Then 157 war broke out in heaven: Michael 158 and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 12:8 But 159 the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, 160 so there was no longer any place left 161 in heaven for him and his angels. 162 12:9 So 163 that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 12:10 Then 164 I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority 165 of his Christ, 166 have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, 167
the one who accuses them day and night 168 before our God,
has been thrown down.
12:11 But 169 they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives 170 so much that they were afraid to die.
12:12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But 171 woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He 172 is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”
12:13 Now 173 when the dragon realized 174 that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 12:14 But 175 the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, 176 to the place God 177 prepared for her, where she is taken care of – away from the presence of the serpent – for a time, times, and half a time. 178 12:15 Then 179 the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to 180 sweep her away by a flood, 12:16 but 181 the earth came to her rescue; 182 the ground opened up 183 and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 12:17 So 184 the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, 185 those who keep 186 God’s commandments and hold to 187 the testimony about Jesus. 188 (12:18) And the dragon 189 stood 190 on the sand 191 of the seashore. 192
1 tn The Hebrew term שְׁמִטָּת (shÿmittat), a derivative of the verb שָׁמַט (shamat, “to release; to relinquish”), refers to the cancellation of the debt and even pledges for the debt of a borrower by his creditor. This could be a full and final remission or, more likely, one for the seventh year only. See R. Wakely, NIDOTTE 4:155-60. Here the words “of debts” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied. Cf. NAB “a relaxation of debts”; NASB, NRSV “a remission of debts.”
2 tn Heb “his neighbor,” used idiomatically to refer to another person.
3 tn Heb “his neighbor and his brother.” The words “his brother” may be a scribal gloss identifying “his neighbor” (on this idiom, see the preceding note) as a fellow Israelite (cf. v. 3). In this case the conjunction before “his brother” does not introduce a second category, but rather has the force of “that is.”
4 tn Heb “your brother.”
5 tc After the phrase “the
6 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “surely.” Note however, that the use is rhetorical, for the next verse attaches a condition.
7 tn Heb “the
8 tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess.”
9 tn Heb “if listening you listen to the voice of.” The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “carefully.” The idiom “listen to the voice” means “obey.”
10 tn Heb “the
11 tn Heb “by being careful to do.”
12 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB); NAB “which I enjoin you today.”
13 tn Heb “one of your brothers” (so NASB); NAB “one of your kinsmen”; NRSV “a member of your community.” See the note at v. 2.
14 tn Heb “gates.”
15 tn Heb “withdraw your hand.” Cf. NIV “hardhearted or tightfisted” (NRSV and NLT similar).
16 tn Heb “from your needy brother.”
17 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before both verbs. The translation indicates the emphasis with the words “be sure to” and “generously,” respectively.
18 tn Heb “whatever his need that he needs for himself.” This redundant expression has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
19 tn Heb “your eye.”
20 tn Heb “your needy brother.”
21 tn Heb “give” (likewise in v. 10).
22 tn Heb “it will be a sin to you.”
23 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “by all means.”
24 tc Heb “your heart must not be grieved in giving to him.” The LXX and Orig add, “you shall surely lend to him sufficient for his need,” a suggestion based on the same basic idea in v. 8. Such slavish adherence to stock phrases is without warrant in most cases, and certainly here.
25 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “make sure.”
26 tn Heb “your brother.”
27 sn Elsewhere in the OT, the Israelites are called “Hebrews” (עִבְרִי, ’ivriy) by outsiders, rarely by themselves (cf. Gen 14:13; 39:14, 17; 41:12; Exod 1:15, 16, 19; 2:6, 7, 11, 13; 1 Sam 4:6; Jonah 1:9). Thus, here and in the parallel passage in Exod 21:2-6 the term עִבְרִי may designate non-Israelites, specifically a people well-known throughout the ancient Near East as ’apiru or habiru. They lived a rather vagabond lifestyle, frequently hiring themselves out as laborers or mercenary soldiers. While accounting nicely for the surprising use of the term here in an Israelite law code, the suggestion has against it the unlikelihood that a set of laws would address such a marginal people so specifically (as opposed to simply calling them aliens or the like). More likely עִבְרִי is chosen as a term to remind Israel that when they were “Hebrews,” that is, when they were in Egypt, they were slaves. Now that they are free they must not keep their fellow Israelites in economic bondage. See v. 15.
28 tn Heb “your brother, a Hebrew (male) or Hebrew (female).”
29 tn Heb “him.” The singular pronoun occurs throughout the passage.
30 tn The Hebrew text includes “from you.”
31 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “generously.”
32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the indentured servant introduced in v. 12) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
33 tn Heb “go out from.” The imperfect verbal form indicates the desire of the subject here.
34 sn When the bondslave’s ear was drilled through to the door, the door in question was that of the master’s house. In effect, the bondslave is declaring his undying and lifelong loyalty to his creditor. The scar (or even hole) in the earlobe would testify to the community that the slave had surrendered independence and personal rights. This may be what Paul had in mind when he said “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Gal 6:17).
35 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁנֶה (mishneh, “twice”) could mean “equivalent to” (cf. NRSV) or, more likely, “double” (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). The idea is that a hired worker would put in only so many hours per day whereas a bondslave was available around the clock.
36 tn Heb “sanctify” (תַּקְדִּישׁ, taqdish), that is, put to use on behalf of the
37 tn Heb “the Lord.” The translation uses a pronoun for stylistic reasons. See note on “he” in 15:4.
38 tn Heb “any evil blemish”; NASB “any (+ other NAB, TEV) serious defect.”
39 tn Heb “in your gates.”
40 tc The LXX adds ἐν σοί (en soi, “among you”) to make clear that the antecedent is the people and not the animals. That is, the people, whether ritually purified or not, may eat such defective animals.
41 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
42 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
43 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
44 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
45 tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
46 tn The Hebrew noun מוֹ־קֵד (mo-qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
47 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
48 tn Heb “I forget.”
49 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
50 tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
51 tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).
52 tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).
53 sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.
54 tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the
55 tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
56 sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).
57 tn Heb “weeping.”
58 tn Or “for.”
59 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
60 tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
61 tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
62 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
63 tn Or “for.”
64 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
65 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
66 tn Heb “will fear the name of the
67 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
68 tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
69 tn Heb “despise.”
70 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.
71 tn The Hebrew text has simply “this,” referring to the anticipated divine intervention on behalf of Zion (vv. 13, 16-17). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
72 tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”
73 tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.
74 tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
75 tn Heb “his praise.”
76 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
77 tn “and the kingdoms to serve the
78 tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).
79 tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
80 tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
81 tn Heb “stand.”
82 tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.
83 tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the
84 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
85 tn Heb “before you will be established.”
86 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
87 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
88 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
89 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
90 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
91 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
92 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
93 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
94 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
95 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
96 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
97 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
98 tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
99 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
100 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
101 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
102 tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
103 sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
104 sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
105 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
106 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
107 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
108 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
109 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
110 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
111 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
112 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
113 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
114 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
115 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
116 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
117 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (’iyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
118 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
119 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
120 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
121 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
122 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
123 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
124 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kÿmo sholÿmi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
125 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
126 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, 2nd person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
127 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
128 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
129 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (bÿhorim, “in holes”).
130 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
131 tn Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
132 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
133 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
134 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
135 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
136 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
137 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
138 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
139 sn Sun…moon…stars. This imagery is frequently identified with the nation Israel because of Joseph’s dream in Gen 37.
140 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
141 tn Grk “and being tortured,” though βασανίζω (basanizw) in this context refers to birth pangs. BDAG 168 s.v. 2.b states, “Of birth-pangs (Anth. Pal. 9, 311 βάσανος has this mng.) Rv 12:2.” The καί (kai) has not been translated.
142 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
143 tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.
sn Diadem crowns were a type of crown used as a symbol of the highest ruling authority in a given area, and thus often associated with kingship.
144 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate that this remark is virtually parenthetical.
145 tn Grk “its”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
146 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
147 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the anticipated birth.
148 tn On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἄρσην states: “male…The neut. ἄρσεν Rv 12:5, difft. vs. 13, comes fr. Is 66:7 and is in apposition to υἱόν. On the juxtaposition s. FBoll, ZNW 15, 1914, 253; BOlsson, Glotta 23, ’34, 112.”
149 tn Grk “shepherd.”
150 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
151 tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”
sn An allusion to Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27; 19:15).
152 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
153 tn Grk “and the woman,” which would be somewhat redundant in English.
154 tn Or “desert.”
155 tn Grk “where she has there a place prepared by God.”
156 tn Grk “so they can take care of her.”
157 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
158 sn The archangel Michael had a special role in protecting the nation of Israel in the OT (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; see also Jude 9).
159 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.
160 tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
161 tn Grk “found.”
162 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
163 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.
164 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
165 tn Or “the right of his Messiah to rule.” See L&N 37.35.
166 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
167 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). The translation “fellow believer” would normally apply (L&N 11.23), but since the speaker(s) are not specified in this context, it is not clear if such a translation would be appropriate here. The more generic “brothers and sisters” was chosen to emphasize the fact of a relationship without specifying its type.
168 tn Or “who accuses them continually.”
169 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
170 sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.
171 tn The word “But” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied. This is a case of asyndeton (lack of a connective).
172 tn Grk “and is filled,” a continuation of the previous sentence. Because English tends to use shorter sentences (especially when exclamations are involved), a new sentence was started here in the translation.
173 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” because the clause it introduces is clearly resumptive.
174 tn Grk “saw.”
175 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
176 tn Or “desert.”
177 tn The word “God” is supplied based on the previous statements made concerning “the place prepared for the woman” in 12:6.
178 tc The reading “and half a time” (καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ, kai {hmisu kairou) is lacking in the important uncial C. Its inclusion, however, is supported by {Ì47 א A and the rest of the ms tradition}. There is apparently no reason for the scribe of C to intentionally omit the phrase, and the fact that the word “time” (καιρὸν καὶ καιρούς, kairon kai kairou") appears twice before may indicate a scribal oversight.
sn The parallel statement in Rev 12:6 suggests that the phrase a time, times, and half a time equals 1,260 days (three and a half years of 360 days each).
179 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
180 tn Grk “so that he might make her swept away.”
181 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
182 tn Grk “the earth helped the woman.”
183 tn Grk “the earth opened its mouth” (a metaphor for the ground splitting open).
184 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the woman’s escape.
185 tn Grk “her seed” (an idiom for offspring, children, or descendants).
186 tn Or “who obey.”
187 tn Grk “and having.”
188 tn Grk “the testimony of Jesus,” which may involve a subjective genitive (“Jesus’ testimony”) or, more likely, an objective genitive (“testimony about Jesus”).
189 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
190 tc Grk ἐστάθη (estaqh, “he stood”). The reading followed by the translation is attested by the better
191 tn Or “sandy beach” (L&N 1.64).
192 sn The standard critical texts of the Greek NT, NA27 and UBS4, both include this sentence as 12:18, as do the RSV and NRSV. Other modern translations like the NASB and NIV include the sentence at the beginning of 13:1; in these versions chap. 12 has only 17 verses.
