21:28 For fire went out from Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It has consumed Ar of Moab
and the lords 4 of the high places of Arnon.
30:3 “If a young 5 woman who is still living 6 in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord or places herself under an obligation,
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn The form with אַל־נָא (’al-na’) is a jussive; negated it stresses a more immediate request, as if Hobab is starting to leave, or at least determined to leave.
3 tn In the Hebrew text the expression is more graphic: “you will be for us for eyes.” Hobab was familiar with the entire Sinai region, and he could certainly direct the people where they were to go. The text does not record Hobab’s response. But the fact that Kenites were in Canaan as allies of Judah (Judg 1:16) would indicate that he gave in and came with Moses. The first refusal may simply be the polite Semitic practice of declining first so that the appeal might be made more urgently.
4 tc Some scholars emend to בָּלְעָה (bal’ah), reading “and devoured,” instead of בַּעֲלֵי (ba’aley, “its lords”); cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV. This emendation is closer to the Greek and makes a better parallelism, but the MT makes good sense as it stands.
5 tn The qualification comes at the end of the verse, and simply says “in her youth.”
6 tn The Hebrew text just has “in her father’s house” and not “who is still living,” but that is the meaning of the line.
7 tn The Hebrew text repeats the verb “you will destroy.”