26:14 The dead do not come back to life,
the spirits of the dead do not rise. 1
That is because 2 you came in judgment 3 and destroyed them,
you wiped out all memory of them.
26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, 4
to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.
The earth will display the blood shed on it;
it will no longer cover up its slain. 5
1 sn In light of what is said in verse 14b, the “dead” here may be the “masters” mentioned in verse 13.
2 tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen) normally indicates a cause-effect relationship between what precedes and follows and is translated, “therefore.” Here, however, it infers the cause from the effect and brings out what is implicit in the previous statement. See BDB 487 s.v.
3 tn Heb “visited [for harm]” (cf. KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “you have punished.”
4 tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).
5 sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.