5:9 Then I 1 said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! 2 Should you not conduct yourselves 3 in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?
1 tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).
2 tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.
3 tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”