¹ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

² tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.

⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ sn Teman was an important region (or perhaps city) in Edom.

⁶ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ sn Bozrah was a city located in northern Edom.

⁸ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

⁹ tn Heb “house.”

¹⁰ sn The following verses explain what it meant to seek the Lord. Israel was to abandon the mere formalism and distorted view of God and reality that characterized religious activity at the worship sites, as well as the social injustice that permeated Israelite society. Instead the people were to repent and promote justice in the land. This call to seek the Lord echoes the challenge in 4:13 to prepare to meet him as he truly is.

¹¹ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb בָּלַג (balag, translated here “flashes”) is uncertain.

¹² tn Heb “comes upon.” Many prefer to repoint the verb as Hiphil and translate, “he brings destruction upon the fortified places.”