⁴ tn Heb “he joined hands”; cf. NCV “make agreements.”

⁹ tn Heb “he.” This is in agreement with the singular “wicked one” in the previous line.

¹ tn Or “agreement.” See the study note on 11:2 for discussion.

¹ tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”

² sn See Jer 32:40 and the study note there for the nature of this lasting agreement.

² tn Heb “messengers of peace,” apparently those responsible for negotiating the agreements that have been broken (see v. 8).

⁴ tn Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.”

² tn Heb “debt of every hand,” an idiom referring to the hand that holds legally binding contractual agreements.

⁴ tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.

² tn Heb “it is.” Hebrew uses the third person masculine singular pronoun here in agreement with the noun “people.”

¹ tn Heb “an everlasting covenant.” For the rationale for the rendering “agreement” and the nature of the biblical covenants, see the study note on 11:2.

³ tn Heb “the cutters of my covenant according to sacrifice.” A sacrifice accompanied the covenant-making ceremony and formally ratified the agreement (see Exod 24:3-8).

² tc The MT of the parallel geneaology in Gen 10:23 reads “Mash,” but the LXX there reads “Meshech” in agreement with 1 Chr 1:17.

¹ tn Heb “all this commandment.” This refers here to the entire covenant agreement of the Book of Deuteronomy as encapsulated in the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).

¹ sn Shares in his evil deeds. Giving a public greeting could be understood by an onlooker to suggest agreement with the (false) teaching of the opponents and is thus prohibited by John.

² sn The mention of David begins a series of agreements with Matthew’s line. The OT background is 1 Chr 2:1-15 and Ruth 4:18-22.

⁴ tn Heb “Why do you look at treacherous ones?” The verb בָּגַד (bagad, “be treacherous”) is often used of those who are disloyal or who violate agreements. See S. Erlandsson, TDOT 1:470-73.

² tn Heb “Is this man, Coniah, a despised, broken vessel or a vessel that no one wants?” The question is rhetorical, expecting a positive answer in agreement with the preceding oracle.

³ sn The word amen is found at the end of each of the curses in Deut 27, where the people express their agreement with the appropriateness of the curse for the offense mentioned.

⁴ tn Heb “striking.” The term “hands” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied. The imagery here is shaking hands to seal a contract. It does not refer to greeting people with a handshake or exclude all business agreements.