4:8 As for you, watchtower for the flock, 1
fortress of Daughter Zion 2 –
your former dominion will be restored, 3
the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.
6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling 4 to the city!
It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! 5
Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! 6
7:5 Do not rely on a friend;
do not trust a companion!
Don’t even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! 7
7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob
and extend your loyal love to Abraham, 8
which you promised on oath to our ancestors 9
in ancient times. 10
1 tn Heb “Migdal-eder.” Some English versions transliterate this phrase, apparently because they view it as a place name (cf. NAB).
2 sn The city of David, located within Jerusalem, is addressed as Daughter Zion. As the home of the Davidic king, who was Israel’s shepherd (Ps 78:70-72), the royal citadel could be viewed metaphorically as the watchtower of the flock.
3 tn Heb “to you it will come, the former dominion will arrive.”
4 tn Or “the voice of the
5 tn Heb “one who sees your name is wisdom.” It is probably better to emend יִרְאֶה (yir’eh, “he sees”) to יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fearing”). One may then translate, “fearing your name is wisdom.” The
6 tn Heb (apparently) “Listen [to] the staff and the one who appointed it.” Verse 10 then begins with עוֹד (yod, “still” or “again”). The translation assumes an emendation to שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּה וּמוֹעֵד הָעִיר (shim’u matteh umo’ed ha’ir, “listen, O tribe and the assembly of the city”).
7 tn Heb “from the one who lies in your arms, guard the doors of your mouth.”
8 tn More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.
9 tn Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.
10 tn Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”