⁵ tn On this use of γάρ (gar) used in exclamations and strong affirmations, see BDAG 190 s.v. γάρ 3.

³ tn Or “there will be no strong arm or large army when it is pulled up by the roots.”

¹ tn Heb “Should I not punish them…? Should I not bring retribution…?” The rhetorical questions have the force of strong declarations.

¹ tn The particle אַף (ʾaf, “but”) is used here as a strong adversative contrasting the following statement with what precedes.

¹ tn The text uses חָלִילָה לִּי (khalilah li) meaning “far be it from me,” or more strongly, something akin to “sacrilege.”

² tn Heb “and Jeroboam arranged with him [for] battle with 800,000 chosen men, strong warrior[s].”

² tn The vav (ו) on the noun “glory” indicates a strong contrast, one that interrupts their threatened attack.

¹ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive on the noun at the beginning of the clause forms a strong adversative clause here.

¹ tn The word (אֶפֶס, ʾefes) forms a very strong adversative. The land was indeed rich and fruitful, but….”

¹ tn The verse begins with the disjunctive vav to mark a strong contrastive clause to what was said before this.

³ tn Using מְאֹד (m^eʾod) twice intensifies the idea of their becoming strong (see GKC 431-32 §133.k).

¹ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

⁴ tn Grk “protested strongly, saying.” L&N 39.27 has “διαμάχομαι: to fight or contend with, involving severity and thoroughness—‘to protest strongly, to contend with.’…‘some scribes from the party of the Pharisees protested strongly’ Ac 23:9.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

¹ tn Heb “the strength of oxen.” The genitive שׁוֹר (shor, “oxen”) functions as an attributed genitive: “strong oxen.” Strong oxen are indispensable for a good harvest, and for oxen to be strong they must be well-fed. The farmer has to balance grain consumption with the work oxen do.

² tn The word שֵׁכָר (shekhar) is often translated “strong drink.” It can mean “barley beer” in the Akkadian cognate, and also in the Hebrew Bible when joined with the word for wine. English versions here read “wine” (NAB, TEV, CEV); “strong wine” (KJV); “fermented drink” (NIV, NLT); “strong drink” (ASV, NASB, NRSV).

² tn Heb “to our tongue we make strong.” The Hiphil of גָבַר (gavar) occurs only here and in Dan 9:27, where it refers to making strong, or confirming, a covenant. Here in Ps 12 the evildoers “make their tongue strong” in the sense that they use their tongue to produce flattering and arrogant words to accomplish their purposes. The preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to “our tongue” may be dittographic.

⁴ tn The phrase “not be able to” was used in the translation to emphasize the strong negation (οὐ μή, ou mē) in the Greek text.

³ tn The Greek term παθήμασιν (pathēmasin, translated “passions”) refers to strong physical desires, especially of a sexual nature (L&N 25.30).

² tn L&N 33.393 has for λοιδορέω (loidoreō) “to speak in a highly insulting manner—‘to slander, to insult strongly, slander, insult.’”

⁴ tn Although BDAG 759 s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”