22:14 He says, “I will build myself a large palace
with spacious upper rooms.”
He cuts windows in its walls,
panels it 1 with cedar, and paints its rooms red. 2
48:15 Moab will be destroyed. Its towns will be invaded.
Its finest young men will be slaughtered. 3
I, the King, the Lord who rules over all, 4 affirm it! 5
1 tc The MT should be emended to read חַלֹּנָיו וְסָפוֹן (khallonayv vÿsafon) instead of חַלֹּנָי וְסָפוּן (khallonay vÿsafon), i.e., the plural noun with third singular suffix rather than the first singular suffix and the infinitive absolute rather than the passive participle. The latter form then parallels the form for “paints” and functions in the same way (cf. GKC 345 §113.z for the infinitive with vav [ו] continuing a perfect). The errors in the MT involve reading the וְ once instead of twice (haplography) and reading the וּ (u) for the וֹ (o).
2 tn The word translated “red” only occurs here and in Ezek 23:14 where it refers to the pictures of the Babylonians on the wall of the temple. Evidently this was a favorite color for decoration. It is usually identified as vermilion, a mineral product from red ocher (cf. C. L. Wickwire, “Vermilion,” IDB 4:748).
3 tn Heb “will go down to the slaughter.”
4 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of the translation and meaning of this title see the study note on 2:19.
5 tn Heb “Oracle of the King whose name is Yahweh of armies.” The first person form has again been adopted because the