Kejadian 24:1--32:32

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ¹  and the Lord had blessed him ²  in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ³  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ⁴  24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ⁵  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ⁶  a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives ⁷  to find ⁸  a wife for my son Isaac.”

24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me ⁹  to this land? Must I then ¹⁰  take your son back to the land from which you came?”

24:6 “Be careful ¹¹  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ¹²  24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ¹³  promised me with a solemn oath, ¹⁴  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ¹⁵  before you so that you may find ¹⁶  a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ¹⁷  you will be free ¹⁸  from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. ¹⁹ 

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ²⁰  He journeyed ²¹  to the region of Aram Naharaim ²²  and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well ²³  outside the city. It was evening, ²⁴  the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. ²⁵  Be faithful ²⁶  to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ²⁷  and the daughters of the people ²⁸  who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ²⁹  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ³⁰ 

24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah ³¹  with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). ³²  24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ³³  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ³⁴  ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering ³⁵  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ³⁶  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ³⁷  her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine ³⁸  if the Lord had made his journey successful ³⁹  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ⁴⁰  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ⁴¹  and gave them to her. ⁴²  24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. ⁴³  “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. ⁴⁴  24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, ⁴⁵  “and room for you ⁴⁶  to spend the night.”

24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love ⁴⁷  for my master! The Lord has led me ⁴⁸  to the house ⁴⁹  of my master’s relatives!” ⁵⁰ 

24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about ⁵¹  these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ⁵²  Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring ⁵³  and heard his sister Rebekah say, ⁵⁴  “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing ⁵⁵  by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, ⁵⁶  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ⁵⁷  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ⁵⁸  the house and a place for the camels?”

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ⁵⁹  went to the house and unloaded ⁶⁰  the camels. Straw and feed were given ⁶¹  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ⁶²  24:33 When food was served, ⁶³  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ⁶⁴  “Tell us,” Laban said. ⁶⁵ 

24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. ⁶⁶  The Lord ⁶⁷  has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him ⁶⁸  when she was old, ⁶⁹  and my master ⁷⁰  has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find ⁷¹  a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go ⁷²  with me?’ ⁷³  24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, ⁷⁴  will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath ⁷⁵  if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, ⁷⁶  may events unfold as follows: ⁷⁷  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ⁷⁸  When ⁷⁹  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, ⁸⁰  along came Rebekah ⁸¹  with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ ⁸²  I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter ⁸³  of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ⁸⁴ 

24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. ⁸⁵  Our wishes are of no concern. ⁸⁶  24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ⁸⁷  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ⁸⁸ 

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he ⁸⁹  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ⁹⁰ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ⁹¹  24:55 But Rebekah’s ⁹²  brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord ⁹³  has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return ⁹⁴  to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” ⁹⁵  24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want ⁹⁶  to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”

24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ⁹⁷ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ⁹⁸  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ⁹⁹  of their enemies.”

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ¹⁰⁰  the man. So Abraham’s servant ¹⁰¹  took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now ¹⁰²  Isaac came from ¹⁰³  Beer Lahai Roi, ¹⁰⁴  for ¹⁰⁵  he was living in the Negev. ¹⁰⁶  24:63 He ¹⁰⁷  went out to relax ¹⁰⁸  in the field in the early evening. ¹⁰⁹  Then he looked up ¹¹⁰  and saw that ¹¹¹  there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up ¹¹²  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked ¹¹³  Abraham’s servant, ¹¹⁴  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ¹¹⁵  So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah ¹¹⁶  into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her ¹¹⁷  as his wife and loved her. ¹¹⁸  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ¹¹⁹ 

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ¹²⁰  another ¹²¹  wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. ¹²²  The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants ¹²³  of Keturah.

25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ¹²⁴  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ¹²⁵ 

25:7 Abraham lived a total of ¹²⁶  175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. ¹²⁷  He joined his ancestors. ¹²⁸  25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ¹²⁹  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. ¹³⁰  There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed ¹³¹  his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. ¹³² 

The Sons of Ishmael

25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, ¹³³  whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: ¹³⁴  Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes ¹³⁵  according to their clans.

25:17 Ishmael lived a total of ¹³⁶  137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. ¹³⁷  25:18 His descendants ¹³⁸  settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next ¹³⁹  to Egypt all the way ¹⁴⁰  to Asshur. ¹⁴¹  They settled ¹⁴²  away from all their relatives. ¹⁴³ 

Jacob and Esau

25:19 This is the account of Isaac, ¹⁴⁴  the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, ¹⁴⁵  the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. ¹⁴⁶ 

25:21 Isaac prayed to ¹⁴⁷  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ¹⁴⁸  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ¹⁴⁹  So she asked the Lord, ¹⁵⁰  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ¹⁵¹  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ¹⁵²  there were ¹⁵³  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ¹⁵⁴  all over, ¹⁵⁵  like a hairy ¹⁵⁶  garment, so they named him Esau. ¹⁵⁷  25:26 When his brother came out with ¹⁵⁸  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ¹⁵⁹  Isaac was sixty years old ¹⁶⁰  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ¹⁶¹  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ¹⁶²  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ¹⁶³  but Rebekah loved ¹⁶⁴  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ¹⁶⁵  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ¹⁶⁶  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ¹⁶⁷  Edom.) ¹⁶⁸ 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ¹⁶⁹  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ¹⁷⁰  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ¹⁷¹  So Esau ¹⁷²  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ¹⁷³  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ¹⁷⁴  So Esau despised his birthright. ¹⁷⁵ 

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ¹⁷⁶  in the days of Abraham. ¹⁷⁷  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; ¹⁷⁸  settle down in the land that I will point out to you. ¹⁷⁹  26:3 Stay ¹⁸⁰  in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, ¹⁸¹  for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, ¹⁸²  and I will fulfill ¹⁸³  the solemn promise I made ¹⁸⁴  to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ¹⁸⁵  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ¹⁸⁶  26:5 All this will come to pass ¹⁸⁷  because Abraham obeyed me ¹⁸⁸  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ¹⁸⁹  26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” ¹⁹⁰  He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, ¹⁹¹  “The men of this place will kill me to get ¹⁹²  Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”

26:8 After Isaac ¹⁹³  had been there a long time, ¹⁹⁴  Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed ¹⁹⁵  Isaac caressing ¹⁹⁶  his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really ¹⁹⁷  your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” ¹⁹⁸ 

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ¹⁹⁹  One of the men ²⁰⁰  might easily have had sexual relations with ²⁰¹  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches ²⁰²  this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” ²⁰³ 

26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, ²⁰⁴  because the Lord blessed him. ²⁰⁵  26:13 The man became wealthy. ²⁰⁶  His influence continued to grow ²⁰⁷  until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had ²⁰⁸  so many sheep ²⁰⁹  and cattle ²¹⁰  and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous ²¹¹  of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up ²¹²  all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ²¹³  for you have become much more powerful ²¹⁴  than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. ²¹⁵  26:18 Isaac reopened ²¹⁶  the wells that had been dug ²¹⁷  back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up ²¹⁸  after Abraham died. Isaac ²¹⁹  gave these wells ²²⁰  the same names his father had given them. ²²¹ 

26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing ²²²  water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled ²²³  with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac ²²⁴  named the well ²²⁵  Esek ²²⁶  because they argued with him about it. ²²⁷  26:21 His servants ²²⁸  dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it ²²⁹  Sitnah. ²³⁰  26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ²³¹  named it ²³²  Rehoboth, ²³³  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

26:23 From there Isaac ²³⁴  went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped ²³⁵  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ²³⁶ 

26:26 Now Abimelech had come ²³⁷  to him from Gerar along with ²³⁸  Ahuzzah his friend ²³⁹  and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me ²⁴⁰  and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see ²⁴¹  that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be ²⁴²  a pact between us ²⁴³  – between us ²⁴⁴  and you. Allow us to make ²⁴⁵  a treaty with you 26:29 so that ²⁴⁶  you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed ²⁴⁷  you, but have always treated you well ²⁴⁸  before sending you away ²⁴⁹  in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” ²⁵⁰ 

26:30 So Isaac ²⁵¹  held a feast for them and they celebrated. ²⁵²  26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. ²⁵³  Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. ²⁵⁴ 

26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. ²⁵⁵  26:33 So he named it Shibah; ²⁵⁶  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ²⁵⁷  to this day.

26:34 When ²⁵⁸  Esau was forty years old, ²⁵⁹  he married ²⁶⁰  Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. ²⁶¹ 

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ²⁶²  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ²⁶³  he called his older ²⁶⁴  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ²⁶⁵  replied. 27:2 Isaac ²⁶⁶  said, “Since ²⁶⁷  I am so old, I could die at any time. ²⁶⁸  27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ²⁶⁹  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ²⁷⁰  I will eat it so that I may bless you ²⁷¹  before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. ²⁷²  When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, ²⁷³  27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat ²⁷⁴  it and bless you ²⁷⁵  in the presence of the Lord ²⁷⁶  before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do ²⁷⁷  exactly what I tell you! ²⁷⁸  27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ²⁷⁹  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ²⁸⁰  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ²⁸¹  and ²⁸²  bless you before he dies.”

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ²⁸³  27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him ²⁸⁴  and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ²⁸⁵  my son! Just obey me! ²⁸⁶  Go and get them for me!”

27:14 So he went and got the goats ²⁸⁷  and brought them to his mother. She ²⁸⁸  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ²⁸⁹  on his hands ²⁹⁰  and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed ²⁹¹  the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac ²⁹²  replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” ²⁹³  27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up ²⁹⁴  and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” ²⁹⁵  27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world ²⁹⁶  did you find it so quickly, ²⁹⁷  my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” ²⁹⁸  he replied. ²⁹⁹  27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, ³⁰⁰  my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” ³⁰¹  27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ³⁰²  27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob ³⁰³  replied. 27:25 Isaac ³⁰⁴  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ³⁰⁵  Then I will bless you.” ³⁰⁶  So Jacob ³⁰⁷  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ³⁰⁸  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob ³⁰⁹  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent ³¹⁰  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, ³¹¹  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky ³¹² 

and the richness ³¹³  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ³¹⁴  lord ³¹⁵  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ³¹⁶ 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left ³¹⁷  his father’s ³¹⁸  presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. ³¹⁹  27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ³²⁰  said to him, “My father, get up ³²¹  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ³²²  27:32 His father Isaac asked, ³²³  “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” ³²⁴  he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently ³²⁵  and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. ³²⁶  He will indeed be blessed!”

27:34 When Esau heard ³²⁷  his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ³²⁸  He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac ³²⁹  replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ³³⁰  your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ³³¹  He has tripped me up ³³²  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ³³³  Then Esau wept loudly. ³³⁴ 

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ³³⁵  your home will be

away from the richness ³³⁶  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

27:40 You will live by your sword

but you will serve your brother.

When you grow restless,

you will tear off his yoke

from your neck.” ³³⁷ 

27:41 So Esau hated ³³⁸  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ³³⁹  Esau said privately, ³⁴⁰  “The time ³⁴¹  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ³⁴²  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ³⁴³  she quickly summoned ³⁴⁴  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ³⁴⁵  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ³⁴⁶  Run away immediately ³⁴⁷  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ³⁴⁸  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ³⁴⁹  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ³⁵⁰  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ³⁵¹ 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ³⁵²  because of these daughters of Heth. ³⁵³  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ³⁵⁴ 

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ³⁵⁵  28:2 Leave immediately ³⁵⁶  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God ³⁵⁷  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ³⁵⁸  Then you will become ³⁵⁹  a large nation. ³⁶⁰  28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ³⁶¹  so that you may possess the land ³⁶²  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ³⁶³  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. ³⁶⁴  As he blessed him, ³⁶⁵  Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ³⁶⁶  28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized ³⁶⁷  that the Canaanite women ³⁶⁸  were displeasing to ³⁶⁹  his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ³⁷⁰  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place ³⁷¹  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ³⁷²  He took one of the stones ³⁷³  and placed it near his head. ³⁷⁴  Then he fell asleep ³⁷⁵  in that place 28:12 and had a dream. ³⁷⁶  He saw ³⁷⁷  a stairway ³⁷⁸  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. ³⁷⁹  I will give you and your descendants the ground ³⁸⁰  you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ³⁸¹  and you will spread out ³⁸²  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ³⁸³  using your name and that of your descendants. ³⁸⁴  28:15 I am with you! ³⁸⁵  I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

28:16 Then Jacob woke up ³⁸⁶  and thought, ³⁸⁷  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

28:18 Early ³⁸⁸  in the morning Jacob ³⁸⁹  took the stone he had placed near his head ³⁹⁰  and set it up as a sacred stone. ³⁹¹  Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, ³⁹²  although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ³⁹³  to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, ³⁹⁴  then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone ³⁹⁵  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ³⁹⁶  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ³⁹⁷ 

The Marriages of Jacob

29:1 So Jacob moved on ³⁹⁸  and came to the land of the eastern people. ³⁹⁹  29:2 He saw ⁴⁰⁰  in the field a well with ⁴⁰¹  three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now ⁴⁰²  a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds ⁴⁰³  would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.

29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson ⁴⁰⁴  of Nahor?” “We know him,” ⁴⁰⁵  they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” ⁴⁰⁶  Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. ⁴⁰⁷  Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob ⁴⁰⁸  said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, ⁴⁰⁹  it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” ⁴¹⁰  29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water ⁴¹¹  the sheep.”

29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. ⁴¹²  29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ⁴¹³  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ⁴¹⁴  went over ⁴¹⁵  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ⁴¹⁶  29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. ⁴¹⁷  29:12 When Jacob explained ⁴¹⁸  to Rachel that he was a relative of her father ⁴¹⁹  and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob ⁴²⁰  told Laban how he was related to him. ⁴²¹  29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” ⁴²²  So Jacob ⁴²³  stayed with him for a month. ⁴²⁴ 

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work ⁴²⁵  for me for nothing because you are my relative? ⁴²⁶  Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; ⁴²⁷  the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, ⁴²⁸  but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) ⁴²⁹  29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with ⁴³⁰  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. ⁴³¹  Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ⁴³²  But they seemed like only a few days to him ⁴³³  because his love for her was so great. ⁴³⁴ 

29:21 Finally Jacob said ⁴³⁵  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ⁴³⁶  I want to have marital relations with her.” ⁴³⁷  29:22 So Laban invited all the people ⁴³⁸  of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah ⁴³⁹  to Jacob, ⁴⁴⁰  and Jacob ⁴⁴¹  had marital relations with her. ⁴⁴²  29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) ⁴⁴³ 

29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! ⁴⁴⁴  So Jacob ⁴⁴⁵  said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! ⁴⁴⁶  Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked ⁴⁴⁷  me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” ⁴⁴⁸  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ⁴⁴⁹  before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. ⁴⁵⁰  Then we will give you the younger one ⁴⁵¹  too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” ⁴⁵² 

29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. ⁴⁵³  When Jacob ⁴⁵⁴  completed Leah’s bridal week, ⁴⁵⁵  Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ⁴⁵⁶  29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) ⁴⁵⁷  29:30 Jacob ⁴⁵⁸  had marital relations ⁴⁵⁹  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ⁴⁶⁰  for seven more years. ⁴⁶¹ 

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ⁴⁶²  he enabled her to become pregnant ⁴⁶³  while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant ⁴⁶⁴  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ⁴⁶⁵  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ⁴⁶⁶  Surely my husband will love me now.”

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ⁴⁶⁷  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ⁴⁶⁸ 

29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, ⁴⁶⁹  because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. ⁴⁷⁰ 

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ⁴⁷¹  Then she stopped having children.

30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she ⁴⁷²  became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children ⁴⁷³  or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious ⁴⁷⁴  with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” ⁴⁷⁵  30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ⁴⁷⁶  her so that she can bear ⁴⁷⁷  children ⁴⁷⁸  for me ⁴⁷⁹  and I can have a family through her.” ⁴⁸⁰ 

30:4 So Rachel ⁴⁸¹  gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with ⁴⁸²  her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant ⁴⁸³  and gave Jacob a son. ⁴⁸⁴  30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ⁴⁸⁵  and given me a son.” That is why ⁴⁸⁶  she named him Dan. ⁴⁸⁷ 

30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. ⁴⁸⁸  30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” ⁴⁸⁹  So she named him Naphtali. ⁴⁹⁰ 

30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave ⁴⁹¹  her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. ⁴⁹²  30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” ⁴⁹³  So she named him Gad. ⁴⁹⁴ 

30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. ⁴⁹⁵  30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, ⁴⁹⁶  for women ⁴⁹⁷  will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. ⁴⁹⁸ 

30:14 At the time ⁴⁹⁹  of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants ⁵⁰⁰  in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, ⁵⁰¹  “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” ⁵⁰²  Rachel said, “he may sleep ⁵⁰³  with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep ⁵⁰⁴  with me because I have paid for your services ⁵⁰⁵  with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations ⁵⁰⁶  with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention ⁵⁰⁷  to Leah; she became pregnant ⁵⁰⁸  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ⁵⁰⁹  30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ⁵¹⁰  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ⁵¹¹  So she named him Issachar. ⁵¹² 

30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. ⁵¹³  30:20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. ⁵¹⁴ 

30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

30:22 Then God took note of ⁵¹⁵  Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. ⁵¹⁶  30:23 She became pregnant ⁵¹⁷  and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ⁵¹⁸  30:24 She named him Joseph, ⁵¹⁹  saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

The Flocks of Jacob

30:25 After Rachel had given birth ⁵²⁰  to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send ⁵²¹  me on my way so that I can go ⁵²²  home to my own country. ⁵²³  30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. ⁵²⁴  Then I’ll depart, ⁵²⁵  because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” ⁵²⁶ 

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ⁵²⁷  for I have learned by divination ⁵²⁸  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” ⁵²⁹ 

30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, ⁵³⁰  “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. ⁵³¹  30:30 Indeed, ⁵³²  you had little before I arrived, ⁵³³  but now your possessions have increased many times over. ⁵³⁴  The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. ⁵³⁵  But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” ⁵³⁶ 

30:31 So Laban asked, ⁵³⁷  “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” ⁵³⁸  Jacob replied, ⁵³⁹  “but if you agree to this one condition, ⁵⁴⁰  I will continue to care for ⁵⁴¹  your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among ⁵⁴²  all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, ⁵⁴³  and the spotted or speckled goats. ⁵⁴⁴  These animals will be my wages. ⁵⁴⁵  30:33 My integrity will testify for me ⁵⁴⁶  later on. ⁵⁴⁷  When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, ⁵⁴⁸  if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” ⁵⁴⁹  30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” ⁵⁵⁰ 

30:35 So that day Laban ⁵⁵¹  removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care ⁵⁵²  of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, ⁵⁵³  while ⁵⁵⁴  Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. ⁵⁵⁵  30:39 When the sheep mated ⁵⁵⁶  in front of the branches, they ⁵⁵⁷  gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face ⁵⁵⁸  the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, ⁵⁵⁹  Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. ⁵⁶⁰  So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban ⁵⁶¹  and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob ⁵⁶²  became extremely prosperous. He owned ⁵⁶³  large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

Jacob’s Flight from Laban

31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, ⁵⁶⁴  “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich ⁵⁶⁵  at our father’s expense!” ⁵⁶⁶  31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. ⁵⁶⁷ 

31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers ⁵⁶⁸  and to your relatives. I will be with you.” ⁵⁶⁹  31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah ⁵⁷⁰  to come to the field ⁵⁷¹  where his flocks were. ⁵⁷²  31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ⁵⁷³  but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, ⁵⁷⁴  31:7 but your father has humiliated ⁵⁷⁵  me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, ⁵⁷⁶  ‘The speckled animals ⁵⁷⁷  will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

31:10 “Once ⁵⁷⁸  during breeding season I saw ⁵⁷⁹  in a dream that the male goats mating with ⁵⁸⁰  the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe ⁵⁸¹  that all the male goats mating with ⁵⁸²  the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, ⁵⁸³  where you anointed ⁵⁸⁴  the sacred stone and made a vow to me. ⁵⁸⁵  Now leave this land immediately ⁵⁸⁶  and return to your native land.’”

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ⁵⁸⁷  in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ⁵⁸⁸  the money paid for us! ⁵⁸⁹  31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”

31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. ⁵⁹⁰  31:18 He took ⁵⁹¹  away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. ⁵⁹² 

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ⁵⁹³  Rachel stole the household idols ⁵⁹⁴  that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived ⁵⁹⁵  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ⁵⁹⁶  31:21 He left ⁵⁹⁷  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ⁵⁹⁸  the Euphrates River ⁵⁹⁹  and headed for ⁶⁰⁰  the hill country of Gilead.

31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ⁶⁰¹  31:23 So he took his relatives ⁶⁰²  with him and pursued Jacob ⁶⁰³  for seven days. ⁶⁰⁴  He caught up with ⁶⁰⁵  him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ⁶⁰⁶  “Be careful ⁶⁰⁷  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ⁶⁰⁸ 

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ⁶⁰⁹  31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ⁶¹⁰  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ⁶¹¹  31:27 Why did you run away secretly ⁶¹²  and deceive me? ⁶¹³  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ⁶¹⁴  31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren ⁶¹⁵  good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have ⁶¹⁶  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ⁶¹⁷  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ⁶¹⁸  31:30 Now I understand that ⁶¹⁹  you have gone away ⁶²⁰  because you longed desperately ⁶²¹  for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” ⁶²² 

31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” ⁶²³  Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought ⁶²⁴  you might take your daughters away from me by force. ⁶²⁵  31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! ⁶²⁶  In the presence of our relatives ⁶²⁷  identify whatever is yours and take it.” ⁶²⁸  (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) ⁶²⁹ 

31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. ⁶³⁰  Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. ⁶³¹  31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle ⁶³²  and sat on them.) ⁶³³  Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. ⁶³⁴  31:35 Rachel ⁶³⁵  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ⁶³⁶  my lord. I cannot stand up ⁶³⁷  in your presence because I am having my period.” ⁶³⁸  So he searched thoroughly, ⁶³⁹  but did not find the idols.

31:36 Jacob became angry ⁶⁴⁰  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ⁶⁴¹  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ⁶⁴²  31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? ⁶⁴³  Set it here before my relatives and yours, ⁶⁴⁴  and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! ⁶⁴⁵ 

31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. ⁶⁴⁶  You always made me pay for every missing animal, ⁶⁴⁷  whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat ⁶⁴⁸  during the day and by piercing cold ⁶⁴⁹  at night, and I went without sleep. ⁶⁵⁰  31:41 This was my lot ⁶⁵¹  for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave ⁶⁵²  for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears ⁶⁵³  – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, ⁶⁵⁴  and he rebuked you last night.”

31:43 Laban replied ⁶⁵⁵  to Jacob, “These women ⁶⁵⁶  are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, ⁶⁵⁷  and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today ⁶⁵⁸  or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, ⁶⁵⁹  you and I, and it will be ⁶⁶⁰  proof that we have made peace.” ⁶⁶¹ 

31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he ⁶⁶²  said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. ⁶⁶³  They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, ⁶⁶⁴  but Jacob called it Galeed. ⁶⁶⁵ 

31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement ⁶⁶⁶  today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah ⁶⁶⁷  because he said, “May the Lord watch ⁶⁶⁸  between us ⁶⁶⁹  when we are out of sight of one another. ⁶⁷⁰  31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ⁶⁷¹  that God is witness to your actions.” ⁶⁷² 

31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. ⁶⁷³  31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. ⁶⁷⁴  31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, ⁶⁷⁵  the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. ⁶⁷⁶  31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice ⁶⁷⁷  on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. ⁶⁷⁸  They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

31:55 (32:1) ⁶⁷⁹  Early in the morning Laban kissed ⁶⁸⁰  his grandchildren ⁶⁸¹  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ⁶⁸² 

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God ⁶⁸³  met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, ⁶⁸⁴  “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. ⁶⁸⁵ 

32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead ⁶⁸⁶  to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region ⁶⁸⁷  of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant ⁶⁸⁸  Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent ⁶⁸⁹  this message ⁶⁹⁰  to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” ⁶⁹¹  he thought, ⁶⁹²  “then the other camp will be able to escape.” ⁶⁹³ 

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ⁶⁹⁴  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ⁶⁹⁵  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ⁶⁹⁶  32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love ⁶⁹⁷  you have shown ⁶⁹⁸  your servant. With only my walking stick ⁶⁹⁹  I crossed the Jordan, ⁷⁰⁰  but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, ⁷⁰¹  I pray, from the hand ⁷⁰²  of my brother Esau, ⁷⁰³  for I am afraid he will come ⁷⁰⁴  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ⁷⁰⁵  32:12 But you ⁷⁰⁶  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ⁷⁰⁷  and will make ⁷⁰⁸  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ⁷⁰⁹ 

32:13 Jacob ⁷¹⁰  stayed there that night. Then he sent ⁷¹¹  as a gift ⁷¹²  to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to ⁷¹³  his servants, who divided them into herds. ⁷¹⁴  He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, ⁷¹⁵  “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? ⁷¹⁶  Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ ⁷¹⁷  32:18 then you must say, ⁷¹⁸  ‘They belong ⁷¹⁹  to your servant Jacob. ⁷²⁰  They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. ⁷²¹  In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” ⁷²² 

32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ⁷²³  32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ⁷²⁴  Jacob thought, ⁷²⁵  “I will first appease him ⁷²⁶  by sending a gift ahead of me. ⁷²⁷  After that I will meet him. ⁷²⁸  Perhaps he will accept me.” ⁷²⁹  32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ⁷³⁰  while he spent that night in the camp. ⁷³¹ 

32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took ⁷³²  his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons ⁷³³  and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ⁷³⁴  32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. ⁷³⁵  32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ⁷³⁶  wrestled ⁷³⁷  with him until daybreak. ⁷³⁸  32:25 When the man ⁷³⁹  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ⁷⁴⁰  he struck ⁷⁴¹  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ⁷⁴²  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ⁷⁴³  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ⁷⁴⁴  “unless you bless me.” ⁷⁴⁵  32:27 The man asked him, ⁷⁴⁶  “What is your name?” ⁷⁴⁷  He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ⁷⁴⁸  “but Israel, ⁷⁴⁹  because you have fought ⁷⁵⁰  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ⁷⁵¹  “Why ⁷⁵²  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ⁷⁵³  Then he blessed ⁷⁵⁴  Jacob ⁷⁵⁵  there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ⁷⁵⁶  explaining, ⁷⁵⁷  “Certainly ⁷⁵⁸  I have seen God face to face ⁷⁵⁹  and have survived.” ⁷⁶⁰ 

32:31 The sun rose ⁷⁶¹  over him as he crossed over Penuel, ⁷⁶²  but ⁷⁶³  he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day ⁷⁶⁴  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ⁷⁶⁵  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Kejadian 35:1-15

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ⁷⁶⁶  to Bethel ⁷⁶⁷  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ⁷⁶⁸  35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ⁷⁶⁹  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ⁷⁷⁰  35:3 Let us go up at once ⁷⁷¹  to Bethel. Then I will make ⁷⁷²  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ⁷⁷³  and has been with me wherever I went.” ⁷⁷⁴ 

35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession ⁷⁷⁵  and the rings that were in their ears. ⁷⁷⁶  Jacob buried them ⁷⁷⁷  under the oak ⁷⁷⁸  near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. ⁷⁷⁹  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ⁷⁸⁰  and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) ⁷⁸¹  in the land of Canaan. ⁷⁸²  35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ⁷⁸³  because there God had revealed himself ⁷⁸⁴  to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, ⁷⁸⁵  Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named ⁷⁸⁶  Oak of Weeping.) ⁷⁸⁷ 

35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him. 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him Israel. ⁷⁸⁸  35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. ⁷⁸⁹  Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! ⁷⁹⁰  35:12 The land I gave ⁷⁹¹  to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants ⁷⁹²  I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place ⁷⁹³  where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. ⁷⁹⁴  He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. ⁷⁹⁵  35:15 Jacob named the place ⁷⁹⁶  where God spoke with him Bethel. ⁷⁹⁷ 

Yesaya 13:1--21:17

The Lord Will Judge Babylon

13:1 ⁷⁹⁸ This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: ⁷⁹⁹ 

13:2 ⁸⁰⁰ On a bare hill raise a signal flag,

shout to them,

wave your hand,

so they might enter the gates of the princes!

13:3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; ⁸⁰¹ 

I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, ⁸⁰² 

my boasting, arrogant ones. ⁸⁰³ 

13:4 ⁸⁰⁴ There is a loud noise on the mountains –

it sounds like a large army! ⁸⁰⁵ 

There is great commotion among the kingdoms ⁸⁰⁶  –

nations are being assembled!

The Lord who commands armies is mustering

forces for battle.

13:5 They come from a distant land,

from the horizon. ⁸⁰⁷ 

It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, ⁸⁰⁸ 

coming to destroy the whole earth. ⁸⁰⁹ 

13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment ⁸¹⁰  is near;

it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. ⁸¹¹ 

13:7 For this reason all hands hang limp, ⁸¹² 

every human heart loses its courage. ⁸¹³ 

13:8 They panic –

cramps and pain seize hold of them

like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.

They look at one another in astonishment;

their faces are flushed red. ⁸¹⁴ 

13:9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment ⁸¹⁵  is coming;

it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, ⁸¹⁶ 

destroying ⁸¹⁷  the earth ⁸¹⁸ 

and annihilating its sinners.

13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations

no longer give out their light; ⁸¹⁹ 

the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,

and the moon does not shine. ⁸²⁰ 

13:11 ⁸²¹ I will punish the world for its evil, ⁸²² 

and wicked people for their sin.

I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,

I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. ⁸²³ 

13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,

and people more scarce ⁸²⁴  than gold from Ophir.

13:13 So I will shake the heavens, ⁸²⁵ 

and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, ⁸²⁶ 

because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,

in the day he vents his raging anger. ⁸²⁷ 

13:14 Like a frightened gazelle ⁸²⁸ 

or a sheep with no shepherd,

each will turn toward home, ⁸²⁹ 

each will run to his homeland.

13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;

everyone who is seized ⁸³⁰  will die ⁸³¹  by the sword.

13:16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;

their houses will be looted

and their wives raped.

13:17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; ⁸³² 

they are not concerned about silver,

nor are they interested in gold. ⁸³³ 

13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; ⁸³⁴ 

they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, ⁸³⁵ 

they will not ⁸³⁶  look with pity on children.

13:19 Babylon, the most admired ⁸³⁷  of kingdoms,

the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, ⁸³⁸ 

will be destroyed by God

just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. ⁸³⁹ 

13:20 No one will live there again;

no one will ever reside there again. ⁸⁴⁰ 

No bedouin ⁸⁴¹  will camp ⁸⁴²  there,

no shepherds will rest their flocks ⁸⁴³  there.

13:21 Wild animals will rest there,

the ruined ⁸⁴⁴  houses will be full of hyenas. ⁸⁴⁵ 

Ostriches will live there,

wild goats will skip among the ruins. ⁸⁴⁶ 

13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,

jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. ⁸⁴⁷ 

Her time is almost up, ⁸⁴⁸ 

her days will not be prolonged. ⁸⁴⁹ 

14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; ⁸⁵⁰  he will again choose Israel as his special people ⁸⁵¹  and restore ⁸⁵²  them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family ⁸⁵³  of Jacob. 14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. ⁸⁵⁴  They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them. 14:3 When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, ⁸⁵⁵  and from the hard labor which you were made to perform, 14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: ⁸⁵⁶ 

“Look how the oppressor has met his end!

Hostility ⁸⁵⁷  has ceased!

14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,

the scepter of rulers.

14:6 It ⁸⁵⁸  furiously struck down nations

with unceasing blows. ⁸⁵⁹ 

It angrily ruled over nations,

oppressing them without restraint. ⁸⁶⁰ 

14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;

they break into song.

14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, ⁸⁶¹ 

as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, ⁸⁶² 

‘Since you fell asleep, ⁸⁶³ 

no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ ⁸⁶⁴ 

14:9 Sheol ⁸⁶⁵  below is stirred up about you,

ready to meet you when you arrive.

It rouses ⁸⁶⁶  the spirits of the dead for you,

all the former leaders of the earth; ⁸⁶⁷ 

it makes all the former kings of the nations

rise from their thrones. ⁸⁶⁸ 

14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:

‘You too have become weak like us!

You have become just like us!

14:11 Your splendor ⁸⁶⁹  has been brought down to Sheol,

as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. ⁸⁷⁰ 

You lie on a bed of maggots,

with a blanket of worms over you. ⁸⁷¹ 

14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,

O shining one, son of the dawn! ⁸⁷² 

You have been cut down to the ground,

O conqueror ⁸⁷³  of the nations! ⁸⁷⁴ 

14:13 You said to yourself, ⁸⁷⁵ 

“I will climb up to the sky.

Above the stars of El ⁸⁷⁶ 

I will set up my throne.

I will rule on the mountain of assembly

on the remote slopes of Zaphon. ⁸⁷⁷ 

14:14 I will climb up to the tops ⁸⁷⁸  of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High!” ⁸⁷⁹ 

14:15 But you were brought down ⁸⁸⁰  to Sheol,

to the remote slopes of the pit. ⁸⁸¹ 

14:16 Those who see you stare at you,

they look at you carefully, thinking: ⁸⁸² 

“Is this the man who shook the earth,

the one who made kingdoms tremble?

14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,

who ruined its ⁸⁸³  cities,

and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ ⁸⁸⁴ 

14:18 ⁸⁸⁵ As for all the kings of the nations,

all of them ⁸⁸⁶  lie down in splendor, ⁸⁸⁷ 

each in his own tomb. ⁸⁸⁸ 

14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave

like a shoot that is thrown away. ⁸⁸⁹ 

You lie among ⁸⁹⁰  the slain,

among those who have been slashed by the sword,

among those headed for ⁸⁹¹  the stones of the pit, ⁸⁹² 

as if you were a mangled corpse. ⁸⁹³ 

14:20 You will not be buried with them, ⁸⁹⁴ 

because you destroyed your land

and killed your people.

The offspring of the wicked

will never be mentioned again.

14:21 Prepare to execute ⁸⁹⁵  his sons

for the sins their ancestors have committed. ⁸⁹⁶ 

They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,

or fill the surface of the world with cities.” ⁸⁹⁷ 

14:22 “I will rise up against them,”

says the Lord who commands armies.

“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, ⁸⁹⁸ 

including the offspring she produces,” ⁸⁹⁹ 

says the Lord.

14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals ⁹⁰⁰ 

and covered with pools of stagnant water.

I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” ⁹⁰¹ 

says the Lord who commands armies.

14:24 ⁹⁰² The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:

“Be sure of this:

Just as I have intended, so it will be;

just as I have planned, it will happen.

14:25 I will break Assyria ⁹⁰³  in my land,

I will trample them ⁹⁰⁴  underfoot on my hills.

Their yoke will be removed from my people,

the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. ⁹⁰⁵ 

14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;

my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” ⁹⁰⁶ 

14:27 Indeed, ⁹⁰⁷  the Lord who commands armies has a plan,

and who can possibly frustrate it?

His hand is ready to strike,

and who can possibly stop it? ⁹⁰⁸ 

The Lord Will Judge the Philistines

14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, ⁹⁰⁹  this message was revealed: ⁹¹⁰ 

14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,

just because the club that beat you has been broken! ⁹¹¹ 

For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,

and its fruit will be a darting adder. ⁹¹² 

14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; ⁹¹³ 

the needy will rest securely.

But I will kill your root by famine;

it will put to death all your survivors. ⁹¹⁴ 

14:31 Wail, O city gate!

Cry out, O city!

Melt with fear, ⁹¹⁵  all you Philistines!

For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,

and there are no stragglers in its ranks. ⁹¹⁶ 

14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? ⁹¹⁷ 

Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;

the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.

The Lord Will Judge Moab

15:1 Here is a message about Moab:

Indeed, in a night it is devastated,

Ar of Moab is destroyed!

Indeed, in a night it is devastated,

Kir of Moab is destroyed!

15:2 They went up to the temple, ⁹¹⁸ 

the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. ⁹¹⁹ 

Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, ⁹²⁰  Moab wails.

Every head is shaved bare,

every beard is trimmed off. ⁹²¹ 

15:3 In their streets they wear sackcloth;

on their roofs and in their town squares

all of them wail,

they fall down weeping.

15:4 The people of ⁹²²  Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,

their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.

For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;

their courage wavers. ⁹²³ 

15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, ⁹²⁴ 

and for the fugitives ⁹²⁵  stretched out ⁹²⁶  as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.

For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;

they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim. ⁹²⁷ 

15:6 For the waters of Nimrim are gone; ⁹²⁸ 

the grass is dried up,

the vegetation has disappeared,

and there are no plants.

15:7 For this reason what they have made and stored up,

they carry over the Stream of the Poplars.

15:8 Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;

their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim. ⁹²⁹ 

15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon ⁹³⁰  are full of blood!

Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. ⁹³¹ 

A lion will attack ⁹³²  the Moabite fugitives

and the people left in the land.

16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, ⁹³³ 

from Sela in the desert ⁹³⁴ 

to the hill of Daughter Zion.

16:2 At the fords of the Arnon ⁹³⁵ 

the Moabite women are like a bird

that flies about when forced from its nest. ⁹³⁶ 

16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! ⁹³⁷ 

Provide some shade in the middle of the day! ⁹³⁸ 

Hide the fugitives! Do not betray ⁹³⁹  the one who tries to escape!

16:4 Please let the Moabite fugitives live ⁹⁴⁰  among you.

Hide them ⁹⁴¹  from the destroyer!”

Certainly ⁹⁴²  the one who applies pressure will cease, ⁹⁴³ 

the destroyer will come to an end,

those who trample will disappear ⁹⁴⁴  from the earth.

16:5 Then a trustworthy king will be established;

he will rule in a reliable manner,

this one from David’s family. ⁹⁴⁵ 

He will be sure to make just decisions

and will be experienced in executing justice. ⁹⁴⁶ 

16:6 We have heard about Moab’s pride,

their great arrogance,

their boasting, pride, and excess. ⁹⁴⁷ 

But their boastful claims are empty! ⁹⁴⁸ 

16:7 So Moab wails over its demise ⁹⁴⁹  –

they all wail!

Completely devastated, they moan

about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. ⁹⁵⁰ 

16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,

as well as the vines of Sibmah.

The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,

which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;

their shoots spread out and cross the sea.

16:9 So I weep along with Jazer ⁹⁵¹ 

over the vines of Sibmah.

I will saturate you ⁹⁵²  with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,

for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly

over your fruit and crops. ⁹⁵³ 

16:10 Joy and happiness disappear from the orchards,

and in the vineyards no one rejoices or shouts;

no one treads out juice in the wine vats ⁹⁵⁴  –

I have brought the joyful shouts to an end. ⁹⁵⁵ 

16:11 So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, ⁹⁵⁶ 

my inner being sighs ⁹⁵⁷  for Kir Hareseth. ⁹⁵⁸ 

16:12 When the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places, ⁹⁵⁹ 

and enter their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective! ⁹⁶⁰ 

16:13 This is the message the Lord previously announced about Moab. 16:14 Now the Lord makes this announcement: “Within exactly three years ⁹⁶¹  Moab’s splendor will disappear, along with all her many people; there will be just a few, insignificant survivors left.” ⁹⁶² 

The Lord Will Judge Damascus

17:1 Here is a message about Damascus:

“Look, Damascus is no longer a city,

it is a heap of ruins!

17:2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned. ⁹⁶³ 

They will be used for herds,

which will lie down there in peace. ⁹⁶⁴ 

17:3 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,

and Damascus will lose its kingdom. ⁹⁶⁵ 

The survivors in Syria

will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,”

says the Lord who commands armies.

17:4 “At that time ⁹⁶⁶ 

Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished, ⁹⁶⁷ 

and he will become skin and bones. ⁹⁶⁸ 

17:5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,

and his hand gleans the ear of grain.

It will be like one gathering the ears of grain

in the Valley of Rephaim.

17:6 There will be some left behind,

like when an olive tree is beaten –

two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,

four or five on its fruitful branches,”

says the Lord God of Israel.

17:7 At that time ⁹⁶⁹  men will trust in their creator; ⁹⁷⁰ 

they will depend on ⁹⁷¹  the Holy One of Israel. ⁹⁷² 

17:8 They will no longer trust in ⁹⁷³  the altars their hands made,

or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made. ⁹⁷⁴ 

17:9 At that time ⁹⁷⁵  their fortified cities will be

like the abandoned summits of the Amorites, ⁹⁷⁶ 

which they abandoned because of the Israelites;

there will be desolation.

17:10 For you ignore ⁹⁷⁷  the God who rescues you;

you pay no attention to your strong protector. ⁹⁷⁸ 

So this is what happens:

You cultivate beautiful plants

and plant exotic vines. ⁹⁷⁹ 

17:11 The day you begin cultivating, you do what you can to make it grow; ⁹⁸⁰ 

the morning you begin planting, you do what you can to make it sprout.

Yet the harvest will disappear ⁹⁸¹  in the day of disease

and incurable pain.

17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, ⁹⁸² 

those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. ⁹⁸³ 

The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, ⁹⁸⁴ 

those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. ⁹⁸⁵ 

17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, ⁹⁸⁶ 

when he shouts at ⁹⁸⁷  them, they will flee to a distant land,

driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,

or like dead thistles ⁹⁸⁸  before a strong gale.

17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; ⁹⁸⁹ 

by morning they vanish. ⁹⁹⁰ 

This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,

the destiny of those who try to loot us! ⁹⁹¹ 

The Lord Will Judge a Distant Land in the South

18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, ⁹⁹² 

the one beyond the rivers of Cush,

18:2 that sends messengers by sea,

who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.

Go, you swift messengers,

to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people, ⁹⁹³ 

to a people that are feared far and wide, ⁹⁹⁴ 

to a nation strong and victorious, ⁹⁹⁵ 

whose land rivers divide. ⁹⁹⁶ 

18:3 All you who live in the world,

who reside on the earth,

you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;

you will hear a trumpet being blown.

18:4 For this is what the Lord has told me:

“I will wait ⁹⁹⁷  and watch from my place,

like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, ⁹⁹⁸ 

like a cloud of mist ⁹⁹⁹  in the heat ¹⁰⁰⁰  of harvest.” ¹⁰⁰¹ 

18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,

and the ripening fruit appears, ¹⁰⁰² 

he will cut off the unproductive shoots ¹⁰⁰³  with pruning knives;

he will prune the tendrils. ¹⁰⁰⁴ 

18:6 They will all be left ¹⁰⁰⁵  for the birds of the hills

and the wild animals; ¹⁰⁰⁶ 

the birds will eat them during the summer,

and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.

18:7 At that time

tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies,

by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,

a people that are feared far and wide,

a nation strong and victorious,

whose land rivers divide. ¹⁰⁰⁷ 

The tribute ¹⁰⁰⁸  will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion. ¹⁰⁰⁹ 

The Lord Will Judge Egypt

19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:

Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud

and approaches Egypt.

The idols of Egypt tremble before him;

the Egyptians lose their courage. ¹⁰¹⁰ 

19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, ¹⁰¹¹ 

brothers will fight with each other,

as will neighbors,

cities, and kingdoms. ¹⁰¹² 

19:3 The Egyptians will panic, ¹⁰¹³ 

and I will confuse their strategy. ¹⁰¹⁴ 

They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,

from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. ¹⁰¹⁵ 

19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;

a powerful king will rule over them,”

says the sovereign master, ¹⁰¹⁶  the Lord who commands armies.

19:5 The water of the sea will be dried up,

and the river will dry up and be empty. ¹⁰¹⁷ 

19:6 The canals ¹⁰¹⁸  will stink; ¹⁰¹⁹ 

the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;

the bulrushes and reeds will decay,

19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. ¹⁰²⁰ 

All the cultivated land near the river

will turn to dust and be blown away. ¹⁰²¹ 

19:8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,

all those who cast a fishhook into the river,

and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve. ¹⁰²² 

19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;

those who weave will turn pale. ¹⁰²³ 

19:10 Those who make cloth ¹⁰²⁴  will be demoralized; ¹⁰²⁵ 

all the hired workers will be depressed. ¹⁰²⁶ 

19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; ¹⁰²⁷ 

Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.

How dare you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the sages,

one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” ¹⁰²⁸ 

19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? ¹⁰²⁹ 

Let them tell you, let them find out

what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.

19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,

the officials of Memphis ¹⁰³⁰  are misled;

the rulers ¹⁰³¹  of her tribes lead Egypt astray.

19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; ¹⁰³² 

they lead Egypt astray in all she does,

so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. ¹⁰³³ 

19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,

head or tail, shoots and stalk. ¹⁰³⁴ 

19:16 At that time ¹⁰³⁵  the Egyptians ¹⁰³⁶  will be like women. ¹⁰³⁷  They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. ¹⁰³⁸  19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. ¹⁰³⁹ 

19:18 At that time five cities ¹⁰⁴⁰  in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. ¹⁰⁴¹  19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar ¹⁰⁴²  dedicated to the Lord at its border. 19:20 It ¹⁰⁴³  will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of ¹⁰⁴⁴  the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender ¹⁰⁴⁵  who will rescue them. 19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they ¹⁰⁴⁶  will acknowledge the Lord’s authority ¹⁰⁴⁷  at that time. ¹⁰⁴⁸  They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers ¹⁰⁴⁹  and heal them.

19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. ¹⁰⁵⁰  19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing ¹⁰⁵¹  in the earth. ¹⁰⁵²  19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, ¹⁰⁵³  “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, ¹⁰⁵⁴  Israel!”

20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. ¹⁰⁵⁵  20:2 At that time the Lord announced through ¹⁰⁵⁶  Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments ¹⁰⁵⁷  and barefoot. 20:3 Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, 20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. ¹⁰⁵⁸  20:5 Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. ¹⁰⁵⁹  20:6 At that time ¹⁰⁶⁰  those who live on this coast ¹⁰⁶¹  will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”

The Lord Will Judge Babylon

21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: ¹⁰⁶² 

Like strong winds blowing in the south, ¹⁰⁶³ 

one invades from the desert,

from a land that is feared.

21:2 I have received a distressing message: ¹⁰⁶⁴ 

“The deceiver deceives,

the destroyer destroys.

Attack, you Elamites!

Lay siege, you Medes!

I will put an end to all the groaning!” ¹⁰⁶⁵ 

21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; ¹⁰⁶⁶ 

cramps overwhelm me

like the contractions of a woman in labor.

I am disturbed ¹⁰⁶⁷  by what I hear,

horrified by what I see.

21:4 My heart palpitates, ¹⁰⁶⁸ 

I shake in fear; ¹⁰⁶⁹ 

the twilight I desired

has brought me terror.

21:5 Arrange the table,

lay out ¹⁰⁷⁰  the carpet,

eat and drink! ¹⁰⁷¹ 

Get up, you officers,

smear oil on the shields! ¹⁰⁷² 

21:6 For this is what the sovereign master ¹⁰⁷³  has told me:

“Go, post a guard!

He must report what he sees.

21:7 When he sees chariots,

teams of horses, ¹⁰⁷⁴ 

riders on donkeys,

riders on camels,

he must be alert,

very alert.”

21:8 Then the guard ¹⁰⁷⁵  cries out:

“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, ¹⁰⁷⁶ 

I stand all day long;

at my post

I am stationed every night.

21:9 Look what’s coming!

A charioteer,

a team of horses.” ¹⁰⁷⁷ 

When questioned, he replies, ¹⁰⁷⁸ 

“Babylon has fallen, fallen!

All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, ¹⁰⁷⁹ 

what I have heard

from the Lord who commands armies,

the God of Israel,

I have reported to you.

Bad News for Seir

21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: ¹⁰⁸⁰ 

Someone calls to me from Seir, ¹⁰⁸¹ 

“Watchman, what is left of the night?

Watchman, what is left of the night?” ¹⁰⁸² 

21:12 The watchman replies,

“Morning is coming, but then night. ¹⁰⁸³ 

If you want to ask, ask;

come back again.” ¹⁰⁸⁴ 

The Lord Will Judge Arabia

21:13 Here is a message about Arabia:

In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,

you Dedanite caravans.

21:14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.

You who live in the land of Tema,

bring some food for the fugitives.

21:15 For they flee from the swords –

from the drawn sword

and from the battle-ready bow

and from the severity of the battle.

21:16 For this is what the sovereign master ¹⁰⁸⁵  has told me: “Within exactly one year ¹⁰⁸⁶  all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 21:17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” ¹⁰⁸⁷  Indeed, ¹⁰⁸⁸  the Lord God of Israel has spoken.

Yeremia 46:1--51:64

Prophecies Against Foreign Nations ¹⁰⁸⁹ 

46:1 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah about the nations. ¹⁰⁹⁰ 

The Prophecy about Egypt’s Defeat at Carchemish

46:2 He spoke about Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was encamped along the Euphrates River at Carchemish. Now this was the army that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling ¹⁰⁹¹  over Judah. ¹⁰⁹² 

46:3 “Fall into ranks with your shields ready! ¹⁰⁹³ 

Prepare to march into battle!

46:4 Harness the horses to the chariots!

Mount your horses!

Put on your helmets and take your positions!

Sharpen you spears!

Put on your armor!

46:5 What do I see?” ¹⁰⁹⁴  says the Lord. ¹⁰⁹⁵ 

“The soldiers ¹⁰⁹⁶  are terrified.

They are retreating.

They have been defeated.

They are overcome with terror; ¹⁰⁹⁷ 

they desert quickly

without looking back.

46:6 But even the swiftest cannot get away.

Even the strongest cannot escape. ¹⁰⁹⁸ 

There in the north by the Euphrates River

they stumble and fall in defeat. ¹⁰⁹⁹ 

46:7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,

like its streams ¹¹⁰⁰  turbulent at flood stage?

46:8 Egypt rises like the Nile,

like its streams turbulent at flood stage.

Egypt says, ‘I will arise and cover the earth.

I will destroy cities and the people who inhabit them.’

46:9 Go ahead and ¹¹⁰¹  charge into battle, you horsemen!

Drive furiously, you charioteers!

Let the soldiers march out into battle,

those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields,

and those from Lydia ¹¹⁰²  who are armed with the bow. ¹¹⁰³ 

46:10 But that day belongs to the Lord God who rules over all. ¹¹⁰⁴ 

It is the day when he will pay back his enemies. ¹¹⁰⁵ 

His sword will devour them until its appetite is satisfied!

It will drink their blood until it is full! ¹¹⁰⁶ 

For the Lord God who rules over all ¹¹⁰⁷  will offer them up as a sacrifice

in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.

46:11 Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment, ¹¹⁰⁸ 

you dear poor people of Egypt. ¹¹⁰⁹ 

But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use; ¹¹¹⁰ 

there will be no healing for you.

46:12 The nations will hear of your devastating defeat. ¹¹¹¹ 

your cries of distress will echo throughout the earth.

In the panic of their flight one soldier will trip over another

and both of them will fall down defeated.” ¹¹¹² 

The Lord Predicts that Nebuchadnezzar Will Attack and Plunder Egypt

46:13 The Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack the land of Egypt. ¹¹¹³ 

46:14 “Make an announcement throughout Egypt.

Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. ¹¹¹⁴ 

‘Take your positions and prepare to do battle.

For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.’ ¹¹¹⁵ 

46:15 Why will your soldiers ¹¹¹⁶  be defeated? ¹¹¹⁷ 

They will not stand because I, the Lord, will thrust ¹¹¹⁸  them down.

46:16 I will make many stumble. ¹¹¹⁹ 

They will fall over one another in their hurry to flee. ¹¹²⁰ 

They will say, ‘Get up!

Let’s go back to our own people.

Let’s go back to our homelands

because the enemy is coming to destroy us.’ ¹¹²¹ 

46:17 There at home they will say, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is just a big noise! ¹¹²² 

He has let the most opportune moment pass by.’ ¹¹²³ 

46:18 I the King, whose name is the Lord who rules over all, ¹¹²⁴  swear this:

I swear as surely as I live that ¹¹²⁵  a conqueror is coming.

He will be as imposing as Mount Tabor is among the mountains,

as Mount Carmel is against the backdrop of the sea. ¹¹²⁶ 

46:19 Pack your bags for exile,

you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt. ¹¹²⁷ 

For Memphis will be laid waste.

It will lie in ruins ¹¹²⁸  and be uninhabited.

46:20 Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.

But northern armies will attack her like swarms of stinging flies. ¹¹²⁹ 

46:21 Even her mercenaries ¹¹³⁰ 

will prove to be like pampered, ¹¹³¹  well-fed calves.

For they too will turn and run away.

They will not stand their ground

when ¹¹³²  the time for them to be destroyed comes,

the time for them to be punished.

46:22 Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake, ¹¹³³ 

as the enemy comes marching up in force.

They will come against her with axes

as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees.

46:23 The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest.

But I, the Lord, affirm ¹¹³⁴  that the enemy will cut them down.

For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts.

They will be too numerous to count. ¹¹³⁵ 

46:24 Poor dear Egypt ¹¹³⁶  will be put to shame.

She will be handed over to the people from the north.”

46:25 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹¹³⁷  says, “I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes. ¹¹³⁸  I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him. ¹¹³⁹  46:26 I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the Lord, affirm it!” ¹¹⁴⁰ 

A Promise of Hope for Israel

46:27 ¹¹⁴¹ “You descendants of Jacob, my servants, ¹¹⁴²  do not be afraid;

do not be terrified, people of Israel.

For I will rescue you and your descendants

from the faraway lands where you are captives. ¹¹⁴³ 

The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.

They will be secure and no one will terrify them.

46:28 I, the Lord, tell ¹¹⁴⁴  you not to be afraid,

you descendants of Jacob, my servant,

for I am with you.

Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you,

I will not completely destroy you.

I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure.

I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.” ¹¹⁴⁵ 

Judgment on the Philistine Cities

47:1 The Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah ¹¹⁴⁶  about the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. ¹¹⁴⁷ 

47:2 “Look! Enemies are gathering in the north like water rising in a river. ¹¹⁴⁸ 

They will be like an overflowing stream.

They will overwhelm the whole country and everything in it like a flood.

They will overwhelm the cities and their inhabitants.

People will cry out in alarm.

Everyone living in the country will cry out in pain.

47:3 Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies’ horses,

the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels.

They will not turn back to save their children

because they will be paralyzed with fear. ¹¹⁴⁹ 

47:4 For the time has come

to destroy all the Philistines.

The time has come to destroy all the help

that remains for Tyre ¹¹⁵⁰  and Sidon. ¹¹⁵¹ 

For I, the Lord, will ¹¹⁵²  destroy the Philistines,

that remnant that came from the island of Crete. ¹¹⁵³ 

47:5 The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning.

The people of Ashkelon will be struck dumb.

How long will you gash yourselves to show your sorrow, ¹¹⁵⁴ 

you who remain of Philistia’s power? ¹¹⁵⁵ 

47:6 How long will you cry out, ¹¹⁵⁶  ‘Oh, sword of the Lord,

how long will it be before you stop killing? ¹¹⁵⁷ 

Go back into your sheath!

Stay there and rest!’ ¹¹⁵⁸ 

47:7 But how can it rest ¹¹⁵⁹ 

when I, the Lord, have ¹¹⁶⁰  given it orders?

I have ordered it to attack

the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast. ¹¹⁶¹ 

Judgment Against Moab

48:1 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹¹⁶²  spoke about Moab. ¹¹⁶³ 

“Sure to be judged is Nebo! Indeed, ¹¹⁶⁴  it will be destroyed!

Kiriathaim ¹¹⁶⁵  will suffer disgrace. It will be captured!

Its fortress ¹¹⁶⁶  will suffer disgrace. It will be torn down! ¹¹⁶⁷ 

48:2 People will not praise Moab any more.

The enemy will capture Heshbon ¹¹⁶⁸  and plot ¹¹⁶⁹  how to destroy Moab, ¹¹⁷⁰ 

saying, ‘Come, let’s put an end to that nation!’

City of Madmen, you will also be destroyed. ¹¹⁷¹ 

A destructive army will march against you. ¹¹⁷² 

48:3 Cries of anguish will arise in Horonaim,

‘Oh, the ruin and great destruction!’

48:4 “Moab will be crushed.

Her children will cry out in distress. ¹¹⁷³ 

48:5 Indeed they will climb the slopes of Luhith,

weeping continually as they go. ¹¹⁷⁴ 

For on the road down to Horonaim

they will hear the cries of distress over the destruction. ¹¹⁷⁵ 

48:6 They will hear, ‘Run! Save yourselves!

Even if you must be like a lonely shrub in the desert!’ ¹¹⁷⁶ 

48:7 “Moab, you trust in the things you do and in your riches.

So you too will be conquered.

Your god Chemosh ¹¹⁷⁷  will go into exile ¹¹⁷⁸ 

along with his priests and his officials.

48:8 The destroyer will come against every town.

Not one town will escape.

The towns in the valley will be destroyed.

The cities on the high plain will be laid waste. ¹¹⁷⁹ 

I, the Lord, have spoken! ¹¹⁸⁰ 

48:9 Set up a gravestone for Moab,

for it will certainly be laid in ruins! ¹¹⁸¹ 

Its cities will be laid waste

and become uninhabited.”

48:10 A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!

A curse on anyone who keeps from carrying out his destruction! ¹¹⁸² 

48:11 “From its earliest days Moab has lived undisturbed.

It has never been taken into exile.

Its people are like wine allowed to settle undisturbed on its dregs,

never poured out from one jar to another.

They are like wine which tastes like it always did,

whose aroma has remained unchanged. ¹¹⁸³ 

48:12 But the time is coming when I will send

men against Moab who will empty it out.

They will empty the towns of their people,

then will lay those towns in ruins. ¹¹⁸⁴ 

I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹¹⁸⁵ 

48:13 The people of Moab will be disappointed by their god Chemosh.

They will be as disappointed as the people of Israel were

when they put their trust in the calf god at Bethel. ¹¹⁸⁶ 

48:14 How can you men of Moab say, ‘We are heroes,

men who are mighty in battle?’

48:15 Moab will be destroyed. Its towns will be invaded.

Its finest young men will be slaughtered. ¹¹⁸⁷ 

I, the King, the Lord who rules over all, ¹¹⁸⁸  affirm it! ¹¹⁸⁹ 

48:16 Moab’s destruction is at hand.

Disaster will come on it quickly.

48:17 Mourn for that nation, all you nations living around it,

all of you nations that know of its fame. ¹¹⁹⁰ 

Mourn and say, ‘Alas, its powerful influence has been broken!

Its glory and power have been done away!’ ¹¹⁹¹ 

48:18 Come down from your place of honor;

sit on the dry ground, ¹¹⁹²  you who live in Dibon. ¹¹⁹³ 

For the one who will destroy Moab will attack you;

he will destroy your fortifications.

48:19 You who live in Aroer, ¹¹⁹⁴ 

stand by the road and watch.

Question the man who is fleeing and the woman who is escaping.

Ask them, ‘What has happened?’

48:20 They will answer, ‘Moab is disgraced, for it has fallen!

Wail and cry out in mourning!

Announce along the Arnon River

that Moab has been destroyed.’

48:21 “Judgment will come on the cities on the high plain: ¹¹⁹⁵  on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath, 48:22 on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim, 48:23 on Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, and Beth Meon, 48:24 on Kerioth and Bozrah. It will come on all the towns of Moab, both far and near. 48:25 Moab’s might will be crushed. Its power will be broken. ¹¹⁹⁶  I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹¹⁹⁷ 

48:26 “Moab has vaunted itself against me.

So make him drunk with the wine of my wrath ¹¹⁹⁸ 

until he splashes ¹¹⁹⁹  around in his own vomit,

until others treat him as a laughingstock.

48:27 For did not you people of Moab laugh at the people of Israel?

Did you think that they were nothing but thieves, ¹²⁰⁰ 

that you shook your head in contempt ¹²⁰¹ 

every time you talked about them? ¹²⁰² 

48:28 Leave your towns, you inhabitants of Moab.

Go and live in the cliffs.

Be like a dove that makes its nest

high on the sides of a ravine. ¹²⁰³ 

48:29 I have heard how proud the people of Moab are,

I know how haughty they are.

I have heard how arrogant, proud, and haughty they are,

what a high opinion they have of themselves. ¹²⁰⁴ 

48:30 I, the Lord, affirm that ¹²⁰⁵  I know how arrogant they are.

But their pride is ill-founded.

Their boastings will prove to be false. ¹²⁰⁶ 

48:31 So I will weep with sorrow for Moab.

I will cry out in sadness for all of Moab.

I will moan ¹²⁰⁷  for the people of Kir Heres.

48:32 I will weep for the grapevines of Sibmah

just like the town of Jazer weeps over them. ¹²⁰⁸ 

Their branches once spread as far as the Dead Sea. ¹²⁰⁹ 

They reached as far as the town of Jazer. ¹²¹⁰ 

The destroyer will ravage

her fig, date, ¹²¹¹  and grape crops.

48:33 Joy and gladness will disappear

from the fruitful land of Moab. ¹²¹² 

I will stop the flow of wine from the winepresses.

No one will stomp on the grapes there and shout for joy. ¹²¹³ 

The shouts there will be shouts of soldiers,

not the shouts of those making wine. ¹²¹⁴ 

48:34 Cries of anguish raised from Heshbon and Elealeh

will be sounded as far as Jahaz. ¹²¹⁵ 

They will be sounded from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah.

For even the waters of Nimrim will be dried up.

48:35 I will put an end in Moab

to those who make offerings at her places of worship. ¹²¹⁶ 

I will put an end to those who sacrifice to other gods.

I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹²¹⁷ 

48:36 So my heart moans for Moab

like a flute playing a funeral song.

Yes, like a flute playing a funeral song,

my heart moans for the people of Kir Heres.

For the wealth they have gained will perish.

48:37 For all of them will shave their heads in mourning.

They will all cut off their beards to show their sorrow.

They will all make gashes in their hands.

They will all put on sackcloth. ¹²¹⁸ 

48:38 On all the housetops in Moab

and in all its public squares

there will be nothing but mourning.

For I will break Moab like an unwanted jar.

I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹²¹⁹ 

48:39 Oh, how shattered Moab will be!

Oh, how her people will wail!

Oh, how she will turn away ¹²²⁰  in shame!

Moab will become an object of ridicule,

a terrifying sight to all the nations that surround her.”

48:40 For the Lord says,

“Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings

a nation will swoop down on Moab. ¹²²¹ 

48:41 Her towns ¹²²²  will be captured.

Her fortresses will be taken.

At that time the soldiers of Moab will be frightened

like a woman in labor. ¹²²³ 

48:42 Moab will be destroyed and no longer be a nation, ¹²²⁴ 

because she has vaunted herself against the Lord.

48:43 Terror, pits, and traps ¹²²⁵  are in store

for the people who live in Moab. ¹²²⁶ 

I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹²²⁷ 

48:44 Anyone who flees at the sound of terror

will fall into a pit.

Anyone who climbs out of the pit

will be caught in a trap. ¹²²⁸ 

For the time is coming

when I will punish the people of Moab. ¹²²⁹ 

I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹²³⁰ 

48:45 In the shadows of the walls of Heshbon

those trying to escape will stand helpless.

For a fire will burst forth from Heshbon.

Flames will shoot out from the former territory of Sihon.

They will burn the foreheads of the people of Moab,

the skulls of those war-loving people. ¹²³¹ 

48:46 Moab, you are doomed! ¹²³² 

You people who worship Chemosh will be destroyed.

Your sons will be taken away captive.

Your daughters will be carried away into exile. ¹²³³ 

48:47 Yet in days to come

I will reverse Moab’s ill fortune.” ¹²³⁴ 

says the Lord. ¹²³⁵ 

The judgment against Moab ends here.

Judgment Against Ammon

49:1 The Lord spoke about the Ammonites. ¹²³⁶ 

“Do you think there are not any people of the nation of Israel remaining?

Do you think there are not any of them remaining to reinherit their land?

Is that why you people who worship the god Milcom ¹²³⁷ 

have taken possession of the territory of Gad and live in his cities? ¹²³⁸ 

49:2 Because you did that,

I, the Lord, affirm that ¹²³⁹  a time is coming

when I will make Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon,

hear the sound of the battle cry.

It will become a mound covered with ruins. ¹²⁴⁰ 

Its villages will be burned to the ground. ¹²⁴¹ 

Then Israel will take back its land

from those who took their land from them.

I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹²⁴² 

49:3 Wail, you people in Heshbon, because Ai in Ammon is destroyed.

Cry out in anguish, you people in the villages surrounding ¹²⁴³  Rabbah.

Put on sackcloth and cry out in mourning.

Run about covered with gashes. ¹²⁴⁴ 

For your god Milcom will go into exile

along with his priests and officials. ¹²⁴⁵ 

49:4 Why do you brag about your great power?

Your power is ebbing away, ¹²⁴⁶  you rebellious people of Ammon, ¹²⁴⁷ 

who trust in your riches and say,

‘Who would dare to attack us?’

49:5 I will bring terror on you from every side,”

says the Lord God who rules over all. ¹²⁴⁸ 

“You will be scattered in every direction. ¹²⁴⁹ 

No one will gather the fugitives back together.

49:6 Yet in days to come

I will reverse Ammon’s ill fortune.” ¹²⁵⁰ 

says the Lord. ¹²⁵¹ 

Judgment Against Edom

49:7 The Lord who rules over all ¹²⁵²  spoke about Edom. ¹²⁵³ 

“Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman? ¹²⁵⁴ 

Can Edom’s counselors not give her any good advice? ¹²⁵⁵ 

Has all of their wisdom turned bad? ¹²⁵⁶ 

49:8 Turn and flee! Take up refuge in remote places, ¹²⁵⁷ 

you people who live in Dedan. ¹²⁵⁸ 

For I will bring disaster on the descendants of Esau.

I have decided it is time for me to punish them. ¹²⁵⁹ 

49:9 If grape pickers came to pick your grapes,

would they not leave a few grapes behind? ¹²⁶⁰ 

If robbers came at night,

would they not pillage only what they needed? ¹²⁶¹ 

49:10 But I will strip everything away from Esau’s descendants.

I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide.

Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed.

Not one of them will be left!

49:11 Leave your orphans behind and I will keep them alive.

Your widows too can depend on me.” ¹²⁶² 

49:12 For the Lord says, “If even those who did not deserve to drink from the cup of my wrath must drink from it, do you think you will go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must certainly drink from the cup of my wrath. ¹²⁶³  49:13 For I solemnly swear,” ¹²⁶⁴  says the Lord, “that Bozrah ¹²⁶⁵  will become a pile of ruins. It will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example to be used in curses. ¹²⁶⁶  All the towns around it will lie in ruins forever.”

49:14 I said, ¹²⁶⁷  “I have heard a message from the Lord.

A messenger has been sent among the nations to say,

‘Gather your armies and march out against her!

Prepare to do battle with her!’” ¹²⁶⁸ 

49:15 The Lord says to Edom, ¹²⁶⁹ 

“I will certainly make you small among nations.

I will make you despised by all humankind.

49:16 The terror you inspire in others ¹²⁷⁰ 

and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you.

You may make your home in the clefts of the rocks;

you may occupy the highest places in the hills. ¹²⁷¹ 

But even if you made your home where the eagles nest,

I would bring you down from there,”

says the Lord.

49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror.

All who pass by it will be filled with horror;

they will hiss out their scorn

because of all the disasters that have happened to it. ¹²⁷² 

49:18 Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah

and the towns that were around them.

No one will live there.

No human being will settle in it,”

says the Lord.

49:19 “A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan ¹²⁷³ 

scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it. ¹²⁷⁴ 

So too I will chase the Edomites off their land. ¹²⁷⁵ 

Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose. ¹²⁷⁶ 

For there is no one like me, and there is no one who can call me to account. ¹²⁷⁷ 

There is no ¹²⁷⁸  ruler ¹²⁷⁹  who can stand up against me.

49:20 So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Edom,

what I intend to do to ¹²⁸⁰  the people who live in Teman. ¹²⁸¹ 

Their little ones will be dragged off.

I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done. ¹²⁸² 

49:21 The people of the earth will quake when they hear of their downfall. ¹²⁸³ 

Their cries of anguish will be heard all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba. ¹²⁸⁴ 

49:22 Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings,

a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah.

At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful

as a woman in labor.” ¹²⁸⁵ 

Judgment Against Damascus

49:23 The Lord spoke ¹²⁸⁶  about Damascus. ¹²⁸⁷ 

“The people of Hamath and Arpad ¹²⁸⁸  will be dismayed

because they have heard bad news.

Their courage will melt away because of worry.

Their hearts will not be able to rest. ¹²⁸⁹ 

49:24 The people of Damascus will lose heart and turn to flee.

Panic will grip them.

Pain and anguish will seize them

like a woman in labor.

49:25 How deserted will that once-famous city ¹²⁹⁰  be,

that city that was once filled with ¹²⁹¹  joy! ¹²⁹² 

49:26 For her young men will fall in her city squares.

All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,”

says the Lord who rules over all. ¹²⁹³ 

49:27 “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;

it will burn up the palaces of Ben Hadad.” ¹²⁹⁴ 

Judgment Against Kedar and Hazor

49:28 The Lord spoke about Kedar ¹²⁹⁵  and the kingdoms of Hazor ¹²⁹⁶  that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered.

“Army of Babylon, ¹²⁹⁷  go and attack Kedar.

Lay waste those who live in the eastern desert. ¹²⁹⁸ 

49:29 Their tents and their flocks will be taken away.

Their tent curtains, equipment, and camels will be carried off.

People will shout ¹²⁹⁹  to them,

‘Terror is all around you!’” ¹³⁰⁰ 

49:30 The Lord says, ¹³⁰¹  “Flee quickly, you who live in Hazor. ¹³⁰² 

Take up refuge in remote places. ¹³⁰³ 

For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has laid out plans to attack you.

He has formed his strategy on how to defeat you.” ¹³⁰⁴ 

49:31 The Lord says, ¹³⁰⁵  “Army of Babylon, ¹³⁰⁶  go and attack

a nation that lives in peace and security.

They have no gates or walls to protect them. ¹³⁰⁷ 

They live all alone.

49:32 Their camels will be taken as plunder.

Their vast herds will be taken as spoil.

I will scatter to the four winds

those desert peoples who cut their hair short at the temples. ¹³⁰⁸ 

I will bring disaster against them

from every direction,” says the Lord. ¹³⁰⁹ 

49:33 “Hazor will become a permanent wasteland,

a place where only jackals live. ¹³¹⁰ 

No one will live there.

No human being will settle in it.” ¹³¹¹ 

Judgment Against Elam

49:34 Early in the reign ¹³¹²  of King Zedekiah of Judah, the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Elam. ¹³¹³ 

49:35 The Lord who rules over all said,

“I will kill all the archers of Elam,

who are the chief source of her military might. ¹³¹⁴ 

49:36 I will cause enemies to blow through Elam from every direction

like the winds blowing in from the four quarters of heaven.

I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds.

There will not be any nation where the refugees of Elam will not go. ¹³¹⁵ 

49:37 I will make the people of Elam terrified of their enemies,

who are seeking to kill them.

I will vent my fierce anger

and bring disaster upon them,” ¹³¹⁶  says the Lord. ¹³¹⁷ 

“I will send armies chasing after them ¹³¹⁸ 

until I have completely destroyed them.

49:38 I will establish my sovereignty over Elam. ¹³¹⁹ 

I will destroy their king and their leaders,” ¹³²⁰  says the Lord. ¹³²¹ 

49:39 “Yet in days to come

I will reverse Elam’s ill fortune.” ¹³²² 

says the Lord. ¹³²³ 

Judgment Against Babylon

50:1 The Lord spoke concerning Babylon and the land of Babylonia ¹³²⁴  through the prophet Jeremiah. ¹³²⁵ 

50:2 “Announce ¹³²⁶  the news among the nations! Proclaim it!

Signal for people to pay attention! ¹³²⁷ 

Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:

‘Babylon will be captured.

Bel ¹³²⁸  will be put to shame.

Marduk will be dismayed.

Babylon’s idols will be put to shame.

Her disgusting images ¹³²⁹  will be dismayed. ¹³³⁰ 

50:3 For a nation from the north ¹³³¹  will attack Babylon.

It will lay her land waste.

People and animals will flee out of it.

No one will inhabit it.’

50:4 “When that time comes,” says the Lord, ¹³³² 

“the people of Israel and Judah will return to the land together.

They will come back with tears of repentance

as they seek the Lord their God. ¹³³³ 

50:5 They will ask the way to Zion;

they will turn their faces toward it.

They will come ¹³³⁴  and bind themselves to the Lord

in a lasting covenant that will never be forgotten. ¹³³⁵ 

50:6 “My people have been lost sheep.

Their shepherds ¹³³⁶  have allow them to go astray.

They have wandered around in the mountains.

They have roamed from one mountain and hill to another. ¹³³⁷ 

They have forgotten their resting place.

50:7 All who encountered them devoured them.

Their enemies who did this said, ‘We are not liable for punishment!

For those people have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. ¹³³⁸ 

They have sinned against the Lord in whom their ancestors ¹³³⁹  trusted.’ ¹³⁴⁰ 

50:8 “People of Judah, ¹³⁴¹  get out of Babylon quickly!

Leave the land of Babylonia! ¹³⁴² 

Be the first to depart! ¹³⁴³ 

Be like the male goats that lead the herd.

50:9 For I will rouse into action and bring against Babylon

a host of mighty nations ¹³⁴⁴  from the land of the north.

They will set up their battle lines against her.

They will come from the north and capture her. ¹³⁴⁵ 

Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier ¹³⁴⁶ 

who does not return from the battle empty-handed. ¹³⁴⁷ 

50:10 Babylonia ¹³⁴⁸  will be plundered.

Those who plunder it will take all they want,”

says the Lord. ¹³⁴⁹ 

50:11 “People of Babylonia, ¹³⁵⁰  you plundered my people. ¹³⁵¹ 

That made you happy and glad.

You frolic about like calves in a pasture. ¹³⁵² 

Your joyous sounds are like the neighs of a stallion. ¹³⁵³ 

50:12 But Babylonia will be put to great shame.

The land where you were born ¹³⁵⁴  will be disgraced.

Indeed, ¹³⁵⁵  Babylonia will become the least important of all nations.

It will become a dry and barren desert.

50:13 After I vent my wrath on it Babylon will be uninhabited. ¹³⁵⁶ 

It will be totally desolate.

All who pass by will be filled with horror and will hiss out their scorn

because of all the disasters that have happened to it. ¹³⁵⁷ 

50:14 “Take up your battle positions all around Babylon,

all you soldiers who are armed with bows. ¹³⁵⁸ 

Shoot ¹³⁵⁹  all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back! ¹³⁶⁰ 

For she has sinned against the Lord.

50:15 Shout the battle cry from all around the city.

She will throw up her hands in surrender. ¹³⁶¹ 

Her towers ¹³⁶²  will fall.

Her walls will be torn down.

Because I, the Lord, am wreaking revenge, ¹³⁶³ 

take out your vengeance on her!

Do to her as she has done!

50:16 Kill all the farmers who sow the seed in the land of Babylon.

Kill all those who wield the sickle at harvest time. ¹³⁶⁴ 

Let all the foreigners return to their own people.

Let them hurry back to their own lands

to escape destruction by that enemy army. ¹³⁶⁵ 

50:17 “The people of Israel are like scattered sheep

which lions have chased away.

First the king of Assyria devoured them. ¹³⁶⁶ 

Now last of all King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed their bones. ¹³⁶⁷ 

50:18 So I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say: ¹³⁶⁸ 

‘I will punish the king of Babylon and his land

just as I punished the king of Assyria.

50:19 But I will restore the flock of Israel to their own pasture.

They will graze on Mount Carmel and the land of Bashan.

They will eat until they are full ¹³⁶⁹ 

on the hills of Ephraim and the land of Gilead. ¹³⁷⁰ 

50:20 When that time comes,

no guilt will be found in Israel.

No sin will be found in Judah. ¹³⁷¹ 

For I will forgive those of them I have allowed to survive. ¹³⁷² 

I, the Lord, affirm it!’” ¹³⁷³ 

50:21 The Lord says, ¹³⁷⁴ 

“Attack ¹³⁷⁵  the land of Merathaim

and the people who live in Pekod! ¹³⁷⁶ 

Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them! ¹³⁷⁷ 

Do just as I have commanded you! ¹³⁷⁸ 

50:22 The noise of battle can be heard in the land of Babylonia. ¹³⁷⁹ 

There is the sound of great destruction.

50:23 Babylon hammered the whole world to pieces.

But see how that ‘hammer’ has been broken and shattered! ¹³⁸⁰ 

See what an object of horror

Babylon has become among the nations!

50:24 I set a trap for you, Babylon;

you were caught before you knew it.

You fought against me.

So you were found and captured. ¹³⁸¹ 

50:25 I have opened up the place where my weapons are stored. ¹³⁸² 

I have brought out the weapons for carrying out my wrath. ¹³⁸³ 

For I, the Lord God who rules over all, ¹³⁸⁴ 

have work to carry out in the land of Babylonia. ¹³⁸⁵ 

50:26 Come from far away and attack Babylonia! ¹³⁸⁶ 

Open up the places where she stores her grain!

Pile her up in ruins! ¹³⁸⁷  Destroy her completely! ¹³⁸⁸ 

Do not leave anyone alive! ¹³⁸⁹ 

50:27 Kill all her soldiers! ¹³⁹⁰ 

Let them be slaughtered! ¹³⁹¹ 

They are doomed, ¹³⁹²  for their day of reckoning ¹³⁹³  has come,

the time for them to be punished.”

50:28 Listen! Fugitives and refugees are coming from the land of Babylon.

They are coming to Zion to declare there

how the Lord our God is getting revenge,

getting revenge for what they have done to his temple. ¹³⁹⁴ 

50:29 “Call for archers ¹³⁹⁵  to come against Babylon!

Summon against her all who draw the bow!

Set up camp all around the city!

Do not allow anyone to escape!

Pay her back for what she has done.

Do to her what she has done to others.

For she has proudly defied me, ¹³⁹⁶ 

the Holy One of Israel. ¹³⁹⁷ 

50:30 So her young men will fall in her city squares.

All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,”

says the Lord. ¹³⁹⁸ 

50:31 “Listen! I am opposed to you, you proud city,” ¹³⁹⁹ 

says the Lord God who rules over all. ¹⁴⁰⁰ 

“Indeed, ¹⁴⁰¹  your day of reckoning ¹⁴⁰²  has come,

the time when I will punish you. ¹⁴⁰³ 

50:32 You will stumble and fall, you proud city;

no one will help you get up.

I will set fire to your towns;

it will burn up everything that surrounds you.” ¹⁴⁰⁴ 

50:33 The Lord who rules over all ¹⁴⁰⁵  says,

“The people of Israel are oppressed.

So too are the people of Judah. ¹⁴⁰⁶ 

All those who took them captive are holding them prisoners.

They refuse to set them free.

50:34 But the one who will rescue them ¹⁴⁰⁷  is strong.

He is known as the Lord who rules over all. ¹⁴⁰⁸ 

He will strongly ¹⁴⁰⁹  champion their cause.

As a result ¹⁴¹⁰  he will bring peace and rest to the earth,

but trouble and turmoil ¹⁴¹¹  to the people who inhabit Babylonia. ¹⁴¹² 

50:35 “Destructive forces will come against the Babylonians,” ¹⁴¹³  says the Lord. ¹⁴¹⁴ 

“They will come against the people who inhabit Babylonia,

against her leaders and her men of wisdom.

50:36 Destructive forces will come against her false prophets; ¹⁴¹⁵ 

they will be shown to be fools! ¹⁴¹⁶ 

Destructive forces will come against her soldiers;

they will be filled with terror! ¹⁴¹⁷ 

50:37 Destructive forces will come against her horses and her ¹⁴¹⁸  chariots.

Destructive forces will come against all the foreign troops within her; ¹⁴¹⁹ 

they will be as frightened as women! ¹⁴²⁰ 

Destructive forces will come against her treasures;

they will be taken away as plunder!

50:38 A drought will come upon her land;

her rivers and canals will be dried up. ¹⁴²¹ 

All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. ¹⁴²² 

Her people act like madmen because of ¹⁴²³  those idols they fear. ¹⁴²⁴ 

50:39 Therefore desert creatures and jackals will live there.

Ostriches ¹⁴²⁵  will dwell in it too. ¹⁴²⁶ 

But no people will ever live there again.

No one will dwell there for all time to come. ¹⁴²⁷ 

50:40 I will destroy Babylonia just like I did

Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns.

No one will live there. ¹⁴²⁸ 

No human being will settle in it,”

says the Lord. ¹⁴²⁹ 

50:41 “Look! An army is about to come from the north.

A mighty nation and many kings ¹⁴³⁰  are stirring into action

in faraway parts of the earth.

50:42 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.

They are cruel and show no mercy.

They sound like the roaring sea

as they ride forth on their horses.

Lined up in formation like men going into battle,

they are coming against you, fair Babylon! ¹⁴³¹ 

50:43 The king of Babylon will become paralyzed with fear ¹⁴³² 

when he hears news of their coming. ¹⁴³³ 

Anguish will grip him,

agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby. ¹⁴³⁴ 

50:44 “A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan

scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it.

So too I will chase the Babylonians off of their land.

Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose.

For there is no one like me.

There is no one who can call me to account.

There is no ruler that can stand up against me.

50:45 So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Babylon,

what I intend to do to the people who inhabit the land of Babylonia. ¹⁴³⁵ 

Their little ones will be dragged off.

I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done.

50:46 The people of the earth will quake when they hear Babylon has been captured.

Her cries of anguish will be heard by the other nations.” ¹⁴³⁶ 

51:1 The Lord says,

“I will cause a destructive wind ¹⁴³⁷  to blow

against ¹⁴³⁸  Babylon and the people who inhabit Babylonia. ¹⁴³⁹ 

51:2 I will send people to winnow Babylonia like a wind blowing away chaff. ¹⁴⁴⁰ 

They will winnow her and strip her land bare. ¹⁴⁴¹ 

This will happen when ¹⁴⁴²  they come against her from every direction,

when it is time to destroy her. ¹⁴⁴³ 

51:3 Do not give her archers time to string their bows

or to put on their coats of armor. ¹⁴⁴⁴ 

Do not spare any of her young men.

Completely destroy ¹⁴⁴⁵  her whole army.

51:4 Let them fall ¹⁴⁴⁶  slain in the land of Babylonia, ¹⁴⁴⁷ 

mortally wounded in the streets of her cities. ¹⁴⁴⁸ 

51:5 “For Israel and Judah will not be forsaken ¹⁴⁴⁹ 

by their God, the Lord who rules over all. ¹⁴⁵⁰ 

For the land of Babylonia is ¹⁴⁵¹  full of guilt

against the Holy One of Israel. ¹⁴⁵² 

51:6 Get out of Babylonia quickly, you foreign people. ¹⁴⁵³ 

Flee to save your lives.

Do not let yourselves be killed because of her sins.

For it is time for the Lord to wreak his revenge.

He will pay Babylonia ¹⁴⁵⁴  back for what she has done. ¹⁴⁵⁵ 

51:7 Babylonia had been a gold cup in the Lord’s hand.

She had made the whole world drunk.

The nations had drunk from the wine of her wrath. ¹⁴⁵⁶ 

So they have all gone mad. ¹⁴⁵⁷ 

51:8 But suddenly Babylonia will fall and be destroyed. ¹⁴⁵⁸ 

Cry out in mourning over it!

Get medicine for her wounds!

Perhaps she can be healed!

51:9 Foreigners living there will say, ¹⁴⁵⁹ 

‘We tried to heal her, but she could not be healed.

Let’s leave Babylonia ¹⁴⁶⁰  and each go back to his own country.

For judgment on her will be vast in its proportions.

It will be like it is piled up to heaven, stacked up into the clouds.’ ¹⁴⁶¹ 

51:10 The exiles from Judah will say, ¹⁴⁶² 

‘The Lord has brought about a great deliverance for us! ¹⁴⁶³ 

Come on, let’s go and proclaim in Zion

what the Lord our God has done!’

51:11 “Sharpen ¹⁴⁶⁴  your arrows!

Fill your quivers! ¹⁴⁶⁵ 

The Lord will arouse a spirit of hostility in ¹⁴⁶⁶  the kings of Media. ¹⁴⁶⁷ 

For he intends to destroy Babylonia.

For that is how the Lord will get his revenge –

how he will get his revenge for the Babylonians’ destruction of his temple. ¹⁴⁶⁸ 

51:12 Give the signal to attack Babylon’s wall! ¹⁴⁶⁹ 

Bring more guards! ¹⁴⁷⁰ 

Post them all around the city! ¹⁴⁷¹ 

Put men in ambush! ¹⁴⁷² 

For the Lord will do what he has planned.

He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon. ¹⁴⁷³ 

51:13 “You who live along the rivers of Babylon, ¹⁴⁷⁴ 

the time of your end has come.

You who are rich in plundered treasure,

it is time for your lives to be cut off. ¹⁴⁷⁵ 

51:14 The Lord who rules over all ¹⁴⁷⁶  has solemnly sworn, ¹⁴⁷⁷ 

‘I will fill your land with enemy soldiers.

They will swarm over it like locusts. ¹⁴⁷⁸ 

They will raise up shouts of victory over it.’

51:15 He is the one who ¹⁴⁷⁹  by his power made the earth.

He is the one who by his wisdom fixed the world in place,

by his understanding he spread out the heavens.

51:16 When his voice thunders, the waters in the heavens roar.

He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.

He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.

He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.

51:17 All idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant.

Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.

For the image he forges is merely a sham.

There is no breath in any of those idols.

51:18 They are worthless, objects to be ridiculed.

When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.

51:19 The Lord, who is the portion of the descendants of Jacob, is not like them.

For he is the one who created everything,

including the people of Israel whom he claims as his own. ¹⁴⁸⁰ 

He is known as the Lord who rules over all. ¹⁴⁸¹ 

51:20 “Babylon, ¹⁴⁸²  you are my war club, ¹⁴⁸³ 

my weapon for battle.

I used you to smash nations. ¹⁴⁸⁴ 

I used you to destroy kingdoms.

51:21 I used you to smash horses and their riders. ¹⁴⁸⁵ 

I used you to smash chariots and their drivers.

51:22 I used you to smash men and women.

I used you to smash old men and young men.

I used you to smash young men and young women.

51:23 I used you to smash shepherds and their flocks.

I used you to smash farmers and their teams of oxen.

I used you to smash governors and leaders.” ¹⁴⁸⁶ 

51:24 “But I will repay Babylon

and all who live in Babylonia

for all the wicked things they did in Zion

right before the eyes of you Judeans,” ¹⁴⁸⁷ 

says the Lord. ¹⁴⁸⁸ 

51:25 The Lord says, ¹⁴⁸⁹  “Beware! I am opposed to you, Babylon! ¹⁴⁹⁰ 

You are like a destructive mountain that destroys all the earth.

I will unleash my power against you; ¹⁴⁹¹ 

I will roll you off the cliffs and make you like a burned-out mountain. ¹⁴⁹² 

51:26 No one will use any of your stones as a cornerstone.

No one will use any of them in the foundation of his house.

For you will lie desolate forever,” ¹⁴⁹³ 

says the Lord. ¹⁴⁹⁴ 

51:27 “Raise up battle flags throughout the lands.

Sound the trumpets calling the nations to do battle.

Prepare the nations to do battle against Babylonia. ¹⁴⁹⁵ 

Call for these kingdoms to attack her:

Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. ¹⁴⁹⁶ 

Appoint a commander to lead the attack. ¹⁴⁹⁷ 

Send horses ¹⁴⁹⁸  against her like a swarm of locusts. ¹⁴⁹⁹ 

51:28 Prepare the nations to do battle against her. ¹⁵⁰⁰ 

Prepare the kings of the Medes.

Prepare their governors and all their leaders. ¹⁵⁰¹ 

Prepare all the countries they rule to do battle against her. ¹⁵⁰² 

51:29 The earth will tremble and writhe in agony. ¹⁵⁰³ 

For the Lord will carry out his plan.

He plans to make the land of Babylonia ¹⁵⁰⁴ 

a wasteland where no one lives. ¹⁵⁰⁵ 

51:30 The soldiers of Babylonia will stop fighting.

They will remain in their fortified cities.

They will lose their strength to do battle. ¹⁵⁰⁶ 

They will be as frightened as women. ¹⁵⁰⁷ 

The houses in her cities will be set on fire.

The gates of her cities will be broken down. ¹⁵⁰⁸ 

51:31 One runner after another will come to the king of Babylon.

One messenger after another will come bringing news. ¹⁵⁰⁹ 

They will bring news to the king of Babylon

that his whole city has been captured. ¹⁵¹⁰ 

51:32 They will report that the fords have been captured,

the reed marshes have been burned,

the soldiers are terrified. ¹⁵¹¹ 

51:33 For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says,

‘Fair Babylon ¹⁵¹²  will be like a threshing floor

which has been trampled flat for harvest.

The time for her to be cut down and harvested

will come very soon.’ ¹⁵¹³ 

51:34 “King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

devoured me and drove my people out.

Like a monster from the deep he swallowed me.

He filled his belly with my riches.

He made me an empty dish.

He completely cleaned me out.” ¹⁵¹⁴ 

51:35 The person who lives in Zion says,

“May Babylon pay for the violence done to me and to my relatives.”

Jerusalem says,

“May those living in Babylonia pay for the bloodshed of my people.” ¹⁵¹⁵ 

51:36 Therefore the Lord says,

“I will stand up for your cause.

I will pay the Babylonians back for what they have done to you. ¹⁵¹⁶ 

I will dry up their sea.

I will make their springs run dry. ¹⁵¹⁷ 

51:37 Babylon will become a heap of ruins.

Jackals will make their home there. ¹⁵¹⁸ 

It will become an object of horror and of hissing scorn,

a place where no one lives. ¹⁵¹⁹ 

51:38 The Babylonians are all like lions roaring for prey.

They are like lion cubs growling for something to eat. ¹⁵²⁰ 

51:39 When their appetites are all stirred up, ¹⁵²¹ 

I will set out a banquet for them.

I will make them drunk

so that they will pass out, ¹⁵²² 

they will fall asleep forever,

they will never wake up,” ¹⁵²³ 

says the Lord. ¹⁵²⁴ 

51:40 “I will lead them off to be slaughtered

like lambs, rams, and male goats.” ¹⁵²⁵ 

51:41 “See how Babylon ¹⁵²⁶  has been captured!

See how the pride of the whole earth has been taken!

See what an object of horror

Babylon has become among the nations! ¹⁵²⁷ 

51:42 The sea has swept over Babylon.

She has been covered by a multitude ¹⁵²⁸  of its waves. ¹⁵²⁹ 

51:43 The towns of Babylonia have become heaps of ruins.

She has become a dry and barren desert.

No one lives in those towns any more.

No one even passes through them. ¹⁵³⁰ 

51:44 I will punish the god Bel in Babylon.

I will make him spit out what he has swallowed.

The nations will not come streaming to him any longer.

Indeed, the walls of Babylon will fall.” ¹⁵³¹ 

51:45 “Get out of Babylon, my people!

Flee to save your lives

from the fierce anger of the Lord! ¹⁵³² 

51:46 Do not lose your courage or become afraid

because of the reports that are heard in the land.

For a report will come in one year.

Another report will follow it in the next.

There will be violence in the land

with ruler fighting against ruler.”

51:47 “So the time will certainly come ¹⁵³³ 

when I will punish the idols of Babylon.

Her whole land will be put to shame.

All her mortally wounded will collapse in her midst. ¹⁵³⁴ 

51:48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them

will sing for joy over Babylon.

For destroyers from the north will attack it,”

says the Lord. ¹⁵³⁵ 

51:49 “Babylon must fall ¹⁵³⁶ 

because of the Israelites she has killed, ¹⁵³⁷ 

just as the earth’s mortally wounded fell

because of Babylon. ¹⁵³⁸ 

51:50 You who have escaped the sword, ¹⁵³⁹ 

go, do not delay. ¹⁵⁴⁰ 

Remember the Lord in a faraway land.

Think about Jerusalem. ¹⁵⁴¹ 

51:51 ‘We ¹⁵⁴²  are ashamed because we have been insulted. ¹⁵⁴³ 

Our faces show our disgrace. ¹⁵⁴⁴ 

For foreigners have invaded

the holy rooms ¹⁵⁴⁵  in the Lord’s temple.’

51:52 Yes, but the time will certainly come,” ¹⁵⁴⁶  says the Lord, ¹⁵⁴⁷ 

“when I will punish her idols.

Throughout her land the mortally wounded will groan.

51:53 Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky ¹⁵⁴⁸ 

and fortifies her elevated stronghold, ¹⁵⁴⁹ 

I will send destroyers against her,” ¹⁵⁵⁰ 

says the Lord. ¹⁵⁵¹ 

51:54 Cries of anguish will come from Babylon,

the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians.

51:55 For the Lord is ready to destroy Babylon,

and put an end to her loud noise.

Their waves ¹⁵⁵²  will roar like turbulent ¹⁵⁵³  waters.

They will make a deafening noise. ¹⁵⁵⁴ 

51:56 For a destroyer is attacking Babylon. ¹⁵⁵⁵ 

Her warriors will be captured;

their bows will be broken. ¹⁵⁵⁶ 

For the Lord is a God who punishes; ¹⁵⁵⁷ 

he pays back in full. ¹⁵⁵⁸ 

51:57 “I will make her officials and wise men drunk,

along with her governors, leaders, ¹⁵⁵⁹  and warriors.

They will fall asleep forever and never wake up,” ¹⁵⁶⁰ 

says the King whose name is the Lord who rules over all. ¹⁵⁶¹ 

51:58 This is what the Lord who rules over all ¹⁵⁶²  says,

“Babylon’s thick wall ¹⁵⁶³  will be completely demolished. ¹⁵⁶⁴ 

Her high gates will be set on fire.

The peoples strive for what does not satisfy. ¹⁵⁶⁵ 

The nations grow weary trying to get what will be destroyed.” ¹⁵⁶⁶ 

51:59 This is the order Jeremiah the prophet gave to Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went to King Zedekiah of Judah in Babylon during the fourth year of his reign. ¹⁵⁶⁷  (Seraiah was a quartermaster.) ¹⁵⁶⁸  51:60 Jeremiah recorded ¹⁵⁶⁹  on one scroll all the judgments ¹⁵⁷⁰  that would come upon Babylon – all these prophecies ¹⁵⁷¹  written about Babylon. 51:61 Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you arrive in Babylon, make sure ¹⁵⁷²  you read aloud all these prophecies. ¹⁵⁷³  51:62 Then say, ‘O Lord, you have announced that you will destroy this place so that no people or animals live in it any longer. Certainly it will lie desolate forever!’ 51:63 When you finish reading this scroll aloud, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River. ¹⁵⁷⁴  51:64 Then say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the judgments ¹⁵⁷⁵  I am ready to bring upon her; they will grow faint.’”

The prophecies of Jeremiah end here. ¹⁵⁷⁶ 

Zakharia 1:15

1:15 But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. ¹⁵⁷⁷  I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.

[24:1]  ¹ tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ² tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[24:2]  ³ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

[24:2]  ⁴ sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.

[24:3]  ⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[24:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

[24:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “and take.”

[24:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “to go after me.”

[24:5]  ¹⁰ tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.

[24:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ¹² tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:7]  ¹³ tn Or “the land of my birth.”

[24:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

[24:7]  ¹⁵ tn Or “his messenger.”

[24:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

[24:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ¹⁸ sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

[24:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

[24:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ²² tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:10]  sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.

[24:11]  ²³ tn Heb “well of water.”

[24:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

[24:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).

[24:12]  ²⁶ tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:13]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ²⁹ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

[24:14]  ³⁰ tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

[24:15]  ³¹ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.

[24:15]  ³² tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:16]  ³³ tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.

[24:17]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:18]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ³⁶ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[24:21]  ³⁸ tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ³⁹ tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).

[24:22]  ⁴⁰ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ⁴¹ sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ⁴² tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:23]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:24]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:25]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:27]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

[24:27]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

[24:27]  ⁴⁹ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

[24:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “brothers.”

[24:28]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “according to.”

[24:29]  ⁵² tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:30]  ⁵³ tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[24:30]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

[24:30]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.

[24:31]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ⁵⁷ sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.

[24:31]  ⁵⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:32]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ⁶⁰ tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

[24:32]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ⁶² tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:33]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ⁶⁵ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[24:33]  tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:35]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

[24:35]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:36]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:36]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “after her old age.”

[24:36]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:38]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”

[24:39]  ⁷² tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

[24:39]  ⁷³ tn Heb “after me.”

[24:40]  ⁷⁴ tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the Lord or it may have a more positive moral connotation (“serve faithfully”).

[24:41]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).

[24:42]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ⁷⁷ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:45]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.

[24:45]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[24:47]  ⁸² tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:48]  ⁸³ tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).

[24:49]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.

[24:50]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”

[24:50]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.

[24:51]  ⁸⁷ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[24:53]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[24:55]  ⁹² tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:56]  ⁹³ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

[24:56]  ⁹⁴ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:57]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”

[24:58]  ⁹⁶ tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.

[24:60]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  sn May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands. The blessing expresses their prayer that she produce children and start a family line that will greatly increase (cf. Gen 17:16).

[24:60]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

[24:61]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62]  ¹⁰² tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62]  ¹⁰⁴ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.

[24:62]  ¹⁰⁵ tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:62]  sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.

[24:63]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.

[24:64]  ¹¹² tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[25:1]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  sn Abraham had taken another wife. These events are not necessarily in chronological order following the events of the preceding chapter. They are listed here to summarize Abraham’s other descendants before the narrative of his death.

[25:1]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[25:3]  ¹²² sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.

[25:4]  ¹²³ tn Or “sons.”

[25:6]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:7]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.

[25:8]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “old and full.”

[25:8]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:9]  ¹²⁹ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:10]  ¹³⁰ tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[25:11]  ¹³¹ sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).

[25:11]  ¹³² sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.

[25:12]  ¹³³ sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).

[25:13]  ¹³⁴ tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”

[25:16]  ¹³⁵ tn Or “tribal chieftains.”

[25:17]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”

[25:17]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:18]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:18]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

[25:18]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:18]  ¹⁴¹ sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

[25:18]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “he fell.”

[25:18]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.

[25:19]  ¹⁴⁴ sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.

[25:20]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”

[25:20]  ¹⁴⁶ sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.

[25:21]  ¹⁴⁷ tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.

[25:22]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ¹⁵⁰ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[25:23]  ¹⁵¹ sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

[25:24]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”

[25:24]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.

[25:25]  ¹⁵⁴ sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.

[25:25]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “all of him.”

[25:25]  ¹⁵⁶ sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.

[25:25]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.

[25:26]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

[25:26]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

[25:26]  sn The name Jacob is a play on the Hebrew word for “heel” (עָקֵב, ’aqev). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. It did not have a negative connotation until Esau redefined it. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. After receiving such an oracle, the parents would have preserved in memory almost every detail of the unusual births.

[25:26]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

[25:27]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ¹⁶² tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:28]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.

[25:28]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.

[25:29]  ¹⁶⁵ sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[25:30]  ¹⁶⁶ tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ¹⁶⁷ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ¹⁶⁸ sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[25:31]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “today.”

[25:32]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:33]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “Swear to me today.”

[25:33]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:33]  ¹⁷³ sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.

[25:34]  ¹⁷⁴ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ¹⁷⁵ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[26:1]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ¹⁷⁷ sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.

[26:2]  ¹⁷⁸ sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.

[26:2]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “say to you.”

[26:3]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.

[26:3]  ¹⁸¹ tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.

[26:3]  sn I will be with you and I will bless you. The promise of divine presence is a promise to intervene to protect and to bless.

[26:3]  ¹⁸² tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[26:3]  sn To you and to your descendants. The Abrahamic blessing will pass to Isaac. Everything included in that blessing will now belong to the son, and in turn will be passed on to his sons. But there is a contingency involved: If they are to enjoy the full blessings, they will have to obey the word of the Lord. And so obedience is enjoined here with the example of how well Abraham obeyed.

[26:3]  ¹⁸³ tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.

[26:3]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”

[26:3]  sn The solemn promise I made. See Gen 15:18-20; 22:16-18.

[26:4]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[26:5]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[26:5]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[26:5]  ¹⁸⁹ sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.

[26:7]  ¹⁹⁰ sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.

[26:7]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.

[26:7]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “kill me on account of.”

[26:8]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:8]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”

[26:8]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.

[26:8]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Or “fondling.”

[26:8]  sn The Hebrew word מְצַחֵק (mÿtsakheq), from the root צָחַק (tsakhaq, “laugh”), forms a sound play with the name “Isaac” right before it. Here it depicts an action, probably caressing or fondling, that indicated immediately that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, not his sister. Isaac’s deception made a mockery of God’s covenantal promise. Ignoring God’s promise to protect and bless him, Isaac lied to protect himself and acted in bad faith to the men of Gerar.

[26:9]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.

[26:9]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).

[26:10]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[26:10]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ²⁰¹ tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[26:11]  ²⁰² tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.

[26:11]  ²⁰³ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.

[26:12]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “a hundredfold.”

[26:12]  ²⁰⁵ tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.

[26:13]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:14]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[26:14]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”

[26:14]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”

[26:14]  ²¹¹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).

[26:15]  ²¹² tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”

[26:16]  ²¹³ tn Heb “Go away from us.”

[26:16]  ²¹⁴ sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

[26:17]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”

[26:17]  sn This valley was actually a wadi (a dry river bed where the water would flow in the rainy season, but this would have been rare in the Negev). The water table under it would have been higher than in the desert because of water soaking in during the torrents, making it easier to find water when digging wells. However, this does not minimize the blessing of the Lord, for the men of the region knew this too, but did not have the same results.

[26:18]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”

[26:18]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.

[26:18]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.

[26:18]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ²²¹ tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”

[26:19]  ²²² tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).

[26:20]  ²²³ tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.

[26:20]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:20]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”

[26:20]  ²²⁶ sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”

[26:20]  ²²⁷ tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:21]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ²³⁰ sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.

[26:22]  ²³¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:22]  ²³² tn Heb “and he called its name.”

[26:22]  ²³³ sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.

[26:23]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:25]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.

[26:25]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[26:26]  ²³⁷ tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”

[26:26]  ²³⁸ tn Heb “and.”

[26:26]  ²³⁹ tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.

[26:27]  ²⁴⁰ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.

[26:28]  ²⁴¹ tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.

[26:28]  ²⁴² tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:28]  ²⁴³ tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.

[26:28]  ²⁴⁴ tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).

[26:28]  ²⁴⁵ tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”

[26:29]  ²⁴⁶ tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”

[26:29]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “touched.”

[26:29]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”

[26:29]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “and we sent you away.”

[26:29]  ²⁵⁰ tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).

[26:30]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:30]  ²⁵² tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”

[26:31]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”

[26:31]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”

[26:32]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:33]  ²⁵⁶ sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ²⁵⁷ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[26:34]  ²⁵⁸ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.

[26:34]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “the son of forty years.”

[26:34]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “took as a wife.”

[26:35]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”

[27:1]  ²⁶² tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ²⁶⁷ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3]  ²⁶⁹ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4]  ²⁷⁰ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5]  ²⁷² tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5]  ²⁷³ tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7]  ²⁷⁴ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7]  ²⁷⁵ tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7]  ²⁷⁶ tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9]  ²⁷⁹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10]  ²⁸⁰ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10]  ²⁸¹ tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10]  ²⁸² tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:11]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:12]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”

[27:13]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:14]  ²⁸⁷ tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:14]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:16]  ²⁸⁹ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ²⁹⁰ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[27:17]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”

[27:18]  ²⁹² tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ²⁹³ sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.

[27:19]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.

[27:19]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.

[27:20]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”

[27:20]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.

[27:20]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”

[27:20]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the Lord your God….’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:21]  ³⁰⁰ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:21]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.

[27:23]  ³⁰² tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:24]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ³⁰⁴ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:25]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

[27:25]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “see.”

[27:28]  ³¹² tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

[27:28]  ³¹³ tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

[27:29]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ³¹⁵ tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ³¹⁶ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:30]  ³¹⁷ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.

[27:30]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was

[27:30]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”

[27:31]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ³²¹ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ³²² tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[27:32]  ³²³ tn Heb “said.”

[27:32]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[27:33]  ³²⁵ tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.

[27:33]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”

[27:34]  ³²⁷ tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

[27:34]  ³²⁸ tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

[27:35]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ³³⁰ tn Or “took”; “received.”

[27:36]  ³³¹ tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

[27:36]  ³³² sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

[27:38]  ³³³ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[27:39]  ³³⁵ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ³³⁶ tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[27:40]  ³³⁷ sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.

[27:41]  ³³⁸ tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ³⁴² tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ³⁴⁸ tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ³⁴⁹ tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ³⁵¹ tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ³⁵² tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ³⁵³ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[27:46]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”

[28:1]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:2]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.

[28:3]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[28:3]  ³⁵⁸ tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.

[28:3]  ³⁵⁹ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”

[28:3]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”

[28:4]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.

[28:4]  ³⁶² tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ³⁶³ tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.

[28:6]  ³⁶⁴ tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”

[28:6]  ³⁶⁵ tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.

[28:6]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “saw.”

[28:8]  ³⁶⁸ tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ³⁶⁹ tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”

[28:9]  ³⁷⁰ tn Heb “took for a wife.”

[28:11]  ³⁷¹ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ³⁷² tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ³⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “lay down.”

[28:12]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

[28:12]  ³⁷⁸ tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

[28:13]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.

[28:13]  ³⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.

[28:14]  ³⁸¹ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ³⁸² tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ³⁸³ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[28:15]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).

[28:16]  ³⁸⁶ tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[28:16]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “said.”

[28:18]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”

[28:18]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:18]  ³⁹⁰ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.

[28:18]  ³⁹¹ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[28:18]  sn Sacred stone. Such a stone could be used as a boundary marker, a burial stone, or as a shrine. Here the stone is intended to be a reminder of the stairway that was “erected” and on which the Lord “stood.” (In Hebrew the word translated “sacred stone” is derived from the verb translated “erected” in v. 12 and “stood” in v. 13. Since the top of the stairway reached the heavens where the Lord stood, Jacob poured oil on the top of the stone. See C. F. Graesser, “Standing Stones in Ancient Palestine,” BA 35 (1972): 34-63; and E. Stockton, “Sacred Pillars in the Bible,” ABR 20 (1972): 16-32.

[28:19]  ³⁹² tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[28:19]  map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[28:20]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[28:21]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”

[28:22]  ³⁹⁵ tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.

[28:22]  ³⁹⁶ tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.

[28:22]  ³⁹⁷ tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.

[29:1]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.

[29:1]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”

[29:2]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.

[29:2]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “and look, there.”

[29:2]  ⁴⁰² tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[29:3]  ⁴⁰³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:5]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “son.”

[29:5]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.

[29:6]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”

[29:6]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “peace.”

[29:7]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:7]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “the day is great.”

[29:7]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.

[29:8]  ⁴¹¹ tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.

[29:9]  ⁴¹² tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”

[29:10]  ⁴¹³ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

[29:10]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:10]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

[29:10]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).

[29:11]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.

[29:12]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “declared.”

[29:12]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”

[29:13]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:13]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).

[29:14]  ⁴²² tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).

[29:14]  ⁴²³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:14]  ⁴²⁴ tn Heb “a month of days.”

[29:15]  ⁴²⁵ tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.

[29:15]  ⁴²⁶ tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.

[29:16]  ⁴²⁷ tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.

[29:17]  ⁴²⁸ tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.

[29:17]  ⁴²⁹ tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”

[29:18]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “Jacob loved.”

[29:19]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”

[29:20]  ⁴³² tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

[29:20]  ⁴³³ sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.

[29:20]  ⁴³⁴ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[29:21]  ⁴³⁵ tn Heb “and Jacob said.”

[29:21]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”

[29:21]  ⁴³⁷ tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).

[29:22]  ⁴³⁸ tn Heb “men.”

[29:23]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”

[29:23]  sn His daughter Leah. Laban’s deception of Jacob by giving him the older daughter instead of the younger was God’s way of disciplining the deceiver who tricked his older brother. D. Kidner says this account is “the very embodiment of anti-climax, and this moment a miniature of man’s disillusion, experienced from Eden onwards” (Genesis [TOTC], 160). G. von Rad notes, “That Laban secretly gave the unloved Leah to the man in love was, to be sure, a monstrous blow, a masterpiece of shameless treachery…It was certainly a move by which he won for himself far and wide the coarsest laughter” (Genesis [OTL], 291).

[29:23]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ⁴⁴² tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:24]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[29:25]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[29:25]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:25]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”

[29:25]  ⁴⁴⁷ sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.

[29:26]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:26]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[29:27]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity.

[29:27]  sn Bridal week. An ancient Hebrew marriage ceremony included an entire week of festivities (cf. Judg 14:12).

[29:27]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Heb “this other one.”

[29:27]  ⁴⁵² tn Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.”

[29:27]  sn In exchange for seven more years of work. See C. H. Gordon, “The Story of Jacob and Laban in the Light of the Nuzi Tablets,” BASOR 66 (1937): 25-27; and J. Van Seters, “Jacob’s Marriages and Ancient Near Eastern Customs: A Reassessment,” HTR 62 (1969): 377-95.

[29:28]  ⁴⁵³ tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:28]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:28]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.

[29:28]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:29]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”

[29:30]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:30]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

[29:31]  ⁴⁶² tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

[29:31]  ⁴⁶³ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

[29:32]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ⁴⁶⁵ sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[29:32]  sn Leah’s explanation of the name Reuben reflects a popular etymology, not an exact one. The name means literally “look, a son.” Playing on the Hebrew verb “look,” she observes that the Lord has “looked” with pity on her oppressed condition. See further S. R. Driver, Genesis, 273.

[29:33]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ⁴⁶⁸ sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.

[29:34]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Heb “will be joined to me.”

[29:34]  ⁴⁷⁰ sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[29:35]  ⁴⁷¹ sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[30:1]  ⁴⁷² tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:1]  ⁴⁷³ tn Heb “sons.”

[30:2]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”

[30:2]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”

[30:3]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:3]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

[30:3]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:3]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

[30:3]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

[30:4]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:4]  ⁴⁸² tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:5]  ⁴⁸³ tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).

[30:5]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:6]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.

[30:6]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ⁴⁸⁷ sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.

[30:7]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:8]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.

[30:8]  ⁴⁹⁰ sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”

[30:9]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “she took her servant Zilpah and gave her.” The verbs “took” and “gave” are treated as a hendiadys in the translation: “she gave.”

[30:10]  ⁴⁹² tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:11]  ⁴⁹³ tc The statement in the Kethib (consonantal text) appears to mean literally “with good fortune,” if one takes the initial בְּ (bet) as a preposition indicating accompaniment. The Qere (marginal reading) means “good fortune has arrived.”

[30:11]  ⁴⁹⁴ sn The name Gad (גָּד, gad) means “good fortune.” The name reflects Leah’s feeling that good fortune has come her way, as expressed in her statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[30:12]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:13]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”

[30:13]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “daughters.”

[30:13]  ⁴⁹⁸ sn The name Asher (אָשֶׁר, ’asher) apparently means “happy one.” The name plays on the words used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. Both the Hebrew noun and verb translated “happy” and “call me happy,” respectively, are derived from the same root as the name Asher.

[30:14]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “during the days.”

[30:14]  ⁵⁰⁰ sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.

[30:15]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:15]  ⁵⁰² tn Heb “therefore.”

[30:15]  ⁵⁰³ tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[30:16]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.

[30:16]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.

[30:16]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.

[30:17]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “listened to.”

[30:17]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).

[30:17]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:18]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

[30:18]  ⁵¹¹ tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

[30:18]  sn Leah seems to regard the act of giving her servant Zilpah to her husband as a sacrifice, for which (she believes) God is now rewarding her with the birth of a son.

[30:18]  ⁵¹² sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

[30:19]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:20]  ⁵¹⁴ sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.

[30:22]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Heb “remembered.”

[30:22]  ⁵¹⁶ tn Heb “and God listened to her and opened up her womb.” Since “God” is the subject of the previous clause, the noun has been replaced by the pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons

[30:23]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Or “conceived.”

[30:23]  ⁵¹⁸ tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.

[30:24]  ⁵¹⁹ sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.

[30:25]  ⁵²⁰ tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.

[30:25]  ⁵²¹ tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.

[30:25]  sn For Jacob to ask to leave would mean that seven more years had passed. Thus all Jacob’s children were born within the range of seven years of each other, with Joseph coming right at the end of the seven years.

[30:25]  ⁵²² tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:25]  ⁵²³ tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”

[30:26]  ⁵²⁴ tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.

[30:26]  ⁵²⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:26]  ⁵²⁶ tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”

[30:27]  ⁵²⁷ tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[30:27]  ⁵²⁸ tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

[30:28]  ⁵²⁹ tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”

[30:29]  ⁵³⁰ tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:29]  ⁵³¹ tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”

[30:30]  ⁵³² tn Or “for.”

[30:30]  ⁵³³ tn Heb “before me.”

[30:30]  ⁵³⁴ tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”

[30:30]  ⁵³⁵ tn Heb “at my foot.”

[30:30]  ⁵³⁶ tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”

[30:31]  ⁵³⁷ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:31]  ⁵³⁸ tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.

[30:31]  ⁵³⁹ tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:31]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”

[30:31]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”

[30:32]  ⁵⁴² tn Heb “pass through.”

[30:32]  ⁵⁴³ tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”

[30:32]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”

[30:32]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Heb “and it will be my wage.” The referent collective singular pronoun (“it) has been specified as “these animals” in the translation for clarity.

[30:33]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”

[30:33]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”

[30:33]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”

[30:33]  sn Only the wage we agreed on. Jacob would have to be considered completely honest here, for he would have no control over the kind of animals born; and there could be no disagreement over which animals were his wages.

[30:33]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”

[30:34]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’” On the asseverative use of the particle לוּ (lu) here, see HALOT 521 s.v. לוּ.

[30:35]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:35]  ⁵⁵² tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”

[30:36]  ⁵⁵³ tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”

[30:36]  sn Three days’ traveling distance from Jacob. E. A. Speiser observes, “Laban is delighted with the terms, and promptly proceeds to violate the spirit of the bargain by removing to a safe distance all the grown animals that would be likely to produce the specified spots” (Genesis [AB], 238). Laban apparently thought that by separating out the spotted, striped, and dark colored animals he could minimize the production of spotted, striped, or dark offspring that would then belong to Jacob.

[30:36]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.

[30:38]  ⁵⁵⁵ sn He put the branches in front of the flocks…when they came to drink. It was generally believed that placing such “visual aids” before the animals as they were mating, it was possible to influence the appearance of their offspring. E. A. Speiser notes that “Jacob finds a way to outwit his father-in-law, through prenatal conditioning of the flock by visual aids – in conformance with universal folk beliefs” (Genesis [AB], 238). Nevertheless, in spite of Jacob’s efforts at animal husbandry, he still attributes the resulting success to God (see 31:5).

[30:39]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.

[30:39]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:40]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”

[30:41]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”

[30:42]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.

[30:42]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Heb “were for Laban.”

[30:43]  ⁵⁶² tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[30:43]  ⁵⁶³ tn Heb “and there were to him.”

[31:1]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”

[31:1]  ⁵⁶⁵ sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).

[31:1]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”

[31:2]  ⁵⁶⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.

[31:3]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.

[31:3]  ⁵⁶⁹ sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the Lord promised to be.

[31:4]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.

[31:4]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ⁵⁷² tn Heb “to his flock.”

[31:5]  ⁵⁷³ tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”

[31:6]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Heb “with all my strength.”

[31:7]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).

[31:8]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.

[31:8]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.

[31:10]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”

[31:10]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”

[31:10]  ⁵⁸⁰ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:12]  ⁵⁸¹ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

[31:12]  ⁵⁸² tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:13]  ⁵⁸³ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[31:13]  ⁵⁸⁴ sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the Lord as an anointing. Jacob had consecrated the place.

[31:13]  ⁵⁸⁵ sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the Lord when he anointed the stone (Gen 28:20-22). God is now going to take him back to the land, and so he will have to fulfill his vow.

[31:13]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.

[31:13]  sn Leave this land immediately. The decision to leave was a wise one in view of the changed attitude in Laban and his sons. But more than that, it was the will of God. Jacob needed to respond to God’s call – the circumstances simply made it easier.

[31:14]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[31:15]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  sn He sold us and…wasted our money. The precise nature of Rachel’s and Leah’s complaint is not entirely clear. Since Jacob had to work to pay for them, they probably mean that their father has cheated Jacob and therefore cheated them as well. See M. Burrows, “The Complaint of Laban’s Daughters,” JAOS 57 (1937): 250-76.

[31:15]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.

[31:17]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”

[31:18]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.

[31:18]  ⁵⁹² tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”

[31:19]  ⁵⁹³ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

[31:19]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

[31:20]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.

[31:20]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Heb “he set his face.”

[31:22]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”

[31:23]  ⁶⁰² tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ⁶⁰³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.

[31:25]  ⁶⁰⁹ tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

[31:26]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

[31:26]  ⁶¹¹ tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

[31:27]  ⁶¹² tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”

[31:27]  ⁶¹³ tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27]  ⁶¹⁴ tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”

[31:28]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:29]  ⁶¹⁶ tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ⁶¹⁷ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ⁶¹⁸ tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.

[31:30]  ⁶¹⁹ tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[31:30]  ⁶²⁰ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.

[31:30]  ⁶²¹ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.

[31:30]  ⁶²² sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.

[31:31]  ⁶²³ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:31]  ⁶²⁴ tn Heb “for I said.”

[31:31]  ⁶²⁵ tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”

[31:32]  ⁶²⁶ tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”

[31:32]  ⁶²⁷ tn Heb “brothers.”

[31:32]  ⁶²⁸ tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”

[31:32]  ⁶²⁹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

[31:33]  ⁶³⁰ tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:33]  ⁶³¹ tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”

[31:34]  ⁶³² tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”

[31:34]  ⁶³³ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.

[31:34]  ⁶³⁴ tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:35]  ⁶³⁵ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ⁶³⁶ tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.

[31:35]  ⁶³⁷ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ⁶³⁸ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ⁶³⁹ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[31:36]  ⁶⁴⁰ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[31:36]  ⁶⁴² tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).

[31:37]  ⁶⁴³ tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”

[31:37]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

[31:37]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”

[31:39]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.

[31:39]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.

[31:40]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn Or “by drought.”

[31:40]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.

[31:40]  ⁶⁵⁰ tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”

[31:41]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Heb “this to me.”

[31:41]  ⁶⁵² tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”

[31:42]  ⁶⁵³ tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.

[31:42]  ⁶⁵⁴ tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[31:43]  ⁶⁵⁵ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[31:43]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn Heb “daughters.”

[31:43]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn Heb “children.”

[31:43]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”

[31:44]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[31:44]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”

[31:44]  ⁶⁶¹ tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”

[31:46]  ⁶⁶² tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:46]  ⁶⁶³ sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.

[31:47]  ⁶⁶⁴ sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”

[31:47]  ⁶⁶⁵ sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.

[31:48]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”

[31:49]  ⁶⁶⁷ tn Heb “and Mizpah.”

[31:49]  ⁶⁶⁸ sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the Lord to keep watch at the border. Jacob did not need this treaty, but Laban, perhaps because he had lost his household gods, felt he did.

[31:49]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:49]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”

[31:50]  ⁶⁷¹ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ⁶⁷² tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:51]  ⁶⁷³ tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:52]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”

[31:53]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.

[31:53]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.

[31:54]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.

[31:54]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.

[31:55]  ⁶⁷⁹ sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[31:55]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”

[31:55]  ⁶⁸¹ tn Heb “his sons.”

[31:55]  ⁶⁸² tn Heb “to his place.”

[32:1]  ⁶⁸³ sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.

[32:2]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”

[32:2]  ⁶⁸⁵ sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.

[32:3]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn Heb “before him.”

[32:3]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn Heb “field.”

[32:4]  ⁶⁸⁸ sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.

[32:5]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.

[32:5]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ⁶⁹¹ tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”

[32:8]  ⁶⁹² tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ⁶⁹³ tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.

[32:9]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.

[32:10]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).

[32:10]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn Heb “you have done with.”

[32:10]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.

[32:10]  ⁷⁰⁰ tn Heb “this Jordan.”

[32:11]  ⁷⁰¹ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ⁷⁰² tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ⁷⁰³ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ⁷⁰⁵ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[32:12]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.

[32:12]  ⁷⁰⁷ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ⁷⁰⁸ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:13]  ⁷¹⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:13]  ⁷¹¹ tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.

[32:13]  ⁷¹² sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).

[32:16]  ⁷¹³ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

[32:16]  ⁷¹⁴ tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

[32:17]  ⁷¹⁵ tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.

[32:17]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Heb “to whom are you?”

[32:17]  ⁷¹⁷ tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”

[32:18]  ⁷¹⁸ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.

[32:18]  ⁷¹⁹ tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:18]  ⁷²⁰ tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”

[32:18]  ⁷²¹ tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”

[32:18]  ⁷²² tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:19]  ⁷²³ tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”

[32:20]  ⁷²⁴ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

[32:20]  ⁷²⁵ tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

[32:20]  ⁷²⁶ tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

[32:20]  ⁷²⁷ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

[32:20]  ⁷²⁸ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

[32:20]  ⁷²⁹ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

[32:21]  ⁷³⁰ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ⁷³¹ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.

[32:22]  ⁷³² tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.

[32:22]  ⁷³³ tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).

[32:22]  ⁷³⁴ sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.

[32:23]  ⁷³⁵ tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”

[32:24]  ⁷³⁶ sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.

[32:24]  ⁷³⁷ sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.

[32:24]  ⁷³⁸ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ⁷³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ⁷⁴⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ⁷⁴¹ tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.

[32:26]  ⁷⁴² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ⁷⁴³ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:26]  ⁷⁴⁵ sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.

[32:27]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:27]  ⁷⁴⁷ sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the Lord obviously knew Jacob’s identity. But since the Lord is going to change Jacob’s name, this question is designed to bring focus Jacob’s attention on all that his name had come to signify.

[32:28]  ⁷⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:28]  ⁷⁴⁹ sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.

[32:28]  ⁷⁵⁰ sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).

[32:29]  ⁷⁵¹ sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.

[32:29]  ⁷⁵² tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ⁷⁵³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:29]  ⁷⁵⁴ tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.

[32:29]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ⁷⁵⁶ sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ⁷⁵⁸ tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ⁷⁵⁹ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ⁷⁶⁰ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[32:30]  sn I have survived. It was commonly understood that no one could see God and live (Gen 48:16; Exod 19:21, 24:10; and Judg 6:11, 22). On the surface Jacob seems to be saying that he saw God and survived. But the statement may have a double meaning, in light of his prayer for deliverance in v. 11. Jacob recognizes that he has survived his encounter with God and that his safety has now been guaranteed.

[32:31]  ⁷⁶¹ tn Heb “shone.”

[32:31]  ⁷⁶² sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).

[32:31]  ⁷⁶³ tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.

[32:32]  ⁷⁶⁴ sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[32:32]  ⁷⁶⁵ tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.

[35:1]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ⁷⁶⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ⁷⁶⁸ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:2]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ⁷⁷⁰ sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the Lord in worship.

[35:3]  ⁷⁷¹ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ⁷⁷² tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ⁷⁷³ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).

[35:4]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn Heb “in their hand.”

[35:4]  ⁷⁷⁶ sn On the basis of a comparison with Gen 34 and Num 31, G. J. Wenham argues that the foreign gods and the rings could have been part of the plunder that came from the destruction of Shechem (Genesis [WBC], 2:324).

[35:4]  ⁷⁷⁷ sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.

[35:4]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn Or “terebinth.”

[35:5]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).

[35:6]  ⁷⁸¹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ⁷⁸² tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”

[35:7]  ⁷⁸³ sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.

[35:8]  ⁷⁸⁵ sn Deborah. This woman had been Rebekah’s nurse, but later attached herself to Jacob. She must have been about one hundred and eighty years old when she died.

[35:8]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.

[35:8]  ⁷⁸⁷ tn Or “Allon Bacuth,” if one transliterates the Hebrew name (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). An oak tree was revered in the ancient world and often designated as a shrine or landmark. This one was named for the weeping (mourning) occasioned by the death of Deborah.

[35:10]  ⁷⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:10]  sn The name Israel means “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). See Gen 32:28.

[35:11]  ⁷⁸⁹ tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[35:11]  ⁷⁹⁰ tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”

[35:11]  sn A nation…will descend from you. The promise is rooted in the Abrahamic promise (see Gen 17). God confirms what Isaac told Jacob (see Gen 28:3-4). Here, though, for the first time Jacob is promised kings as descendants.

[35:12]  ⁷⁹¹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the Lord made it certain; but it has the sense “promised to give.”

[35:12]  ⁷⁹² tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”

[35:13]  ⁷⁹³ tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”

[35:14]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob set up a sacred pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a sacred pillar of stone” (see the notes on the term “sacred stone” in Gen 28:18). This passage stands parallel to Gen 28:18-19, where Jacob set up a sacred stone, poured oil on it, and called the place Bethel. Some commentators see these as two traditions referring to the same event, but it is more likely that Jacob reconsecrated the place in fulfillment of the vow he had made here earlier. In support of this is the fact that the present narrative alludes to and is built on the previous one.

[35:14]  ⁷⁹⁵ tn The verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “to pour out, to make libations,” and the noun נֶסֶךְ (nesekh) is a “drink-offering,” usually of wine or of blood. The verb יָצַק (yatsaq) means “to pour out,” often of anointing oil, but of other elements as well.

[35:15]  ⁷⁹⁶ sn Called the name of the place. In view of the previous naming of Bethel in Gen 28:19, here Jacob was confirming or affirming the name through an official ritual marking the fulfillment of the vow. This place now did become Bethel, the house of God.

[35:15]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.

[35:15]  map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:1]  ⁷⁹⁸ sn Isa 13-23 contains a series of judgment oracles against various nations. It is likely that Israel, not the nations mentioned, actually heard these oracles. The oracles probably had a twofold purpose. For those leaders who insisted on getting embroiled in international politics, these oracles were a reminder that Judah need not fear foreign nations or seek international alliances for security reasons. For the righteous remnant within the nation, these oracles were a reminder that Israel’s God was indeed the sovereign ruler of the earth, worthy of his people’s trust.

[13:1]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] [about] Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”

[13:2]  ⁸⁰⁰ sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).

[13:3]  ⁸⁰¹ tn Heb “my consecrated ones,” i.e., those who have been set apart by God for the special task of carrying out his judgment.

[13:3]  ⁸⁰² tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”

[13:3]  ⁸⁰³ tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV “my proudly exulting ones.”

[13:4]  ⁸⁰⁴ sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.

[13:4]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”

[13:4]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”

[13:5]  ⁸⁰⁷ tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”

[13:5]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”

[13:5]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.

[13:6]  ⁸¹⁰ tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).

[13:6]  ⁸¹¹ tn Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (כְּ, kÿ) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x.

[13:6]  sn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (shaddai, “Shaddai”). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name is uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appears to Abram, introduces himself as El Shaddai, and announces his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeats these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing upon Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prays that his sons will be treated with mercy when they return to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (cf. 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, tells him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (cf. chapter 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob refers to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, and Syriac) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (49:25). (The direct association of the name with שָׁדַיִם [shadayim, “breasts”] suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root שָׁדַד [shadad, “destroy”] here in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus El, “God”) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20-21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. (In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment.) Last but not least, the name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world (11:7; 37:23a) who is the source of life (33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (8:3; 34:10-12; 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (22:17-18; 29:4-6), but can also discipline, punish, and destroy (5:17; 6:4; 21:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (24:1; 27:2). The most likely proposal is that the name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which Heb. שַׁד [shad, “breast”] is probably related). For a discussion of proposed derivations see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 70-71. The name may originally depict God as the sovereign judge who, in Canaanite style, rules from a sacred mountain. Isa 14:13 and Ezek 28:14, 16 associate such a mountain with God, while Ps 48:2 refers to Zion as “Zaphon,” the Canaanite Olympus from which the high god El ruled. (In Isa 14 the Canaanite god El may be in view. Note that Isaiah pictures pagan kings as taunting the king of Babylon, suggesting that pagan mythology may provide the background for the language and imagery.)

[13:7]  ⁸¹² tn Heb “drop”; KJV “be faint”; ASV “be feeble”; NAB “fall helpless.”

[13:7]  ⁸¹³ tn Heb “melts” (so NAB).

[13:8]  ⁸¹⁴ tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.

[13:9]  ⁸¹⁵ tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”

[13:9]  ⁸¹⁶ tn Heb “[with] cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.

[13:9]  ⁸¹⁷ tn Heb “making desolate.”

[13:9]  ⁸¹⁸ tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).

[13:10]  ⁸¹⁹ tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”

[13:10]  ⁸²⁰ tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”

[13:11]  ⁸²¹ sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.

[13:11]  ⁸²² tn Or “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew רָעָה (ra’ah) could refer to the judgment (i.e., disaster, calamity) or to the evil that prompts it. The structure of the parallel line favors the latter interpretation.

[13:11]  ⁸²³ tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”

[13:12]  ⁸²⁴ tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.

[13:13]  ⁸²⁵ tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[13:13]  ⁸²⁶ tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).

[13:13]  ⁸²⁷ tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”

[13:14]  ⁸²⁸ tn Or “like a gazelle being chased.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[13:14]  ⁸²⁹ tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).

[13:15]  ⁸³⁰ tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See HALOT 764 s.v. ספה.

[13:15]  ⁸³¹ tn Heb “will fall” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NLT “will be run through with a sword.”

[13:17]  ⁸³² tn Heb “against them”; NLT “against Babylon.”

[13:17]  ⁸³³ sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.

[13:18]  ⁸³⁴ tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.

[13:18]  ⁸³⁵ tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”

[13:18]  ⁸³⁶ tn Heb “their eye does not.” Here “eye” is a metonymy for the whole person.

[13:19]  ⁸³⁷ tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).

[13:19]  ⁸³⁸ tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”

[13:19]  sn The Chaldeans were a group of tribes who lived in southern Mesopotamia. The established the so-called neo-Babylonian empire in the late seventh century b.c. Their most famous king, Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Judah in 605 b.c. and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 b.c.

[13:19]  ⁸³⁹ tn Heb “and Babylon…will be like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah.” On מַהְפֵּכַת (mahpekhat, “overthrow”) see the note on the word “destruction” in 1:7.

[13:20]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.

[13:20]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Or “Arab” (NAB, NASB, NIV); cf. CEV, NLT “nomads.”

[13:20]  ⁸⁴² tn יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See GKC 186 §68.k.

[13:20]  ⁸⁴³ tn The words “their flocks” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.

[13:21]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:21]  ⁸⁴⁵ tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).

[13:21]  ⁸⁴⁶ tn Heb “will skip there.”

[13:22]  ⁸⁴⁷ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).

[13:22]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn Heb “near to come is her time.”

[13:22]  ⁸⁴⁹ sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689 b.c. when the Assyrians under Sennacherib sacked and desecrated the city (this event is alluded to in 23:13). This may have been an initial phase in the fulfillment of the prophecy, but the reference to the involvement of the Medes (v. 17) and the suggestion that Babylon’s demise will bring about the restoration of Israel (14:1-2) indicate that the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians in 538 b.c. is the primary focus of the prophecy. (After all, the Lord did reveal to Isaiah that the Chaldeans [not the Assyrians] would someday conquer Jerusalem and take the people into exile [see 39:5-7].) However, the vivid picture of destruction in vv. 15-22 raises a problem. The Medes and Persians did not destroy the city; in fact Cyrus’ takeover of Babylon, though preceded by a military campaign, was relatively peaceful and even welcomed by some Babylonian religious officials. How then does one explain the prophecy’s description of the city’s violent fall? As noted above, the events of 689 b.c. and 538 b.c. may have been merged in the prophecy. However, it is more likely that the language is stylized and exaggerated for rhetorical effect. See Isa 34:11-15; Jer 50:39-40 (describing Babylon’s fall in 538 b.c.); 51:36-37 (describing Babylon’s fall in 538 b.c.); Zeph 2:13-15; the extra-biblical Sefire treaty curses; and Ashurbanipal’s description of the destruction of Elam in his royal annals. In other words, the events of 538 b.c. essentially, though not necessarily literally, fulfill the prophecy.

[14:1]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.

[14:1]  ⁸⁵¹ tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:1]  ⁸⁵² tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).

[14:1]  ⁸⁵³ tn Heb “house.”

[14:2]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”

[14:3]  ⁸⁵⁵ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[14:4]  ⁸⁵⁶ tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”

[14:4]  ⁸⁵⁷ tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.

[14:6]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.

[14:6]  ⁸⁵⁹ tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.

[14:6]  ⁸⁶⁰ tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.

[14:8]  ⁸⁶¹ tn Heb “concerning you.”

[14:8]  ⁸⁶² tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.

[14:8]  ⁸⁶³ tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”

[14:8]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”

[14:9]  ⁸⁶⁵ sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.

[14:9]  ⁸⁶⁶ tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.

[14:9]  ⁸⁶⁷ tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.

[14:9]  ⁸⁶⁸ tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.

[14:11]  ⁸⁶⁹ tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”

[14:11]  ⁸⁷⁰ tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[14:11]  ⁸⁷¹ tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”

[14:12]  ⁸⁷² tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.

[14:12]  sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, “Isaiah,” BKCOT, 1061).

[14:12]  ⁸⁷³ tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”

[14:12]  ⁸⁷⁴ sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.

[14:13]  ⁸⁷⁵ tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”

[14:13]  ⁸⁷⁶ sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.

[14:13]  ⁸⁷⁷ sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.

[14:14]  ⁸⁷⁸ tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה.

[14:14]  ⁸⁷⁹ sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.

[14:15]  ⁸⁸⁰ tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.

[14:15]  ⁸⁸¹ tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.

[14:16]  ⁸⁸² tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.

[14:17]  ⁸⁸³ tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.

[14:17]  ⁸⁸⁴ tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.

[14:18]  ⁸⁸⁵ sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.

[14:18]  ⁸⁸⁶ tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a.

[14:18]  ⁸⁸⁷ sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.

[14:18]  ⁸⁸⁸ tn Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.

[14:19]  ⁸⁸⁹ tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר (netser, “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”

[14:19]  ⁸⁹⁰ tn Heb “are clothed with.”

[14:19]  ⁸⁹¹ tn Heb “those going down to.”

[14:19]  ⁸⁹² tn בּוֹר (bor) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.

[14:19]  ⁸⁹³ tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.

[14:20]  ⁸⁹⁴ tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).

[14:21]  ⁸⁹⁵ tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”

[14:21]  ⁸⁹⁶ tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”

[14:21]  ⁸⁹⁷ sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.

[14:22]  ⁸⁹⁸ tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).

[14:22]  ⁸⁹⁹ tn Heb “descendant and child.”

[14:23]  ⁹⁰⁰ tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).

[14:23]  ⁹⁰¹ tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”

[14:24]  ⁹⁰² sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.

[14:25]  ⁹⁰³ tn Heb “to break Assyria.”

[14:25]  ⁹⁰⁴ tn Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.

[14:25]  ⁹⁰⁵ tn Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.

[14:26]  ⁹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”

[14:27]  ⁹⁰⁷ tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[14:27]  ⁹⁰⁸ tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”

[14:28]  ⁹⁰⁹ sn Perhaps 715 b.c., but the precise date is uncertain.

[14:28]  ⁹¹⁰ tn Heb “this oracle came.”

[14:29]  ⁹¹¹ sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.

[14:29]  ⁹¹² tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.

[14:30]  ⁹¹³ tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bÿkhorey, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”).

[14:30]  ⁹¹⁴ tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).

[14:31]  ⁹¹⁵ tn Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג). The form נָמוֹג (namog) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72.v.

[14:31]  ⁹¹⁶ tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד (boded) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד (badad, “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד). מוֹעָד (mo’ad) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. *מוֹעָד), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.

[14:32]  ⁹¹⁷ sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.

[15:2]  ⁹¹⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[15:2]  ⁹¹⁹ tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.

[15:2]  ⁹²⁰ tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”

[15:2]  ⁹²¹ sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.

[15:4]  ⁹²² tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[15:4]  ⁹²³ tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).

[15:5]  ⁹²⁴ tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.

[15:5]  ⁹²⁵ tn The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See HALOT 156-57 s.v. בָּרִחַ, and BDB 138 s.v. בָּרִיהַ.

[15:5]  ⁹²⁶ tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:5]  ⁹²⁷ tn Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”

[15:6]  ⁹²⁸ tn Heb “are waste places”; cf. NRSV “are a desolation.”

[15:8]  ⁹²⁹ tn Heb “to Eglaim [is] her wailing, and [to] Beer Elim [is] her wailing.”

[15:9]  ⁹³⁰ tc The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.

[15:9]  ⁹³¹ tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.

[15:9]  ⁹³² tn The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[16:1]  ⁹³³ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send [a plural imperatival form is used] a ram [to] the ruler of the land.” The term כַּר (kar, “ram”) should be emended to the plural כָּרִים (karim). The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem (מ).

[16:1]  ⁹³⁴ tn The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”

[16:2]  ⁹³⁵ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[16:2]  ⁹³⁶ tn Heb “like a bird fleeing, thrust away [from] a nest, the daughters of Moab are [at] the fords of Arnon.”

[16:3]  ⁹³⁷ sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.

[16:3]  ⁹³⁸ tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.

[16:3]  ⁹³⁹ tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”

[16:4]  ⁹⁴⁰ tn That is, “live as resident foreigners.”

[16:4]  ⁹⁴¹ tn Heb “Be a hiding place for them.”

[16:4]  ⁹⁴² tn The present translation understands כִּי (ki) as asseverative, but one could take it as explanatory (“for,” KJV, NASB) or temporal (“when,” NAB, NRSV). In the latter case, v. 4b would be logically connected to v. 5.

[16:4]  ⁹⁴³ tn A perfect verbal form is used here and in the next two lines for rhetorical effect; the demise of the oppressor(s) is described as if it had already occurred.

[16:4]  ⁹⁴⁴ tc The Hebrew text has, “they will be finished, the one who tramples, from the earth.” The plural verb form תַּמּוּ, (tammu, “disappear”) could be emended to agree with the singular subject רֹמֵס (romes, “the one who tramples”) or the participle can be emended to a plural (רֹמֵסִם, romesim) to agree with the verb. The translation assumes the latter. Haplography of mem (ם) seems likely; note that the word after רֹמֵס begins with a mem.

[16:5]  ⁹⁴⁵ tn Heb “and a throne will be established in faithfulness, and he will sit on it in reliability, in the tent of David.”

[16:5]  ⁹⁴⁶ tn Heb “one who judges and seeks justice, and one experienced in fairness.” Many understand מְהִר (mÿhir) to mean “quick, prompt” (see BDB 555 s.v. מָהִיר), but HALOT 552 s.v. מָהִיר offers the meaning “skillful, experienced,” and translates the phrase in v. 5 “zealous for what is right.”

[16:6]  ⁹⁴⁷ tn עֶבְרָה (’evrah) often means “anger, fury,” but here it appears to refer to boastful outbursts or excessive claims. See HALOT 782 s.v. עֶבְרָה.

[16:6]  ⁹⁴⁸ tn Heb “not so his boasting.”

[16:7]  ⁹⁴⁹ tn Heb “So Moab wails for Moab.”

[16:7]  ⁹⁵⁰ tn The Hebrew text has, “for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you [masculine plural] moan, surely destroyed.” The “raisin cakes” could have cultic significance (see Hos 3:1), but the next verse focuses on agricultural disaster, so here the raisin cakes are mentioned as an example of the fine foods that are no longer available (see 2 Sam 6:19; Song 2:5) because the vines have been destroyed by the invader (see v. 8). Some prefer to take אֲשִׁישֵׁי (’ashishe, “raisin cakes of”) as “men of” (see HALOT 95 s.v. *אָשִׁישׁ; cf. NIV). The verb form תֶהְגּוּ (tehgu, “you moan”) is probably the result of dittography (note that the preceding word ends in tav [ת]) and should be emended to הגו (a perfect, third plural form), “they moan.”

[16:9]  ⁹⁵¹ tn Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? – see v. 10b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5).

[16:9]  ⁹⁵² tc The form אֲרַיָּוֶךְ (’arayyavekh) should be emended to אֲרַוָּיֶךְ (’aravvayekh; the vav [ו] and yod [י] have been accidentally transposed) from רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated”).

[16:9]  ⁹⁵³ tn Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror (Jer 51:14). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10b, as well as Jer 25:30), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”

[16:10]  ⁹⁵⁴ tn Heb “wine in the vats the treader does not tread.”

[16:10]  ⁹⁵⁵ sn The Lord appears to be the speaker here. See 15:9.

[16:11]  ⁹⁵⁶ tn Heb “so my intestines sigh for Moab like a harp.” The word מֵעַי (me’ay, “intestines”) is used here of the seat of the emotions. English idiom requires the word “heart.” The point of the comparison to a harp is not entirely clear. Perhaps his sighs of mourning resemble a harp in sound, or his constant sighing is like the repetitive strumming of a harp.

[16:11]  ⁹⁵⁷ tn The verb is supplied in the translation; “sighs” in the preceding line does double duty in the parallel structure.

[16:11]  ⁹⁵⁸ tn Heb “Kir Heres” (so ASV, NRSV, TEV, CEV), a variant name for “Kir Hareseth” (see v. 7).

[16:12]  ⁹⁵⁹ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[16:12]  ⁹⁶⁰ tn Heb “when he appears, when he grows tired, Moab on the high places, and enters his temple to pray, he will not prevail.” It is possible that “when he grows tired” is an explanatory gloss for the preceding “when he appears.”

[16:14]  ⁹⁶¹ tn Heb “in three years, like the years of a hired worker.” The three years must be reckoned exactly, just as a hired worker would carefully keep track of the time he had agreed to work for an employer in exchange for a predetermined wage.

[16:14]  ⁹⁶² tn Heb “and the splendor of Moab will be disgraced with all the great multitude, and a small little remnant will not be strong.”

[17:2]  ⁹⁶³ tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר, and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (’azuvot ’arayha ’adey ’ad, “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.

[17:2]  ⁹⁶⁴ tn Heb “and they lie down and there is no one scaring [them].”

[17:3]  ⁹⁶⁵ tn Heb “and kingship from Damascus”; cf. NASB “And sovereignty from Damascus.”

[17:4]  ⁹⁶⁶ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[17:4]  ⁹⁶⁷ tn Heb “will be tiny.”

[17:4]  ⁹⁶⁸ tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”

[17:7]  ⁹⁶⁹ tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB, NIV); KJV “At that day.”

[17:7]  ⁹⁷⁰ tn Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”

[17:7]  ⁹⁷¹ tn Heb “his eyes will look toward.”

[17:7]  ⁹⁷² sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[17:8]  ⁹⁷³ tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”

[17:8]  ⁹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”

[17:9]  ⁹⁷⁵ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

[17:9]  ⁹⁷⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר (hakhoresh vÿha’amir, “the wooded height and the top one”) to חֹרֵשֵׁי הָאֱמֹרִי (khoreshe ha’emori, “[like the abandonment] of the wooded heights of the Amorites”).

[17:10]  ⁹⁷⁷ tn Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[17:10]  ⁹⁷⁸ tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”

[17:10]  ⁹⁷⁹ tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר (zar) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.

[17:11]  ⁹⁸⁰ tn Heb “in the day of your planting you [?].” The precise meaning of the verb תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי (tÿsagsegi) is unclear. It is sometimes derived from שׂוּג/סוּג (sug, “to fence in”; see BDB 691 s.v. II סוּג). In this case one could translate “you build a protective fence.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one derives the form from שָׂגָא/שָׂגָה (saga’/sagah, “to grow”); see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:351, n. 4. For this verb, see BDB 960 s.v. שָׂגָא.

[17:11]  ⁹⁸¹ tc The Hebrew text has, “a heap of harvest.” However, better sense is achieved if נֵד (ned, “heap”) is emended to a verb. Options include נַד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד [nadad, “flee, depart”]), נָדַד (Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד), נֹדֵד (noded, Qal active participle from נָדַד), and נָד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular, or participle masculine singular, from נוּד [nud, “wander, flutter”]). See BDB 626 s.v. נוּד and HALOT 672 s.v. I נדד. One could translate literally: “[the harvest] departs,” or “[the harvest] flies away.”

[17:12]  ⁹⁸² tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4.

[17:12]  ⁹⁸³ tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”

[17:12]  ⁹⁸⁴ tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.

[17:12]  ⁹⁸⁵ tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”

[17:13]  ⁹⁸⁶ tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”

[17:13]  ⁹⁸⁷ tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.

[17:13]  ⁹⁸⁸ tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”

[17:14]  ⁹⁸⁹ tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”

[17:14]  ⁹⁹⁰ tn Heb “before morning he is not.”

[17:14]  ⁹⁹¹ tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”

[18:1]  ⁹⁹² tn Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.

[18:1]  sn The significance of the qualifying phrase “buzzing wings” is uncertain. Some suggest that the designation points to Cush as a land with many insects. Another possibility is that it refers to the swiftness with which this land’s messengers travel (v. 2a); they move over the sea as swiftly as an insect flies through the air. For a discussion of the options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:359-60.

[18:2]  ⁹⁹³ tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ (mÿmushakh) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ, and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ. מוֹרָט (morat) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט (marat), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט, and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.

[18:2]  ⁹⁹⁴ tn Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”

[18:2]  ⁹⁹⁵ tn Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. The expression קַו־קָו (qav-qav) is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB 876 II קַו). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13, understand the form as gibberish (literally, “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. The form מְבוּסָה (mÿvusah) appears to be derived from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”), so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that subdues others. See BDB 101 s.v. בּוּס and HALOT 541 s.v. מְבוּסָה. These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.

[18:2]  ⁹⁹⁶ tn The precise meaning of the verb בָּזָא (baza’), which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB 102 s.v. suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; HALOT 117 s.v., citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggests “wash away.”

[18:4]  ⁹⁹⁷ tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”

[18:4]  ⁹⁹⁸ tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.

[18:4]  ⁹⁹⁹ tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”

[18:4]  ¹⁰⁰⁰ tc Some medieval Hebrew mss, with support from the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, read “the day.”

[18:4]  ¹⁰⁰¹ sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.

[18:5]  ¹⁰⁰² tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”

[18:5]  ¹⁰⁰³ tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.

[18:5]  ¹⁰⁰⁴ tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”

[18:6]  ¹⁰⁰⁵ tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).

[18:6]  ¹⁰⁰⁶ tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).

[18:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁷ tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.

[18:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁸ tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”

[19:1]  ¹⁰¹⁰ tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”

[19:2]  ¹⁰¹¹ tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).

[19:2]  ¹⁰¹² tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.

[19:3]  ¹⁰¹³ tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”

[19:3]  ¹⁰¹⁴ tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.

[19:3]  ¹⁰¹⁵ tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.

[19:4]  ¹⁰¹⁶ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[19:5]  ¹⁰¹⁷ tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.

[19:6]  ¹⁰¹⁸ tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”

[19:6]  ¹⁰¹⁹ tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.

[19:7]  ¹⁰²⁰ tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”

[19:7]  ¹⁰²¹ tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”

[19:8]  ¹⁰²² tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”

[19:9]  ¹⁰²³ tn BDB 301 s.v. חוֹרִי suggests the meaning “white stuff” for חוֹרִי (khori); the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has חָוֵרוּ (khaveru), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר, (khur, “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.

[19:10]  ¹⁰²⁴ tn Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ (shatoteha) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ (shÿtiteha) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.

[19:10]  ¹⁰²⁵ tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).

[19:10]  ¹⁰²⁶ tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”

[19:11]  ¹⁰²⁷ tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”

[19:11]  ¹⁰²⁸ tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.

[19:12]  ¹⁰²⁹ tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.

[19:13]  ¹⁰³⁰ tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”

[19:13]  ¹⁰³¹ tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.

[19:14]  ¹⁰³² tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”

[19:14]  ¹⁰³³ tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”

[19:15]  ¹⁰³⁴ tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.

[19:16]  ¹⁰³⁵ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.

[19:16]  ¹⁰³⁶ tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.

[19:16]  ¹⁰³⁷ sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.

[19:16]  ¹⁰³⁸ tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.

[19:17]  ¹⁰³⁹ tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”

[19:18]  ¹⁰⁴⁰ sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.

[19:18]  ¹⁰⁴¹ tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and some medieval Hebrew mss read עִיר הָחֶרֶס (’ir hakheres, “City of the Sun,” i.e., Heliopolis). This reading also finds support from Symmachus’ Greek version, the Targum, and the Vulgate. See HALOT 257 s.v. חֶרֶס and HALOT 355 s.v. II חֶרֶס.

[19:19]  ¹⁰⁴² tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.

[19:20]  ¹⁰⁴³ tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.

[19:20]  ¹⁰⁴⁴ tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”

[19:20]  ¹⁰⁴⁵ tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”

[19:21]  ¹⁰⁴⁶ tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.

[19:21]  ¹⁰⁴⁷ tn Heb “will know the Lord.”

[19:21]  ¹⁰⁴⁸ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.

[19:22]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”

[19:23]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.

[19:24]  ¹⁰⁵¹ tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).

[19:24]  ¹⁰⁵² tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).

[19:25]  ¹⁰⁵³ tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.

[19:25]  ¹⁰⁵⁴ tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

[20:1]  ¹⁰⁵⁵ tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”

[20:1]  sn This probably refers to the Assyrian campaign against Philistia in 712 or 711 b.c.

[20:2]  ¹⁰⁵⁶ tn Heb “spoke by the hand of.”

[20:2]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ tn The word used here (עָרוֹם, ’arom) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” i.e., stripped to one’s undergarments. See HALOT 883 s.v. עָרוֹם. The term also occurs in vv. 3, 4.

[20:4]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”

[20:5]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”

[20:6]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

[20:6]  ¹⁰⁶¹ sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia (cf. TEV).

[21:1]  ¹⁰⁶² sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.

[21:1]  ¹⁰⁶³ tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁶⁴ tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.

[21:3]  ¹⁰⁶⁶ tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”

[21:3]  ¹⁰⁶⁷ tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”

[21:4]  ¹⁰⁶⁸ tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”

[21:4]  ¹⁰⁶⁹ tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”

[21:5]  ¹⁰⁷⁰ tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).

[21:5]  ¹⁰⁷¹ tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.

[21:5]  ¹⁰⁷² sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.

[21:6]  ¹⁰⁷³ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[21:7]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ tn Or “a pair of horsemen.”

[21:8]  ¹⁰⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.

[21:8]  ¹⁰⁷⁶ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).

[21:9]  ¹⁰⁷⁷ tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”

[21:9]  ¹⁰⁷⁸ tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).

[21:10]  ¹⁰⁷⁹ tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”

[21:11]  ¹⁰⁸⁰ tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.

[21:11]  ¹⁰⁸¹ sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.

[21:11]  ¹⁰⁸² sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.

[21:12]  ¹⁰⁸³ sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.

[21:12]  ¹⁰⁸⁴ sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”

[21:16]  ¹⁰⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[21:16]  ¹⁰⁸⁶ tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.

[21:17]  ¹⁰⁸⁷ tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”

[21:17]  ¹⁰⁸⁸ tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[46:1]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ sn Jeremiah was called to be a prophet not only to Judah and Jerusalem but to the nations (1:5, 10). The prophecies or oracles that are collected here in Jer 46-51 are found after 25:13a in the Greek version where they are also found in a different order and with several textual differences. The issue of which represents the original placement is part of the broader issue of the editorial or redactional history of the book of Jeremiah which went through several editions, two of which are referred to in Jer 36, i.e., the two scrolls written in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (605 b.c.), a third which included all the preceding plus the material down to the time of the fall of Jerusalem (cf. the introduction in 1:1-3) and a fourth that included all the preceding plus the materials in Jer 40-44. The oracles against the foreign nations collected here are consistent with the note of judgment sounded against all nations (including some not mentioned in Jer 46-51) in Jer 25. See the translator’s note on 25:13 for further details regarding the possible relationship of the oracles to the foreign nations to the judgment speeches in Jer 25.

[46:1]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ tn Heb “That which came [as] the word of the Lord to Jeremiah about the nations.” See the translator’s note on 14:1 for the construction here.

[46:2]  ¹⁰⁹¹ sn The fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign proved very significant in the prophecies of Jeremiah. It was in that same year that he issued the prophecies against the foreign nations recorded in Jer 25 (and probably the prophecies recorded here in Jer 46-51) and that he had Baruch record and read to the people gathered in the temple all the prophecies he had uttered against Judah and Jerusalem up to that point in the hopes that they would repent and the nation would be spared. The fourth year of Jehoiakim (605 b.c.) marked a significant shift in the balance of power in Palestine. With the defeat of Necho at Carchemish in that year the area came under the control of Nebuchadnezzar and Judah and the surrounding nations had two options, submit to Babylon and pay tribute or suffer the consequences of death in war or exile in Babylon for failure to submit.

[46:2]  ¹⁰⁹² tn Heb “Concerning Egypt: Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was beside the Euphrates River at Carchemish which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah.” The sentence has been broken up, restructured, and introductory words supplied in the translation to make the sentences better conform with contemporary English style. The dating formula is placed in brackets because the passage is prophetic about the battle, but the bracketed words were superscription or introduction and thus were added after the outcome was known.

[46:3]  ¹⁰⁹³ tn This is often translated “prepare your shields, both small and large.” However, the idea of “prepare” is misleading because the Hebrew word here (עָרַךְ, ’arakh) refers in various senses to arranging or setting things in order, such as altars in a row, dishes on a table, soldiers in ranks. Here it refers to the soldiers lining up in rank with ranks of soldiers holding at the ready the long oval or rectangular “shield” (צִנָּה [tsinnah]; cf. BDB 857 s.v. III צִנָּה) which protected the whole body and the smaller round “buckler” (מָגֵן, magen) which only protected the torso (the relative size of these two kinds of shields can be seen from the weight of each in 1 Kgs 10:16-17). These were to be arranged in solid ranks to advance into battle. It would be pedantic and misleading to translate here “Fall into ranks with your large and small shields at the ready” because that might suggest that soldiers had more than one kind. It is uncertain who is issuing the commands here. TEV adds “The Egyptian officers shout,” which is the interpretation of J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 688).

[46:5]  ¹⁰⁹⁴ tn Heb “Why do I see?” The rendering is that of J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 685, 88) and J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 301; TEV; NIV). The question is not asking for information but is expressing surprise or wonder (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 951).

[46:5]  sn The passage takes an unexpected turn at v. 5. After ironically summoning the Egyptian army to battle, the Lord rhetorically expresses his surprise that they are so completely routed and defeated.

[46:5]  ¹⁰⁹⁵ tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.” This phrase, which is part of a messenger formula (i.e., that the words that are spoken are from him), are actually at the end of the verse. They have been put here for better poetic balance and to better identify the “I.”

[46:5]  ¹⁰⁹⁶ tn Heb “Their soldiers.” These words are actually at the midpoint of the stanza as the subject of the third of the five verbs. However, as G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 291) note, this is the subject of all five verbs “are terrified,” “are retreating,” “have been defeated,” “have run away,” and “have not looked back.” The subject is put at the front to avoid an unidentified “they.”

[46:5]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ tn Heb “terror is all around.”

[46:6]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ tn The translation assumes that the adjectives with the article are functioning as superlatives in this context (cf. GKC 431 §133.g). It also assumes that אַל (’al) with the jussive is expressing here an emphatic negative rather than a negative wish (cf. GKC 317 §107.p and compare the usage in Ps 50:3).

[46:6]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ tn Heb “they stumble and fall.” However, the verbs here are used of a fatal fall, of a violent death in battle (see BDB 657 s.v. נָפַל Qal.2.a), and a literal translation might not be understood by some readers.

[46:7]  ¹¹⁰⁰ tn The word translated “streams” here refers to the streams of the Nile (cf. Exod 7:19; 8:1) for parallel usage.

[46:7]  sn The hubris of the Egyptian Pharaoh is referred to in vv. 7-8 as he compares his might to that of the Nile River whose annual flooding was responsible for the fertility of Egypt. A very similar picture of the armies of Assyria overcoming everything in its path is presented in Isa 8:7-8.

[46:9]  ¹¹⁰¹ tn The words “Go ahead and” are not in the text but are intended to suggest the ironical nature of the commands here. The Lord is again setting them up for a fall (v. 10). See the translator’s note on v. 4.

[46:9]  ¹¹⁰² sn The peoples that are referred to here are all known to have been mercenaries in the army of Egypt (see Nah 3:9; Ezek 30:5). The place names in Hebrew are actually Cush, Put, and Lud. “Cush” has already been identified in Jer 13:23 as the region along the Nile south of Egypt most commonly referred to as Ethiopia. The identification of “Put” and “Lud” are both debated though it is generally felt that Put was a part of Libya and Lud is to be identified with Lydia in Asia Minor. For further discussion see M. J. Mellink, “Lud, Ludim” IDB 3:178, and T. O. Lambdin, “Put,” IDB 3:971.

[46:9]  ¹¹⁰³ tn Heb “who grasp and bend the bow.”

[46:10]  ¹¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” See the study note at 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title for God.

[46:10]  ¹¹⁰⁵ sn Most commentators think that this is a reference to the Lord exacting vengeance on Pharaoh Necho for killing Josiah, carrying Jehoahaz off into captivity, and exacting heavy tribute on Judah in 609 b.c. (2 Kgs 23:29, 33-35).

[46:10]  ¹¹⁰⁶ tn Or more paraphrastically, “he will kill them/ until he has exacted full vengeance”; Heb “The sword will eat and be sated; it will drink its fill of their blood.”

[46:10]  sn This passage is, of course, highly figurative. The Lord does not have a literal “sword,” but he uses agents of destruction like the Assyrian armies (called his “rod” in Isa 10:5-6) and the Babylonian armies (called his war club in Jer 51:20) to wreak vengeance on his foes. Likewise, swords do not “eat” or “drink.” What is meant here is that God will use this battle against the Egyptians to kill off many Egyptians until his vengeance is fully satisfied.

[46:10]  ¹¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” See the study note at 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title for God.

[46:11]  ¹¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “balm.” See 8:22 and the notes on this phrase there.

[46:11]  ¹¹⁰⁹ sn Heb “Virgin Daughter of Egypt.” See the study note on Jer 14:17 for the significance of the use of this figure. The use of the figure here perhaps refers to the fact that Egypt’s geographical isolation allowed her safety and protection that a virgin living at home would enjoy under her father’s protection (so F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 379). By her involvement in the politics of Palestine she had forfeited that safety and protection and was now suffering for it.

[46:11]  ¹¹¹⁰ tn Heb “In vain you multiply [= make use of many] medicines.”

[46:12]  ¹¹¹¹ tn Heb “of your shame.” The “shame,” however, applies to the devastating defeat they will suffer.

[46:12]  ¹¹¹² tn The words “In the panic of their flight” and “defeated” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to give clarity to the metaphor for the average reader. The verbs in this verse are all in the tense that emphasizes that the action is viewed as already having been accomplished (i.e., the Hebrew prophetic perfect). This is consistent with the vav consecutive perfects in v. 10 which look to the future.

[46:13]  ¹¹¹³ tn Heb “The word which the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack the land of Egypt.”

[46:13]  sn Though there is much debate in the commentaries regarding the dating and reference of this prophecy, it most likely refers to a time shortly after 604 b.c. when Nebuchadnezzar followed up his successful battle against Necho at Carchemish with a campaign into the Philistine plain which resulted in the conquest and sacking of Ashkelon. Nebuchadnezzar now stood poised on the border of Egypt to invade it. See J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah (NICOT), 691, and for a fuller discussion including the other main options see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 287-88.

[46:14]  ¹¹¹⁴ tn Heb “Declare in Egypt and announce in Migdol and announce in Noph [= Memphis] and in Tahpanhes.” The sentence has been restructured to reflect the fact that the first command is a general one, followed by announcements in specific (representative?) cities.

[46:14]  sn For the location of the cities of Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes see the note on Jer 44:1. These were all cities in Lower or northern Egypt that would have been the first affected by an invasion.

[46:14]  ¹¹¹⁵ tn Heb “For the sword devours those who surround you.” The “sword” is again figurative of destructive forces. Here it is a reference to the forces of Nebuchadnezzar which have already destroyed the Egyptian forces at Carchemish and have made victorious forays into the Philistine plain.

[46:15]  ¹¹¹⁶ tn The word translated “soldiers” (אַבִּירִים, ’abbirim) is not the Hebrew word that has been used of soldiers elsewhere in these oracles (גִּבּוֹרִים, gibborim). It is an adjective used as a noun that can apply to animals, i.e., of a bull (Ps 50:13) or a stallion (Judg 5:22). Moreover, the form is masculine plural and the verbs are singular. Hence, many modern commentaries and English versions follow the redivision of the first line presupposed by the Greek version, “Apis has fled” (נָס חַף, nas khaf) and see this as a reference to the bull god of Memphis. However, the noun is used of soldiers in Lam 1:15 and the plural could be the distributive plural, i.e., each and every one (cf. GKC 464 §145.l and compare usage in Gen 27:29).

[46:15]  ¹¹¹⁷ tn The Hebrew word used here only occurs here (in the Niphal) and in Prov 28:3 (in the Qal) where it refers to a rain that beats down grain. That idea would fit nicely with the idea of the soldiers being beaten down, or defeated. It is possible that the rarity of this verb (versus the common verb נוּס, nus, “flee”) and the ready identification of Apis with the bull calf (אַבִּיר, ’abbir) has led to the reading of the Greek text (so C. von Orelli, Jeremiah, 327). The verbs in this verse and the following are in the perfect tense but should be understood as prophetic perfects since the text is dealing with what will happen when Nebuchadnezzar comes into Egypt. The text of vv. 18-24 shows a greater mixture with some perfects and some imperfects, sometimes even within the same verse (e.g., v. 22).

[46:15]  ¹¹¹⁸ tn Heb “the Lord will thrust them down.” However, the Lord is speaking (cf. clearly in v. 18), so the first person is adopted for the sake of consistency. This has been a consistent problem in the book of Jeremiah where the prophet is so identified with the word of the Lord that he sometimes uses the first person and sometimes the third. It creates confusion for the average reader who is trying to follow the flow of the argument and has been shifted to the first person like this on a number of occasions. TEV and CEV have generally adopted the same policy as have some other modern English versions at various points.

[46:16]  ¹¹¹⁹ tn Heb “he multiplied the one stumbling.” For the first person reference see the preceding translator’s note.

[46:16]  ¹¹²⁰ tc The words “in their hurry to flee” are not in the text but appear to be necessary to clarify the point that the stumbling and falling here is not the same as that in vv. 6, 12 where they occur in the context of defeat and destruction. Reference here appears to be to the mercenary soldiers who in their hurried flight to escape stumble over one another and fall. This is fairly clear from the literal translation “he multiplies the stumbling one. Also [= and] a man falls against a man and they say [probably = “saying”; an epexegetical use of the vav (ו) consecutive (IBHS 551 §33.2.2a, and see Exod 2:10 as a parallel)] ‘Get up! Let’s go…’” A reference to the flight of the mercenaries is also seen in v. 21. Many of the modern commentaries and a few of the modern English versions follow the Greek text and read vv. 15a-16 very differently. The Greek reads “Why has Apis fled from you? Your choice calf [i.e., Apis] has not remained. For the Lord has paralyzed him. And your multitudes have fainted and fallen; and each one said to his neighbor…” (reading רֻבְּךָ כָּשַׁל גַּם־נָפַל וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ instead of כּוֹשֵׁל הִרְבָּה גַּם־נָפַל אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ). One would expect אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ (’ish ’el-re’ehu) to go with וַיֹּאמְרוּ (vayyo’mÿru) because it is idiomatic in this expression (cf., e.g., Gen 11:3; Judg 6:29). However, אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ (’ish ’el-re’ehu) is also found with singular verbs as here in Exod 22:9; 33:11; 1 Sam 10:11. There is no doubt that the Hebrew text is the more difficult and thus probably original. The reading of the Greek version is not supported by any other text or version and looks like an attempt to smooth out a somewhat awkward Hebrew original.

[46:16]  ¹¹²¹ tn Heb “to our native lands from before the sword of the oppressor.” The compound preposition “from before” is regularly used in a causal sense (see BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֶה 6.a, b, c). The “sword” is again interpreted as a figure for the destructive power of an enemy army.

[46:17]  ¹¹²² tn Heb “is a noise.” The addition of “just a big” is contextually motivated and is supplied in the translation to suggest the idea of sarcasm. The reference is probably to his boast in v. 8.

[46:17]  ¹¹²³ tn Heb “he has let the appointed time pass him by.” It is unclear what is meant by the reference to “appointed time” other than the fact that Pharaoh has missed his opportunity to do what he claimed to be able to do. The Greek text is again different here. It reads “Call the name of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt Saon esbeie moed,” reading קִרְאוּ שֵׁם (qir’u shem) for קָרְאוּ שָׁם (qor’u) and transliterating the last line.

[46:18]  ¹¹²⁴ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.

[46:18]  ¹¹²⁵ tn Heb “As I live, oracle of the King, whose….” The indirect quote has been chosen to create a smoother English sentence and avoid embedding a quote within a quote.

[46:18]  ¹¹²⁶ tn Heb “Like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea he will come.” The addition of “conqueror” and “imposing” are implicit from the context and from the metaphor. They have been supplied in the translation to give the reader some idea of the meaning of the verse.

[46:18]  sn Most of the commentaries point out that neither Tabor nor Carmel are all that tall in terms of sheer height. Mount Tabor, on the east end of the Jezreel Valley, is only about 1800 feet (540 m) tall. Mount Carmel, on the Mediterranean Coast, is only about 1700 feet (510 m) at its highest. However, all the commentators point out that the idea of imposing height and majesty are due to the fact that they are rugged mountains that stand out dominantly over their surroundings. The point of the simile is that Nebuchadnezzar and his army will stand out in power and might over all the surrounding kings and their armies.

[46:19]  ¹¹²⁷ tn Heb “inhabitants of daughter Egypt.” Like the phrase “daughter Zion,” “daughter Egypt” is a poetic personification of the land, here perhaps to stress the idea of defenselessness.

[46:19]  ¹¹²⁸ tn For the verb here see HALOT 675 s.v. II נָצָה Nif and compare the usage in Jer 4:7; 9:11 and 2 Kgs 19:25. BDB derives the verb from יָצַת (so BDB 428 s.v. יָצַת Niph meaning “kindle, burn”) but still give it the meaning “desolate” here and in 2:15 and 9:11.

[46:20]  ¹¹²⁹ tn Heb “Egypt is a beautiful heifer. A gadfly from the north will come against her.”
The metaphors have been turned into similes for the sake of clarity. The exact meaning of the word translated “stinging fly” is uncertain due to the fact that it occurs nowhere else in Hebrew literature. For a discussion of the meaning of the word which probably refers to the “gadfly,” which bites and annoys livestock, see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:331, who also suggests, probably correctly, that the word is a collective referring to swarms of such insects (cf. the singular אַרְבֶּה [’arbeh] in v. 23 which always refers to swarms of locusts). The translation presupposes the emendation of the second בָּא (ba’) to בָּהּ (bah) with a number of Hebrew mss and a number of the versions (cf. BHS, fn b).

[46:21]  ¹¹³⁰ tn Heb “her hirelings in her midst.”

[46:21]  ¹¹³¹ tn The word “pampered” is not in the text. It is supplied in the translation to explain the probable meaning of the simile. The mercenaries were well cared for like stall-fed calves, but in the face of the danger they will prove no help because they will turn and run away without standing their ground. Some see the point of the simile to be that they too are fattened for slaughter. However, the next two lines do not fit that interpretation too well.

[46:21]  ¹¹³² tn The temporal use of the particle כִּי (ki; BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 2.a) seems more appropriate to the context than the causal use.

[46:22]  ¹¹³³ tn Or “Egypt will rustle away like a snake”; Heb “her sound goes like the snake,” or “her sound [is] like the snake [when] it goes.” The meaning of the simile is debated. Some see a reference to the impotent hiss of a fleeing serpent (F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 382), others the sound of a serpent stealthily crawling away when it is disturbed (H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 297-98). The translation follows the former interpretation because of the irony involved.

[46:22]  sn Several commentators point out the irony of the snake slithering away (or hissing away) in retreat. The coiled serpent was a part of the royal insignia, signifying its readiness to strike. Pharaoh had boasted of great things (v. 8) but was just a big noise (v. 17); now all he could do was hiss as he beat his retreat (v. 22).

[46:23]  ¹¹³⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.” Again the first person is adopted because the Lord is speaking and the indirect quotation is used to avoid an embedded quotation with quotation marks on either side.

[46:23]  ¹¹³⁵ tn The precise meaning of this verse is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads: “They [those who enter in great force] will cut down her forest, oracle of the Lord, though it [the forest] cannot be searched out/through for they [those who come in great force] are more numerous than locusts and there is no number to them.” Some see the reference to the forest as metaphorical of Egypt’s population which the Babylonian army decimates (H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 298, and see BDB 420 s.v. I יַעַר 1.a which refers to the forest as a figure of foes to be cut down and destroyed and compare Isa 10:34). Others see the reference to literal trees and see the decimation of Egypt in general (C. von Orelli, Jeremiah, 329). And some see it as a continuation of the simile of the snake fleeing, the soldiers cutting down the trees because they cannot find it (J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 693). However, the simile of v. 22a has already been dropped in v. 22b-d; they come against her. Hence it is probably best to see this as a continuation of the simile in v. 22c-d and see the reference to the Babylonian army coming against her, i.e., Egypt (the nation or people of Egypt), like woodcutters cutting down trees.

[46:24]  ¹¹³⁶ tn Heb “Daughter Egypt.” See the translator’s note on v. 19.

[46:25]  ¹¹³⁷ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.

[46:25]  ¹¹³⁸ tn Heb “Amon of No.”

[46:25]  sn The Egyptian city called No (נֹא, no’) in Hebrew was Thebes. It is located about 400 miles (666 km) south of modern-day Cairo. It was the capital of Upper or southern Egypt and the center for the worship of the God Amon who became the state god of Egypt. Thebes is perhaps best known today for the magnificent temples at Karnak and Luxor on the east bank of the Nile.

[46:25]  ¹¹³⁹ tc Heb “Behold I will punish Amon of No and Pharaoh and Egypt and its gods and its kings and Pharaoh and all who trust in him.” There appears to be a copyist slip involving a double writing of וְעַל־פַּרְעֹה (vÿ’al-par’oh). The present translation has followed the suggestion of BHS and deleted the first one since the second is necessary for the syntactical connection, “Pharaoh and all who trust in him.”

[46:26]  ¹¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[46:27]  ¹¹⁴¹ sn Jer 46:27-28 are virtually the same as 30:10-11. The verses are more closely related to that context than to this. But the presence of a note of future hope for the Egyptians may have led to a note of encouragement also to the Judeans who were under threat of judgment at the same time (cf. the study notes on 46:2, 13 and 25:1-2 for the possible relative dating of these prophecies).

[46:27]  ¹¹⁴² tn Heb “And/But you do not be afraid, my servant Jacob.” Here and elsewhere in the verse the terms Jacob and Israel are poetic for the people of Israel descended from the patriarch Jacob. The terms have been supplied throughout with plural referents for greater clarity.

[46:27]  ¹¹⁴³ tn Heb “For I will rescue you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity.”

[46:28]  ¹¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.” Again the first person is adopted because the Lord is speaking and the indirect quotation is used to avoid an embedded quotation with quotation marks on either side.

[46:28]  ¹¹⁴⁵ tn The translation “entirely unpunished” is intended to reflect the emphatic construction of the infinitive absolute before the finite verb.

[47:1]  ¹¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “That which came [as] the word of the Lord to Jeremiah.” For this same construction see 14:1; 46:1 and see the translator’s note at 14:1 for explanation.

[47:1]  ¹¹⁴⁷ sn The precise dating of this prophecy is uncertain. Several proposals have been suggested, the most likely of which is that the prophecy was delivered in 609 b.c. in conjunction with Pharaoh Necho’s advance into Palestine to aid the Assyrians. That was the same year that Josiah was killed by Necho at the battle of Megiddo and four years before Necho was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, the foe from the north. The prophecy presupposes that Ashkelon is still in existence (v. 5) hence it must be before 604 b.c. For a fairly complete discussion of the options see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 299-300.

[47:2]  ¹¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “Behold! Waters are rising from the north.” The metaphor of enemy armies compared to overflowing water is seen also in Isa 8:8-9 (Assyria) and 46:7-8 (Egypt). Here it refers to the foe from the north (Jer 1:14; 4:6; etc) which is specifically identified with Babylon in Jer 25. The metaphor has been turned into a simile in the translation to help the average reader identify that a figure is involved and to hint at the referent.

[47:3]  ¹¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “From the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, from the rattling of his chariots at the rumbling of their wheels, fathers will not turn to their children from sinking of hands.” According to BDB 952 s.v. רִפָּיוֹן the “sinking of the hands” is figurative of helplessness caused by terror. A very similar figure is seen with a related expression in Isa 35:3-4. The sentence has been restructured to put the subject up front and to suggest through shorter sentences more in keeping with contemporary English style the same causal connections. The figures have been interpreted for the sake of clarity for the average reader.

[47:4]  ¹¹⁵⁰ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[47:4]  ¹¹⁵¹ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[47:4]  ¹¹⁵² tn Heb “For the Lord will.” The first person style has been adopted because the Lord is speaking (cf. v. 2).

[47:4]  ¹¹⁵³ sn All the help that remains for Tyre and Sidon and that remnant that came from the island of Crete appear to be two qualifying phrases that refer to the Philistines, the last with regard to their origin and the first with regard to the fact that they were allies that Tyre and Sidon depended on. “Crete” is literally “Caphtor” which is generally identified with the island of Crete. The Philistines had come from there (Amos 9:7) in the wave of migration from the Aegean Islands during the twelfth and eleventh century and had settled on the Philistine plain after having been repulsed from trying to enter Egypt.

[47:5]  ¹¹⁵⁴ sn Shaving one’s head and gashing one’s body were customs to show mourning or sadness for the dead (cf. Deut 14:1; Mic 1:16; Ezek 27:31; Jer 16:6; 48:37).

[47:5]  ¹¹⁵⁵ tn Or “you who are left alive on the Philistine plain.” Or “you who remain of the Anakim.” The translation follows the suggestion of several of the modern commentaries that the word עֵמֶק (’emeq) means “strength” or “power” here (see J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 698; J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 310; and see also HALOT 803 s.v. II עֵמֶק). It is a rare homonym of the word that normally means “valley” that seems to be an inappropriate designation of the Philistine plain. Many of the modern English versions and commentaries follow the Greek version which reads here “remnant of the Anakim” (עֲנָקִים [’anaqim] instead of עִמְקָם [’imqam], a confusion of basically one letter). This emendation is followed by both BDB 771 s.v. עֵמֶק and KBL 716 s.v. עֵמֶק. The Anakim were generally associated with the southern region around Hebron but an enclave of them was known to have settled in Gaza, Gath, and Ekron, three of the Philistine cities (cf. Josh 11:22). However, the fact that this judgment is directed against the Philistines not the Anakim and that this homonym apparently appears also in Jer 49:4 makes the reading of “power” more likely here.

[47:6]  ¹¹⁵⁶ tn The words “How long will you cry out” are not in the text but some such introduction seems necessary because the rest of the speech assumes a personal subject.

[47:6]  ¹¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “before you are quiet/at rest.”

[47:6]  ¹¹⁵⁸ sn The passage is highly figurative. The sword of the Lord, which is itself a figure of the destructive agency of the enemy armies, is here addressed as a person and is encouraged in rhetorical questions (the questions are designed to dissuade) to “be quiet,” “be at rest,” “be silent,” all of which is designed to get the Lord to call off the destruction against the Philistines.

[47:7]  ¹¹⁵⁹ tn The reading here follows the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions. The Hebrew text reads “how can you rest” as a continuation of the second person in v. 6.

[47:7]  ¹¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “When the Lord has.” The first person is again adopted because the Lord has been speaking.

[47:7]  ¹¹⁶¹ tn Heb “Against Ashkelon and the sea coast, there he has appointed it.” For the switch to the first person see the preceding translator’s note. “There” is poetical and redundant and the idea of “attacking” is implicit in “against.”

[48:1]  ¹¹⁶² tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For this title see 7:3 and the study note on 2:19.

[48:1]  ¹¹⁶³ sn Moab was a country east of the Dead Sea whose boundaries varied greatly over time. Basically, it was the tableland between the Arnon River about halfway up the Dead Sea and the Zered River which is roughly at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. When the Israelites entered Palestine they were forbidden to take any of the Moabite territory but they did capture the kingdom of Sihon north of the Arnon which Sihon had taken from Moab. Several of the towns mentioned in the oracles of judgment against Moab here are in this territory north of the Arnon and were assigned to Reuben and Gad. Several are mentioned on the famous Moabite Stone which details how Mesha king of Moab recovered from Israel many of these cities during the reign of Joram (852-841 b.c.; cf. 2 Kgs 3:4-5). It is usually assumed that Moab submitted to Nebuchadnezzar after the battle of Carchemish and that they remained loyal to him throughout most of this period, though representatives were present at Jerusalem in 594 b.c. when plans for revolt were apparently being discussed (Jer 27:3). Moabite contingents were used by Nebuchadnezzar in 598 b.c. to harass Jehoiakim after he rebelled (2 Kgs 24:2) so they must have remained loyal at that time. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Moab in 582 b.c. and destroyed many of its cities.

[48:1]  ¹¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “Woe to Nebo for it is destroyed.” For the use of the Hebrew particle “Woe” (הוֹי, hoy) see the translator’s note on 22:13. The translation has taken this form because the phrase “Woe to” probably does not convey the proper meaning or significance to the modern reader. The verbs again are in the tense (Hebrew prophetic perfect) that views the action as if it were as good as done. The particle כִּי (ki) probably is causal but the asseverative works better in the modified translation.

[48:1]  ¹¹⁶⁵ sn Nebo and Kiriathaim were both north of the Arnon and were assigned to Reuben (Num 32:3, Josh 13:19). They are both mentioned on the Moabite Stone as having been recovered from Israel.

[48:1]  ¹¹⁶⁶ tn Or “Misgab.” The translation here follows the majority of commentaries and English versions. Only REB sees this as a place name, “Misgab,” which is otherwise unknown. The constant use of this word to refer to a fortress, the presence of the article on the front of it, and the lack of any reference to a place of this name anywhere else argues against it being a place name. However, the fact that the verbs that accompany it are feminine while the noun for “fortress” is masculine causes some pause.

[48:1]  ¹¹⁶⁷ tn For the meaning of the verb here see BDB 369 s.v. חָתַת Qal.1 and compare usage in Isa 7:8; 30:31.

[48:2]  ¹¹⁶⁸ sn Heshbon was originally a Moabite city but was captured by Sihon king of Og and made his capital (Num 21:26-30). It was captured from Sihon and originally assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Num 32:37; Josh 13:17). Later it was made a Levitical city and was assigned to the tribe of Gad (Josh 21:39). It formed the northern limits of Moab. It was located about eighteen miles east of the northern tip of the Dead Sea.

[48:2]  ¹¹⁶⁹ sn There is a wordplay in Hebrew on the word “Heshbon” and the word “plot” (חָשְׁבוּ, khoshvu).

[48:2]  ¹¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “In Heshbon they plot evil against her [i.e., Moab].” The “they” is undefined, but it would scarcely be Moabites living in Heshbon. Hence TEV and CEV are probably correct in seeing a reference to the enemy which would imply the conquest of this city which lay on the northern border of Moab.

[48:2]  ¹¹⁷¹ tn The meaning of this line is somewhat uncertain. The translation here follows all the modern English versions and commentaries in reading the place name “Madmen” even though the place is otherwise unknown and the Greek, Syriac, and Latin version all read this word as an emphasizing infinitive absolute of the following verb “will be destroyed,” i.e. דָּמוֹם יִדֹּמּוּ (damom yiddommu). Some see this word as a variant of the name Dimon in Isa 15:9 which in turn is a playful variant of the place name Dibon. There is once again a wordplay on the word “Madmen” and “will be destroyed”: מַדְמֵן (madmen) and יִדֹּמּוּ (yiddommu). For the meaning of the verb = “perish” or “be destroyed” see Jer 8:14; Ps 31:18.

[48:2]  ¹¹⁷² tn Heb “A sword will follow after you.” The sword is again figurative of destructive forces, here the army of the Babylonians.

[48:4]  ¹¹⁷³ tc The reading here follows the Qere צְעִירֶיהָ (tsÿ’ireha) which is the same noun found in Jer 14:3 in the sense of “servants.” Here it refers to the young ones, i.e., the children (cf. the use of the adjective BDB 859 s.v. I צָעִיר 2 and see Gen 43:33). Many of the modern commentaries and a few of the modern English versions follow the Greek version and read “their cry is heard as far as Zoar” (reading צֹעֲרָה, tso’arah; see, for example, J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 699, n. 4, and BDB 858 s.v. צֹעַר). However, that leaves the verb with an indefinite subject (the verb is active 3rd plural not passive) not otherwise identified in the preceding context. Many of the modern English versions such as NRSV, NJPS, NIV retain the Hebrew as the present translation has done. In this case the masculine plural noun furnishes a logical subject for the verb.

[48:5]  ¹¹⁷⁴ tn Or “Indeed her fugitives will…” It is unclear what the subject of the verbs are in this verse. The verb in the first two lines “climb” (יַעֲלֶה, ya’aleh) is third masculine singular and the verb in the second two lines “will hear” (שָׁמֵעוּ, shame’u) is third common plural. The causal particles at the beginning of the two halves of the verse suggest some connection with the preceding, so the translation assumes that the children are still the subject. In this case the singular verb would be a case of the distributive singular already referred to in the translator’s note on 46:15. The parallel passage in Isa 15:5 refers to the “fugitives” (בְּרִיחֶהָ, bÿrikheha) with the same singular verb as here and that may be the implied subject here.

[48:5]  sn The location of Luhith and Horonaim are uncertain, though, from their connection with Zoar in Isa 15:5, they appear to be located in southern Moab. Zoar was at the southern tip of the Dead Sea.

[48:5]  ¹¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “the distresses of the cry of destruction.” Many commentaries want to leave out the word “distresses” because it is missing from the Greek version and the parallel passage in Isa 15:5. However, it is in all the Hebrew mss and in the other early versions, and it is hard to see why it would be added here if it were not original.

[48:6]  ¹¹⁷⁶ tc The meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation follows one reading of the Hebrew text. The Greek version reads “Be like a wild donkey in the desert!” There are three points of debate in this line: the syntax of the verb form “be” (תִהְיֶינָה, tihyenah) and the text and meaning of the word translated “shrub” in the Hebrew text. This word only occurs with this meaning here and in Jer 17:6. A related word occurs in Ps 102:17 (102:18 HT). Elsewhere this spelling refers to the place name Aroer which was a place in Moab on the edge of the Arnon River. Most commentators do not feel that a reference to that place is appropriate here because it was not in the desert. The Greek version reads “like a wild donkey” (reading כְּעָרוֹד [kÿ’arod] in place of כַּעֲרוֹעֵר [ka’aro’er]). That would make an appropriate simile here because the wild donkey enjoys its freedom and is hard to capture. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 312) explain the simile of the “shrub” as referring to the marginal and rudimentary existence of a displaced person. That may not be as optimistic as the reference to the wild donkey but it does give an appropriate meaning. The third feminine plural has been explained as the singular noun + suffix = “yourselves” (נַפְשְׁכֶם, nafshÿkhem) used as a collective (so S. R. Driver, Jeremiah, 368, with cross reference to GKC 462-63 §145.c). J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 314, n. e-e) follows a suggestion of D. N. Freedman in seeing the form (תִהְיֶינָה, tihyenah) as a mistake for the 2nd masculine plural plus energic (תִהְיוּן, tihyun). Given the number of other textual corruptions in this passage, this is possible. The resultant meaning in either case is the same.

[48:7]  ¹¹⁷⁷ sn Chemosh was the national god of Moab (see also Numb 21:29). Child sacrifice appears to have been a part of his worship (2 Kgs 3:27). Solomon built a high place in Jerusalem for him (1 Kgs 11:7), and he appears to have been worshiped in Israel until Josiah tore that high place down (2 Kgs 23:13).

[48:7]  ¹¹⁷⁸ sn The practice of carrying off the gods of captive nations has already been mentioned in the study note on 43:12. See also Isa 46:1-2 noted there.

[48:8]  ¹¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “The valley will be destroyed and the tableland be laid waste.” However, in the context this surely refers to the towns and not to the valley and the tableland itself.

[48:8]  sn Most commentaries see a reference to the towns in the Jordan valley referred to in Josh 13:27 and the towns mentioned in Josh 13:15-17 which were on the high tableland or high plateau or plain north of the Arnon. The mention of the towns in the first half of the verse is broader than that because it would include all the towns in the southern half of Moab between the Arnon and Zered as well as those mentioned in the second half in conjunction with the valley and the high plateau north of the Arnon.

[48:8]  ¹¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “which/for/as the Lord has spoken.” The first person form has again been adopted because the Lord is the speaker throughout (cf. v. 1).

[48:9]  ¹¹⁸¹ tn Or “Scatter salt over Moab for it will certainly be laid in ruins.” The meaning of these two lines is very uncertain. The Hebrew of these two lines presents several difficulties. It reads תְּנוּ־צִיץ לְמוֹאָב נָצֹא תֵּצֵא (tÿnu-tsits lÿmo’av natso’ tetse’). Of the five words two are extremely problematic and the meaning of the second affects also the meaning of the last word which normally means “go out.” The word צִיץ (tsits) regularly refers to a blossom or flower or the diadem on the front of Aaron’s mitre. BDB 851 s.v. II צִיץ gives a nuance “wings (coll)” based on the interpretation of Abu Walid and some medieval Jewish interpreters who related it to an Aramaic root. But BDB says that meaning is dubious and refers to the Greek which reads σημεῖα (shmeia, “sign” or “sign post”). Along with KBL 802 s.v. I צִיץ and HALOT 959 s.v. II צִיץ, BDB suggests that the Greek presupposes the word צִיּוּן (tsiyyun) which refers to a road marker (Jer 31:21) or a gravestone (2 Kgs 23:17). That is the meaning followed here. Several modern commentaries and English versions have followed a proposal by W. Moran that the word is related to a Ugaritic word meaning salt (cf., e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 320). However, HALOT 959 s.v. II צִיץ questions the validity of this on philological grounds saying that the meaning of salt does not really fit the Ugaritic either. The present translation follows the suggestions of the lexicons here and reads the word as though the Greek supported the meaning “gravestone.” The other difficulty is with the word נָצֹא (natso’), which looks like a Qal infinitive absolute of an otherwise unattested root which BDB s.v. נָצָא says is defined in Gesenius’ Thesaurus as “fly.” However, see the meaning and the construction of an infinitive absolute of one root with that of another as highly improbable. Hence, most modern lexicons either emend the forms to read נָצֹה תִּצֶּה (natsoh titseh) from the root נָצָה (natsah) meaning “to fall into ruins” (so KBL 629 s.v. נָצָה Qal, and see among others J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 700, n. 10, who notes that final א [aleph] and final ה [hey] are often confused; see the discussion and examples in GKC 216-17 §75.nn-rr). This is the option that this translation as well as a number of modern ones have taken. A second option is to see נָצֹא (natso’) as an error for יָצֹא (yatso’) and read the text in the sense of “she will certainly surrender,” a meaning that the verb יָצָא (yatsa’) has in 1 Sam 11:3; Isa 36:6. The best discussion of this option as well as a discussion on the problem of reading צִיץ (tsits) as salt is found in G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 313-14.

[48:10]  ¹¹⁸² tn Heb “who withholds his sword from bloodshed.” This verse is an editorial aside (or apostrophe) addressed to the Babylonian destroyers to be diligent in carrying out the work of the Lord in destroying Moab.

[48:11]  ¹¹⁸³ tn Heb “Therefore his taste remains in him and his aroma is not changed.” The metaphor is changed into a simile in an attempt to help the reader understand the figure in the context.

[48:11]  sn The picture is that of undisturbed complacency (cf. Zeph 1:12). Because Moab had never known the discipline of exile she had remained as she always was.

[48:12]  ¹¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “Therefore, behold the days are coming, oracle of Yahweh, when I will send against him decanters [those who pour from one vessel to another] and they will decant him [pour him out] and they will empty his vessels and break their jars in pieces.” The verse continues the metaphor from the preceding verse where Moab/the people of Moab are like wine left undisturbed in a jar, i.e., in their native land. In this verse the picture is that of the decanter emptying the wine from the vessels and then breaking the jars. The wine represents the people and the vessels the cities and towns where the people lived. The verse speaks of the exile of the people and the devastation of the land. The metaphor has been interpreted so it conveys meaning to the average reader.

[48:12]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[48:13]  ¹¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “Moab will be ashamed because of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed because of Bethel, their [source of] confidence.” The “shame” is, of course, the disappointment, disillusionment because of the lack of help from these gods in which they trusted (for this nuance of the verb see BDB 101 s.v. בּוֹשׁ Qal.2 and compare usage in Jer 2:13; Isa 20:5). Because of the parallelism, some see the reference to Bethel to be a reference to a West Semitic god worshiped by the people of Israel (see J. P. Hyatt, “Bethel [Deity],” IDB 1:390 for the arguments). However, there is no evidence in the OT that such a god was worshiped in Israel, and there is legitimate evidence that northern Israel placed its confidence in the calf god that Jeroboam set up in Bethel (cf. 1 Kgs 12:28-32; Hos 10:5; 8:5-6; Amos 7:10-17).

[48:13]  map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[48:15]  ¹¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “will go down to the slaughter.”

[48:15]  ¹¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of the translation and meaning of this title see the study note on 2:19.

[48:15]  ¹¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the King whose name is Yahweh of armies.” The first person form has again been adopted because the Lord is the speaker throughout this oracle/ these oracles (cf. v. 1).

[48:17]  ¹¹⁹⁰ tn For the use of the word “name” (שֵׁם, shem) to “fame” or “repute” see BDB 1028 s.v. שֵׁם 2.b and compare the usage in Ezek 16:14; 2 Chr 26:15.

[48:17]  sn This refers to both the nearby nations and those who lived further away who had heard of Moab’s power and might only by repute.

[48:17]  ¹¹⁹¹ tn Heb “How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod.” “How” introduces a lament which is here rendered by “Alas.” The staff and rod refer to the support that Moab gave to others not to the fact that she ruled over others which was never the case. According to BDB 739 s.v. עוֹז 1 the “strong staff” is figurative of political power.

[48:18]  ¹¹⁹² tn Heb “sit in thirst.” The abstract “thirst” is put for the concrete, i.e., thirsty or parched ground (cf. Deut 8:19; Isa 35:7; Ps 107:33) for the concrete. There is no need to emend to “filth” (צֹאָה [tso’ah] for צָמָא [tsama’]) as is sometimes suggested.

[48:18]  ¹¹⁹³ tn Heb “inhabitant of Daughter Dibon.” “Daughter” is used here as often in Jeremiah for the personification of a city, a country, or its inhabitants. The word “inhabitant” is to be understood as a collective as also in v. 19.

[48:18]  sn Dibon was an important fortified city located on the “King’s Highway,” the main north-south road in Transjordan. It was the site at which the Moabite Stone was found in 1868 and was one of the cities mentioned on it. It was four miles north of the Arnon River and thirteen miles east of the Dead Sea. It was one of the main cities on the northern plateau and had been conquered from Sihon and allotted to the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:17).

[48:19]  ¹¹⁹⁴ sn Aroer is probably the Aroer that was located a few miles south and west of Dibon on the edge of the Arnon River. It had earlier been the southern border of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and had been allotted to the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:16). However, this whole territory had earlier been taken over by the Arameans (2 Kgs 10:33), later by the Assyrians, and at this time was in the hands of the Moabites.

[48:21]  ¹¹⁹⁵ sn See the study note on Jer 48:8 for reference to this tableland or high plain that lay between the Arnon and Heshbon.

[48:25]  ¹¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “The horn of Moab will be cut off. His arm will be broken.” “Horn” and “arm” are both symbols of strength (see BDB 902 s.v. קֶרֶן 2 [and compare usage in Lam 2:3] and BDB 284 s.v. זְרוֹעַ 2 [and compare usage in 1 Sam 2:31]). The figures have been interpreted for the sake of clarity.

[48:25]  ¹¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[48:26]  ¹¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “Make him drunk because he has magnified himself against the Lord.” The first person has again been adopted for consistency within a speech of the Lord. Almost all of the commentaries relate the figure of drunkenness to the figure of drinking the cup of God’s wrath spelled out in Jer 25 where reference is made at one point to the nations drinking, staggering, vomiting, and falling (25:27 and see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 316, for a full list of references to this figure including this passage and 49:12-13; 51:6-10, 39, 57).

[48:26]  ¹¹⁹⁹ tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. It is usually used of clapping the hands or the thigh in helpless anger or disgust. Hence J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 321) paraphrases “shall vomit helplessly.” HALOT 722 s.v. II סָפַק relates this to an Aramaic word and see a homonym meaning “vomit” or “spew out.” The translation is that of BDB 706 s.v. סָפַק Qal.3, “splash (fall with a splash),” from the same root that refers to slapping or clapping the thigh.

[48:27]  ¹²⁰⁰ tn Heb “were they caught among thieves?”

[48:27]  ¹²⁰¹ tn Heb “that you shook yourself.” But see the same verb in 18:16 in the active voice with the object “head” in a very similar context of contempt or derision.

[48:27]  ¹²⁰² tc The reading here presupposes the emendation of דְבָרֶיךָ (dÿvarekha, “your words”) to דַבֶּרְךָ (dabberkha, “your speaking”), suggested by BHS (cf. fn c) on the basis of one of the Greek versions (Symmachus). For the idiom cf. BDB 191 s.v. דַּי 2.c.α.

[48:28]  ¹²⁰³ tn Heb “in the sides of the mouth of a pit/chasm.” The translation follows the suggestion of J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 321. The point of the simile is inaccessibility.

[48:29]  ¹²⁰⁴ tn Heb “We have heard of the pride of Moab – [he is] exceedingly proud – of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his haughtiness, and the loftiness of his heart.” These words are essentially all synonyms, three of them coming from the same Hebrew root (גָּאָה, ga’ah) and one of the words being used twice (גָּאוֹן). Since the first person singular is used in the next verse, the present translation considers the “we” of this verse to refer to the plural of majesty or the plural referring to the divine council in such passages as Gen 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa 6:8 and has translated in the singular to avoid possible confusion of who the “we” are. Most understand the reference to be to Jeremiah and his fellow Judeans.

[48:30]  ¹²⁰⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[48:30]  ¹²⁰⁶ tn The meaning of this verse is somewhat uncertain: Heb “I know, oracle of the Lord,/ his arrogance and [that it is?] not true; // his boastings accomplish that which is not true.” Several of the modern English versions and commentaries redivide the verse and read something like, “I know his insolence…his boastings are false; his deeds are false (NRSV, REB).” However, the word translated “deeds” in the last line is a verb in the third person plural and can only have as its logical grammatical subject the word “boastings.” The adjective כֵּן (ken) + the negative לֹא (lo’) is evidently repeated here and applied to two different subjects “arrogance” and “boasting” to emphasize that Moab’s arrogant boasts will prove “untrue” (Cf. HALOT 459 s.v. II כֵּן 2.c for the meaning “untrue” for both this passage and the parallel one in Isa 16:6). There is some difference of opinion about the identification of the “I” in this verse. Most commentators see it as referring to the prophet. However, F. B. Huey (Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 395) is probably correct in seeing it as referring to the Lord. He points to the fact that the “I” in vv. 33, 35, 38 can only refer to God. The “I know” in v. 30 also clearly has the Lord as its subject. There are other cases in the book of Jeremiah where the Lord expresses his lament over the fate of a people (cf. 14:1-6, 17-18).

[48:31]  ¹²⁰⁷ tc The translation is based on the emendation of the Hebrew third masculine singular (יֶהְגֶּה, yehggeh) to the first singular (אֶהְגֶּה, ’ehgeh). This emendation is assumed by almost all of the modern English versions and commentaries even though the textual evidence for it is weak (only one Hebrew ms and the Eastern Qere according to BHS).

[48:32]  ¹²⁰⁸ tc Or “I will weep for the grapevines of Sibmah more than I will weep over the town of Jazer.” The translation here assumes that there has been a graphic confusion of מ (mem) with כְּ (kaf) or בְּ (bet). The parallel passage in Isa 16:9 has the preposition בְּ and the Greek version presupposes a comparative idea “as with.” Many of the modern English versions render the passage with the comparative מִן (min) as in the alternate translation, but it is unclear what the force of the comparison would be here. The verse is actually in the second person, an apostrophe or direct address to the grapevine(s) of Sibmah. However, the translation has retained the third person throughout because such sudden shifts in person are uncommon in contemporary English literature and retaining the third person is smoother. The Hebrew text reads: “From/With the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Your tendrils crossed over the sea. They reached unto the sea of Jazer. Upon your summer fruit and your vintage [grape harvest] the destroyer has fallen.”

[48:32]  ¹²⁰⁹ tn Heb “crossed over to the Sea.”

[48:32]  ¹²¹⁰ tn Or “reached the sea of Jazer.” The Sea is generally taken to be a reference to the Dead Sea. The translation presupposes that the word “sea” is to be omitted before “Jazer.” The word is missing from two Hebrew mss, from the parallel passage in Isa 16:8, and from the Greek version. It may have arisen from a mistaken copying of the same word in the preceding line.

[48:32]  sn Though there is some doubt about the precise location of these places, Sibmah is generally considered to have been located slightly north and west of Heshbon and Jazer further north toward the border of Ammon not far from the city of Amman. Most commentators see the reference here (and in the parallel in Isa 16:8) to the spread of viticulture westward and northward from the vineyards of Sibmah. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 318-19), however, see the reference rather to the spread of trade in wine westward beyond the coast of the Mediterranean and eastward into the desert.

[48:32]  ¹²¹¹ tn Heb “her summer fruit.” See the translator’s note on 40:10 for the rendering here. According to BDB 657 s.v. נָפַל Qal.4.a, the verb means to “fall upon” or “attack” but in the context it is probably metonymical for attack and destroy.

[48:33]  ¹²¹² tn Heb “from the garden land, even from the land of Moab.” Comparison with the parallel passage in Isa 16:10 and the translation of the Greek text here (which has only “the land of Moab”) suggest that the second phrase is appositional to the first.

[48:33]  ¹²¹³ tn Heb “no one will tread [the grapes] with shout of joy.”

[48:33]  ¹²¹⁴ tn Heb “shouts will not be shouts.” The text has been expanded contextually to explain that the shouts of those treading grapes in winepresses will come to an end (v. 33a-d) and be replaced by the shouts of the soldiers who trample down the vineyards (v. 32e-f). Compare 25:30 and 51:41 for the idea.

[48:34]  ¹²¹⁵ tn The meaning of this verse is very uncertain. The ambiguity of the syntax and the apparent elliptical nature of this text makes the meaning of this verse uncertain. The Hebrew text reads: “From the cry of Heshbon unto Elealeh unto Jahaz they utter their voice from Zoar unto Horonaim Eglath Shelishiyah.” The translation and interpretation here are based on interpreting the elliptical syntax here by the parallel passage in Isaiah 15:4-6 where cries of anguish rise from Heshbon and Elealeh which are heard all the way to Jahaz. The people flee southward arriving at Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah where they voice the news of the destruction in the north. Hence, the present translation interprets the phrase “from the cry of Heshbon unto Elealeh” to be parallel to “Heshbon and Elealeh cry out” and take the preposition “from” with the verb “they utter their voice,” i.e., with the cry of Heshbon and Elealeh. The impersonal “they raise their voice” is then treated as a passive and made the subject of the whole verse. There is some debate about the identification of the waters of Nimrim. They may refer to the waters of the Wadi Nimrim which enters the Jordan about eight miles north of the Dead Sea or those of the Wadi en-Numeirah which flows into the southern tip of the Dead Sea from about ten miles south. Most commentators take the reference to be the latter because of association with Zoar. However, if the passage is talking about the destruction in the north which is reported in the south by the fleeing refugees, the reference is probably to the Wadi Nimrim in the north.

[48:34]  sn Elealeh was about two miles (3.3 km) north of Heshbon. Jahaz was about twenty miles (33 km) south of it. These three cities were in the north and Zoar, Horonaim, and Eglath Shelishiyah were apparently in the south. The verse is speaking about the news of destruction in the north spreading to the south. Comparison should be made with the parallel passage in Isa 15:4-6.

[48:35]  ¹²¹⁶ tn Heb “high place[s].” For the meaning and significance of this term see the study note on 7:31.

[48:35]  ¹²¹⁷ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[48:37]  ¹²¹⁸ tn Heb “upon every loin [there is] sackcloth.” The word “all” is restored here before “loin” with a number of Hebrew mss and a number of versions. The words “in mourning” and “to show their sorrow” are not in the text. They have been supplied in the translation to give the average reader some idea of the significance of these acts.

[48:37]  sn The actions referred to here were all acts that were used to mourn the dead (cf. Isa 15:2-3).

[48:38]  ¹²¹⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[48:39]  ¹²²⁰ tn Heb “turn her back.”

[48:40]  ¹²²¹ tn Heb “Behold! Like an eagle he will swoop and will spread his wings against Moab.” The sentence has been reordered in English to give a better logical flow and the unidentified “he” has been identified as “a nation.” The nation is, of course, Babylon, but it is nowhere identified so the referent has been left ambiguous.

[48:40]  sn Conquering nations are often identified with a swiftly flying eagle swooping down on its victims (cf. Deut 28:49). In this case the eagle is to be identified with the nation (or king) of Babylon (cf. Ezek 17:3, 12 where reference is to the removal of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) and his replacement with Zedekiah).

[48:41]  ¹²²² tn Parallelism argues that the word קְרִיּוֹת (qÿriyyot) be understood as the otherwise unattested feminine plural of the noun קִרְיָה (qiryah, “city”) rather than the place name Kerioth mentioned in v. 24 (cf. HALOT 1065 s.v. קִרְיָה). Both this noun and the parallel term “fortresses” are plural but are found with feminine singular verbs, being treated either as collectives or distributive plurals (cf. GKC 462-63 §145.c or 464 §145.l).

[48:41]  ¹²²³ tn Heb “The heart of the soldiers of Moab will be like the heart of a woman in labor.”

[48:42]  ¹²²⁴ tn Heb “Moab will be destroyed from [being] a people.”

[48:43]  ¹²²⁵ sn There is an extended use of assonance here and in the parallel passage in Isa 24:17. The Hebrew text reads פַּחַד וָפַחַת וָפָח (pakhad vafakhat vafakh). The assonance is intended to underscore the extensive trouble that is in store for them.

[48:43]  ¹²²⁶ tn Heb “are upon you, inhabitant of Moab.” This is another example of the rapid switch in person or direct address (apostrophe) in the midst of a third person description or prediction which the present translation typically keeps in the third person for smoother English style.

[48:43]  ¹²²⁷ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[48:44]  ¹²²⁸ sn Jer 48:43-44a are in the main the same as Isa 24:17-18 which shows that the judgment was somewhat proverbial. For a very similar kind of argumentation see Amos 5:19; judgment is unavoidable.

[48:44]  ¹²²⁹ tn Heb “For I will bring upon her, even upon Moab, the year of her punishment.”

[48:44]  ¹²³⁰ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[48:45]  ¹²³¹ tn Or “of those noisy boasters.” Or “They will burn up the frontiers of Moab. They will burn up the mountain heights of those war-loving people.” The meaning of this verse is not entirely certain because of the highly figurative nature of the last two lines. The Hebrew text has been translated somewhat literally here. The Hebrew text reads: “In the shadow of Heshbon those fleeing stand without strength. For a fire goes forth from Heshbon, a flame from the midst of Sihon. And it devours the forehead of Moab and the skull of the sons of noise.” The meaning of the first part is fairly clear because v. 2 has already spoken of the conquest of Heshbon and a plot formed there to conquer the rest of the nation. The fire going forth from Heshbon would hence refer here to the conflagrations of war spreading from Heshbon to the rest of the country. The reference to the “midst of Sihon” is to be understood metonymically as a reference for the ruler to what he once ruled (cf. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 583). The last two lines must refer to more than the fugitives who stopped at Heshbon for protection because it refers to the forehead of Moab (a personification of the whole land or nation). It is unclear, however, why reference is made to the foreheads and skulls of the Moabites, other than the fact that this verse seems to be a readaptation or reuse of Num 24:17 where the verb used with them is “smite” which fits nicely in the sense of martial destruction. Translated rather literally, it appears here to refer to the destruction by the fires of war of the Moabites, the part (forehead and skulls) put for the whole. TEV sees a reference here to the “frontiers” and “mountain heights” of Moab and this would work nicely for “foreheads” which is elsewhere used of the corner or border of a land in Neh 9:22. The word “crown” or “skull” might be a picturesque metaphor for the mountain heights of a land, but the word is never used elsewhere in such a figurative way. TEV (and CEV) which follows it might be correct here but there is no way to validate it. The meaning “war-loving people” for the phrase “sons of noise” is based on the suggestion of BDB 981 s.v. שָׁאוֹן 1 which relates the phrase to the dominant use for שָׁאוֹן (sha’on) and is adopted also by TEV, CEV, and C. von Orelli, Jeremiah, 341. REB “braggarts” and NIV “noisy boasters” seem to base the nuance on the usage of שָׁאוֹן (sha’on) in Jer 46:17 where Pharaoh is referred to as an empty noise and the reference to Moab’s arrogance and boasting in 48:29.

[48:45]  sn This verse and the next are an apparent adaptation and reuse of a victory song in Num 21:28-29 and a prophecy in Num 24:17. That explains the reference to Sihon who was the Amorite king who captured Heshbon and proceeded from there to capture most of northern Moab (the area between Heshbon and the Arnon) which has been referred to earlier in this prophecy. This prophecy appears to speak of the destruction of Moab beginning from the same place under the picture of a destructive fire which burns up all the people. The fire is a reference to the conflagrations of war in which the enemy captures the cities and sets them on fire and burns all the people in them. What Sihon once did (Num 21:28-29) and what Balaam prophesied would happen to Moab in the future (by David? Num 24:17) are being reapplied to a new situation.

[48:46]  ¹²³² tn Heb “Woe to you, Moab.” For the usage of this expression see 4:13, 31; 13:17 and the translator’s note on 4:13 and 10:19.

[48:46]  ¹²³³ tn Heb “Your sons will be taken away into captivity, your daughters into exile.”

[48:47]  ¹²³⁴ tn See 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.

[48:47]  ¹²³⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[49:1]  ¹²³⁶ sn Ammonites. Ammon was a small kingdom to the north and east of Moab which was in constant conflict with the Transjordanian tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh over territorial rights to the lands north and south of the Jabbok River. Ammon mainly centered on the city of Rabbah which is modern Amman. According to Judg 11:13 the Ammonites claimed the land between the Jabbok and the Arnon but this was land taken from them by Sihon and Og and land that the Israelites captured from the latter two kings. The Ammonites attempted to expand into the territory of Israel in the Transjordan in the time of Jephthah (Judg 10-11) and the time of Saul (1 Sam 11). Apparently when Tiglath Pileser carried away the Israelite tribes in Transjordan in 733 b.c., the Ammonites took over possession of their cities (Jer 49:1). Like Moab they appear to have been loyal to Nebuchadnezzar in the early part of his reign, forming part of the contingent that he sent to harass Judah when Jehoiakim rebelled in 598 b.c. (2 Kgs 24:2). But along with Moab and Edom they sent representatives to plot rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in 594 b.c. (Jer 27:3). The Ammonites were evidently in rebellion against him in 588 b.c. when he had to decide whether to attack Rabbah or Jerusalem first (Ezek 21:18-23 [21:23-28 HT]). They appear to have remained in rebellion after the destruction of Jerusalem because their king Baalis was behind the plot to assassinate Gedaliah and offered refuge to Ishmael after he did it (Jer 40:13; 41:15). According to the Jewish historian Josephus they were conquered in 582 b.c. by Nebuchadnezzar.

[49:1]  ¹²³⁷ tc The reading here and in v. 3 follows the reading of the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13. The Hebrew reads “Malcom” both here, in v. 3, and Zeph 1:5. This god is to be identified with the god known elsewhere as Molech (cf. 1 Kgs 11:7).

[49:1]  ¹²³⁸ tn Heb “Does not Israel have any sons? Does not he have any heir [or “heirs” as a collective]? Why [then] has Malcom taken possession of Gad and [why] do his [Malcom’s] people live in his [Gad’s] land?” A literal translation here will not produce any meaning without major commentary. Hence the meaning that is generally agreed on is reflected in an admittedly paraphrastic translation. The reference is to the fact that the Ammonites had taken possession of the cities that had been deserted when the Assyrians carried off the Transjordanian tribes in 733 b.c. assuming that the Israelites would not return in sufficient numbers to regain control of it. The thought underlying the expression “Why has Milcom taken possession…” reflects the idea, common in the OT and the ancient Near East, that the god of a people drove out the previous inhabitants, gave their land to his worshipers to possess, and took up residence with them there (cf., e.g., Deut 1:21; Judg 11:24 and line 33-34 of the Moabite stone: “Chemosh said to me, ‘Go down, fight against Hauronen.’ And I went down [and I fought against the town and took it], and Chemosh dwelt there in my time.” [ANET 321]).

[49:2]  ¹²³⁹ tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”

[49:2]  ¹²⁴⁰ tn Heb “a desolate tel.” For the explanation of what a “tel” is see the study note on 30:18.

[49:2]  ¹²⁴¹ tn Heb “Its daughters will be burned with fire.” For the use of the word “daughters” to refer to the villages surrounding a larger city see BDB 123 s.v. I בַּת 4 and compare the usage in Judg 1:27.

[49:2]  ¹²⁴² tn Heb “says the Lord.” The first person is used to maintain the first person address throughout.

[49:3]  ¹²⁴³ tn Or “you women of Rabbah”; Heb “daughters of Rabbah.” It is difficult to tell whether the word “daughters” is used here in the same sense that it has in v. 2 (see the translator’s note there) or in the literal sense of “daughters.” The former has been preferred because the cities themselves (e.g., Heshbon) are called to wail in the earlier part of the verse and the term “daughters” has been used in the previous verse of the surrounding villages.

[49:3]  ¹²⁴⁴ tc Or “Run back and forth inside the walls of your towns.” Or “slash yourselves with gashes.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads “run back and forth among the walls.” The word “run back and forth” is generally taken as a Hitpolel of a verb that means to “go about” in the Qal and to “go back and forth” in the Polel (cf. BDB 1002 s.v. I שׁוּט). The noun that follows in the Hebrew means “wall, hedge” and is quite commonly modified by the noun צֹאן (tso’n, “sheep”) referring to sheepfolds (cf., e.g., Num 32:36; 1 Sam 24:3). But the phrase “run back and forth among the sheepfolds” yields little meaning here. In Ps 89:40 (89:41 HT) the word “wall” is used in parallelism with fortified cities and refers to the walls of the city. That is the sense that is assumed in one of the alternate translations with the words “of your towns” being supplied in the translation for clarification. However, that figure is a little odd in a context which speaks of mourning rites. Hence, some emend the word “walls” (גְּדֵרוֹת, gÿderot) to “gashes” (גְּדֻדוֹת, gÿdudot), a word that has occurred in a similar context in Jer 48:37. That would involve only the common confusion of ר and ד. That is the reading adopted here and fits the context nicely. NRSV appears to go one step further and read the verb as a Hitpolel from a root that is otherwise used only as a noun to mean “whip” or “scourge.” NRSV reads “slash yourselves with whips” which also makes excellent sense in the context but is not supported by any parallel use of the verb.

[49:3]  ¹²⁴⁵ sn Compare Jer 48:7 and the study note there.

[49:4]  ¹²⁴⁶ tn Or “Why do you brag about your valleys, about the fruitfulness of your valleys.” The meaning of the first two lines of this verse are uncertain primarily due to the ambiguity of the expression זָב עִמְקֵךְ (zav ’imqekh). The form זָב (zav) is either a Qal perfect or Qal participle of a verb meaning flow. It is common in the expression “a land flowing with milk and honey” and is also common to refer to the seminal discharge or discharge of blood which makes a man or woman unclean. BDB 264 s.v. זוּב Qal.2 sees it as an abbreviation of the idea of “flowing with milk and honey” and sees it as referring to the fertility of Ammon’s valley. However, there are no other examples of such an ellipsis. Several of the modern English versions and commentaries have taken the word עֵמֶק (’emeq) not as a reference to a valley but to the homonym cited in the note on 47:5 and see the reference here to the flowing away of Ammon’s strength. That interpretation is followed here. Instead of explaining the plural ending on עֲמָקִים (’amaqim) as being an enclitic ם (mem) as others who follow this interpretation (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 325), the present translation understands the plural as a plural of amplification (cf. GKC 397-98 §124.e and compare the noun “might” in Isa 40:26).

[49:4]  ¹²⁴⁷ tn Heb “apostate daughter.” This same term is applied to Israel in Jer 31:22 but seems inappropriate here to Ammon because she had never been loyal to the Lord and could not hence be called “apostate.” However, if it is used of the fact that she rebelled against the Lord’s servant, Nebuchadnezzar, it might be appropriate (cf. Jer 27:6, 8). Hence the term “rebellious” is used in the translation to represent it. The word “daughter” is again a personification of the land (cf. BDB 123 s.v. בַּת 3) and is here translated “people of Ammon” to make it easier for the modern reader to identify the referent.

[49:5]  ¹²⁴⁸ tn Heb “The Lord Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of the rendering here and of the significance of this title see the study note on 2:19.

[49:5]  ¹²⁴⁹ tn Heb “You will be scattered each man [straight] before him.”

[49:6]  ¹²⁵⁰ tn See Jer 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.

[49:6]  ¹²⁵¹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[49:7]  ¹²⁵² tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for this title.

[49:7]  ¹²⁵³ sn Edom was a kingdom to the south and east of Judah. Its borders varied over time but basically Edom lay in the hundred mile strip between the Gulf of Aqaba on the south and the Zered River on the north. It straddled the Arabah leading down from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, having as its northern neighbors both Judah and Moab. A long history of hostility existed between Israel and Edom, making Edom one of the favorite objects of the prophets’ oracles of judgment (cf., e.g., Isa 21:11-12; 34:5-15; 63:1-6; Amos 1:11-12; Ezek 25:12-14; 35:1-15; Obad 1-16). Not much is known about Edom at this time other than the fact that they participated in the discussions regarding rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in 594 b.c. According to Obadiah 10-16 they not only gloated over Judah’s downfall in 586 b.c. but participated in its plunder and killed some of those who were fleeing the country.

[49:7]  ¹²⁵⁴ sn Teman was the name of one of Esau’s descendants, the name of an Edomite clan and the name of the district where they lived (Gen 36:11, 15, 34). Like the name Bozrah, it is used poetically for all of Edom (Jer 49:20; Ezek 25:13).

[49:7]  ¹²⁵⁵ tn Heb “Has counsel perished from men of understanding?”

[49:7]  ¹²⁵⁶ tn The meaning of this last word is based on the definition given in KBL 668 s.v. II סָרַח Nif and HALOT 726 s.v. II סָרַח Nif, which give the nuance “to be [or become] corrupt” rather than that of BDB 710 s.v. סָרַח Niph who give the nuance “let loose (i.e., to be dismissed; to be gone)” from a verb that is elsewhere used of the overhanging of a curtains or a cliff.

[49:8]  ¹²⁵⁷ tn Heb “make deep to dwell.” The meaning of this phrase is debated. Some take it as a reference for the Dedanites who were not native to Edom to go down from the heights of Edom and go back home (so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 330). The majority of commentaries, however, take it as a reference to the Dedanites disassociating themselves from the Edomites and finding remote hiding places to live in (so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 718). For the options see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:375.

[49:8]  ¹²⁵⁸ sn Dedan. The Dedanites were an Arabian tribe who lived to the southeast of Edom. They are warned here to disassociate themselves from Edom because Edom is about to suffer disaster.

[49:8]  ¹²⁵⁹ tn Heb “For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him, the time when I will punish him.” Esau was the progenitor of the tribes and nation of Edom (cf. Gen 36:1, 8, 9, 19).

[49:9]  ¹²⁶⁰ tn The translation of this verse is generally based on the parallels in Obad 5. There the second line has a ה interrogative in front of it. The question can still be assumed because questions can be asked in Hebrew without a formal marker (cf. GKC 473 §150.a and BDB 519 s.v. לֹא 1.a[e] and compare usage in 2 Kgs 5:26).

[49:9]  ¹²⁶¹ tn The tense and nuance of the verb translated “pillage” are both different than the verb in Obad 5. There the verb is the imperfect of גָּנַב (ganav, “to steal”). Here the verb is the perfect of a verb which means to “ruin” or “spoil.” The English versions and commentaries, however, almost all render the verb here in much the same way as in Obad 5. The nuance must mean they only “ruin, destroy” (by stealing) only as much as they need (Heb “their sufficiency”), and the verb is used as metonymical substitute, effect for cause. The perfect must be some kind of a future perfect; “would they not have destroyed only…” The negative question is carried over by ellipsis from the preceding lines.

[49:11]  ¹²⁶² tn Or “Their children and relatives will all be destroyed. And none of their neighbors will say, ‘Leave your orphans with me and I’ll keep them alive. Your widows can trust in me.’” This latter interpretation is based on a reading in a couple of the Greek versions (Symmachus and Lucian) and is accepted by a number of the modern commentaries, (J. Bright, J. A. Thompson, W. L. Holladay, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers). However, the majority of modern English versions do not follow it and lacking any other Hebrew or versional evidence it is probable that this is an interpretation to explain the mitigation of what appears as a prophecy of utter annihilation. There have been other cases in Jeremiah where a universal affirmation (either positive or negative) has been modified in the verses that follow. The verb in the second line תִּבְטָחוּ (tivtakhu) is highly unusual; it is a second masculine plural form with a feminine plural subject. The form is explained in GKC 127-28 §47.k and 160-61 §60.a, n. 1 as a pausal substitution for the normal form תִּבְטַחְנָה (tivtakhnah) and a similar form in Ezek 37:7 cited as a parallel.

[49:12]  ¹²⁶³ tn The words “of my wrath” after “cup” in the first line and “from the cup of my wrath” in the last line are not in the text but are implicit in the metaphor. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[49:12]  sn The reference here is to the cup of God’s wrath which is connected with the punishment of war at the hands of the Babylonians referred to already in Jer 25:15-29. Those who do not deserve to drink are the innocent victims of war who get swept away with the guilty. Edom was certainly not one of the innocent victims as is clear from this judgment speech and those referred to in the study note on 49:7.

[49:13]  ¹²⁶⁴ tn Heb “I swear by myself.” See 22:5 and the study note there.

[49:13]  ¹²⁶⁵ sn Bozrah appears to have been the chief city in Edom, its capital city (see its parallelism with Edom in Isa 34:6; 63:1; Jer 49:22). The reference to “its towns” (translated here “all the towns around it”) could then be a reference to all the towns in Edom. It was located about twenty-five miles southeast of the southern end of the Dead Sea apparently in the district of Teman (see the parallelism in Amos 1:12).

[49:13]  ¹²⁶⁶ tn See the study note on 24:9 for the rendering of this term.

[49:14]  ¹²⁶⁷ tn The words “I said” are not in the text but it is generally agreed that the words that follow are Jeremiah’s. These words are supplied in the translation to make clear that the speaker has shifted from the Lord to Jeremiah.

[49:14]  ¹²⁶⁸ tn Heb “Rise up for battle.” The idea “against her” is implicit from the context and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[49:15]  ¹²⁶⁹ tn The words “The Lord says to Edom” are not in the text. They have been supplied in the translation to mark the shift from the address of the messenger summoning the nations to prepare to do battle against Edom. The Lord is clearly the speaker (see the end of v. 16) and Edom is clearly the addressee. Such sudden shifts are common in Hebrew poetry, particularly Hebrew prophecy, but are extremely disruptive to a modern reader trying to follow the argument of a passage. TEV adds “The Lord said” and then retains third person throughout. CEV puts all of vv. 14-16 in the second person and uses indirect discourse in v. 15.

[49:16]  ¹²⁷⁰ tn The meaning of this Hebrew word (תִּפְלֶצֶת, tifletset) is uncertain because it occurs only here. However, it is related to a verb root that refers to the shaking of the pillars (of the earth) in Job 9:6 and a noun (מִפְלֶצֶת, mifletset) that refers to “horror” or “shuddering” used in Job 21:6; Isa 21:4; Ezek 7:18; Ps 55:6. This is the nuance that is accepted by BDB, KBL, HAL and a majority of the modern English versions. The suffix is an objective genitive. The fact that the following verb is masculine singular suggests that the text here (הִשִּׁיא אֹתָךְ, hishi’ ’otakh) is in error for הִשִּׁיאָתָךְ (hishi’atakh; so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 327, n. 16.a).

[49:16]  ¹²⁷¹ tn The Hebrew text of the first four lines reads: “Your terror [= the terror you inspire] has deceived you, [and] the arrogance of your heart, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the heights of the hill.” The sentence is broken up and restructured to better conform with English style.

[49:17]  ¹²⁷² sn This verse is very similar to Jer 19:8 where the same judgment is pronounced on Jerusalem. For the meaning of some of the terms here (“hiss out their scorn” and “all the disasters that have happened to it”) see the notes on that verse.

[49:19]  ¹²⁷³ tn See the study note on Jer 12:5 for the rendering of this term.

[49:19]  ¹²⁷⁴ tn “The pasture-ground on the everflowing river” according to KBL 42 s.v. I אֵיתָן 1. The “everflowing river” refers to the Jordan.

[49:19]  ¹²⁷⁵ tn Heb “Behold, like a lion comes up from the thicket of the Jordan into the pastureland of everflowing water so [reading כֵּן (ken) for כִּי (ki); or “indeed” (reading כִּי as an asseverative particle with J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 719, n. 6)] I will suddenly chase him [Edom] from upon it [the land].” The sentence has been restructured to better conform with contemporary English style and the significance of the simile drawn from the comparison has been spelled out for the sake of clarity. The form אַרְגִּיעָה (’argi’ah) is functioning here as an adverbial modifier in a verbal hendiadys (cf. GKC 386 §120.g).

[49:19]  ¹²⁷⁶ tn For the use of the interrogative מִי (mi) in the sense of “whoever” and functioning like an adjective see BDB 567 s.v. מִי g and compare the usage in Prov 9:4, 16.

[49:19]  ¹²⁷⁷ tn For the meaning of this verb in the sense of “arraign” or “call before the bar of justice” compare Job 9:19 and see BDB 417 s.v. יָעַד Hiph.

[49:19]  ¹²⁷⁸ tn The interrogative מִי (mi) is rendered “there is no one” in each of the last three occurrences in this verse because it is used in a rhetorical question that expects the answer “no one” or “none” and is according to BDB 566 s.v. מִי f(c) equivalent to a rhetorical negative.

[49:19]  ¹²⁷⁹ tn The word “shepherd” (רֹעֶה, ro’eh) has been used often in the book of Jeremiah to refer metaphorically to the ruler or leader (cf. BDB 945 s.v. I רָעָה Qal.1.d(2) and compare usage, e.g., in Jer 2:8; 23:1).

[49:20]  ¹²⁸⁰ tn Heb “Therefore listen to the plan of the Lord which he has planned against Edom, and the purposes which he has purposed against…” The first person has again been adopted in the translation to avoid the shift from the first person address in v. 19 to the third person in v. 20, a shift that is common in Hebrew poetry, particularly Hebrew prophecy, but which is not common in contemporary English literature.

[49:20]  ¹²⁸¹ sn Teman here appears to be a poetic equivalent for Edom, a common figure of speech in Hebrew poetry where the part is put for the whole. “The people of Teman” is thus equivalent to all the people of Edom.

[49:20]  ¹²⁸² tn Heb “They will surely drag them off, namely the young ones of the flock. He will devastate their habitation [or their sheepfold] on account of them.” The figure of the lion among the flock of sheep appears to be carried on here where the people are referred to as a flock and their homeland is referred to as a sheepfold. It is hard, however, to carry the figure over here into the translation, so the figures have been interpreted instead. Both of these last two sentences are introduced by a formula that indicates a strong affirmative oath (i.e., they are introduced by אִם לֹא [’im lo’; cf. BDB 50 s.v. אִם 1.b(2)]). The subject of the verb “they will drag them off” is the indefinite third plural which may be taken as a passive in English (cf. GKC 460 §144.g). The subject of the last line is the Lord which has been rendered in the first person for stylistic reasons (see the translator’s note on the beginning of the verse).

[49:21]  ¹²⁸³ tn Heb “The earth will quake when at the sound of their downfall.” However, as in many other places “earth” stands here metonymically for the inhabitants or people of the earth (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 578-79, and compare usage in 2 Sam 15:23; Ps 66:4).

[49:21]  ¹²⁸⁴ tn Heb “the Red Sea,” of which the Gulf of Aqaba formed the northeastern arm. The land of Edom once reached this far according to 1 Kgs 9:26.

[49:22]  ¹²⁸⁵ sn Compare Jer 48:40-41 for a similar prophecy about Moab. The parallelism here suggests that Bozrah, like Teman in v. 20, is a poetic equivalent for Edom.

[49:23]  ¹²⁸⁶ tn The words “The Lord spoke” and “he said” are not in the text. There is only a title here: “Concerning Damascus.” However, something needs to be supplied to show that these are the Lord’s words of judgment (cf. v. 26 “oracle of the Lord” and the “I” in v. 27). These words have been supplied in the translation for clarity and consistency with the introduction to the other judgment speeches.

[49:23]  ¹²⁸⁷ sn Damascus is a city in Syria, located below the eastern slopes of the Anti-lebanon Mountains. It was the capital of the Aramean state that was in constant hostility with Israel from the time of David until its destruction by the Assyrians in 732 b.c. At various times it was allied with the Aramean state of Hamath which was further north. Contingents from these Aramean states were involved in harassing Judah and Jerusalem in 598 b.c. when Jehoiakim rebelled (2 Kgs 24:2) but little is heard about them in the rest of the book of Jeremiah or in the history of this period.

[49:23]  ¹²⁸⁸ tn Heb “Hamath and Arpad.” There is no word for people in the text. The cities are being personified. However, since it is really the people who are involved and it is clearer for the modern reader, the present translation supplies the words “people of” both here and in v. 24. The verbs in vv. 23-25 are all to be interpreted as prophetic perfects, the tense of the Hebrew verb that views an action as though it were as good as done. The verbs are clearly future in vv. 26-27 which begin with a “therefore.”

[49:23]  sn Hamath was a city on the Orontes River about 110 miles (183 km) north of Damascus. Arpad was a city that was 95 miles (158 km) farther north from there. These two cities were in the path of the northern descent of the kings of Assyria and Babylonia and had been conquered earlier under the Assyrian kings (Isa 10:9; 36:19; 37:13). The apparent reference here is to their terror and loss of courage when they hear the news that Nebuchadnezzar’s armies are on the move toward them and Damascus. They would have been in the path of Nebuchadnezzar as he chased Necho south after the battle of Carchemish.

[49:23]  ¹²⁸⁹ tc The meaning of this verse is very uncertain. The Hebrew text apparently reads “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed. They melt away because they have heard bad news. Anxiety is in the sea; it [the sea] cannot be quiet.” Many commentaries and English versions redivide the verse and read “like the sea” for “in the sea” (כַּיָּם [kayyam] for בַּיָּם [bayyam]) and read the feminine singular noun דְּאָגָה (dÿ’agam) as though it were the third masculine plural verb דָּאֲגוּ (da’agu): “They are troubled like the sea.” The translation follows the emendation proposed in BHS and accepted by a number of commentaries (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 333; J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 723, n. 1). That emendation involves reading נָמֹג לִבָּם מִדְּאָגָה (namog libbam middÿ’agah) instead of נָמֹגוּ בַּיָּם דְּאָגָה (namogu bayyam dÿ’agah). The translation also involves a double reading of “heart,” for the sake of English style, once in the sense of courage (BDB 525 s.v. לֵב 10) because that is the nuance that best fits “melts” in the English idiom and once in the more general sense of hearts as the seat of fear, anxiety, worry. The double translation is a concession to English style.

[49:25]  ¹²⁹⁰ tn Heb “city of praise.”

[49:25]  ¹²⁹¹ tn Heb “city of joy.”

[49:25]  ¹²⁹² tc Or “Why has that famous city not been abandoned, that city I once took delight in?” The translation follows the majority of modern commentaries in understanding לֹא (lo’, “not”) before “abandoned” as a misunderstanding of the emphatic ל (lamed; so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 723, n. 3, and J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 333, n. c; see also IBHS 211-12 §11.2.10i and HALOT 485-86 s.v. II לְ for the phenomenon). The particle is missing from the Vulgate. The translation also follows the versions in omitting the suffix on the word “joy” that is found in the Hebrew text (see BHS note b for a listing of the versions). This gives a better connection with the preceding and the following verse than the alternate translation.

[49:26]  ¹²⁹³ tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of armies.” For this title for God see the study note on 2:19.

[49:27]  ¹²⁹⁴ sn Ben-Hadad was a common name borne by a number of the kings of Damascus, e.g., one during the time of Asa around 900 b.c. (cf. 1 Kgs 15:18-20), one a little later during the time of Omri and Ahab around 850 (1 Kgs 20), and one during the time of Jehoash about 800 (2 Kgs 13:24-25).

[49:28]  ¹²⁹⁵ sn Kedar appears to refer to an Arabic tribe of nomads descended from Ishmael (Gen 25:13). They are associated here with the people who live in the eastern desert (Heb “the children of the east”; בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם, bÿne-qedem). In Isa 21:16 they are associated with the Temanites and the Dedanites, Arabic tribes in the north Arabian desert. They were sheep breeders (Isa 60:7) who lived in tents (Ps 120:5) and unwalled villages (Isa 42:11). According to Assyrian records they clashed with Assyria from the time of Shalmaneser in 850 until the time of Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal in the late seventh century. According to the Babylonian Chronicles, Nebuchadnezzar defeated them in 599 b.c.

[49:28]  ¹²⁹⁶ sn Hazor. Nothing is know about this Hazor other than what is said here in vv. 28, 30, 33. They appear to also be nomadic tent dwellers who had a loose association with the Kedarites.

[49:28]  ¹²⁹⁷ tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the Hebrew text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[49:28]  ¹²⁹⁸ sn Heb “the children of the east.” Nothing much is known about them other than their association with the Midianites and Amalekites in their attack on Israel in the time of Gideon (Judg 6:3, 33) and the fact that God would let tribes from the eastern desert capture Moab and Ammon in the future (Ezek 25:4, 10). Midian and Amalek were consider to be located in the region in north Arabia east of Ezion Geber. That would put them in the same general locality as the region of Kedar. The parallelism here suggests that they are the same as the people of Kedar. The words here are apparently addressed to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar.

[49:29]  ¹²⁹⁹ tn Or “Let their tents…be taken….Let their tent…be carried…. Let people shout….”

[49:29]  ¹³⁰⁰ sn This expression is a favorite theme in the book of Jeremiah. It describes the terrors of war awaiting the people of Judah and Jerusalem (6:25), the Egyptians at Carchemish (46:5), and here the Kedarites.

[49:30]  ¹³⁰¹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[49:30]  ¹³⁰² map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[49:30]  ¹³⁰³ tn Heb “Make deep to dwell.” See Jer 49:8 and the translator’s note there. The use of this same phrase here argues against the alternative there of going down from a height and going back home.

[49:30]  ¹³⁰⁴ tn Heb “has counseled a counsel against you, has planned a plan against you.”

[49:31]  ¹³⁰⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[49:31]  ¹³⁰⁶ tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[49:31]  ¹³⁰⁷ tn Heb “no gates and no bar,” i.e., “that lives securely without gates or bars.” The phrase is used by the figure of species for genus (synecdoche) to refer to the fact that they have no defenses, i.e., no walls, gates, or bars on the gates. The figure has been interpreted in the translation for the benefit of the average reader.

[49:32]  ¹³⁰⁸ tn See the translator’s note at Jer 9:26 and compare the usage in 9:26 and 25:23.

[49:32]  ¹³⁰⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[49:33]  ¹³¹⁰ sn Compare Jer 9:11.

[49:33]  ¹³¹¹ sn Compare Jer 49:18 and 50:40 where the same thing is said about Edom and Babylon.

[49:34]  ¹³¹² tn Or “In the beginning of the reign.” For a discussion of the usage of the terms here see the translator’s note on 28:1. If this refers to the accession year the dating would be 598/97 b.c.

[49:34]  ¹³¹³ tn Heb “That which came [as] the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet about the Elam.” See the translator’s note on 14:1 for the construction here and compare also 46:1; 47:1; 50:1.

[49:34]  sn Elam was a country on the eastern side of the Tigris River in what is now southwestern Iran. Its capital city was Susa. It was destroyed in 640 b.c. by Ashurbanipal after a long period of conflict with the Assyrian kings. It appears from Babylonian records to have regained its independence shortly thereafter, perhaps as early as 625 b.c., and was involved in the fall of Assyria in 612 b.c. If the date refers to the first year of Zedekiah’s rule (597 b.c.), this prophecy appears to be later than the previous ones (cf. the study notes on 46:2 and 47:1).

[49:35]  ¹³¹⁴ tn Heb “I will break the bow of Elam, the chief source of their might.” The phrase does not mean that God will break literal bows or that he will destroy their weapons (synecdoche of species for genus) or their military power (so Hos 1:5). Because of the parallelism, the “bow” here stands for the archers who wield the bow, and were the strongest force (or chief contingent) in their military.

[49:36]  ¹³¹⁵ tn Or more simply, “I will bring enemies against Elam from every direction. / And I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. // There won’t be any nation / where the refugees of Elam will not go.” Or more literally, “I will bring the four winds against Elam / from the four quarters of heaven. / I will scatter….” However, the winds are not to be understood literally here. God isn’t going to “blow the Elamites” out of Elam with natural forces. The winds must figuratively represent enemy forces that God will use to drive them out. Translating literally would be misleading at this point.

[49:37]  ¹³¹⁶ tn Heb “I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger.”

[49:37]  ¹³¹⁷ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[49:37]  ¹³¹⁸ tn Heb “I will send the sword after them.”

[49:38]  ¹³¹⁹ tn Or “I will sit in judgment over Elam”; Heb “I will set up my throne in Elam.” Commentators are divided over whether this refers to a king sitting in judgment over his captured enemies or whether it refers to formally establishing his rule over the country. Those who argue for the former idea point to the supposed parallels in 1:15 (which the present translation understands not to refer to this but to setting up siege) and 43:8-13. The parallelism in the verse here, however, argues that it refers to the Lord taking over the reins of government by destroying their former leaders.

[49:38]  ¹³²⁰ tn Heb “I will destroy king and leaders from there.”

[49:38]  ¹³²¹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[49:39]  ¹³²² tn See Jer 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.

[49:39]  sn See a similar note on the reversal of Moab’s fortunes in Jer 48:47 and compare also 46:26 for a future restoration of Egypt.

[49:39]  ¹³²³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[50:1]  ¹³²⁴ tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[50:1]  ¹³²⁵ tn Heb “The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.”

[50:2]  ¹³²⁶ tn The verbs are masculine plural. Jeremiah is calling on other unnamed messengers to spread the news.

[50:2]  ¹³²⁷ tn Heb “Raise a signal flag.”

[50:2]  ¹³²⁸ sn Bel was originally the name or title applied to the Sumerian storm god. During the height of Babylon’s power it became a title that was applied to Marduk who was Babylon’s chief deity. As a title it means “Lord.” Here it is a poetical parallel reference to Marduk mentioned in the next line.

[50:2]  ¹³²⁹ tn The Hebrew word used here (גִּלּוּלִים, gillulim) is always used as a disdainful reference to idols. It is generally thought to have originally referred to “dung pellets” (cf. KBL 183 s.v. גִלּוּלִים). It is only one of several terms used in this way, such as “worthless things” (אַלִילִים, ’alilim), “vanities,” or “empty winds” (הֲבָלִים, havalim).

[50:2]  ¹³³⁰ tn The verbs here are all in the tense that views the actions as though they were already done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The verbs in the next verse are a mixture of prophetic perfects and imperfects which announce future actions.

[50:2]  sn This refers to the fact that the idols that the Babylonians worshiped will not be able to protect them, but will instead be carried off into exile with the Babylonians themselves (cf. Isa 46:1-2).

[50:3]  ¹³³¹ sn A nation from the north refers to Medo-Persia which at the time of the conquest of Babylon in 539 b.c. had conquered all the nations to the north, the northwest, and the northeast of Babylon forming a vast empire to the north and east of Babylon. Contingents of these many nations were included in her army and reference is made to them in 50:9 and 51:27-28. There is also some irony involved here because the “enemy from the north” referred to so often in Jeremiah (cf. 1:14; 4:6; 6:1) has been identified with Babylon (cf. 25:9). Here in a kind of talionic justice Judah’s nemesis from the north will be attacked and devastated by an enemy from the north.

[50:4]  ¹³³² tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”

[50:4]  ¹³³³ tn Heb “and the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together. They shall go, weeping as they go, and they will seek the Lord their God.” The concept of “seeking” the Lord often has to do with seeking the Lord in worship (by sacrifice [Hos 5:6; 2 Chr 11:16]; prayer [Zech 8:21, 22; 2 Sam 12:16; Isa 65:1; 2 Chr 15:4]). In Hos 7:10 it is in parallel with returning to the Lord. In Ps 69:6 it is in parallel with hoping in or trusting in the Lord. Perhaps the most helpful parallels here, however, are Hos 3:5 (in comparison with Jer 30:9) and 2 Chr 15:15 where it is in the context of a covenant commitment to be loyal to the Lord which is similar to the context here (see the next verse). The translation is admittedly paraphrastic but “seeking the Lord” does not mean here looking for God as though he were merely a person to be found.

[50:5]  ¹³³⁴ tc The translation here assumes that the Hebrew בֹּאוּ (bo’u; a Qal imperative masculine plural) should be read בָּאוּ (ba’u; a Qal perfect third plural). This reading is presupposed by the Greek version of Aquila, the Latin version, and the Targum (see BHS note a, which mistakenly assumes that the form must be imperfect).

[50:5]  ¹³³⁵ sn See Jer 32:40 and the study note there for the nature of this lasting agreement.

[50:6]  ¹³³⁶ sn The shepherds are the priests, prophets, and leaders who have led Israel into idolatry (2:8).

[50:6]  ¹³³⁷ sn The allusion here, if it is not merely a part of the metaphor of the wandering sheep, is to the worship of the false gods on the high hills (2:20, 3:2).

[50:7]  ¹³³⁸ tn This same Hebrew phrase “the habitation of righteousness” is found in Jer 31:23 in relation to Jerusalem in the future as “the place where righteousness dwells.” Here, however, it refers to the same entity as “their resting place” in v. 6 and means “true pasture.” For the meaning of “pasture” for the word נָוֶה (naveh) see 2 Sam 7:8 and especially Isa 65:10 where it is parallel with “resting place” for the flocks. For the meaning of “true” for צֶדֶק (tsedeq) see BDB 841 s.v. צֶדֶק 1. For the interpretation adopted here see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 365. The same basic interpretation is reflected in NRSV, NJPS, and God’s Word.

[50:7]  ¹³³⁹ tn Heb “fathers.”

[50:7]  ¹³⁴⁰ sn These two verses appear to be a poetical summary of the argument of Jer 2 where the nation is accused of abandoning its loyalty to God and worshiping idols. Whereas those who tried to devour Israel were liable for punishment when Israel was loyal to God (2:3), the enemies of Israel who destroyed them (i.e., the Babylonians [but also the Assyrians], 50:17) argue that they are not liable for punishment because the Israelites have sinned against the Lord and thus deserve their fate.

[50:8]  ¹³⁴¹ tn The words “People of Judah” are not in the Hebrew text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the subject of the address.

[50:8]  ¹³⁴² tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[50:8]  ¹³⁴³ tn The words “Be the first to leave” are not in the text but spell out the significance of the simile that follows. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[50:9]  ¹³⁴⁴ sn Some of these are named in Jer 51:27-28.

[50:9]  ¹³⁴⁵ tn Heb “She will be captured from there (i.e., from the north).”

[50:9]  ¹³⁴⁶ tc Read Heb ַָמשְׂכִּיל (moskil) with a number of Hebrew mss and some of the versions in place of מַשְׁכִּיל (mashkil, “one who kills children”) with the majority of Hebrew mss and some of the versions. See BHS note d for the details.

[50:9]  ¹³⁴⁷ tn Or more freely, “Their arrows will be as successful at hitting their mark // as a skilled soldier always returns from battle with plunder.”

[50:9]  sn I.e., none of the arrows misses its mark.

[50:10]  ¹³⁴⁸ tn Heb “The land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[50:10]  ¹³⁴⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[50:11]  ¹³⁵⁰ tn The words “People of Babylonia” are not in the text but they are implicit in the reference in the next verse to “your mother” which refers to the city and the land as the mother of its people. These words have been supplied in the translation to identify the referent of “you” and have been added for clarity.

[50:11]  ¹³⁵¹ tn Or “my land.” The word can refer to either the land (Jer 2:7, 16:8) or the nation/people (Jer 12:7, 8, 9).

[50:11]  ¹³⁵² tc Reading כְּעֶגְלֵי דֶשֶׁא (kÿ’egle deshe’) or כְּעֵגֶל בַּדֶּשֶׁא (kÿ’egel baddeshe’) as presupposed by the Greek and Latin versions (cf. BHS note d-d) in place of the reading in the Hebrew text כְּעֶגְלָה דָשָׁה (kÿ’eglah dashah, “like a heifer treading out the grain”) which does not fit the verb (פּוּשׁ [push] = “spring about” [BDB 807 s.v. I פּוּשׁ] or “paw the ground” [KBL 756 s.v. פּוּשׁ] and compare Mal 3:20 for usage). This variant reading is also accepted by J. Bright, J. A. Thompson, F. B. Huey, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers.

[50:11]  ¹³⁵³ tn Heb “Though you rejoice, though you exult, you who have plundered my heritage, though you frolic like calves in a pasture and neigh like stallions, your mother…” The particle כִּי (ki) introduces a concessive protasis according to BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c(a). Many interpret the particle as introducing the grounds for the next verse, i.e., “because…” The translation here will reflect the concessive by beginning the next verse with “But.” The long protasis has been broken up and restructured to better conform with contemporary English style.

[50:12]  ¹³⁵⁴ tn Heb “Your mother will be utterly shamed, the one who gave you birth…” The word “mother” and the parallel term “the one who gave you birth” are used metaphorically for the land of Babylonia. For the figure compare the usage in Isa 50:1 (Judah) and Hos 2:2, 5 (2:4, 7 HT) and see BDB 52 s.v. אֵם 2 and 408 s.v. יָלַד Qal.2.c.

[50:12]  ¹³⁵⁵ tn Heb “Behold.” For the use of this particle see the translator’s note on 1:6.

[50:13]  ¹³⁵⁶ tn Heb “From [or Because of] the wrath of the Lord it will be uninhabited.” The causal connection is spelled out more clearly and actively and the first person has been used because the speaker is the Lord. The referent “it” has been spelled out clearly from the later occurrence in the verse, “all who pass by Babylon.”

[50:13]  ¹³⁵⁷ sn Compare Jer 49:17 and the study note there and see also the study notes on 18:16 and 19:8.

[50:14]  ¹³⁵⁸ tn Heb “all you who draw the bow.”

[50:14]  ¹³⁵⁹ tc The verb here should probably be read as a Qal imperative יְרוּ (yÿru) from יָרָה (yarah) with a few Hebrew mss rather than a Qal imperative יְדוּ (yidu) from יָדָה (yadah) with the majority of Hebrew mss. The verb יָדָה (yadah) does not otherwise occur in the Qal and only elsewhere in the Piel with a meaning “cast” (cf. KBL 363 s.v. I יָדָה). The verb יָרָה (yarah) is common in both the Qal and the Hiphil with the meaning of shooting arrows (cf. BDB 435 s.v. יָרָה Qal.3 and Hiph.2). The confusion between ד (dalet) and ר (resh) is very common.

[50:14]  ¹³⁶⁰ tn Heb “Shoot at her! Don’t save any arrows!”

[50:15]  ¹³⁶¹ tn Heb “She has given her hand.” For the idiom here involving submission/surrender see BDB 680 s.v. נָתַן Qal.1.z and compare the usage in 1 Chr 29:24; 2 Chr 30:8. For a different interpretation, however, see the rather complete discussion in G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 366) who see this as a reference to making a covenant. The verb in this line and the next two lines are all Hebrew perfects and most translators and commentaries see them as past. God’s Word, however, treats them as prophetic perfects and translates them as future. This is more likely in the light of the imperatives both before and after.

[50:15]  ¹³⁶² tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. The definition here follows that of HALOT 91 s.v. אָשְׁיָה, which defines it on the basis of an Akkadian word and treats it as a loanword.

[50:15]  ¹³⁶³ tn Heb “Because it is the Lord’s vengeance.” The first person has again been used because the Lord is the speaker and the nominal expression has been turned into a verbal one more in keeping with contemporary English style.

[50:16]  ¹³⁶⁴ tn Heb “Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time.” For the meaning “kill” for the root “cut off” see BDB 503 s.v. כָּרַת Qal.1.b and compare usage in Jer 11:19. The verb is common in this nuance in the Hiphil, cf. BDB 504 s.v. כָּרַת Hiph, 2.b.

[50:16]  ¹³⁶⁵ tn Heb “Because of [or out of fear of] the sword of the oppressor, let each of them turn toward his [own] people and each of them flee to his [own] country.” Compare a similar expression in 46:16 where the reference was to the flight of the mercenaries. Here it refers most likely to foreigners who are counseled to leave Babylon before they are caught up in the destruction. Many of the commentaries and English versions render the verbs as futures but they are more likely third person commands (jussives). Compare the clear commands in v. 8 followed by essentially the same motivation. The “sword of the oppressor,” of course, refers to death at the hands of soldiers wielding all kinds of weapons, chief of which has been a reference to the bow (v. 14).

[50:17]  ¹³⁶⁶ sn The king of Assyria devoured them. This refers to the devastation wrought on northern Israel by the kings of Assyria beginning in 738 b.c. when Tiglath Pileser took Galilee and the Transjordanian territories and ending with the destruction and exile of the people of Samaria by Sargon in 722 b.c.

[50:17]  ¹³⁶⁷ tn The verb used here only occurs this one time in the Hebrew Bible. It is a denominative from the Hebrew word for “bones” (עֶצֶם, ’etsem). BDB 1126 s.v. עֶָצַם, denom Pi, define it as “break his bones.” HALOT 822 s.v. II עָצַם Pi defines it as “gnaw on his bones.”

[50:17]  sn If the prophecies which are referred to in Jer 51:59-64 refer to all that is contained in Jer 50–51 (as some believe), this would have referred to the disasters of 605 b.c. and 598 b.c. and all the harassment that Israel experienced from Babylon up until the fourth year of Zedekiah (594 b.c.). If on the other hand, the prophecy related there refers to something less than this final form, the destruction of 587/6 b.c. could be referred to as well.

[50:18]  ¹³⁶⁸ tn Heb “Therefore thus says Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” The first person is again adopted because the Lord is speaking. For this title, “Yahweh of armies,” compare 7:3 and the study note on 2:19.

[50:19]  ¹³⁶⁹ tn Heb “their soul [or hunger/appetite] will be satisfied.”

[50:19]  ¹³⁷⁰ sn The metaphor of Israel as a flock of sheep (v. 17) is continued here. The places named were all in Northern Israel and in the Transjordan, lands that were lost to the Assyrians in the period 738-722 b.c. All of these places were known for their fertility, for their woods and their pastures. The hills (hill country) of Ephraim formed the center of Northern Israel. Mount Carmel lies on the seacoast of the Mediterranean north and west of the hill country of Ephraim. Gilead formed the central part of Transjordan and was used to refer at times to the territory between the Yarmuk and Jabbok Rivers, at times to the territory between the Yarmuk and the Arnon Rivers, and at times for all of Israel in the Transjordan. Bashan refers to the territory north of Gilead.

[50:20]  ¹³⁷¹ tn Heb “In those days and at that time, oracle of the Lord, the iniquity [or guilt] of Israel will be sought but there will be none and the sins of Judah but they will not be found.” The passive construction “will be sought” raises the question of who is doing the seeking which is not really the main point. The translation has avoided this question by simply referring to the result which is the main point.

[50:20]  ¹³⁷² sn Compare Jer 31:34 and 33:8.

[50:20]  ¹³⁷³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.” In this case it is necessary to place this in the first person because this is already in a quote whose speaker is identified as the Lord (v. 18).

[50:21]  ¹³⁷⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[50:21]  ¹³⁷⁵ sn The commands in this verse and in vv. 26-27 are directed to the armies from the north who are referred to in v. 3 as “a nation from the north” and in v. 9 as a “host of mighty nations from the land of the north.” The addressee in this section shifts from one referent to another.

[50:21]  ¹³⁷⁶ sn Merathaim…Pekod. It is generally agreed that the names of these two regions were chosen for their potential for wordplay. Merathaim probably refers to a region in southern Babylon near where the Tigris and Euphrates come together before they empty into the Persian Gulf. It was known for its briny waters. In Hebrew the word would mean “double rebellion” and would stand as an epithet for the land of Babylon as a whole. Pekod refers to an Aramean people who lived on the eastern bank of the lower Tigris River. They are mentioned often in Assyrian texts and are mentioned in Ezek 23:23 as allies of Babylon. In Hebrew the word would mean “punishment.” As an epithet for the land of Babylon it would refer to the fact that Babylon was to be punished for her double rebellion against the Lord.

[50:21]  ¹³⁷⁷ tn Heb “Smite down and completely destroy after them.” The word translated “kill” or “smite down” is a word of uncertain meaning and derivation. BDB 352 s.v. III חָרַב relates it to an Aramaic word meaning “attack, smite down.” KBL 329-30 s.v. II חָרַב sees it as a denominative from the word חֶרֶב (kherev, “sword”), a derivation which many modern commentaries accept and reflect in a translation “put to the sword.” KBL, however, gives “to smite down; to slaughter” which is roughly the equivalent of the meaning assigned to it in BDB. The word only occurs here and in v. 27 in the Qal and in 2 Kgs 3:23 in the Niphal where it means something like “attacked one another, fought with one another.” Many commentators question the validity of the word “after them” (אַחֲרֵיהֶם, ’akharehem) which occurs at the end of the line after “completely destroy.” The Targum reads “the last of them” (אַחֲרִיתָם, ’akharitam) which is graphically very close and accepted by some commentators. The present translation has chosen to represent “after them” by a paraphrase at the beginning “pursue them.”

[50:21]  sn For the concept underlying the words translated here “completely destroy” see the study note on Jer 25:9.

[50:21]  ¹³⁷⁸ tn Heb “Do according to all I have commanded you.”

[50:22]  ¹³⁷⁹ tn The words “of Babylonia” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.

[50:22]  sn The verbs in vv. 22-25 are all descriptive of the present, but all of this is really to take place in the future. Hebrew poetry has a way of rendering future actions as though they were already accomplished. The poetry of this section makes it difficult, however, to render the verbs as future, as has been done regularly in the present translation.

[50:23]  ¹³⁸⁰ tn Heb “How broken and shattered is the hammer of all the earth!” The “hammer” is a metaphor for Babylon who was God’s war club to shatter the nations and destroy kingdoms just like Assyria is represented in Isa 10:5 as a rod and a war club. Some readers, however, might not pick up on the metaphor or identify the referent, so the translation has incorporated an identification of the metaphor and the referent within it. “See how” and “See what” are an attempt to capture the nuance of the Hebrew particle אֵיךְ (’ekh) which here expresses an exclamation of satisfaction in a taunt song (cf. BDB 32 s.v. אֵיךְ 2 and compare usage in Isa 14:4, 12; Jer 50:23).

[50:24]  ¹³⁸¹ tn Heb “You were found [or found out] and captured because you fought against the Lord.” The same causal connection is maintained by the order of the translation but it puts more emphasis on the cause and connects it also more closely with the first half of the verse. The first person is used because the Lord is speaking of himself first in the first person “I set” and then in the third. The first person has been maintained throughout. Though it would be awkward, perhaps one could retain the reference to the Lord by translating, “I, the Lord.”

[50:25]  ¹³⁸² tn Or “I have opened up my armory.”

[50:25]  ¹³⁸³ tn Heb “The Lord has opened up his armory and has brought out the weapons of his wrath.” The problem of the Lord referring to himself in the third person (or of the prophet speaking on his behalf) is again raised here and is again resolved by using the first person throughout. The construction “weapons of my wrath” would not convey any meaning to many readers so the significance has been spelled out in the translation.

[50:25]  sn The weapons are the nations which God is bringing from the north against them. Reference has already been made in the study notes that Assyria is the “rod” or “war club” by which God vents his anger against Israel (Isa 10:5-6) and Babylon a hammer or war club with which he shatters the nations (Jer 50:23; 51:20). Now God will use other nations as weapons to execute his wrath against Babylon. For a similar idea see Isa 13:2-5 where reference is made to marshaling the nations against Babylon. Some of the nations that the Lord will marshal against Babylon are named in Jer 51:27-28.

[50:25]  ¹³⁸⁴ tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this rendering and the significance of this title see the study note on 2:19.

[50:25]  ¹³⁸⁵ tn The words “of Babylonia” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.

[50:25]  sn The verbs in vv. 22-25 are all descriptive of the present but, all of this is really to take place in the future. Hebrew poetry has a way of rendering future actions as though they were already accomplished. The poetry of this section makes it difficult, however, to render the verbs as future as the present translation has regularly done.

[50:26]  ¹³⁸⁶ tn Heb “Come against her from the end.” There is a great deal of debate about the meaning of “from the end” (מִקֵּץ, miqqets). Some follow the suggestion of F. Giesebrecht in BDB 892 s.v. קָצֶה 3 and emend the text to מִקָּצֶה (miqqatseh) on the basis of the presumed parallel in Jer 51:31 which is interpreted as “on all sides,” i.e., “from every quarter/side.” However, the phrase does not mean that in Jer 51:31 but is used as it is elsewhere of “from one end to another,” i.e., in its entirety (so Gen 19:4). The only real parallel here is the use of the noun קֵץ (qets) with a suffix in Isa 37:24 referring to the remotest part, hence something like from the end (of the earth), i.e., from a far away place. The referent “her” has been clarified here to refer to Babylonia in case someone might not see the connection between v. 25d and v. 26.

[50:26]  ¹³⁸⁷ tn Heb “Pile her up like heaps.” Many commentators understand the comparison to be to heaps of grain (compare usage of עֲרֵמָה (’aremah) in Hag 2:16; Neh 13:15; Ruth 3:7). However, BDB 790 s.v. עֲרֵמָה is more likely correct that this refers to heaps of ruins (compare the usage in Neh 4:2 [3:34 HT]).

[50:26]  ¹³⁸⁸ sn Compare Jer 50:21 and see the study note on 25:9.

[50:26]  ¹³⁸⁹ tn Heb “Do not let there be to her a remnant.” According to BDB 984 s.v. שְׁאֵרִית this refers to the last remnant of people, i.e., there won’t be any survivors. Compare the usage in Jer 11:23.

[50:27]  ¹³⁹⁰ tn Heb “Kill all her young bulls.” Commentators are almost universally agreed that the reference to “young bulls” is figurative here for the princes and warriors (cf. BDB 831 s.v. פַּר 2.f, which compares Isa 34:7 and Ezek 39:18). This is virtually certain because of the reference to the time coming for them to be punished; this would scarcely fit literal bulls. For the verb rendered “kill” here see the translator’s note on v. 21.

[50:27]  ¹³⁹¹ tn Heb “Let them go down to the slaughter.”

[50:27]  ¹³⁹² tn Or “How terrible it will be for them”; Heb “Woe to them.” See the study note on 22:13 and compare the usage in 23:1; 48:1.

[50:27]  ¹³⁹³ tn The words “of reckoning” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[50:28]  ¹³⁹⁴ tn Heb “Hark! Fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, vengeance for his temple.” For the meaning “Hark!” for the noun קוֹל (qol) see BDB 877 s.v. קוֹל 1.f and compare the usage in Jer 10:22. The syntax is elliptical because there is no main verb. The present translation has supplied the verb “come” as many other English versions have done. The translation also expands the genitival expression “vengeance for his temple” to explain what all the commentaries agree is involved.

[50:28]  sn This verse appears to be a parenthetical exclamation of the prophet in the midst of his report of what the Lord said through him. He throws himself into the future and sees the fall of Babylon and hears the people reporting in Zion how God has destroyed Babylon to get revenge for the Babylonians destroying his temple. Jeremiah prophesied from 627 b.c. (see the study note on 1:2) until sometime after 586 b.c. after Jerusalem fell and he was taken to Egypt. The fall of Babylon occurred in 538 b.c. some fifty years later. However, Jeremiah had prophesied as early as the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (605 b.c.; Jer 25:1) that many nations and great kings would come and subject Babylon, the instrument of God’s wrath – his sword against the nations – to bondage (Jer 25:12-14).

[50:29]  ¹³⁹⁵ tn For this word see BDB 914 s.v. III רַב and compare usage in Prov 26:10 and Job 16:12 and compare the usage of the verb in Gen 49:23. Based on this evidence, it is not necessary to emend the form to רֹבִים (rovim) as many commentators contend.

[50:29]  ¹³⁹⁶ tn Heb “for she has acted insolently against the Lord.” Once again there is the problem of the Lord speaking about himself in the third person (or the prophet dropping his identification with the Lord). As in several other places the present translation, along with several other modern English versions (TEV, CEV, NIrV), has substituted the first person to maintain consistency with the context.

[50:29]  ¹³⁹⁷ sn The Holy One of Israel is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah. It is applied to the Lord only here and in 51:5 in the book of Jeremiah. It is a figure where an attribute of a person is put as a title of a person (compare “your majesty” for a king). It pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them.

[50:30]  ¹³⁹⁸ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[50:31]  ¹³⁹⁹ tn Heb “Behold, I am against you, proud one.” The word “city” is not in the text but it is generally agreed that the word is being used as a personification of the city which had “proudly defied” the Lord (v. 29). The word “city” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[50:31]  ¹⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “oracle of the Lord Yahweh of armies.” For the rendering of this title and an explanation of its significance see the study note on 2:19.

[50:31]  ¹⁴⁰¹ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is probably asseverative here (so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 739, n. 13, and cf. BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 1.e for other examples). This has been a common use of this particle in the book of Jeremiah.

[50:31]  ¹⁴⁰² tn The words “of reckoning” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[50:31]  ¹⁴⁰³ sn Compare v. 27.

[50:32]  ¹⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “And the proud one will fall and there will be no one to help him up. I will start a fire in his towns and it will consume all that surround him.” The personification continues but now the stance is indirect (third person) rather than direct (second person). It is easier for the modern reader who is not accustomed to such sudden shifts if the second person is maintained. The personification of the city (or nation) as masculine is a little unusual; normally cities and nations are personified as feminine, as daughters or mothers.

[50:33]  ¹⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this title see the study note on 2:19.

[50:33]  ¹⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “Oppressed are the people of Israel and the people of Judah together,” i.e., both the people of Israel and Judah are oppressed. However, neither of these renderings is very poetic. The translation seeks to achieve the same meaning with better poetic expression.

[50:34]  ¹⁴⁰⁷ sn Heb “their redeemer.” The Hebrew term “redeemer” referred in Israelite family law to the nearest male relative who was responsible for securing the freedom of a relative who had been sold into slavery. For further discussion of this term as well as its metaphorical use to refer to God as the one who frees Israel from bondage in Egypt and from exile in Assyria and Babylonia see the study note on 31:11.

[50:34]  ¹⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies is his name.” For the rendering of this title see the study note on 2:19.

[50:34]  ¹⁴⁰⁹ tn Or “he will certainly champion.” The infinitive absolute before the finite verb here is probably functioning to intensify the verb rather than to express the certainty of the action (cf. GKC 333 §112.n and compare usage in Gen 43:3 and 1 Sam 20:6 listed there).

[50:34]  ¹⁴¹⁰ tn This appears to be another case where the particle לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) introduces a result rather than giving the purpose or goal. See the translator’s note on 25:7 for a listing of other examples in the book of Jeremiah and also the translator’s note on 27:10.

[50:34]  ¹⁴¹¹ tn Heb “he will bring rest to the earth and will cause unrest to.” The terms “rest” and “unrest” have been doubly translated to give more of the idea underlying these two concepts.

[50:34]  ¹⁴¹² tn This translation again reflects the problem often encountered in these prophecies where the Lord appears to be speaking but refers to himself in the third person. It would be possible to translate here using the first person as CEV and NIrV do. However, to sustain that over the whole verse results in a considerably greater degree of paraphrase. The verse could be rendered “But I am strong and I will rescue them. I am the Lord who rules over all. I will champion their cause. And I will bring peace and rest to….”

[50:35]  ¹⁴¹³ tn Heb “the Chaldeans.” For explanation of the rendering see the study note on 21:4. There is no verb in this clause. Therefore it is difficult to determine whether this should be understood as a command or as a prediction. The presence of vav (ו) consecutive perfects after a similar construction in vv. 36b, d, 37c, 38a and the imperfects after “therefore” (לָכֵן, lakhen) all suggest the predictive or future nuance. However, the vav consecutive perfect could be used to carry on the nuance of command (cf. GKC 333 §112.q) but not in the sense of purpose as NRSV, NJPS render them.

[50:35]  sn Heb “A sword against the Chaldeans.” The “sword” here is metaphorical for destructive forces in the persons of the armies of the north (vv. 3, 9) which the Lord is marshaling against Babylon and which he has addressed by way of command several times (e.g., vv. 14, 21, 26-27, 29). Compare 46:14 and the study note there.

[50:35]  ¹⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[50:36]  ¹⁴¹⁵ tn The meaning and the derivation of the word translated “false prophets” is uncertain. The same word appears in conjunction with the word for “diviners” in Isa 44:25 and probably also in Hos 11:6 in conjunction with the sword consuming them “because of their counsel.” BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד b sees this as a substitution of “empty talk” for “empty talkers” (the figure of metonymy) and refer to them as false prophets. KBL 108 s.v. II בַּד emends the form in both places to read בָּרִים (barim) in place of בַּדִּים (baddim) and defines the word on the basis of Akkadian to mean “soothsayer” (KBL 146 s.v. V בָּר). HALOT 105 s.v. V בַּד retains the pointing, derives it from an Amorite word found in the Mari letters, and defines it as “oracle priest.” However, G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 368) call this identification into question because the word only occurs in one letter from Mari and its meaning is uncertain there. It is hazardous to emend the text in two places, perhaps even three, in light of no textual evidence in any of the passages and to define the word on the basis of an uncertain parallel. Hence the present translation opts here for the derivation and extended definition given in BDB.

[50:36]  ¹⁴¹⁶ tn This translation follows the suggestion of BDB 383 s.v. I יָאַל Niph.2. Compare the usage in Isa 19:13 and Jer 5:4.

[50:36]  ¹⁴¹⁷ tn The verb here (חָתַת, khatat) could also be rendered “be destroyed” (cf. BDB 369 s.v. חָתַת Qal.1 and compare the usage in Jer 48:20, 39). However, the parallelism with “shown to be fools” argues for the more dominant usage of “be dismayed” or “be filled with terror.” The verb is found in parallelism with both בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “be ashamed, dismayed”) and יָרֵא (yare’, “be afraid”) and can refer to either emotion. Here it is more likely that they are filled with terror because of the approaching armies.

[50:37]  ¹⁴¹⁸ tn Hebrew has “his” in both cases here whereas the rest of the possessive pronouns throughout vv. 35-37 are “her.” There is no explanation for this switch unless the third masculine singular refers as a distributive singular to the soldiers mentioned in the preceding verse (cf. GKC 464 §145.l). This is probably the case here, but to refer to “their horses and their chariots” in the midst of all the “her…” might create more confusion than what it is worth to be that pedantic.

[50:37]  ¹⁴¹⁹ tn Or “in the country,” or “in her armies”; Heb “in her midst.”

[50:37]  ¹⁴²⁰ tn Heb “A sword against his horses and his chariots and against all the mixed company [or mixed multitude] in her midst and they will become like women.” The sentence had to be split up because it is too long and the continuation of the second half with its consequential statement would not fit together with the first half very well. Hence the subject and verb have been repeated. The Hebrew word translated “foreign troops” (עֶרֶב, ’erev) is the same word that is used in 25:20 to refer to the foreign peoples living in Egypt and in Exod 12:38 for the foreign people that accompanied Israel out of Egypt. Here the word is translated contextually to refer to foreign mercenaries, an identification that most of the commentaries and many of the modern English versions accept (see, e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 355; NRSV; NIV). The significance of the simile “they will become like women” has been spelled out for the sake of clarity.

[50:38]  ¹⁴²¹ tc Heb “a drought against her waters and they will dry up.” Several of the commentaries and modern English versions accept the emendation proposed by BHS and read here “sword” (חֶרֶב [kherev] in place of חֹרֶב [khorev], the change of only one vowel) in keeping with the rest of the context. According to BHS this reading is supported by the Lucianic and Hexaplaric recensions of the LXX (the Greek version) and the Syriac version. In this case the drying up of the waters (of the canals) is attributed to neglect brought about by war conditions. However, it is just as likely that these versions are influenced by the repetition of the word “sword” as the Hebrew and the other versions are influenced by the concept of “drying up” of the waters to read “drought.” Hence the present translation, along with the majority of modern English versions, retains the Hebrew “drought.”

[50:38]  ¹⁴²² tn Heb “for it is a land of idols.” The “for,” however, goes back to the whole context not just to the preceding prediction (cf. BDB 473-74 s.v. כִּי 1.c and compare usage in Isa 21:6 listed there).

[50:38]  ¹⁴²³ tc Or “Her people boast in.” This translation is based on the reading of the majority of Hebrew mss which read יִתְהֹלָלוּ (yitholalu; cf. usage in Jer 46:9 and see also 25:16; 51:7). Two Hebrew mss and the versions read יִתְהַלָּלוּ (yithallalu; cf. usage in Jer 4:2; 9:23, 24 and Ps 97:7 where a parallel expression is found with “idols”). The reading is again basically the difference in one Hebrew vowel. All of the modern commentaries consulted and all the modern English versions except NEB, REB follow the Hebrew text here rather than the versions.

[50:38]  ¹⁴²⁴ tn Heb “by the terrors.” However, as HALOT 40 s.v. אֵימָה indicates these are “images that cause terror” (a substitution of the effect for the cause). The translation of this line follows the interpretation of the majority of modern English versions and all the commentaries consulted. NIV, NCV, and God’s Word reflect a different syntax, understanding the subject to be the idols just mentioned rather than “her people” which is supplied here for the sake of clarity (the Hebrew text merely says “they.”) Following that lead, one could render “but those idols will go mad with terror.” This makes excellent sense in the context which often refers to effects (vv. 36b, d, 37c, 38b) of the war that is coming. However, that interpretation does not fit as well with the following “therefore/so,” which basically introduces a judgment or consequence after an accusation of sin.

[50:39]  ¹⁴²⁵ tn The identification of this bird has been called into question by G. R. Driver, “Birds in the Old Testament,” PEQ 87 (1955): 137-38. He refers to this bird as an owl. That identification, however, is not reflected in any of the lexicons including the most recent, which still gives “ostrich” (HALOT 402 s.v. יַעֲנָה) as does W. S. McCullough, “Ostrich,” IDB 3:611. REB, NIV, NCV, and God’s Word all identify this bird as “owl/desert owl.”

[50:39]  ¹⁴²⁶ tn Heb “Therefore desert creatures will live with jackals and ostriches will live in it.”

[50:39]  ¹⁴²⁷ tn Heb “It will never again be inhabited nor dwelt in unto generation and generation.” For the meaning of this last phrase compare the usage in Ps 100:5 and Isaiah 13:20. Since the first half of the verse has spoken of animals living there, it is necessary to add “people” and turn the passive verbs into active ones.

[50:40]  ¹⁴²⁸ tn Heb “‘Like [when] God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns,’ oracle of the Lord, ‘no man will live there.’” The Lord is speaking so the first person has been substituted for “God.” The sentence has again been broken up to better conform with contemporary English style.

[50:40]  sn Compare Jer 49:18 where the same prophecy is applied to Edom.

[50:40]  ¹⁴²⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[50:41]  ¹⁴³⁰ sn A mighty nation and many kings is an allusion to the Medo-Persian empire and the vassal kings who provided forces for the Medo-Persian armies.

[50:42]  ¹⁴³¹ tn Heb “daughter Babylon.” The word “daughter” is a personification of the city of Babylon and its inhabitants.

[50:43]  ¹⁴³² tn Heb “his hands will drop/hang limp.” For the meaning of this idiom see the translator’s note on 6:24.

[50:43]  ¹⁴³³ tn Heb “The king of Babylon hears report of them and his hands hang limp.” The verbs are translated as future because the passage is prophetic and the verbs may be interpreted as prophetic perfects (the action viewed as if it were as good as done). In the parallel passage in 6:24 the verbs could be understood as present perfects because the passage could be viewed as in the present. Here it is future.

[50:43]  ¹⁴³⁴ sn Compare Jer 6:22-24 where almost the same exact words as 50:41-43 are applied to the people of Judah. The repetition of prophecies here and in the following verses emphasizes the talionic nature of God’s punishment of Babylon; as they have done to others, so it will be done to them (cf. 25:14; 50:15).

[50:45]  ¹⁴³⁵ tn The words “of Babylonia” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.

[50:45]  sn The verbs in vv. 22-25 are all descriptive of the present, but all of this is really to take place in the future. Hebrew poetry has a way of rendering future actions as though they were already accomplished. The poetry of this section makes it difficult, however, to render the verbs as future as the present translation has regularly done.

[50:46]  ¹⁴³⁶ tn Heb “among the nations.” With the exception of this phrase, the different verb in v. 46a, the absence of a suffix on the word for “land” in v. 45d, the third plural suffix instead of the third singular suffix on the verb for “chase…off of,” this passage is identical with 49:19-21 with the replacement of Babylon or the land of the Chaldeans for Edom. For the translation notes explaining the details of the translation here see the translator’s notes on 49:19-21.

[50:46]  sn This passage is virtually identical with Jer 49:19-21 with the replacement of Babylon, land of Babylonia for Edom. As God used Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians to destroy Edom, so he would use Cyrus and the Medes and Persians and their allies to destroy Babylon (cf. 25:13, 14). As Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant to whom all would be subject (25:9; 27:6), so Cyrus is called in Isaiah “his anointed one,” i.e., his chosen king whom he will use to shatter other nations and set Israel free (Isa 45:1-4).

[51:1]  ¹⁴³⁷ sn The destructive wind is a figurative reference to the “foreign people” who will “winnow” Babylon and drive out all the people (v. 2). This figure has already been used in 4:11-12 and in 49:36. See the study note on 4:11-12 and the translator’s notes on 22:22 and 49:36.

[51:1]  ¹⁴³⁸ tn Or “I will arouse the spirit of hostility of a destroying nation”; Heb “I will stir up against Babylon…a destroying wind [or the spirit of a destroyer].” The word רוּחַ (ruakh) can refer to either a wind (BDB 924 s.v. רוּחַ 2.a) or a spirit (BDB 925 s.v. רוּחַ 2.g). It can be construed as either a noun followed by an adjectival participle (so, “a destroying wind”) or a noun followed by another noun in the “of” relationship (a construct or genitival relationship; so, “spirit of a destroyer”). The same noun with this same verb is translated “stir up the spirit of” in 1 Chr 5:26; 2 Chr 21:16; 36:22; Hag 1:14; and most importantly in Jer 51:11 where it refers to the king of the Medes. However, the majority of the exegetical tradition (all the commentaries consulted and all the English versions except NASB and NIV) opt for the “destructive wind” primarily because of the figure of winnowing that is found in the next verse. The translation follows the main line exegetical tradition here for that same reason.

[51:1]  ¹⁴³⁹ sn Heb “the people who live in Leb-qamai.” “Leb-qamai” is a code name for “Chaldeans” formed on the principle of substituting the last letter of the alphabet for the first, the next to the last for the second, and so on. This same principle is used in referring to Babylon in 25:26 and 51:41 as “Sheshach.” See the study note on 25:26 where further details are given. There is no consensus on why the code name is used because the terms Babylon and Chaldeans (= Babylonians) have appeared regularly in this prophecy or collection of prophecies.

[51:2]  ¹⁴⁴⁰ tn Or “I will send foreign people against Babylonia.” The translation follows the reading of the Greek recensions of Aquila and Symmachus and the Latin version (the Vulgate). That reading is accepted by the majority of modern commentaries and several of the modern versions (e.g., NRSV, REB, NAB, and God’s Word). It fits better with the verb that follows it than the reading of the Hebrew text and the rest of the versions. The difference in the two readings is again only the difference in vocalization, the Hebrew text reading זָרִים (zarim) and the versions cited reading זֹרִים (zorim). If the Hebrew text is followed, there is a wordplay between the two words, “foreigners” and “winnow.” The words “like a wind blowing away chaff” have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the reader what “winnow” means.

[51:2]  sn Winnowing involved throwing a mixture of grain and chaff (or straw) into the air and letting the wind blow away the lighter chaff, leaving the grain to fall on the ground. Since God considered all the Babylonians chaff, they would all be “blown away.”

[51:2]  ¹⁴⁴¹ tn Or “They will strip her land bare like a wind blowing away chaff.” The alternate translation would be necessary if one were to adopt the alternate reading of the first line (the reading of the Hebrew text). The explanation of “winnow” would then be necessary in the second line. The verb translated “strip…bare” means literally “to empty out” (see BDB 132 s.v. בָּקַק Polel). It has been used in 19:7 in the Qal of “making void” Judah’s plans in a wordplay on the word for “bottle.” See the study note on 19:7 for further details.

[51:2]  ¹⁴⁴² tn This assumes that the particle כִּי (ki) is temporal (cf. BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.a). This is the interpretation adopted also by NRSV and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 349. J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 345) and J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 747, n. 3) interpret it as asseverative or emphatic, “Truly, indeed.” Many of the modern English versions merely ignore it. Reading it as temporal makes it unnecessary to emend the following verb as Bright and Thompson do (from הָיוּ [hayu] to יִהְיוּ [yihyu]).

[51:2]  ¹⁴⁴³ tn Heb “in the day of disaster.”

[51:3]  ¹⁴⁴⁴ tc The text and consequent meaning of these first two lines are uncertain. Literally the Masoretic reads “against let him string let him string the one who strings his bow and against let him raise himself up in his coat of armor.” This makes absolutely no sense and the ancient versions and Hebrew mss did not agree in reading this same text. Many Hebrew mss and all the versions as well as the Masoretes themselves (the text is left unpointed with a marginal note not to read it) delete the second “let him string.” The LXX (or Greek version) left out the words “against” at the beginning of the first two lines. It reads “Let the archer bend his bow and let the one who has armor put it on.” The Lucianic recension of the LXX and some Targum mss supplied the missing object “it” and thus read “Let the archer ready his bow against it and let him array himself against it in his coat of mail.” This makes good sense but does not answer the question of why the Hebrew text left off the suffix on the preposition twice in a row. Many Hebrew mss and the Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate (the Latin version) change the pointing of “against” (אֶל [’el]) to “not” (אַל [’al]) and thus read “Let the archer not string the bow and let him not array himself in his armor.” However, many commentators feel that this does not fit the context because it would apparently be addressed to the Babylonians, not the enemy, which would create a sudden shift in addressee with the second half of the verse. However, if it is understood in the sense taken here it refers to the enemy not allowing the Babylonian archers to get ready for the battle, i.e., a surprise attack. This sense is suggested as an alternative in J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 346, n. u-u, and J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah (NICOT), 747, n. 5, and is the interpretation adopted in TEV and probably also in NIrV.

[51:3]  ¹⁴⁴⁵ sn For the concept underlying this word see the study note on “utterly destroy” in Jer 25:9 and compare the usage in 50:21, 26.

[51:4]  ¹⁴⁴⁶ tn The majority of English versions and the commentaries understand the vav (ו) consecutive + perfect as a future here “They will fall.” However, it makes better sense in the light of the commands in the previous verse to understand this as an indirect third person command (= a jussive; see GKC 333 §112.q, r) as REB and NJPS do.

[51:4]  ¹⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[51:4]  ¹⁴⁴⁸ tn The words “cities” is not in the text. The text merely says “in her streets” but the antecedent is “land” and must then refer to the streets of the cities in the land.

[51:5]  ¹⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “widowed” (cf. BDB 48 s.v. אַלְמָן, an adjective occurring only here but related to the common word for “widow”). It is commonly translated as has been done here.

[51:5]  sn The verses from v. 5 to v. 19 all speak of the Lord in the third person. The prophet who is the spokesman for the Lord (50:1) thus is speaking. However, the message is still from God because this was all what he spoke “through the prophet Jeremiah.”

[51:5]  ¹⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this rendering see the study note on 2:19.

[51:5]  ¹⁴⁵¹ tn Or “all, though their land was…” The majority of the modern English versions understand the land here to refer to the land of Israel and Judah (the text reads “their land” and Israel and Judah are the nearest antecedents). In this case the particle כִּי (ki) is concessive (cf. BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c[b]). Many of the modern commentaries understand the referent to be the land of the Chaldeans/Babylonians. However, most of them feel that the line is connected as a causal statement to 51:2-4 and see the line as either textually or logically out of place. However, it need not be viewed as logically out of place. It is parallel to the preceding and gives a second reason why they are to be destroyed. It also forms an excellent transition to the next lines where the exiles and other foreigners are urged to flee and not get caught up in the destruction which is coming “because of her sin.” It might be helpful to note that both the adjective “widowed” and the suffix on “their God” are masculine singular, looking at Israel and Judah as one entity. The “their” then goes back not to Israel and Judah of the preceding lines but to the “them” in v. 4. This makes for a better connection with the following and understands the particle כִּי in its dominant usage not an extremely rare one (see the comment in BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c[b]). This interpretation is also reflected in RSV.

[51:5]  ¹⁴⁵² sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 50:29.

[51:6]  ¹⁴⁵³ tn The words “you foreign people” are not in the text and many think the referent is the exiles of Judah. While this is clearly the case in v. 45 the referent seems broader here where the context speaks of every man going to his own country (v. 9).

[51:6]  ¹⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “her.”

[51:6]  ¹⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “paying to her a recompense [i.e., a payment in kind].”

[51:7]  ¹⁴⁵⁶ tn The words “of her wrath” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation to help those readers who are not familiar with the figure of the “cup of the Lord’s wrath.”

[51:7]  sn The figure of the cup of the Lord’s wrath invoked in Jer 25:15-29 is invoked again here and Babylon is identified as the agent through which the wrath of the Lord is visited on the other nations. See the study note on 25:15 for explanation and further references.

[51:7]  ¹⁴⁵⁷ tn Heb “upon the grounds of such conditions the nations have gone mad.”

[51:8]  ¹⁴⁵⁸ tn The verbs in this verse and the following are all in the Hebrew perfect tense, a tense that often refers to a past action or a past action with present results. However, as the translator’s notes have indicated, the prophets use this tense to view the actions as if they were as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The stance here is ideal, viewed as already accomplished.

[51:9]  ¹⁴⁵⁹ tn The words “Foreigners living there will say” are not in the text but are implicit from the third line. These words are generally assumed by the commentaries and are explicitly added in TEV and NCV which are attempting to clarify the text for the average reader.

[51:9]  ¹⁴⁶⁰ tn Heb “Leave/abandon her.” However, it is smoother in the English translation to make this verb equivalent to the cohortative that follows.

[51:9]  ¹⁴⁶¹ tn This is an admittedly very paraphrastic translation that tries to make the figurative nuance of the Hebrew original understandable for the average reader. The Hebrew text reads: “For her judgment [or punishment (cf. BDB 1078 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 1.f) = ‘execution of judgment’] touches the heavens, and is lifted up as far as the clouds.” The figure of hyperbole or exaggeration is being used here to indicate the vastness of Babylon’s punishment which is the reason to escape (vv. 6, 9c). For this figure see Deut 1:28 in comparison with Num 13:28 and see also Deut 9:1. In both of the passages in Deut it refers to an exaggeration about the height of the walls of fortified cities. The figure also may be a play on Gen 11:4 where the nations gather in Babylon to build a tower that reaches to the skies. The present translation has interpreted the perfects here as prophetic because it has not happened yet or they would not be encouraging one another to leave and escape. For the idea here compare 50:16.

[51:10]  ¹⁴⁶² tn The words “The exiles from Judah will say” are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation to clearly identify for the reader the referent of “us.”

[51:10]  ¹⁴⁶³ tn There is some difference of opinion as to the best way to render the Hebrew expression here. Literally it means “brought forth our righteousnesses.” BDB 842 s.v. צְדָקָה 7.b interprets this of the “righteous acts” of the people of Judah and compares the usage in Isa 64:6; Ezek 3:20; 18:24; 33:13. However, Judah’s acts of righteousness (or more simply, their righteousness) was scarcely revealed in their deliverance. Most of the English versions and commentaries refer to “vindication” i.e., that the Lord has exonerated or proven Israel’s claims to be true. However, that would require more explanation than the idea of “deliverance” which is a perfectly legitimate usage of the term (cf. BDB 842 s.v. צְדָקָה 6.a and compare the usage in Isa 46:13; 51:6, 8; 56:1). The present translation interprets the plural form here as a plural of intensity or amplification (GKC 397-98 §124.e) and the suffix as a genitive of advantage (IBHS 147 §9.5.2e). This interpretation is also reflected in REB and God’s Word.

[51:11]  ¹⁴⁶⁴ sn The imperatives here and in v. 12 are directed to the soldiers in the armies of the kings from the north (here identified as the kings of Media [see also 50:3, 9; 51:27-28]). They have often been addressed in this prophecy as though they were a present force (see 50:14-16; 50:21 [and the study note there]; 50:26, 29; 51:3) though the passage as a whole is prophetic of the future. This gives some idea of the ideal stance that the prophets adopted when they spoke of the future as though already past (the use of the Hebrew prophetic perfect which has been referred to often in the translator’s notes).

[51:11]  ¹⁴⁶⁵ tn The meaning of this word is debated. The most thorough discussion of this word including etymology and usage in the OT and Qumran is in HALOT 1409-10 s.v. שֶׁלֶט, where the rendering “quiver” is accepted for all the uses of this word in the OT. For a more readily accessible discussion for English readers see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:422-23. The meaning “quiver” fits better with the verb “fill” than the meaning “shield” which is adopted in BDB 1020 s.v. שֶׁלֶט. “Quiver” is the meaning adopted also in NRSV, REB, NAB, and NJPS.

[51:11]  ¹⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “The Lord has stirred up the spirit of…” The verb is rendered here as a prophetic perfect. The rendering “arouse a spirit of hostility” is an attempt to render some meaning to the phrase and not simply ignore the word “spirit” as many of the modern English versions do. For a fuller discussion including cross references see the translator’s note on v. 1.

[51:11]  ¹⁴⁶⁷ sn Media was a country in what is now northwestern Iran. At the time this prophecy was probably written they were the dominating force in the northern region, the most likely enemy to Babylon. By the time Babylon fell in 538 b.c. the Medes had been conquered and incorporated in the Persian empire by Cyrus. However, several times in the Bible this entity is known under the combined entity of Media and Persia (Esth 1:3, 4, 18, 19; 10:2; Dan 5:28; 6:8, 12, 15; 8:20). Dan 5:31 credits the capture of Babylon to Darius the Mede, which may have been another name for Cyrus or the name by which Daniel refers to a Median general named Gobryas.

[51:11]  ¹⁴⁶⁸ tn Heb “For it is the vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for his temple.” As in the parallel passage in 50:28, the genitival construction has been expanded in the translation to clarify for the English reader what the commentaries in general agree is involved.

[51:11]  sn Verse 11c-f appears to be a parenthetical or editorial comment by Jeremiah to give some background for the attack which is summoned in vv. 11-12.

[51:12]  ¹⁴⁶⁹ tn Heb “Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon.”

[51:12]  ¹⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “Strengthen the watch.”

[51:12]  ¹⁴⁷¹ tn Heb “Station the guards.”

[51:12]  ¹⁴⁷² tn Heb “Prepare ambushes.”

[51:12]  sn The commands are here addressed to the kings of the Medes to fully blockade the city by posting watchmen and setting men in ambush to prevent people from escaping from the city (cf. 2 Kgs 25:4).

[51:12]  ¹⁴⁷³ tn Heb “For the Lord has both planned and done what he said concerning the people living in Babylon,” i.e., “he has carried out what he planned.” Here is an obvious case where the perfects are to be interpreted as prophetic; the commands imply that the attack is still future.

[51:13]  ¹⁴⁷⁴ sn Babylon was situated on the Euphrates River and was surrounded by canals (also called “rivers”).

[51:13]  ¹⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “You who live upon [or beside] many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, the cubit of your cutting off.” The sentence has been restructured and paraphrased to provide clarity for the average reader. The meaning of the last phrase is debated. For a discussion of the two options see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:423. Most modern commentaries and English versions see an allusion to the figure in Isa 38:12 where the reference is to the end of life compared to a tapestry which is suddenly cut off from the loom. Hence, NRSV renders the last line as “the thread of your life is cut” and TEV renders “its thread of life is cut.” That idea is accepted also in HALOT 141 s.v. בצע Qal.1.

[51:14]  ¹⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this rendering see the study note on 2:19.

[51:14]  ¹⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “has sworn by himself.” See the study note on 22:5 for background.

[51:14]  ¹⁴⁷⁸ tn Heb “I will fill you with men like locusts.” The “you” refers to Babylon (Babylon is both the city and the land it ruled, Babylonia) which has been alluded to in the preceding verses under descriptive titles. The words “your land” have been used because of the way the preceding verse has been rendered, alluding to people rather than to the land or city. The allusion of “men” is, of course, to enemy soldiers and they are here compared to locusts both for their quantity and their destructiveness (see Joel 1:4). For the use of the particles כִּי אִם (ki ’im) to introduce an oath see BDB 475 s.v. כִּי אִם 2.c and compare usage in 2 Kgs 5:20; one would normally expect אִם לֹא (cf. BDB 50 s.v. אִם 1.b[2]).

[51:15]  ¹⁴⁷⁹ tn The participle here is intended to be connected with “Lord who rules over all” in the preceding verse. The passage is functioning to underline the Lord’s power to carry out what he has sworn in contrast to the impotence of their idols who will be put to shame and be dismayed (50:2).

[51:19]  ¹⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “For he is the former of all [things] and the tribe of his inheritance.” This is the major exception to the verbatim repetition of 10:12-16 in 51:15-19. The word “Israel” appears before “the tribe of his inheritance” in 10:16. It is also found in a number of Hebrew mss, in the Lucianic recension of the LXX (the Greek version), the Aramaic Targums, and the Latin Vulgate. Most English versions and many commentaries assume it here. However, it is easier to explain why the word is added in a few of the versions and some Hebrew than to explain why it was left out. It is probable that the word is not original here because the addressees are different and the function of this hymnic piece is slightly different (see the study note on the next line for details). Here it makes good sense to understand that the Lord is being called the creator of the special tribe of people he claims as his own property (see the study note on the first line of 10:16).

[51:19]  ¹⁴⁸¹ sn With the major exception discussed in the translator’s note on the preceding line vv. 15-19 are a verbatim repetition of 10:12-16 with a few minor variations in spelling. There the passage was at the end of a section in which the Lord was addressing the Judeans and trying to convince them that the worship of idols was vain – the idols were impotent but he is all powerful. Here the passage follows a solemn oath by the Lord who rules over all and is apparently directed to the Babylonians, emphasizing the power of the Lord to carry out his oath.

[51:20]  ¹⁴⁸² tn Or “Media.” The referent is not identified in the text; the text merely says “you are my war club.” Commentators in general identify the referent as Babylon because Babylon has been referred to as a hammer in 50:23 and Babylon is referred to in v. 25 as a “destroying mountain” (compare v. 20d). However, S. R. Driver, Jeremiah, 317, n. c maintains that v. 24 speaks against this. It does seem a little inconsistent to render the vav consecutive perfect at the beginning of v. 24 as future while rendering those in vv. 20b-23 as customary past. However, change in person from second masculine singular (vv. 20b-23) to the second masculine plural in “before your very eyes” and its position at the end of the verse after “which they did in Zion” argue that a change in address occurs there. Driver has to ignore the change in person and take “before your eyes” with the verb “repay” at the beginning to maintain the kind of consistency he seeks. The vav (ו) consecutive imperfect can be used for either the customary past (GKC 335-36 §112.dd with cross reference back to GKC 331-32 §112.e) or the future (GKC 334 §112.x). Hence the present translation has followed the majority of commentaries (and English versions like TEV, NCV, CEV, NIrV) in understanding the referent as Babylon and v. 24 being a transition to vv. 25-26 (cf., e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 356-57, and J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 756-57). If the referent is understood as Media then the verbs in vv. 20-23 should all be translated as futures. See also the translator’s note on v. 24.

[51:20]  ¹⁴⁸³ tn This Hebrew word (מַפֵּץ, mappets) only occurs here in the Hebrew Bible, but its meaning is assured from the use of the verbs that follow which are from the same root (נָפַץ, nafats) and there is a cognate noun מַפָּץ (mappats) that occurs in Ezek 9:2 in the sense of weapon of “smashing.”

[51:20]  ¹⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “I smash nations with you.” This same structure is repeated throughout the series in vv. 20c-23.

[51:21]  ¹⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “horse and its rider.” However, the terms are meant as generic or collective singulars (cf. GKC 395 §123.b) and are thus translated by the plural. The same thing is true of all the terms in vv. 21-23b. The terms in vv. 20c-d, 23c are plural.

[51:23]  ¹⁴⁸⁶ tn These two words are Akkadian loan words into Hebrew which often occur in this pairing (cf. Ezek 23:6, 12, 23; Jer 51:23, 28, 57). BDB 688 s.v. סָגָן (sagan) gives “prefect, ruler” as the basic definition for the second term but neither works very well in a modern translation because “prefect” would be unknown to most readers and “ruler” would suggest someone along the lines of a king, which these officials were not. The present translation has chosen “leaders” by default, assuming there is no other term that would be any more appropriate in light of the defects noted in “prefect” and “ruler.”

[51:24]  ¹⁴⁸⁷ tn Or “Media, you are my war club…I will use you to smash…leaders. So before your very eyes I will repay…for all the wicked things they did in Zion.” For explanation see the translator’s note on v. 20. The position of the phrase “before your eyes” at the end of the verse after “which they did in Zion” and the change in person from second masculine singular in vv. 20b-23 (“I used you to smite”) to second masculine plural in “before your eyes” argue that a change in referent/addressee occurs in this verse. To maintain that the referent in vv. 20-23 is Media/Cyrus requires that this position and change in person be ignored; “before your eyes” then is attached to “I will repay.” The present translation follows J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 757) and F. B. Huey (Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 423) in seeing the referent as the Judeans who had witnessed the destruction of Zion/Jerusalem. The word “Judean” has been supplied for the sake of identifying the referent for the modern reader.

[51:24]  ¹⁴⁸⁸ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:25]  ¹⁴⁸⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:25]  ¹⁴⁹⁰ tn The word “Babylon” is not in the text but is universally understood as the referent. It is supplied in the translation here to clarify the referent for the sake of the average reader.

[51:25]  ¹⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “I will reach out my hand against you.” See the translator’s note on 6:12 for explanation.

[51:25]  ¹⁴⁹² tn Heb “I am against you, oh destroying mountain that destroys all the earth. I will reach out my hand against you and roll you down from the cliffs and make you a mountain of burning.” The interpretation adopted here follows the lines suggested by S. R. Driver, Jeremiah, 318, n. c and reflected also in BDB 977 s.v. שְׂרֵפָה. Babylon is addressed as a destructive mountain because it is being compared to a volcano. The Lord, however, will make it a “burned-out mountain,” i.e., an extinct volcano which is barren and desolate. This interpretation seems to this translator to fit the details of the text more consistently than alternative ones which separate the concept of “destroying/destructive” from “mountain” and explain the figure of the mountain to refer to the dominating political position of Babylon and the reference to a “mountain of burning” to be a “burned [or burned over] mountain.” The use of similes in place of metaphors makes it easier for the modern reader to understand the figures and also more easily incorporates the dissonant figure of “rolling you down from the cliffs” which involves the figure of personification.

[51:25]  sn The figure here involves comparing Babylon to a destructive volcano which the Lord makes burned-out, i.e., he will destroy her power to destroy. The figure of personification is also involved because the Lord is said to roll her off the cliffs; that would not be applicable to a mountain.

[51:26]  ¹⁴⁹³ tn This is a fairly literal translation of the original which reads “No one will take from you a stone for a cornerstone nor a stone for foundations.” There is no unanimity of opinion in the commentaries, many feeling that the figure of the burned mountain continues and others feeling that the figure here shifts to a burned city whose stones are so burned that they are useless to be used in building. The latter is the interpretation adopted here (see, e.g., F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 423; W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:426; NCV).

[51:26]  sn The figure here shifts to that of a burned-up city whose stones cannot be used for building. Babylon will become a permanent heap of ruins.

[51:26]  ¹⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:27]  ¹⁴⁹⁵ tn Heb “Raise up a standard on the earth. Blow a ram’s horn among the nations. Consecrate nations against her.” According to BDB 651 s.v. נֵס 1, the raising of a standard was a signal of a war – a summons to assemble and attack (see usage in Isa 5:26; 13:2; Jer 51:12). The “blowing of the ram’s horn” was also a signal to rally behind a leader and join in an attack (see Judg 3:27; 6:34). For the meaning of “consecrate nations against her” see the study note on 6:4. The usage of this phrase goes back to the concept of holy war where soldiers had to be consecrated for battle by the offering of a sacrifice. The phrase has probably lost its ritual usage in later times and become idiomatic for making necessary preparations for war.

[51:27]  ¹⁴⁹⁶ sn Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz are three kingdoms who were located in the Lake Van, Lake Urmia region which are now parts of eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. They were kingdoms which had been conquered and made vassal states by the Medes in the early sixth century. The Medes were the dominant country in this region from around 590 b.c. until they were conquered and incorporated into the Persian empire by Cyrus in 550 b.c.

[51:27]  ¹⁴⁹⁷ tn The translation of this line is uncertain because it includes a word which only occurs here and in Nah 3:17 where it is found in parallelism with a word that is only used once and whose meaning in turn is uncertain. It is probably related to the Akkadian word tupsharru which refers to a scribe (Heb “a tablet writer”). The exact function of this official is disputed. KBL 356 s.v. טִפְסָר relates it to a “recruiting officer,” a sense which is reflected in NAB. The majority of modern English versions render “commander” or “marshal” following the suggestion of BDB 381 s.v. טִפְסָר. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 351) translate “recruiter (scribe)” but explain the function on p. 371 as that of recording the plunder captured in war. The rendering here follows that of TEV and God’s Word and is the nuance suggested by the majority of modern English versions who rendered “appoint a marshal/commander against it.”

[51:27]  ¹⁴⁹⁸ sn This is probably a poetic or shorthand way of referring to the cavalry and chariotry where horse is put for “rider” and “driver.”

[51:27]  ¹⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “Bring up horses like bristly locusts.” The meaning of the Hebrew word “bristly” (סָמָר, samar) is uncertain because the word only occurs here. It is generally related to a verb meaning “to bristle” which occurs in Job 4:15 and Ps 119:120. Exactly what is meant by “bristly” in connection with “locust” is uncertain, though most relate it to a stage of the locust in which its wings are still encased in a rough, horny casing. J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 759) adds that this is when the locust is very destructive. However, no other commentary mentions this. Therefore the present translation omits the word because it is of uncertain meaning and significance. For a fuller discussion of the way the word has been rendered see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:427.

[51:28]  ¹⁵⁰⁰ tn See the first translator’s note on 51:27 and compare also 6:4 and the study note there.

[51:28]  ¹⁵⁰¹ tn See the translator’s note at 51:23 for the rendering of the terms here.

[51:28]  ¹⁵⁰² tc The Hebrew text has a confusing switch of possessive pronouns in this verse: “Consecrate the nations against her, the kings of the Medes, her governors and prefects, and all the land of his dominion.” This has led to a number of different resolutions. The LXX (the Greek version) renders the word “kings” as singular and levels all the pronouns to “his,” paraphrasing the final clause and combining it with “king of the Medes” to read “and of all the earth.” The Latin Vulgate levels them all to the third masculine plural, and this is followed by the present translation as well as a number of other modern English versions (NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, NCV). The ASV and NJPS understand the feminine to refer to Media, i.e., “her governors and all her prefects” and understand the masculine in the last line to be a distributive singular referring back to the lands each of the governors and prefects ruled over. This is probably correct but since governors and prefects refer to officials appointed over provinces and vassal states it amounts to much the same interpretation that the Latin Vulgate, the present translation, and other modern English versions have given.

[51:29]  ¹⁵⁰³ sn The figure here is common in the poetic tradition of the Lord going forth to do battle against his foes and the earth’s reaction to it is compared to a person trembling with fear and writhing in agony, agony like that of a woman in labor (cf. Judg 5:4; Nah 1:2-5; Hab 3:1-15 [especially v. 6]).

[51:29]  ¹⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “For the plans of the Lord have been carried out to make the land of Babylon…” The passive has been turned into an active and the sentence broken up to better conform with contemporary English style. For the meaning of the verb קוּם (qum) in the sense used here see BDB 878 s.v. קוּם 7.g and compare the usage in Prov 19:21 and Isa 46:10.

[51:29]  ¹⁵⁰⁵ tn The verbs in this verse and v. 30 are all in the past tense in Hebrew, in the tense that views the action as already as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The verb in v. 31a, however, is imperfect, viewing the action as future; the perfects that follow are all dependent on that future. Verse 33 looks forward to a time when Babylon will be harvested and trampled like grain on the threshing floor and the imperatives imply a time in the future. Hence the present translation has rendered all the verbs in vv. 29-30 as future.

[51:30]  ¹⁵⁰⁶ tn Heb “Their strength is dry.” This is a figurative nuance of the word “dry” which BDB 677 s.v. נָשַׁת Qal.1 explain as meaning “fails.” The idea of “strength to do battle” is implicit from the context and is supplied in the translation here for clarity.

[51:30]  ¹⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “They have become women.” The metaphor has been turned into a simile and the significance of the comparison drawn out for the sake of clarity. See 50:37 for the same figure.

[51:30]  ¹⁵⁰⁸ tn Heb “Her dwelling places have been set on fire. Her bars [i.e., the bars on the gates of her cities] have been broken.” The present translation has substituted the word “gates” for “bars” because the intent of the figure is to show that the bars of the gates have been broken giving access to the city. “Gates” makes it easier for the modern reader to understand the figure.

[51:31]  ¹⁵⁰⁹ tn Heb “Runner will run to meet runner and…” The intent is to portray a relay of runners carrying the news that follows on in vv. 31d-33 to the king of Babylon. The present translation attempts to spell out the significance.

[51:31]  ¹⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “Runner will run to meet runner and messenger to meet messenger to report to the king of Babylon that his city has been taken in [its] entirety.” There is general agreement among the commentaries that the first two lines refer to messengers converging on the king of Babylon from every direction bringing news the sum total of which is reported in the lines that follow. For the meaning of the last phrase see BDB 892 s.v. קָצֶה 3 and compare the usage in Gen 19:4 and Isa 56:11. The sentence has been broken down and restructured to better conform with contemporary English style.

[51:32]  ¹⁵¹¹ tn The words “They will report that” have been supplied in the translation to show the linkage between this verse and the previous one. This is still a part of the report of the messengers. The meaning of the word translated “reed marshes” has seemed inappropriate to some commentators because it elsewhere refers to “pools.” However, all the commentaries consulted agree that the word here refers to the reedy marshes that surrounded Babylon. (For a fuller discussion regarding the meaning of this word and attempts to connect it with a word meaning “fortress” see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:427.)

[51:32]  sn Babylon was a city covering over a thousand acres. The city itself was surrounded by two walls, the inner one 21 feet (6.3 m) thick and the outer 11 feet (3.3 m) thick. To provide further security, walls were built to the south and east of the city and irrigation ditches and canals north and east of the city were flooded to prevent direct access to the city. The reference to “fords” here is to the river crossings of the Euphrates River which ran right through the city and the crossings at the ditches and canals. The reference to the “reed marshes” refers to the low lying areas around the city where reeds grew. The burning of the reed marshes would deprive any fugitives of places to hide and flush out any who had already escaped.

[51:33]  ¹⁵¹² sn Heb “Daughter Babylon.” See the study note at 50:42 for explanation.

[51:33]  ¹⁵¹³ tn Heb “Daughter Babylon will be [or is; there is no verb and the tense has to be supplied from the context] like a threshing floor at the time one tramples it. Yet a little while and the time of the harvest will come for her.” It is generally agreed that there are two figures here: one of leveling the threshing floor and stamping it into a smooth, hard surface and the other of the harvest where the grain is cut, taken to the threshing floor, and threshed by trampling the sheaves of grain to loosen the grain from the straw, and finally winnowed by throwing the mixture into the air (cf., e.g., J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 760). The translation has sought to convey those ideas as clearly as possible without digressing too far from the literal.

[51:33]  sn There are two figures involved here: one of the threshing floor being leveled and stamped down hard and smooth and the other of the harvest. At harvest time the stalks of grain were cut down, gathered in sheaves, taken to the harvest floor where the grain was loosened from the husk by driving oxen and threshing sleds over them. The grain was then separated from the mixture of grain, straw and husks by repeatedly throwing it in the air and letting the wind blow away the lighter husks and ground-up straw. The figure of harvest is often used of judgment in the OT. See, e.g., Joel 3:13 (4:13 Hebrew text) and Hos 6:11 and compare also Mic 4:12-13 and Jer 51:2 where different steps in this process are also used figuratively in connection with judgment. Babylon will be leveled to the ground and its people cut down in judgment.

[51:34]  ¹⁵¹⁴ tn This verse is extremely difficult to translate because of the shifting imagery, the confusion over the meaning of one of the verbs, and the apparent inconsistency of the pronominal suffixes here with those in the following verse which everyone agrees is connected with it. The pronominal suffixes are first common plural but the versions all read them as first common singular which the Masoretes also do in the Qere. That reading has been followed here for consistency with the next verse which identifies the speaker as the person living in Zion and the personified city of Jerusalem. The Hebrew text reads: “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon devoured me [cf. 50:7, 17] and threw me into confusion. He set me down an empty dish. He swallowed me like a monster from the deep [cf. BDB 1072 s.v. תַּנִּין 3 and compare usage in Isa 27:1; Ezek 29:3; 32:2]. He filled his belly with my dainties. He rinsed me out [cf. BDB s.v. דּוּח Hiph.2 and compare the usage in Isa 4:4].” The verb “throw into confusion” has proved troublesome because its normal meaning does not seem appropriate. Hence various proposals have been made to understand it in a different sense. The present translation has followed W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:428) in understanding the verb to mean “disperse” or “route” (see NAB). The last line has seemed out of place and has often been emended to read “he has spewed me out” (so NIV, NRSV, a reading that presupposes הִדִּיחָנִי [hiddikhani] for הֱדִיחָנִי [hedikhani]). The reading of the MT is not inappropriate if it is combined with the imagery of an empty jar and hence is retained here (see F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 425, n. 59; H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 344; NJPS). The lines have been combined to keep the imagery together.

[51:34]  sn The speaker in this verse and the next is the personified city of Jerusalem. She laments her fate at the hands of the king of Babylon and calls down a curse on Babylon and the people who live in Babylonia. Here Nebuchadnezzar is depicted as a monster of the deep who has devoured Jerusalem, swallowed her down, and filled its belly with her riches, leaving her an empty dish, which has been rinsed clean.

[51:35]  ¹⁵¹⁵ tn Heb “‘The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,’ says the one living in Zion. ‘My blood be upon those living in Chaldea,’ says Jerusalem.” For the usage of the genitive here in the phrase “violence done to me and my relatives” see GKC 414 §128.a (a construct governing two objects) and IBHS 303 §16.4d (an objective genitive). For the nuance of “pay” in the sense of retribution see BDB 756 s.v. עַל 7.a(b) and compare the usage in Judg 9:24. For the use of שְׁאֵר (shÿ’er) in the sense of “relatives” see BDB 985 s.v. שְׁאֵר 2 and compare NJPS. For the use of “blood” in this idiom see BDB 197 s.v. דָּם 2.k and compare the usage in 2 Sam 4:11; Ezek 3:18, 20. The lines have been reversed for better English style.

[51:36]  ¹⁵¹⁶ tn Heb “I will avenge your vengeance [= I will take vengeance for you; the phrase involves a verb and a cognate accusative].” The meaning of the phrase has been spelled out in more readily understandable terms.

[51:36]  ¹⁵¹⁷ tn Heb “I will dry up her [Babylon’s] sea and make her fountain dry.” “Their” has been substituted for “her” because “Babylonians” has been inserted in the previous clause and is easier to understand than the personification of Babylon = “her.”

[51:36]  sn The reference to their sea is not clear. Most interpreters understand it to be a figurative reference to the rivers and canals surrounding Babylon. But some feel it refers to the reservoir that the wife of Nebuchadnezzar, Queen Nictoris, had made.

[51:37]  ¹⁵¹⁸ tn Heb “a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals.” Compare 9:11.

[51:37]  ¹⁵¹⁹ tn Heb “without an inhabitant.”

[51:38]  ¹⁵²⁰ tn Heb “They [the Babylonians] all roar like lions. They growl like the cubs of lions.” For the usage of יַחְדָו (yakhdav) meaning “all” see Isa 10:8; 18:6; 41:20. The translation strives to convey in clear terms what is the generally accepted meaning of the simile (cf., e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 358, and J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 762).

[51:39]  ¹⁵²¹ tn Heb “When they are hot.”

[51:39]  ¹⁵²² tc The translation follows the suggestion of KBL 707 s.v. עָלַז and a number of modern commentaries (e.g., Bright, J. A. Thompson, and W. L. Holladay) in reading יְעֻלְּפוּ (ye’ullÿfu) for יַעֲלֹזוּ (ya’alozu) in the sense of “swoon away” or “grow faint” (see KBL 710 s.v. עָלַף Pual). That appears to be the verb that the LXX (the Greek version) was reading when they translated καρωθῶσιν (karwqwsin, “they will be stupefied”). For parallel usage KBL cites Isa 51:20. This fits the context much better than “they will exult” in the Hebrew text.

[51:39]  ¹⁵²³ sn The central figure here is the figure of the cup of the Lord’s wrath (cf. 25:15-29, especially v. 26). Here the Babylonians have been made to drink so deeply of it that they fall into a drunken sleep from which they will never wake up (i.e., they die, death being compared to sleep [cf. Ps 13:3 (13:4 HT); 76:5 (76:6 HT); 90:5]). Compare the usage in Jer 51:57 for this same figure.

[51:39]  ¹⁵²⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:40]  ¹⁵²⁵ tn Heb “I will bring them down like lambs to be slaughtered, like rams and he goats.”

[51:40]  sn This statement is highly ironic in light of the fact that the Babylonians were compared to lions and lion cubs (v. 38). Here they are like lambs, rams, and male goats which are to be lead off to be slaughtered.

[51:41]  ¹⁵²⁶ sn Heb “Sheshach.” For an explanation of the usage of this name for Babylon see the study note on Jer 25:26 and that on 51:1 for a similar phenomenon. Babylon is here called “the pride of the whole earth” because it was renowned for its size, its fortifications, and its beautiful buildings.

[51:41]  ¹⁵²⁷ tn Heb “How Sheshach has been captured, the pride of the whole earth has been seized! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!” For the usage of “How” here see the translator’s note on 50:23.

[51:41]  sn This is part of a taunt song (see Isa 14:4) and assumes prophetically that the city has already been captured. The verbs in vv. 41-43a are all in the Hebrew tense that the prophets often use to look at the future as “a done deal” (the so-called prophetic perfect). In v. 44 which is still a part of this picture the verbs are in the future. The Hebrew tense has been retained here and in vv. 42-43 but it should be remembered that the standpoint is prophetic and future.

[51:42]  ¹⁵²⁸ tn For the meaning “multitude” here rather than “tumult” see BDB 242 s.v. הָמוֹן 3.c, where reference is made that this refers to a great throng of people under the figure of an overwhelming mass of waves. The word is used of a multitude of soldiers, or a vast army in 1 Sam 14:16; 1 Kgs 20:13, 18 (cf. BDB 242 s.v. הָמוֹן 3.a for further references).

[51:42]  ¹⁵²⁹ tn Heb “The sea has risen up over Babylon. She has been covered by the multitude of its waves.”

[51:42]  sn This is a poetic and figurative reference to the enemies of Babylon, the foe from the north (see 50:3, 9, 51:27-28), which has attacked Babylon in wave after wave. This same figure is used in Isa 17:12. In Isa 8:7-8 the king of Assyria (and his troops) are compared to the Euphrates which rises up and floods over the whole land of Israel and Judah. This same figure, but with application to Babylon, is assumed in Jer 47:2-3. In Jer 46:7-8 the same figure is employed in a taunt of Egypt which had boasted that it would cover the earth like the flooding of the Nile.

[51:43]  ¹⁵³⁰ tn Heb “Its towns have become a desolation, [it has become] a dry land and a desert, a land which no man passes through them [referring to “her towns”] and no son of man [= human being] passes through them.” Here the present translation has followed the suggestion of BHS and a number of the modern commentaries in deleting the second occurrence of the word “land,” in which case the words that follow are not a relative clause but independent statements. A number of modern English versions appear to ignore the third feminine plural suffixes which refer back to the cities and refer the statements that follow to the land.

[51:44]  ¹⁵³¹ tn Heb “And I will punish Bel in Babylon…And the nations will not come streaming to him anymore. Yea, the walls of Babylon have fallen.” The verbs in the first two lines are vav consecutive perfects and the verb in the third line is an imperfect all looking at the future. That indicates that the perfect that follows and the perfects that precede are all prophetic perfects. The translation adopted seemed to be the best way to make the transition from the pasts which were adopted in conjunction with the taunting use of אֵיךְ (’ekh) in v. 41 to the futures in v. 44. For the usage of גַּם (gam) to indicate a climax, “yea” or “indeed” see BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 3. It seemed to be impossible to render the meaning of v. 44 in any comprehensible way, even in a paraphrase.

[51:44]  sn In the ancient Near East the victory of a nation over another nation was attributed to its gods. The reference is a poetic way of referring to the fact that God will be victorious over Babylon and its chief god, Bel/Marduk (see the study note on 50:2 for explanation). The reference to the disgorging of what Bel had swallowed is to captured people and plundered loot that had been taken to Babylon under the auspices of the victory of Bel over the foreign god (cf. Dan 5:2-4). The plundered treasures and captive people will be set free and nations will no longer need to pay homage to him because Babylon will be destroyed.

[51:45]  ¹⁵³² tn Heb “Go out from her [Babylon’s] midst, my people. Save each man his life from the fierce anger of the Lord.” The verb has been paraphrased to prevent gender specific terms.

[51:45]  sn Compare Jer 50:8-10; 51:6 where the significance of saving oneself from the fierce anger of the Lord is clarified.

[51:47]  ¹⁵³³ tn Heb “That being so, look, days are approaching.” לָכֵן (lakhen) often introduces the effect of an action. That may be the case here, the turmoil outlined in v. 46 serving as the catalyst for the culminating divine judgment described in v. 47. Another possibility is that לָכֵן here has an asseverative force (“certainly”), as in Isa 26:14 and perhaps Jer 5:2 (see the note there). In this case the word almost has the force of “for, since,” because it presents a cause for an accompanying effect. See Judg 8:7 and the discussion of Isa 26:14 in BDB 486-87 s.v. כֵּן 3.d.

[51:47]  ¹⁵³⁴ tn Or “all her slain will fall in her midst.” In other words, her people will be overtaken by judgment and be unable to escape. The dead will lie in heaps in the very heart of the city and land.

[51:48]  ¹⁵³⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:49]  ¹⁵³⁶ tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate what is about to take place. See IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.

[51:49]  ¹⁵³⁷ tn Heb “the slain of Israel.” The words “because of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The preceding context makes it clear that Babylon would be judged for its atrocities against Israel (see especially 50:33-34; 51:10, 24, 35).

[51:49]  ¹⁵³⁸ tn The juxtaposition of גַם…גַם (gam...gam), often “both…and,” here indicates correspondence. See BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 4. Appropriately Babylon will fall slain just as her victims, including God’s covenant people, did.

[51:50]  ¹⁵³⁹ sn God’s exiled people are told to leave doomed Babylon (see v. 45).

[51:50]  ¹⁵⁴⁰ tn Heb “don’t stand.”

[51:50]  ¹⁵⁴¹ tn Heb “let Jerusalem go up upon your heart.” The “heart” is often viewed as the seat of one’s mental faculties and thought life.

[51:50]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[51:51]  ¹⁵⁴² sn The exiles lament the way they have been humiliated.

[51:51]  ¹⁵⁴³ tn Heb “we have heard an insult.”

[51:51]  ¹⁵⁴⁴ tn Heb “disgrace covers our face.”

[51:51]  ¹⁵⁴⁵ tn Or “holy places, sanctuaries.”

[51:52]  ¹⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “that being so, look, days are approaching.” Here לָכֵן (lakhen) introduces the Lord’s response to the people’s lament (v. 51). It has the force of “yes, but” or “that may be true.” See Judg 11:8 and BDB 486-87 s.v. כֵּן 3.d.

[51:52]  ¹⁵⁴⁷ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:53]  ¹⁵⁴⁸ tn Or “ascends [into] heaven.” Note the use of the phrase in Deut 30:12; 2 Kgs 2:11; and Amos 9:2.

[51:53]  ¹⁵⁴⁹ tn Heb “and even if she fortifies her strong elevated place.”

[51:53]  ¹⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “from me destroyers will go against her.”

[51:53]  ¹⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[51:55]  ¹⁵⁵² tn The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not entirely clear. It probably refers back to the “destroyers” mentioned in v. 53 as the agents of God’s judgment on Babylon.

[51:55]  ¹⁵⁵³ tn Or “mighty waters.”

[51:55]  ¹⁵⁵⁴ tn Heb “and the noise of their sound will be given,”

[51:56]  ¹⁵⁵⁵ tn Heb “for a destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon.”

[51:56]  ¹⁵⁵⁶ tn The Piel form (which would be intransitive here, see GKC 142 §52.k) should probably be emended to Qal.

[51:56]  ¹⁵⁵⁷ tn Or “God of retribution.”

[51:56]  ¹⁵⁵⁸ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. Another option is to translate, “he certainly pays one back.” The translation assumes that the imperfect verbal form here describes the Lord’s characteristic actions. Another option is to take it as referring specifically to his judgment on Babylon, in which case one should translate, “he will pay (Babylon) back in full.”

[51:57]  ¹⁵⁵⁹ sn For discussion of the terms “governors” and “leaders” see the note at Jer 51:23.

[51:57]  ¹⁵⁶⁰ sn See the note at Jer 51:39.

[51:57]  ¹⁵⁶¹ tn For the title “Yahweh of armies” see the study note on Jer 2:19.

[51:58]  ¹⁵⁶² sn See the note at Jer 2:19.

[51:58]  ¹⁵⁶³ tn The text has the plural “walls,” but many Hebrew mss read the singular “wall,” which is also supported by the ancient Greek version. The modifying adjective “thick” is singular as well.

[51:58]  ¹⁵⁶⁴ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. Another option is to translate, “will certainly be demolished.”

[51:58]  ¹⁵⁶⁵ tn Heb “for what is empty.”

[51:58]  ¹⁵⁶⁶ tn Heb “and the nations for fire, and they grow weary.”

[51:59]  ¹⁵⁶⁷ sn This would be 582 b.c.

[51:59]  ¹⁵⁶⁸ tn Heb “an officer of rest.”

[51:60]  ¹⁵⁶⁹ tn Or “wrote.”

[51:60]  ¹⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “disaster”; or “calamity.”

[51:60]  ¹⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “words” (or “things”).

[51:61]  ¹⁵⁷² tn Heb “see [that].”

[51:61]  ¹⁵⁷³ tn Heb “words” (or “things”).

[51:63]  ¹⁵⁷⁴ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.

[51:64]  ¹⁵⁷⁵ tn Or “disaster”; or “calamity.”

[51:64]  ¹⁵⁷⁶ sn The final chapter of the book of Jeremiah does not mention Jeremiah or record any of his prophecies.

[1:15]  ¹⁵⁷⁷ tn Or “the nations that are at ease” (so ASV, NRSV). The Hebrew word in question is שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan) which has the idea of a careless, even arrogant attitude (see BDB 983 s.v. שַׁאֲנָן); cf. NAB “the complacent nations.” Here it suggests that the nations take for granted that God will never punish them just because he hasn't already done so. Thus they presume on the grace and patience of the Lord. The translation attempts to bring out this nuance rather than the more neutral renderings of TEV “nations that enjoy quiet and peace” or NLT “enjoy peace and security.”