Ulangan 33:26

General Praise and Blessing

33:26 There is no one like God, O Jeshurun, ¹ 

who rides through the sky ²  to help you,

on the clouds in majesty.

Ulangan 33:2

33:2 He said:

A Historical Review

The Lord came from Sinai

and revealed himself ³  to Israel ⁴  from Seir.

He appeared in splendor ⁵  from Mount Paran,

and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. ⁶ 

With his right hand he gave a fiery law ⁷  to them.

Pengkhotbah 1:17

1:17 So I decided ⁸  to discern the benefit of ⁹  wisdom and knowledge over ¹⁰  foolish behavior and ideas; ¹¹ 

however, I concluded ¹²  that even ¹³  this endeavor ¹⁴  is like ¹⁵  trying to chase the wind! ¹⁶ 

[33:26]  ¹ sn Jeshurun is a term of affection referring to Israel, derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). See note on the term in Deut 32:15.

[33:26]  ² tn Or “(who) rides (on) the heavens” (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT). This title depicts Israel’s God as sovereign over the elements of the storm (cf. Ps 68:33). The use of the phrase here may be polemical; Moses may be asserting that Israel’s God, not Baal (called the “rider of the clouds” in the Ugaritic myths), is the true divine king (cf. v. 5) who controls the elements of the storm, grants agricultural prosperity, and delivers his people from their enemies. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 151 (1994): 275.

[33:2]  ³ tn Or “rose like the sun” (NCV, TEV).

[33:2]  ⁴ tc Heb “to him.” The LXX reads “to us” (לָנוּ [lanu] for לָמוֹ [lamo]), the reading of the MT is acceptable since it no doubt has in mind Israel as a collective singular.

[33:2]  tn Heb “him”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:2]  ⁵ tn Or “he shone forth” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[33:2]  ⁶ tc With slight alteration (מִמְרִבַת קָדֵשׁ [mimrivat qadesh] for the MT’s מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ [merivvot qodesh]) the translation would be “from Meribah Kadesh” (cf. NAB, NLT; see Deut 32:51). However, the language of holy war in the immediate context favors the reading of the MT, which views the Lord as accompanied by angelic hosts.

[33:2]  ⁷ tc The mispointed Hebrew term אֵשְׁדָּת (’eshdat) should perhaps be construed as אֵשְׁהַת (’eshhat) with Smr.

[1:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “gave my heart,” or “set my mind.” See v. 13.

[1:17]  ⁹ tn The phrase “the benefit of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ¹⁰ tn The word “over” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ¹¹ tn The terms שִׂכְלוּת (sikhlut, “folly”) and הוֹלֵלוֹת (holelot, “foolishness”) are synonyms. The term שִׂכְלוּת (alternate spelling of סִכְלוּת, sikhlut) refers to foolish behavior (HALOT 755 s.v. סִכְלוּת), while הוֹלֵלוֹת refers to foolish ideas and mental blindness (HALOT 242 s.v. הוֹלֵלוֹת). Qoheleth uses these terms to refer to foolish ideas and self-indulgent pleasures (e.g., Eccl 2:2-3, 12-14; 7:25; 9:3; 10:1, 6, 13).

[1:17]  ¹² tn Heb “I know.”

[1:17]  ¹³ tn The term גַּם (gam, “even”) is a particle of association and emphasis (HALOT 195 s.v. גַּם).

[1:17]  ¹⁴ tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ¹⁵ tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:17]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “striving of wind.”