1:12 When you enter my presence,
do you actually think I want this –
animals trampling on my courtyards? 1
21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 2
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 3
1 tn Heb “When you come to appear before me, who requires this from your hand, trampling of my courtyards?” The rhetorical question sarcastically makes the point that God does not require this parade of livestock. The verb “trample” probably refers to the eager worshipers and their sacrificial animals walking around in the temple area.
2 sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
3 sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”