² tn Heb “one who makes playing music well.”

² tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”

³ tn Heb “But you have played the prostitute with many lovers.”

² tn Heb “and music [or perhaps, “stringed instruments”] we will play.”

¹ tn Heb “and he will play with his hand.”

³ tn Heb “listening to the pipe playing for the flocks.”

² tn Heb “you have committed adultery”; cf. NRSV “you have played the whore.”

¹ tn Heb “Out of them will come thanksgiving and a sound of those who are playful.”

¹ tn The Hebrew verb is שָׂחַק (sakhaq, “to sport; to trifle; to play,” Ps 104:26).

¹ tn The adverb אֵפוֹ (ʾefo, “then”) plays an enclitic role here (see Job 4:7).

¹ tn The term used refers to one who plays a stringed instrument, perhaps a harp.

⁴ tn Heb “answering in song” (a play on the twofold meaning of the word).

¹ tn The term “play” may refer to idolatrous, sexual play here, although that is determined by the context rather than the meaning of the word itself (cf. BDAG 750 s.v. παίζω).

¹ tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.

¹ tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?; see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.

¹ tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (ʾelilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.

¹ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

³ sn ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance…’ The children of this generation were making the complaint (see vv. 33-34) that others were not playing the game according to the way they played the music. John and Jesus did not follow “their tune.” Jesus’ complaint was that this generation wanted things their way, not God’s.

¹ sn ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance…’ The children of this generation were making the complaint (see vv. 18-19) that others were not playing the game according to the way they played the music. John and Jesus did not follow “their tune.” Jesus’ complaint was that this generation wanted things their way, not God’s.

² tn There is a play on words in the Greek: “working at nothing, but working around,” “not keeping busy but being busybodies.”