Ulangan 23:18

23:18 You must never bring the pay of a female prostitute ¹  or the wage of a male prostitute ²  into the temple of the Lord your God in fulfillment of any vow, for both of these are abhorrent to the Lord your God.

Kejadian 28:20

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 ³  to eat and clothing to wear,

Kejadian 35:1-3

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ⁴  to Bethel ⁵  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ⁶  35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ⁷  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ⁸  35:3 Let us go up at once ⁹  to Bethel. Then I will make ¹⁰  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ¹¹  and has been with me wherever I went.” ¹² 

Imamat 27:2-34

27:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When a man makes a special votive offering ¹³  based on the conversion value of persons to the Lord, ¹⁴  27:3 the conversion value of the male ¹⁵  from twenty years old up to sixty years old ¹⁶  is fifty shekels by the standard of the sanctuary shekel. ¹⁷  27:4 If the person is a female, the conversion value is thirty shekels. 27:5 If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the conversion value of the male is twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 27:6 If the person is one month old up to five years old, the conversion value of the male is five shekels of silver, ¹⁸  and for the female the conversion value is three shekels of silver. 27:7 If the person is from sixty years old and older, if he is a male the conversion value is fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 27:8 If he is too poor to pay the conversion value, he must stand the person before the priest and the priest will establish his conversion value; ¹⁹  according to what the man who made the vow can afford, ²⁰  the priest will establish his conversion value.

Redemption of Vowed Animals

27:9 “‘If what is vowed is a kind of animal from which an offering may be presented ²¹  to the Lord, anything which he gives to the Lord from this kind of animal ²²  will be holy. 27:10 He must not replace or exchange it, good for bad or bad for good, and if he does indeed exchange one animal for another animal, then both the original animal ²³  and its substitute will be holy. 27:11 If what is vowed is an unclean animal from which an offering must not be presented to the Lord, then he must stand the animal before the priest, 27:12 and the priest will establish its conversion value, ²⁴  whether good or bad. According to the assessed conversion value of the priest, thus it will be. 27:13 If, however, the person who made the vow redeems the animal, ²⁵  he must add one fifth to ²⁶  its conversion value.

Redemption of Vowed Houses

27:14 “‘If a man consecrates his house as holy to the Lord, the priest will establish its conversion value, whether good or bad. Just as the priest establishes its conversion value, thus it will stand. ²⁷  27:15 If the one who consecrates it redeems his house, he must add to it one fifth of its conversion value in silver, and it will belong to him. ²⁸ 

Redemption of Vowed Fields

27:16 “‘If a man consecrates to the Lord some of his own landed property, the conversion value must be calculated in accordance with the amount of seed needed to sow it, ²⁹  a homer of barley seed being priced at fifty shekels of silver. ³⁰  27:17 If he consecrates his field in the jubilee year, ³¹  the conversion value will stand, 27:18 but if ³²  he consecrates his field after the jubilee, the priest will calculate the price ³³  for him according to the years that are left until the next jubilee year, and it will be deducted from the conversion value. 27:19 If, however, the one who consecrated the field redeems it, ³⁴  he must add to it one fifth of the conversion price ³⁵  and it will belong to him. ³⁶  27:20 If he does not redeem the field, but sells ³⁷  the field to someone else, he may never redeem it. 27:21 When it reverts ³⁸  in the jubilee, the field will be holy to the Lord like a permanently dedicated field; ³⁹  it will become the priest’s property. ⁴⁰ 

27:22 “‘If he consecrates to the Lord a field he has purchased, ⁴¹  which is not part of his own landed property, 27:23 the priest will calculate for him the amount of its conversion value until the jubilee year, and he must pay ⁴²  the conversion value on that jubilee day as something that is holy to the Lord. 27:24 In the jubilee year the field will return to the one from whom he bought it, the one to whom it belongs as landed property. 27:25 Every conversion value must be calculated by the standard of the sanctuary shekel; ⁴³  twenty gerahs to the shekel.

Redemption of the Firstborn

27:26 “‘Surely no man may consecrate a firstborn that already belongs to the Lord as a firstborn among the animals; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it belongs to the Lord. ⁴⁴  27:27 If, however, ⁴⁵  it is among the unclean animals, he may ransom it according to ⁴⁶  its conversion value and must add one fifth to it, but if it is not redeemed it must be sold according to its conversion value.

Things Permanently Dedicated to the Lord

27:28 “‘Surely anything which a man permanently dedicates to the Lord ⁴⁷  from all that belongs to him, whether from people, animals, or his landed property, must be neither sold nor redeemed; anything permanently dedicated is most holy to the Lord. 27:29 Any human being who is permanently dedicated ⁴⁸  must not be ransomed; such a person must be put to death.

Redemption of the Tithe

27:30 “‘Any tithe ⁴⁹  of the land, from the grain of the land or from the fruit of the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 27:31 If a man redeems ⁵⁰  part of his tithe, however, he must add one fifth to it. ⁵¹  27:32 All the tithe of herd or flock, everything which passes under the rod, the tenth one will be holy to the Lord. ⁵²  27:33 The owner ⁵³  must not examine the animals to distinguish between good and bad, and he must not exchange it. If, however, he does exchange it, ⁵⁴  both the original animal ⁵⁵  and its substitute will be holy. ⁵⁶  It must not be redeemed.’”

Final Colophon

27:34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites ⁵⁷  at Mount Sinai.

Bilangan 30:2-16

30:2 If a man ⁵⁸  makes a vow ⁵⁹  to the Lord or takes an oath ⁶⁰  of binding obligation on himself, ⁶¹  he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised. ⁶² 

Vows Made by Single Women

30:3 “If a young ⁶³  woman who is still living ⁶⁴  in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord or places herself under an obligation, 30:4 and her father hears of her vow or the obligation to which she has pledged herself, and her father remains silent about her, ⁶⁵  then all her vows will stand, ⁶⁶  and every obligation to which she has pledged herself will stand. 30:5 But if her father overrules her when he hears ⁶⁷  about it, then none ⁶⁸  of her vows or her obligations which she has pledged for herself will stand. And the Lord will release ⁶⁹  her from it, because her father overruled her.

Vows Made by Married Women

30:6 “And if she marries a husband while under a vow, ⁷⁰  or she uttered ⁷¹  anything impulsively by which she has pledged herself, 30:7 and her husband hears about it, but remains silent about her when he hears about it, then her vows will stand and her obligations which she has pledged for herself will stand. 30:8 But if when her husband hears it he overrules her, then he will nullify ⁷²  the vow she has taken, ⁷³  and whatever she uttered impulsively which she has pledged for herself. And the Lord will release her from it.

Vows Made by Widows

30:9 “But every vow of a widow or of a divorced woman which she has pledged for herself will remain intact. ⁷⁴  30:10 If she made the vow in her husband’s house or put herself under obligation with an oath, 30:11 and her husband heard about it, but remained silent about her, and did not overrule her, then all her vows will stand, and every obligation which she pledged for herself will stand. 30:12 But if her husband clearly nullifies ⁷⁵  them when he hears them, then whatever she says ⁷⁶  by way of vows or obligations will not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will release her from them.

30:13 “Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, ⁷⁷  her husband can confirm or nullify. ⁷⁸  30:14 But if her husband remains completely silent ⁷⁹  about her from day to day, he thus confirms all her vows or all her obligations which she is under; he confirms them because he remained silent about when he heard them. 30:15 But if he should nullify them after he has heard them, then he will bear her iniquity.” ⁸⁰ 

30:16 These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses, relating to ⁸¹  a man and his wife, and a father and his young daughter who is still living in her father’s house.

Mazmur 56:12

56:12 I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God; ⁸² 

I will give you the thank-offerings you deserve, ⁸³ 

Mazmur 66:13-14

66:13 I will enter ⁸⁴  your temple with burnt sacrifices;

I will fulfill the vows I made to you,

66:14 which my lips uttered

and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

Mazmur 76:11

76:11 Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them!

Let all those who surround him ⁸⁵  bring tribute to the awesome one!

Mazmur 116:18

116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

before all his people,

Pengkhotbah 5:4-5

5:4 When you make a vow ⁸⁶  to God, do not delay in paying it. ⁸⁷ 

For God ⁸⁸  takes no pleasure in fools:

Pay what you vow!

5:5 It is better for you not to vow

than to vow and not pay it. ⁸⁹ 

Yunus 1:16

1:16 The men feared the Lord ⁹⁰  greatly, ⁹¹  and earnestly vowed ⁹²  to offer lavish sacrifices ⁹³  to the Lord. ⁹⁴ 

Yunus 2:9

2:9 But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration ⁹⁵  of praise; ⁹⁶ 

I will surely do ⁹⁷  what I have promised. ⁹⁸ 

Salvation ⁹⁹  belongs to the Lord!” ¹⁰⁰ 

Nahum 1:15

Proclamation of the Deliverance of Judah

1:15 (2:1) ¹⁰¹  Look! A herald is running ¹⁰²  on the mountains!

A messenger is proclaiming deliverance: ¹⁰³ 

“Celebrate your sacred festivals, O Judah!

Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God! ¹⁰⁴ 

For never again ¹⁰⁵  will the wicked ¹⁰⁶  Assyrians ¹⁰⁷  invade ¹⁰⁸  you,

they ¹⁰⁹  have been completely destroyed.” ¹¹⁰ 

[23:18]  ¹ tn Here the Hebrew term זוֹנָה (zonah) refers to a noncultic (i.e., “secular”) female prostitute; see note on the phrase “sacred prostitute” in v. 17.

[23:18]  ² tn Heb “of a dog.” This is the common Hebrew term for a noncultic (i.e., “secular”) male prostitute. See note on the phrase “sacred male prostitute” in v. 17.

[28:20]  ³ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[35:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ⁵ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ⁶ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ¹⁰ tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ¹² tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).

[27:2]  ¹³ tn Cf. the note on Lev 22:21. Some take this as an expression for fulfilling a vow, “to fulfill a vow” (e.g., HALOT 927-28 s.v. פלא piel and NASB; cf. NRSV “in fulfillment of a vow”) or, alternatively, “to make a vow” or “for making a vow” (HALOT 928 s.v. פלא piel [II פלא]). Perhaps it refers to the making a special vow, from the verb פָלָא (pala’, “to be wonderful; to be remarkable”), cf. Milgrom, Numbers [JPSTC], 44. B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 151 and 193, suggests that this is a special term for “setting aside a votive offering” (related to פָלָה, palah, “to set aside”). In general, the point of the expression seems to be that this sacrifice is a special gift to God that arose out of special circumstances in the life of the worshiper.

[27:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “in your valuation, persons to the Lord,” but “in your valuation” is a frozen form and, therefore, the person (“your”) does not figure into the translation (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 73). Instead of offering a person to the Lord one could redeem that person with the appropriate amount of money delineated in the following verses (see the note on Lev 5:15 above and the explanation in Hartley, 480-81).

[27:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “your conversion value shall be [for] the male.”

[27:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “from a son of twenty years and until a son of sixty years.”

[27:3]  ¹⁷ tn See the note on Lev 5:15.

[27:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “five shekels silver.”

[27:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and the priest shall cause him to be valued.”

[27:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “on the mouth which the hand of the one who vowed reaches.”

[27:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “which they may present from it an offering.” The plural active verb is sometimes best rendered in the passive (GKC 460 §144.f, g). Some medieval Hebrew mss, Smr, a ms of the Targum, and the Vulgate all have the singular verb instead (cf. similarly v. 11).

[27:9]  ²² tn Heb “from it.” The masculine suffix “it” here is used for the feminine in the MT, but one medieval Hebrew ms, some mss of Smr, the LXX, and the Syriac have the feminine. The referent (this kind of animal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:10]  ²³ tn Heb “it and its substitute.” The referent (the original animal offered) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and the priest shall cause it to be valued.” See the note on v. 8 above.

[27:13]  ²⁵ tn Heb “And if redeeming [infinitive absolute] he redeems it [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p. The referent of “he” (the person who made the vow) and “it” (the animal) have both been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “on,” meaning “on top of, in addition to” (likewise in v. 15).

[27:14]  ²⁷ tn The expression “it shall stand” may be a technical term for “it shall be legally valid”; cf. NLT “assessment will be final.”

[27:15]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and it shall be to him.”

[27:16]  ²⁹ tn Heb “a conversion value shall be to the mouth of its seed.”

[27:16]  ³⁰ tn Heb “seed of a homer of barley in fifty shekels of silver.”

[27:17]  ³¹ tn Heb “from the year of the jubilee.” For the meaning of “jubilee,” see the note on Lev 25:10 above.

[27:18]  ³² tn Heb “And if.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have adversative force here.

[27:18]  ³³ tn Heb “the silver.”

[27:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “And if redeeming [infinitive absolute] he redeems [finite verb] the field, the one who consecrated it.” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.

[27:19]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the silver of the conversion value.”

[27:19]  ³⁶ tn Heb “and it shall rise to him.” See HALOT 1087 s.v. קום 7 for the rendering offered here, but see also the note on the end of v. 14 above (cf. J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 476, 478).

[27:20]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and if he sells.”

[27:21]  ³⁸ tn Heb “When it goes out” (cf. Lev 25:25-34).

[27:21]  ³⁹ tn Heb “like the field of the permanent dedication.” The Hebrew word חֵרֶם (kherem) is a much discussed term. In this and the following verses it refers in a general way to the fact that something is permanently devoted to the Lord and therefore cannot be redeemed (cf. v. 20b). See J. A. Naudé, NIDOTTE 2:276-77; N. Lohfink, TDOT 5:180-99, esp. pp. 184, 188, and 198-99; and the numerous explanations in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 483-85.

[27:21]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “to the priest it shall be his property.”

[27:22]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “his field of purchase,” which is to be distinguished from his own ancestral “landed property” (cf. v. 16 above).

[27:23]  ⁴² tn Heb “give” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NLT).

[27:25]  ⁴³ tn See the note on Lev 5:15.

[27:26]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “to the Lord it is.”

[27:27]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “And if.”

[27:27]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “in” or “by.”

[27:28]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “Surely, any permanently dedicated [thing] which a man shall permanently dedicate to the Lord.” The Hebrew term חֵרֶם (kherem) refers to things that are devoted permanently to the Lord (see the note on v. 21 above).

[27:29]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “permanently dedicated from among men.”

[27:30]  ⁴⁹ tn On the “tithe” system in Israel, see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:1035-55 and esp. pp. 1041-42 on Lev 27:30-33.

[27:31]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “And if redeeming [infinitive absolute] a man redeems [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.

[27:31]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “its one fifth on it.”

[27:32]  ⁵² sn The tithed animal was the tenth one that passed under the shepherd’s rod or staff as they were being counted (see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 485, and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 200).

[27:33]  ⁵³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the owner of the animal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:33]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “And if exchanging [infinitive absolute] he exchanges it [finite verb].” For the infinitive absolute used to highlight contrast rather than emphasis see GKC 343 §113.p.

[27:33]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “it and its substitute.” The referent (the original animal offered) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:33]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “it shall be and its substitute shall be holy.”

[27:34]  ⁵⁷ tn Most of the commentaries and English versions translate, “which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel.” The preposition אֶל (’el), however, does not usually mean “for.” In this book it is commonly used when the Lord commands Moses “to speak [un]to” a person or group of persons (see, e.g., Lev 1:2; 4:2, etc.). The translation “to tell” here reflects this pattern in the book of Leviticus.

[30:2]  ⁵⁸ tn The legal construction states the class to which the law applies, and then lays down the condition: “men [man] – if….”

[30:2]  ⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative construction to express this: “a man if he vows a vow.”

[30:2]  ⁶⁰ tn The expression is “swear an oath” (הִשָּׁבַע שְׁבֻעָה, hishava’ shÿvu’ah). The vow (נֵדֶר, neder) was a promise to donate something of oneself or one’s substance to the Lord. The solemn oath seals the vow before the Lord, perhaps with sacrifice. The vocabulary recalls Abraham’s treaty with Abimelech and the naming of Beer Sheba with the word (see Gen 21).

[30:2]  ⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text hasלֶאְסֹר אִסָּר (le’sor ’issar), meaning “to take a binding obligation.” This is usually interpreted to mean a negative vow, i.e., the person attempts to abstain from something that is otherwise permissible. It might involve fasting, or abstaining from marital sex, but it might also involve some goal to be achieved, and the abstaining from distractions until the vow is fulfilled (see Ps 132). The נֶדֶר (neder) may have been more for religious matters, and the אִסָּר more for social concerns, but this cannot be documented with certainty.

[30:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “according to all that goes out of his mouth.”

[30:3]  ⁶³ tn The qualification comes at the end of the verse, and simply says “in her youth.”

[30:3]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew text just has “in her father’s house” and not “who is still living,” but that is the meaning of the line.

[30:4]  ⁶⁵ tn The intent of this expression is that he does not object to the vow.

[30:4]  ⁶⁶ tn The verb קוּם (qum) is best translated “stand” here, but the idea with it is that what she vows is established as a genuine oath with the father’s approval (or acquiescence).

[30:5]  ⁶⁷ tn The idiom is “in the day of,” but it is used in place of a preposition before the infinitive construct with its suffixed subjective genitive. The clause is temporal.

[30:5]  ⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew “all will not stand” is best rendered “none will stand.”

[30:5]  ⁶⁹ tn The verb has often been translated “forgive” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, NLT), but that would suggest a sin that needed forgiving. The idea of “release from obligation” is better; the idea is like that of having a debt “forgiven” or “retired.” In other words, she is free from the vow she had made. The Lord will not hold the woman responsible to do what she vowed.

[30:6]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and her vows are upon her.” It may be that the woman gets married while her vows are still unfulfilled.

[30:6]  ⁷¹ tn The Hebrew text indicates that this would be some impetuous vow that she uttered with her lips, a vow that her husband, whether new or existing, would not approve of. Several translate it “a binding obligation rashly uttered.”

[30:8]  ⁷² tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive from the verb פָּרַר (parar, “to annul”). The verb functions here as the equivalent of an imperfect tense; here it is the apodosis following the conditional clause – if this is the case, then this is what will happen.

[30:8]  ⁷³ tn Heb “which [she is] under it.”

[30:9]  ⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew text says her vow “shall stand against her.” In other words, she must fulfill, or bear the consequences of, whatever she vowed.

[30:12]  ⁷⁵ tn The verb is the imperfect tense in the conditional clause. It is intensified with the infinitive absolute, which would have the force of saying that he nullified them unequivocally, or he made them null and void.

[30:12]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb whatever proceeds from her lips.”

[30:13]  ⁷⁷ tn The sentence uses the infinitive construct לְעַנֹּת (lÿ’annot, “to afflict”), which is the same word used in the instructions for the day of atonement in which people are to afflict themselves (their souls). The case here may be that the woman would take a religious vow on such an occasion to humble herself, to mortify her flesh, to abstain from certain things, perhaps even sexual relations within marriage.

[30:13]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “or her husband can nullify.”

[30:14]  ⁷⁹ tn The sentence uses the infinitive absolute to strengthen the idea.

[30:15]  ⁸⁰ sn In other words, he will pay the penalty for making her break her vows if he makes her stop what she vowed. It will not be her responsibility.

[30:16]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “between.”

[56:12]  ⁸² tn Heb “upon me, O God, [are] your vows.”

[56:12]  ⁸³ tn Heb “I will repay thank-offerings to you.”

[66:13]  ⁸⁴ sn Here the psalmist switches to the singular; he speaks as the representative of the nation.

[76:11]  ⁸⁵ tn The phrase “all those who surround him” may refer to the surrounding nations (v. 12 may favor this), but in Ps 89:7 the phrase refers to God’s heavenly assembly.

[5:4]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “vow a vow.” The phrase תִּדֹּר נֶדֶר (tiddor neder, “to vow a vow”) is a Hebrew idiom in which the root נדר is repeated for emphasis. The construction is a cognate accusative (see IBHS 166-67 §10.2.1f). The verb נָדַר (nadar, “to vow”) refers to the action of making a solemn promise to the Lord to perform an action or offer a sacrifice, e.g., Lev 27:8; Num 6:21; 30:11; Deut 23:23-24; Jonah 2:10; Mal 1:14; Pss 76:12; 132:2; see HALOT 674 s.v. נדר. The noun נֶדֶר (“vow”) was a gift or offering promised to be given to the Lord (Num 30:3; Deut 12:11; 23:19; Isa 19:12; Nah 2:1 [ET 1:15]; Ps 61:6, 9); see HALOT 674–75 s.v. נֵדֶר. It usually was a sacrifice or free-will offering (Deut 12:6; Ps 66:13) that was often promised during times of pressure (Judg 11:30; 1 Sam 1:11; 2 Sam 15:7-8; Pss 22:25; 66:13; 116:14, 18; Jonah 2:9).

[5:4]  ⁸⁷ tn The term לְשַׁלְּמוֹ (lÿshallÿmo, preposition + Piel infinitive construct from שָׁלַם, shalam + 3rd person masculine singular suffix) is derived from the root שׁלם which is used in a general sense of paying a debt (2 Kgs 4:7; Ps 37:21; Prov 22:27; Job 41:3), and more specifically of fulfilling a vow to the Lord (Deut 23:22; 2 Sam 15:7; Pss 22:26; 50:14; 61:9; 66:13; 76:12; 116:14, 18; Prov 7:14; Job 22:27; Isa 19:21; Jonah 2:10; Nah 2:1); see HALOT 1535 s.v. שׁלם 3a; BDB 1022 s.v. שָׁלֵם 4. An Israelite was never required to make a vow, but once made, it had to be paid (Lev 22:18-25; 27:1-13; Num 15:2-10; Nah 1:15 [2:1 HT]).

[5:4]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (“God”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:5]  ⁸⁹ tn The word “it” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:16]  ⁹⁰ tc The editors of BHS suggest that the direct object אֶת־יְהוָה (’et-yÿhvah, “the Lord”) might be a scribal addition, and that the original text simply read, “The men became greatly afraid…” However, there is no shred of external evidence to support this conjectural emendation. Admittedly, the apparent “conversion” of these Phoenician sailors to Yahwism is a surprising development. But two literary features support the Hebrew text as it stands. First, it is not altogether clear whether or not the sailors actually converted to faith in the Lord. They might have simply incorporated him into their polytheistic religion. Second, the narrator has taken pains to portray the pagan sailors as a literary foil to Jonah by contrasting Jonah’s hypocritical profession to fear the Lord (v. 9) with the sailors’ actions that reveal an authentic fear of God (v. 10, 14, 16).

[1:16]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “they feared the Lord with a great fear.” The root ירא (yr’, “fear”) is repeated in the verb and accusative noun, forming a cognate accusative construction which is used for emphasis (see IBHS 167 §10.2.1g). The idea is that they greatly feared the Lord or were terrified of him.

[1:16]  ⁹² tn Heb “they vowed vows.” The root נדר (ndr, “vow”) is repeated in the verb and accusative noun, forming an emphatic effected accusative construction in which the verbal action produces the object specified by the accusative (see IBHS 166-67 §10.2.1f). Their act of vowing produced the vows. This construction is used to emphasize their earnestness and zeal in making vows to worship the God who had just spared their lives from certain death.

[1:16]  ⁹³ tn Heb “they sacrificed sacrifices.” The root זבח (zbkh, “sacrifice”) is repeated in the verb and accusative noun, forming an emphatic effected accusative construction in which the verbal action produces the object (see IBHS 166-67 §10.2.1f). Their act of sacrificing would produce the sacrifices. It is likely that the two sets of effected accusative constructions here (“they vowed vows and sacrificed sacrifices”) form a hendiadys; the two phrases connote one idea: “they earnestly vowed to sacrifice lavishly.” It is unlikely that they offered animal sacrifices at this exact moment on the boat – they had already thrown their cargo overboard, presumably leaving no animals to sacrifice. Instead, they probably vowed that they would sacrifice to the Lord when – and if – they reached dry ground. Tg. Jonah 1:16 also takes this as a vow to sacrifice but for a different reason. According to Jewish tradition, the heathen are not allowed to make sacrifice to the God of Israel outside Jerusalem, so the Targum modified the text by making it a promise to sacrifice: “they promised to offer a sacrifice before the Lord and they made vows” (see B. Levine, The Aramaic Version of Jonah, 70; K. Cathcart and R. Gordon, The Targum of the Minor Prophets [ArBib], 14:106, n. 29).

[1:16]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “The men feared the Lord [with] a great fear, they sacrificed sacrifices, and they vowed vows” (cf. v. 10). By pairing verbs with related nouns as direct objects, the account draws attention to the sailors’ response and its thoroughness.

[2:9]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “voice” or “sound.”

[2:9]  ⁹⁶ tc The MT reads בְּקוֹל תּוֹדָה (bÿqol todah, “with a voice of thanksgiving”). Some mss of Tg. Jonah read “with the sound of hymns of thanksgiving” here in 2:9 – the longer reading probably reflects an editorial gloss, explaining תּוֹדָה (“thanksgiving”) as “hymns of thanksgiving.”

[2:9]  tn Heb “voice/sound of thanksgiving.” The genitive תּוֹדָה (todah, “thanksgiving”) specifies the kind of public statement that will accompany the sacrifice. The construct noun קוֹל (qol, “voice, sound”) functions as a metonymy of cause for effect, referring to the content of what the voice/sound produces: hymns of praise or declarative praise testimony.

[2:9]  ⁹⁷ tn The verbs translated “I will sacrifice” and “I will pay” are Hebrew cohortatives, expressing Jonah’s resolve and firm intention.

[2:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “what I have vowed I will pay.” Jonah promises to offer a sacrifice and publicly announce why he is thankful. For similar pledges, see Pss 22:25-26; 50:14-15; 56:12; 69:29-33; 71:14-16, 22-24; 86:12-13; 116:12-19.

[2:9]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “deliverance” (NAB, NRSV).

[2:9]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “comes from the Lord.” For similar uses of the preposition lamed (לְ, lÿ) to convey a sort of ownership in which the owner does or may by right do something, see Lev 25:48; Deut 1:17; 1 Sam 17:47; Jer 32:7-8.

[1:15]  ¹⁰¹ sn Beginning with 1:15, the verse numbers through 2:13 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 1:15 ET = 2:1 HT, 2:1 ET = 2:2 HT, etc., through 2:13 ET = 2:14 HT. Beginning with 3:1, the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[1:15]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “the feet of a herald.”

[1:15]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “a messenger of peace.” The Hebrew noun translated “peace” is sometimes used in reference to deliverance or freedom from enemy attack or destruction (e.g., Jer 4:10; 6:14; 8:11; 12:5; 28:9; 29:7).

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁴ sn The sacred vows to praise God were often made by Israelites as a pledge to proclaim the mercy of the Lord if he would be gracious to deliver (e.g., Gen 28:20; 31:13; Lev 7:16; Judg 11:30, 39; 1 Sam 1:11, 21; 2 Sam 15:7-8; Pss 22:25 [26]; 50:14; 56:12 [13]; 61:5 [6], 8 [9]; 65:1 [2]; 66:13; 116:14, 18; Eccl 5:4 [3]; Jonah 1:16; 2:9 [10]). The words “to praise God” are not in the Hebrew, but are added in the translation for clarification.

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁵ tc The LXX reflects the plural יוֹסִיפוּ (yosifu, “they shall [never]”). The MT reads the singular יוֹסִיף (yosif, “he shall [never]”) which is also found in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpNah). The subject of the verb is the singular noun בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al, “the wicked one”) which is also misunderstood by the LXX (see below).

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁶ tc The MT reads בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al, “the wicked one”; so ASV, NASB). The LXX reading εἰς παλαίωσιν (ei" palaiwsin, “to old age”) mistakenly derived בְּלִיַּעַל from בָּלָה (balah, “to become worn”). There are several places in the book of Nahum where the LXX produced poor translations.

[1:15]  tn Heb “the wicked one.” This is a collective singular and has been translated as a plural.

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The term “Assyrians” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context for clarity. If left unspecified, the prophetic statement could be understood to mean that the wicked [i.e., wicked conquerors in general] would never again invade Judah. Cf. NLT “your enemies from Nineveh.”

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “pass through you” (NASB); or “march against you”; NCV “attack you.”

[1:15]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “he.” This is in agreement with the singular “wicked one” in the previous line.

[1:15]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “he is completely cut off.”