Deuteronomy 6:1-25 
Context6:1 Now these are the commandments, 1 statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed 2 6:2 and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments 3 that I am giving 4 you – you, your children, and your grandchildren – all your lives, to prolong your days. 6:3 Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number 5 – as the Lord, God of your ancestors, 6 said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey.
6:4 Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 7 6:5 You must love 8 the Lord your God with your whole mind, 9 your whole being, 10 and all your strength. 11
6:6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 6:7 and you must teach 12 them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, 13 as you lie down, and as you get up. 6:8 You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm 14 and fasten them as symbols 15 on your forehead. 6:9 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates. 16
6:10 Then when the Lord your God brings you to the land he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you – a land with large, fine cities you did not build, 6:11 houses filled with choice things you did not accumulate, hewn out cisterns you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – and you eat your fill, 6:12 be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, that place of slavery. 17 6:13 You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name. 6:14 You must not go after other gods, those 18 of the surrounding peoples, 6:15 for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a jealous God and his anger will erupt against you and remove you from the land. 19
6:16 You must not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. 20 6:17 Keep his 21 commandments very carefully, 22 as well as the stipulations and statutes he commanded you to observe. 6:18 Do whatever is proper 23 and good before the Lord so that it may go well with you and that you may enter and occupy the good land that he 24 promised your ancestors, 6:19 and that you may drive out all your enemies just as the Lord said.
6:20 When your children 25 ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?” 6:21 you must say to them, 26 “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt in a powerful way. 27 6:22 And he 28 brought signs and great, devastating wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on his whole family 29 before our very eyes. 6:23 He delivered us from there so that he could give us the land he had promised our ancestors. 6:24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him 30 so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day. 6:25 We will be innocent if we carefully keep all these commandments 31 before the Lord our God, just as he demands.” 32
Psalms 89:1-52
ContextA well-written song 34 by Ethan the Ezrachite.
89:1 I will sing continually 35 about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness. 36
89:2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established; 37
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.” 38
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
89:4 ‘I will give you an eternal dynasty 40
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’” 41 (Selah)
89:5 O Lord, the heavens 42 praise your amazing deeds,
as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly. 43
89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, 44
89:7 a God who is honored 45 in the great angelic assembly, 46
and more awesome than 47 all who surround him?
89:8 O Lord, sovereign God! 48
Who is strong like you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
89:9 You rule over the proud sea. 49
When its waves surge, 50 you calm them.
89:10 You crushed the Proud One 51 and killed it; 52
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
89:11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains. 53
89:12 You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon 54 rejoice in your name.
89:13 Your arm is powerful,
your hand strong,
your right hand 55 victorious. 56
89:14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne. 57
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule. 58
89:15 How blessed are the people who worship you! 59
O Lord, they experience your favor. 60
89:16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated 61 by your justice.
89:17 For you give them splendor and strength. 62
By your favor we are victorious. 63
89:18 For our shield 64 belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel. 65
89:19 Then you 66 spoke through a vision to your faithful followers 67 and said:
“I have energized a warrior; 68
I have raised up a young man 69 from the people.
89:20 I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king. 70
89:21 My hand will support him, 71
and my arm will strengthen him.
89:22 No enemy will be able to exact tribute 72 from him; 73
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him. 74
89:23 I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love, 75
and by my name he will win victories. 76
89:25 I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers. 77
89:26 He will call out to me,
‘You are my father, 78 my God, and the protector who delivers me.’ 79
89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, 80
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
89:28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure. 81
89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, 82
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. 83
89:30 If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,
89:31 if they break 84 my rules
and do not keep my commandments,
89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, 85
their sin by inflicting them with bruises. 86
89:33 But I will not remove 87 my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise. 88
89:34 I will not break 89 my covenant
or go back on what I promised. 90
89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive 91 David.
89:36 His dynasty will last forever. 92
His throne will endure before me, like the sun, 93
89:37 it will remain stable, like the moon, 94
his throne will endure like the skies.” 95 (Selah)
89:38 But you have spurned 96 and rejected him;
you are angry with your chosen king. 97
89:39 You have repudiated 98 your covenant with your servant; 99
you have thrown his crown to the ground. 100
89:40 You have broken down all his 101 walls;
you have made his strongholds a heap of ruins.
89:41 All who pass by 102 have robbed him;
he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.
89:42 You have allowed his adversaries to be victorious, 103
and all his enemies to rejoice.
89:43 You turn back 104 his sword from the adversary, 105
and have not sustained him in battle. 106
89:44 You have brought to an end his splendor, 107
and have knocked 108 his throne to the ground.
89:45 You have cut short his youth, 109
and have covered him with shame. (Selah)
89:46 How long, O Lord, will this last?
Will you remain hidden forever? 110
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?
89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan! 111
Why do you make all people so mortal? 112
89:48 No man can live on without experiencing death,
or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. 113 (Selah)
89:49 Where are your earlier faithful deeds, 114 O Lord, 115
the ones performed in accordance with your reliable oath to David? 116
89:50 Take note, O Lord, 117 of the way your servants are taunted, 118
and of how I must bear so many insults from people! 119
89:51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults;
they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps. 120
89:52 121 The Lord deserves praise 122 forevermore!
We agree! We agree! 123
Isaiah 34:1-17
Context34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!
Pay attention, you people!
The earth and everything it contains must listen,
the world and everything that lives in it. 124
34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations
and furious with all their armies.
He will annihilate them and slaughter them.
34:3 Their slain will be left unburied, 125
their corpses will stink; 126
the hills will soak up their blood. 127
34:4 All the stars in the sky will fade away, 128
the sky will roll up like a scroll;
all its stars will wither,
like a leaf withers and falls from a vine
or a fig withers and falls from a tree. 129
34:5 He says, 130 “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. 131
Look, it now descends on Edom, 132
on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”
34:6 The Lord’s sword is dripping with blood,
it is covered 133 with fat;
it drips 134 with the blood of young rams and goats
and is covered 135 with the fat of rams’ kidneys.
For the Lord is holding a sacrifice 136 in Bozrah, 137
a bloody 138 slaughter in the land of Edom.
34:7 Wild oxen will be slaughtered 139 along with them,
as well as strong bulls. 140
Their land is drenched with blood,
their soil is covered with fat.
34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, 141
a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. 142
34:9 Edom’s 143 streams will be turned into pitch
and her soil into brimstone;
her land will become burning pitch.
34:10 Night and day it will burn; 144
its smoke will ascend continually.
Generation after generation it will be a wasteland
and no one will ever pass through it again.
34:11 Owls and wild animals 145 will live there, 146
all kinds of wild birds 147 will settle in it.
The Lord 148 will stretch out over her
the measuring line of ruin
and the plumb line 149 of destruction. 150
34:12 Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom
and all her officials will disappear. 151
34:13 Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns;
thickets and weeds will grow 152 in her fortified cities.
Jackals will settle there;
ostriches will live there. 153
34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; 154
wild goats will bleat to one another. 155
Yes, nocturnal animals 156 will rest there
and make for themselves a nest. 157
34:15 Owls 158 will make nests and lay eggs 159 there;
they will hatch them and protect them. 160
Yes, hawks 161 will gather there,
each with its mate.
34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! 162
Not one of these creatures will be missing, 163
none will lack a mate. 164
For the Lord has issued the decree, 165
and his own spirit gathers them. 166
34:17 He assigns them their allotment; 167
he measures out their assigned place. 168
They will live there 169 permanently;
they will settle in it through successive generations.
Revelation 4:1-11
Context4:1 After these things I looked, and there was 170 a door standing open in heaven! 171 And the first voice I had heard speaking to me 172 like a trumpet 173 said: “Come up here so that 174 I can show you what must happen after these things.” 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, 175 and 176 a throne was standing 177 in heaven with someone seated on it! 4:3 And the one seated on it was like jasper 178 and carnelian 179 in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald 180 encircled the throne. 4:4 In 181 a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were 182 dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns 183 on their heads. 4:5 From 184 the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring 185 and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, 186 were burning in front of the throne 4:6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. 187
In 188 the middle of the throne 189 and around the throne were four living creatures 190 full of eyes in front and in back. 4:7 The 191 first living creature was like a lion, the 192 second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 4:8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings 193 and was full of eyes all around and inside. 194 They never rest day or night, saying: 195
“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, 196
Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”
4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, 197 and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 4:10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground 198 before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns 199 before his 200 throne, saying:
4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
since you created all things,
and because of your will they existed and were created!” 201
1 tn Heb “commandment.” The word מִצְוָה (mitsvah) again is in the singular, serving as a comprehensive term for the whole stipulation section of the book. See note on the word “commandments” in 5:31.
2 tn Heb “where you are going over to possess it” (so NASB); NRSV “that you are about to cross into and occupy.”
3 tn Here the terms are not the usual חֻקִּים (khuqqim) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim; as in v. 1) but חֻקֹּת (khuqqot, “statutes”) and מִצְוֹת (mitsot, “commandments”). It is clear that these terms are used interchangeably and that their technical precision ought not be overly stressed.
4 tn Heb “commanding.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation.
5 tn Heb “may multiply greatly” (so NASB, NRSV); the words “in number” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 10, 18, 23).
7 tn Heb “the
sn Verses 4-5 constitute the so-called Shema (after the first word שְׁמַע, shÿma’, “hear”), widely regarded as the very heart of Jewish confession and faith. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment of all, he quoted this text (Matt 22:37-38).
8 tn The verb אָהַב (’ahav, “to love”) in this setting communicates not so much an emotional idea as one of covenant commitment. To love the
9 tn Heb “heart.” In OT physiology the heart (לֵב, לֵבָב; levav, lev) was considered the seat of the mind or intellect, so that one could think with one’s heart. See A. Luc, NIDOTTE 2:749-54.
10 tn Heb “soul”; “being.” Contrary to Hellenistic ideas of a soul that is discrete and separate from the body and spirit, OT anthropology equated the “soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) with the person himself. It is therefore best in most cases to translate נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) as “being” or the like. See H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 10-25; D. Fredericks, NIDOTTE 3:133-34.
11 sn For NT variations on the Shema see Matt 22:37-39; Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:27.
12 tn Heb “repeat” (so NLT). If from the root I שָׁנַן (shanan), the verb means essentially to “engrave,” that is, “to teach incisively” (Piel); note NAB “Drill them into your children.” Cf. BDB 1041-42 s.v.
13 tn Or “as you are away on a journey” (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT); NAB “at home and abroad.”
14 sn Tie them as a sign on your forearm. Later Jewish tradition referred to the little leather containers tied to the forearms and foreheads as tefillin. They were to contain the following passages from the Torah: Exod 13:1-10, 11-16; Deut 6:5-9; 11:13-21. The purpose was to serve as a “sign” of covenant relationship and obedience.
15 sn Fasten them as symbols on your forehead. These were also known later as tefillin (see previous note) or phylacteries (from the Greek term). These box-like containers, like those on the forearms, held the same scraps of the Torah. It was the hypocritical practice of wearing these without heartfelt sincerity that caused Jesus to speak scathingly about them (cf. Matt 23:5).
16 sn The Hebrew term מְזוּזֹת (mÿzuzot) refers both to the door frames and to small cases attached on them containing scripture texts (always Deut 6:4-9 and 11:13-21; and sometimes the decalogue; Exod 13:1-10, 11-16; and Num 10:35-36). See J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (JPSTC), 443-44.
17 tn Heb “out of the house of slavery” (so NASB, NRSV).
18 tn Heb “from the gods.” The demonstrative pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
19 tn Heb “lest the anger of the
20 sn The place name Massah (מַסָּה, massah) derives from a root (נָסָה, nasah) meaning “to test; to try.” The reference here is to the experience in the Sinai desert when Moses struck the rock to obtain water (Exod 17:1-2). The complaining Israelites had, thus, “tested” the
21 tn Heb “the commandments of the
22 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb to emphasize the statement. The imperfect verbal form is used here with an obligatory nuance that can be captured in English through the imperative. Cf. NASB, NRSV “diligently keep (obey NLT).”
23 tn Heb “upright.”
24 tn Heb “the
25 tn Heb “your son.”
26 tn Heb “to your son.”
27 tn Heb “by a strong hand.” The image is that of a warrior who, with weapon in hand, overcomes his enemies. The
28 tn Heb “the
29 tn Heb “house,” referring to the entire household.
30 tn Heb “the
31 tn The term “commandment” (מִצְוָה, mitsvah), here in the singular, refers to the entire body of covenant stipulations.
32 tn Heb “as he has commanded us” (so NIV, NRSV).
33 sn Psalm 89. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign creator of the world. He recalls God’s covenant with David, but then laments that the promises of the covenant remain unrealized. The covenant promised the Davidic king military victories, but the king has now been subjected to humiliating defeat.
34 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 88.
35 tn Or “forever.”
36 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.”
37 tn Heb “built.”
38 sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).
39 tn The words “the
40 tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”
41 tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”
42 tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.
43 tn Heb “in the assembly of the holy ones.” The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3), but here it refers to God’s heavenly assembly and the angels that surround his throne (see vv. 6-7).
44 tn Heb “sons of gods”; or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the Hebrew text, it is likely that the final mem (ם) is actually enclitic rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8. The phrase בְנֵי אֵלִים (vÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 29:1. Since the “sons of gods/God” are here associated with “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones,” the heavenly assembly (comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings) appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is called “the sons of El.” The OT apparently uses the Canaanite phrase, applying it to the supernatural beings that surround the
45 tn Heb “feared.”
46 tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”
47 tn Or perhaps “feared by.”
48 tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the
49 tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”
50 tn Heb “rise up.”
51 tn Heb “Rahab.” The name “Rahab” means “proud one.” Since it is sometimes used of Egypt (see Ps 87:4; Isa 30:7), the passage may allude to the exodus. However, the name is also used of the sea (or the mythological sea creature) which symbolizes the disruptive forces of the world that seek to replace order with chaos (see Job 9:13; 26:12). Isa 51:9 appears to combine the mythological and historical referents. The association of Rahab with the sea in Ps 89 (see v. 9) suggests that the name carries symbolic force in this context. In this case the passage may allude to creation (see vv. 11-12), when God overcame the great deep and brought order out of chaos.
52 tn Heb “like one fatally wounded.”
53 tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”
54 sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.
55 sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.
56 tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).
57 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
58 tn Heb “are in front of your face.” The idiom can mean “confront” (Ps 17:13) or “meet, enter the presence of” (Ps 95:2).
59 tn Heb “who know the shout.” “Shout” here refers to the shouts of the
60 tn Heb “in the light of your face they walk.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; Dan 9:17).
61 tn Heb “are lifted up.”
62 tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”
63 tn Heb “you lift up our horn,” or if one follows the marginal reading (Qere), “our horn is lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
64 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “our king" here and with “your anointed one” in Ps 84:9.
65 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the
66 tn The pronoun “you” refers to the
67 tc Many medieval
68 tn Heb “I have placed help upon a warrior.”
69 tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”
70 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification, indicating that a royal anointing is in view.
71 tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”
72 tn Heb “an enemy will not exact tribute.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential.
73 tn The translation understands the Hiphil of נָשַׁא (nasha’) in the sense of “act as a creditor.” This may allude to the practice of a conqueror forcing his subjects to pay tribute in exchange for “protection.” Another option is to take the verb from a homonymic verbal root meaning “to deceive,” “to trick.” Still another option is to emend the form to יִשָּׂא (yisa’), a Qal imperfect from נָאַשׂ (na’as, “rise up”) and to translate “an enemy will not rise up against him” (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 2:317).
74 tn Heb “and a son of violence will not oppress him.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential. The reference to a “son of violence” echoes the language of God’s promise to David in 2 Sam 7:10 (see also 1 Chr 17:9).
75 tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”
76 tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
77 tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).
78 sn You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
79 tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”
80 sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.
81 tn Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”
82 tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”
83 tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”
84 tn Or “desecrate.”
85 tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”
sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).
86 tn Heb “with blows their sin.”
87 tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.
88 tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”
89 tn Or “desecrate.”
90 tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”
91 tn Or “lie to.”
92 tn Heb “his offspring forever will be.”
93 tn Heb “and his throne like the sun before me.”
94 tn Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”
95 tn Heb “and a witness in the sky, secure.” Scholars have offered a variety of opinions as to the identity of the “witness” referred to here, none of which is very convincing. It is preferable to join וְעֵד (vÿ’ed) to עוֹלָם (’olam) in the preceding line and translate the commonly attested phrase עוֹלָם וְעֵד (“forever”). In this case one may translate the second line, “[it] will be secure like the skies.” Another option (the one reflected in the present translation) is to take עד as a rare noun meaning “throne” or “dais.” This noun is attested in Ugaritic; see, for example, CTA 16 vi 22-23, where ksi (= כִּסֵּא, kisse’, “throne”) and ’d (= עד, “dais”) appear as synonyms in the poetic parallelism (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). Emending בַּשַּׁחַק (bashakhaq, “in the heavens”) to כַּשַׁחַק (kashakhaq, “like the heavens”) – bet/kaf (כ/ב) confusion is widely attested – one can then read “[his] throne like the heavens [is] firm/stable.” Verse 29 refers to the enduring nature of the heavens, while Job 37:18 speaks of God spreading out the heavens (שְׁחָקִים, shÿkhaqim) and compares their strength to a bronze mirror. Ps 89:29 uses the term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, “skies”) which frequently appears in parallelism to שְׁחָקִים.
96 tn The Hebrew construction (conjunction + pronoun, followed by the verb) draws attention to the contrast between what follows and what precedes.
97 tn Heb “your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 132:10, 17).
98 tn The Hebrew verb appears only here and in Lam 2:7.
99 tn Heb “the covenant of your servant.”
100 tn Heb “you dishonor [or “desecrate”] on the ground his crown.”
101 tn The king here represents the land and cities over which he rules.
102 tn Heb “all the passersby on the road.”
103 tn Heb “you have lifted up the right hand of his adversaries.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:13; 118:16).
104 tn The perfect verbal form predominates in vv. 38-45. The use of the imperfect in this one instance may be for rhetorical effect. The psalmist briefly lapses into dramatic mode, describing the king’s military defeat as if it were happening before his very eyes.
105 tc Heb “you turn back, rocky summit, his sword.” The Hebrew term צוּר (tsur, “rocky summit”) makes no sense here, unless it is a divine title understood as vocative, “you turn back, O Rocky Summit, his sword.” Some emend the form to צֹר (tsor, “flint”) on the basis of Josh 5:2, which uses the phrase חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים (kharvot tsurim, “flint knives”). The noun צֹר (tsor, “flint”) can then be taken as “flint-like edge,” indicating the sharpness of the sword. Others emend the form to אָחוֹר (’akhor, “backward”) or to מִצַּר (mitsar, “from the adversary”). The present translation reflects the latter, assuming an original reading תָּשִׁיב מִצָּר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv mitsar kharbo), which was corrupted to תָּשִׁיב צָר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv tsar kharbo) by virtual haplography (confusion of bet/mem is well-attested) with צָר (tsar, “adversary”) then being misinterpreted as צוּר in the later tradition.
106 tn Heb “and you have not caused him to stand in the battle.”
107 tc The Hebrew text appears to read, “you have brought to an end from his splendor,” but the form מִטְּהָרוֹ (mittÿharo) should be slightly emended (the daghesh should be removed from the tet [ת]) and read simply “his splendor” (the initial mem [מ] is not the preposition, but a nominal prefix).
108 tn The Hebrew verb מָגַר (magar) occurs only here and perhaps in Ezek 21:17.
109 tn Heb “the days of his youth” (see as well Job 33:25).
110 tn Heb “How long, O
111 tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).
112 tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).
113 tn Heb “Who [is] the man [who] can live and not see death, [who] can deliver his life from the hand of Sheol?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
114 sn The Lord’s faithful deeds are also mentioned in Pss 17:7 and 25:6.
115 tc Many medieval Hebrew
116 tn Heb “[which] you swore on oath to David by your faithfulness.”
117 tc Many medieval Hebrew
118 tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew
119 tn Heb “my lifting up in my arms [or “against my chest”] all of the many, peoples.” The term רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”) makes no apparent sense here. For this reason some emend the text to רִבֵי (rivey, “attacks by”), a defectively written plural construct form of רִיב (riv, “dispute; quarrel”).
120 tn Heb “[by] which your enemies, O
121 sn The final verse of Ps 89, v. 52, is a conclusion to this third “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 106:48, respectively).
122 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
123 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God; thus it has been translated “We agree! We agree!”
124 tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”
125 tn Heb “will be cast aside”; NASB, NIV “thrown out.”
126 tn Heb “[as for] their corpses, their stench will arise.”
127 tn Heb “hills will dissolve from their blood.”
128 tc Heb “and all the host of heaven will rot.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa inserts “and the valleys will be split open,” but this reading may be influenced by Mic 1:4. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarcton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to “the valleys” to the conjunction prefixed to the verb “rot.”
129 tn Heb “like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree.”
130 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
131 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] my sword is drenched in the heavens.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has תראה (“[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]”), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV “My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens.”
sn In v. 4 the “host of the heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13). As in 24:21, they are viewed here as opposing God and being defeated in battle.
132 sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
133 tn The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
134 tn The words “it drips” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
135 tn The words “and is covered” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
136 tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the Lord.”
137 sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
138 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
139 tn Heb “will go down”; NAB “shall be struck down.”
140 tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.
141 tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”
142 tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”
143 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Edom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
144 tn Heb “it will not be extinguished.”
145 tn קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB “hoot owl”; NIV “screech owl”; TEV “ravens”), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV “small animals”; ASV “porcupine”; NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”).
146 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).
147 tn The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vÿ’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף (“owl”; see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and עֹרֵב (“raven”; Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.
148 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
149 tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
150 sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
151 tn Heb “will be nothing”; NCV, TEV, NLT “will all be gone.”
152 tn The words “will grow” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
153 tc Heb “and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches.” The translation assumes an emendation of חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass”) to חָצֵר (khatser, “settlement”). One of the Qumran scrolls of Isaiah (1QIsaa) supports this emendation (cf. HALOT 344 s.v. II חָצִיר)
154 tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”
155 tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
156 tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”
157 tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”
158 tn Hebrew קִפּוֹז (qippoz) occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.
159 tn For this proposed meaning for Hebrew מָלַט (malat), see HALOT 589 s.v. I מלט.
160 tn Heb “and brood [over them] in her shadow.”
161 tn The precise meaning of דַּיָּה (dayyah) is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.
162 tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”
sn It is uncertain what particular scroll is referred to here. Perhaps the phrase simply refers to this prophecy and is an admonition to pay close attention to the details of the message.
163 tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
164 tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
165 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and a few medieval
166 tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
167 tn Heb “and he causes the lot to fall for them.” Once again the pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
168 tn Heb “and his hand divides for them with a measuring line.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) now switches to masculine plural, referring to all the animals and birds mentioned in vv. 11-15, some of which were identified with masculine nouns. This signals closure for this portion of the speech, which began in v. 11. The following couplet (v. 17b) forms an inclusio with v. 11a through verbal repetition.
169 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV); NCV “they will own that land forever.”
170 tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
171 tn Or “in the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
172 tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”
173 sn The phrase speaking to me like a trumpet refers back to Rev 1:10.
174 tn The conjunction καί (kai), much like the vav-consecutive in Hebrew, appears to be introducing a final/purpose clause here rather than a coordinate clause.
175 tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).
176 tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
177 tn BDAG 537 s.v. κεῖμαι 2 gives the translation “stand” for the term in this verse.
178 tn Grk “jasper stone.”
sn Jasper was a semiprecious gemstone, probably green in color (L&N 2.30).
179 sn Carnelian was a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).
180 tn Or “a rainbow emerald-like in appearance.”
181 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
182 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were” to indicate the connection to the preceding material.
183 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
184 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
185 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
186 sn Some interpret the seven spirits of God as angelic beings, while others see them as a reference to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit.
187 tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.
188 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
189 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
190 tn On the meaning of ζῴον (zwon) BDAG 431 s.v. 2 states, “Of the four peculiar beings at God’s throne, whose description Rv 4:6-9 reminds one of the ζῷα in Ezk 1:5ff, the cherubim. S. also Rv 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 6:1, 3, 5-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4.”
191 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
192 tn Both here and before the phrase “the third,” καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
193 tn Grk “six wings apiece,” but this is redundant with “each one” in English.
194 tn Some translations render ἔσωθεν (eswqen) as “under [its] wings,” but the description could also mean “filled all around on the outside and on the inside with eyes.” Since the referent is not available to the interpreter, the exact force is difficult to determine.
195 tn Or “They never stop saying day and night.”
196 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
sn A quotation from (or an allusion to) Isa 6:3.
197 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
198 tn Grk “the twenty-four elders fall down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
199 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
200 tn The pronoun “his” is understood from the demonstrative force of the article τοῦ (tou) before θρόνου (qronou).
201 tc The past tense of “they existed” (ἦσαν, hsan) and the order of the expression “they existed and were created” seems backwards both logically and chronologically. The text as it stands is the more difficult reading and seems to have given rise to codex A omitting the final “they were created,” 2329 replacing “they existed” (ἦσαν) with “have come into being” (ἐγένοντο, egeneto), and 046 adding οὐκ (ouk, “not”) before ἦσαν (“they did not exist, [but were created]”). Several
