Yesaya 22:1-9
Konteks22:1 Here is a message about the Valley of Vision: 1
What is the reason 2
that all of you go up to the rooftops?
22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;
the town is filled with revelry. 3
Your slain were not cut down by the sword;
they did not die in battle. 4
22:3 5 All your leaders ran away together –
they fled to a distant place;
all your refugees 6 were captured together –
they were captured without a single arrow being shot. 7
22:4 So I say:
“Don’t look at me! 8
I am weeping bitterly.
Don’t try 9 to console me
concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.” 10
22:5 For the sovereign master, 11 the Lord who commands armies,
has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. 12
In the Valley of Vision 13 people shout 14
and cry out to the hill. 15
22:6 The Elamites picked up the quiver,
and came with chariots and horsemen; 16
the men of Kir 17 prepared 18 the shield. 19
22:7 Your very best valleys were full of chariots; 20
horsemen confidently took their positions 21 at the gate.
22:8 They 22 removed the defenses 23 of Judah.
At that time 24 you looked
for the weapons in the House of the Forest. 25
22:9 You saw the many breaks
in the walls of the city of David; 26
you stored up water in the lower pool.
Yeremia 50:2-3
Konteks50:2 “Announce 27 the news among the nations! Proclaim it!
Signal for people to pay attention! 28
Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:
‘Babylon will be captured.
Bel 29 will be put to shame.
Marduk will be dismayed.
Babylon’s idols will be put to shame.
Her disgusting images 30 will be dismayed. 31
50:3 For a nation from the north 32 will attack Babylon.
It will lay her land waste.
People and animals will flee out of it.
No one will inhabit it.’
Yeremia 50:21-46
Konteks“Attack 34 the land of Merathaim
and the people who live in Pekod! 35
Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them! 36
Do just as I have commanded you! 37
50:22 The noise of battle can be heard in the land of Babylonia. 38
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! 39
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. 40
50:25 I have opened up the place where my weapons are stored. 41
I have brought out the weapons for carrying out my wrath. 42
For I, the Lord God who rules over all, 43
have work to carry out in the land of Babylonia. 44
50:26 Come from far away and attack Babylonia! 45
Open up the places where she stores her grain!
Pile her up in ruins! 46 Destroy her completely! 47
Do not leave anyone alive! 48
50:27 Kill all her soldiers! 49
Let them be slaughtered! 50
They are doomed, 51 for their day of reckoning 52 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. 53
50:29 “Call for archers 54 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, 55
the Holy One of Israel. 56
50:30 So her young men will fall in her city squares.
All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,”
says the Lord. 57
50:31 “Listen! I am opposed to you, you proud city,” 58
says the Lord God who rules over all. 59
“Indeed, 60 your day of reckoning 61 has come,
the time when I will punish you. 62
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.” 63
50:33 The Lord who rules over all 64 says,
“The people of Israel are oppressed.
So too are the people of Judah. 65
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 66 is strong.
He is known as the Lord who rules over all. 67
He will strongly 68 champion their cause.
As a result 69 he will bring peace and rest to the earth,
but trouble and turmoil 70 to the people who inhabit Babylonia. 71
50:35 “Destructive forces will come against the Babylonians,” 72 says the Lord. 73
“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; 74
they will be shown to be fools! 75
Destructive forces will come against her soldiers;
they will be filled with terror! 76
50:37 Destructive forces will come against her horses and her 77 chariots.
Destructive forces will come against all the foreign troops within her; 78
they will be as frightened as women! 79
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. 80
All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. 81
Her people act like madmen because of 82 those idols they fear. 83
50:39 Therefore desert creatures and jackals will live there.
Ostriches 84 will dwell in it too. 85
But no people will ever live there again.
No one will dwell there for all time to come. 86
50:40 I will destroy Babylonia just like I did
Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns.
No one will live there. 87
No human being will settle in it,”
says the Lord. 88
50:41 “Look! An army is about to come from the north.
A mighty nation and many kings 89 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! 90
50:43 The king of Babylon will become paralyzed with fear 91
when he hears news of their coming. 92
Anguish will grip him,
agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby. 93
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. 94
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.” 95
Yeremia 51:11
Konteks51:11 “Sharpen 96 your arrows!
Fill your quivers! 97
The Lord will arouse a spirit of hostility in 98 the kings of Media. 99
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. 100
Yeremia 51:27-28
Konteks51:27 “Raise up battle flags throughout the lands.
Sound the trumpets calling the nations to do battle.
Prepare the nations to do battle against Babylonia. 101
Call for these kingdoms to attack her:
Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. 102
Appoint a commander to lead the attack. 103
Send horses 104 against her like a swarm of locusts. 105
51:28 Prepare the nations to do battle against her. 106
Prepare the kings of the Medes.
Prepare their governors and all their leaders. 107
Prepare all the countries they rule to do battle against her. 108
Yehezkiel 38:3-23
Konteks38:3 and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, 109 I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 38:4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them fully armed, a great company with shields of different types, 110 all of them armed with swords. 38:5 Persia, 111 Ethiopia, and Put 112 are with them, all of them with shields and helmets. 38:6 They are joined by 113 Gomer with all its troops, and by Beth Togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops – many peoples are with you. 114
38:7 “‘Be ready and stay ready, you and all your companies assembled around you, and be a guard for them. 115 38:8 After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come to a land restored from the ravages of war, 116 with many peoples gathered on the mountains of Israel that had long been in ruins. Its people 117 were brought out from the peoples, and all of them will be living securely. 38:9 You will advance; 118 you will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the earth, you, all your troops, and the many other peoples with you.
38:10 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind, 119 and you will devise an evil plan. 38:11 You will say, “I will invade 120 a land of unwalled towns; I will advance against 121 those living quietly in security – all of them living without walls and barred gates – 38:12 to loot and plunder, to attack 122 the inhabited ruins and the people gathered from the nations, who are acquiring cattle and goods, who live at the center 123 of the earth.” 38:13 Sheba and Dedan and the traders of Tarshish with all its young warriors 124 will say to you, “Have you come to loot? Have you assembled your armies to plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to haul away a great amount of spoils?”’
38:14 “Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, you will take notice 125 38:15 and come from your place, from the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a vast army. 38:16 You will advance 126 against my people Israel like a cloud covering the earth. In the latter days I will bring you against my land so that the nations may acknowledge me, when before their eyes I magnify myself 127 through you, O Gog.
38:17 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days by my servants 128 the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days 129 that I would bring you against them? 38:18 On that day, when Gog invades 130 the land of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord, my rage will mount up in my anger. 38:19 In my zeal, in the fire of my fury, 131 I declare that on that day there will be a great earthquake 132 in the land of Israel. 38:20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the wild beasts, all the things that creep on the ground, and all people who live on the face of the earth will shake 133 at my presence. The mountains will topple, the cliffs 134 will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. 38:21 I will call for a sword to attack 135 Gog 136 on all my mountains, declares the sovereign Lord; every man’s sword will be against his brother. 38:22 I will judge him with plague and bloodshed. I will rain down on him, his troops and the many peoples who are with him a torrential downpour, hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 38:23 I will exalt and magnify myself; I will reveal myself before many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
Yoel 3:14
Konteks3:14 Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision,
for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision! 137
Zakharia 14:1-3
Konteks14:1 A day of the Lord 138 is about to come when your possessions 139 will be divided as plunder in your midst. 14:2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem 140 to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered, and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be taken away. 141
14:3 Then the Lord will go to battle 142 and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days. 143
Zakharia 14:13-14
Konteks14:13 On that day there will be great confusion from the Lord among them; they will seize each other and attack one another violently. 14:14 Moreover, Judah will fight at 144 Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered up 145 – gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance.
Wahyu 19:11-21
Konteks19:11 Then 146 I saw heaven opened and here came 147 a white horse! The 148 one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice 149 he judges and goes to war. 19:12 His eyes are like a fiery 150 flame and there are many diadem crowns 151 on his head. He has 152 a name written 153 that no one knows except himself. 19:13 He is dressed in clothing dipped 154 in blood, and he is called 155 the Word of God. 19:14 The 156 armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, 157 were following him on white horses. 19:15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. 158 He 159 will rule 160 them with an iron rod, 161 and he stomps the winepress 162 of the furious 163 wrath of God, the All-Powerful. 164 19:16 He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
19:17 Then 165 I saw one angel standing in 166 the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: 167
“Come, gather around for the great banquet 168 of God,
19:18 to eat 169 your fill 170 of the flesh of kings,
the flesh of generals, 171
the flesh of powerful people,
the flesh of horses and those who ride them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, 172
and small and great!”
19:19 Then 173 I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 19:20 Now 174 the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf 175 – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. 176 19:21 The 177 others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged 178 themselves with their flesh.
[22:1] 1 sn The following message pertains to Jerusalem. The significance of referring to the city as the Valley of Vision is uncertain. Perhaps the Hinnom Valley is in view, but why it is associated with a prophetic revelatory “vision” is not entirely clear. Maybe the Hinnom Valley is called this because the destruction that will take place there is the focal point of this prophetic message (see v. 5).
[22:1] 2 tn Heb “What to you, then?”
[22:2] 3 tn Heb “the boisterous town.” The phrase is parallel to “the noisy city” in the preceding line.
[22:2] 4 sn Apparently they died from starvation during the siege that preceded the final conquest of the city. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:409.
[22:3] 5 tn Verse 3 reads literally, “All your leaders ran away, apart from a bow they were captured, all your found ones were captured together, to a distant place they fled.” J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:403, n. 3) suggests that the lines of the verse are arranged chiastically; lines 1 and 4 go together, while lines 2 and 3 are parallel. To translate the lines in the order they appear in the Hebrew text is misleading to the English reader, who is likely unfamiliar with, or at least insensitive to, chiastic parallelism. Consequently, the translation above arranges the lines as follows: line 1 (Hebrew) = line 1 (in translation); line 2 (Hebrew) = line 4 (in translation); line 3 (Hebrew) = line 3 (in translation); line 4 (Hebrew) = line 2 (in translation).
[22:3] 6 tn Heb “all your found ones.” To achieve tighter parallelism (see “your leaders”) some prefer to emend the form to אַמִּיצַיִךְ (’ammitsayikh, “your strong ones”) or to נֶאֱמָצַיִךְ (ne’ematsayikh, “your strengthened ones”).
[22:3] 7 tn Heb “apart from [i.e., without] a bow they were captured”; cf. NAB, NRSV “without the use of a bow.”
[22:4] 8 tn Heb “look away from me” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
[22:4] 9 tn Heb “don’t hurry” (so NCV).
[22:4] 10 tn Heb “the daughter of my people.” “Daughter” is here used metaphorically to express the speaker’s emotional attachment to his people, as well as their vulnerability and weakness.
[22:5] 11 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 12, 14, 15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:5] 12 tn Heb “For [there is] a day of panic, and trampling, and confusion for the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”
[22:5] 13 tn The traditional accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests that this phrase goes with what precedes.
[22:5] 14 tn The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Some take קִר (qir) as “wall” and interpret the verb to mean “tear down.” However, tighter parallelism (note the reference to crying for help in the next line) is achieved if one takes both the verb and noun from a root, attested in Ugaritic and Arabic, meaning “make a sound.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:404, n. 5.
[22:5] 15 sn Perhaps “the hill” refers to the temple mount.
[22:6] 16 tn Heb “[with] the chariots of men, horsemen.”
[22:6] 17 sn A distant region in the direction of Mesopotamia; see Amos 1:5; 9:7.
[22:6] 18 tn Heb “Kir uncovers” (so NAB, NIV).
[22:6] 19 sn The Elamites and men of Kir may here symbolize a fierce army from a distant land. If this oracle anticipates a Babylonian conquest of the city (see 39:5-7), then the Elamites and men of Kir are perhaps viewed here as mercenaries in the Babylonian army. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:410.
[22:7] 20 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[22:7] 21 tn Heb “taking a stand, take their stand.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. The translation attempts to bring out this emphasis with the adverb “confidently.”
[22:8] 22 tn Heb “he,” i.e., the enemy invader. NASB, by its capitalization of the pronoun, takes this to refer to the Lord.
[22:8] 24 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of v. 12.
[22:8] 25 sn Perhaps this refers to a royal armory, or to Solomon’s “House of the Forest of Lebanon,” where weapons may have been kept (see 1 Kgs 10:16-17).
[22:9] 26 tn Heb “the breaks of the city of David, you saw that they were many.”
[50:2] 27 tn The verbs are masculine plural. Jeremiah is calling on other unnamed messengers to spread the news.
[50:2] 28 tn Heb “Raise a signal flag.”
[50:2] 29 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] 30 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] 31 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] 32 sn A nation from the north refers to Medo-Persia which at the time of the conquest of Babylon in 539
[50:21] 33 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:21] 34 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] 35 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
[50:21] 36 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] 37 tn Heb “Do according to all I have commanded you.”
[50:22] 38 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] 39 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] 40 tn Heb “You were found [or found out] and captured because you fought against the
[50:25] 41 tn Or “I have opened up my armory.”
[50:25] 42 tn Heb “The
[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
[50:25] 43 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] 44 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] 45 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] 46 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] 47 sn Compare Jer 50:21 and see the study note on 25:9.
[50:26] 48 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] 49 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] 50 tn Heb “Let them go down to the slaughter.”
[50:27] 51 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] 52 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] 53 tn Heb “Hark! Fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance of the
[50:28] sn This verse appears to be a parenthetical exclamation of the prophet in the midst of his report of what the
[50:29] 54 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] 55 tn Heb “for she has acted insolently against the
[50:29] 56 sn The Holy One of Israel is a common title for the
[50:30] 57 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:31] 58 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
[50:31] 59 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] 60 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] 61 tn The words “of reckoning” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[50:32] 63 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] 64 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this title see the study note on 2:19.
[50:33] 65 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] 66 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] 67 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies is his name.” For the rendering of this title see the study note on 2:19.
[50:34] 68 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] 69 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] 70 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] 71 tn This translation again reflects the problem often encountered in these prophecies where the
[50:35] 72 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
[50:35] 73 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:36] 74 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] 75 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] 76 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] 77 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] 78 tn Or “in the country,” or “in her armies”; Heb “in her midst.”
[50:37] 79 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] 80 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] 81 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] 82 tc Or “Her people boast in.” This translation is based on the reading of the majority of Hebrew
[50:38] 83 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] 84 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] 85 tn Heb “Therefore desert creatures will live with jackals and ostriches will live in it.”
[50:39] 86 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] 87 tn Heb “‘Like [when] God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns,’ oracle of the
[50:40] sn Compare Jer 49:18 where the same prophecy is applied to Edom.
[50:40] 88 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:41] 89 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] 90 tn Heb “daughter Babylon.” The word “daughter” is a personification of the city of Babylon and its inhabitants.
[50:43] 91 tn Heb “his hands will drop/hang limp.” For the meaning of this idiom see the translator’s note on 6:24.
[50:43] 92 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] 93 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] 94 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] 95 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).
[51:11] 96 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] 97 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] 98 tn Heb “The
[51:11] 99 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
[51:11] 100 tn Heb “For it is the vengeance of the
[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.
[51:27] 101 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] 102 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
[51:27] 103 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] 104 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] 105 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] 106 tn See the first translator’s note on 51:27 and compare also 6:4 and the study note there.
[51:28] 107 tn See the translator’s note at 51:23 for the rendering of the terms here.
[51:28] 108 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.
[38:3] 109 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
[38:4] 110 sn The Hebrew text mentions two different types of shields here.
[38:5] 111 tn D. I. Block prefers to see the Hebrew word as referring here to a western ally of Egypt or as an alternative spelling for Pathros, that is, Upper Egypt. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:439-40.
[38:6] 113 tn The words “they are joined by” are added in the translation for purposes of English style.
[38:6] 114 sn The seven-nation coalition represents the north (Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth-Togarmah), the south/west (Ethiopia, Put) and the east (Persia). The use of the sevenfold list suggests completeness. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:441.
[38:7] 115 tn The second person singular verbal and pronominal forms in the Hebrew text indicate that Gog is addressed here.
[38:8] 116 tn Heb “from the sword.”
[38:10] 119 tn Heb “words will go up upon your heart.”
[38:11] 120 tn Heb “go up against.”
[38:11] 121 tn Heb “come (to).”
[38:12] 122 tn Heb “to turn your hand against.”
[38:12] 123 tn The Hebrew term occurs elsewhere only in Judg 9:37. Perhaps it means “high point, top.”
[38:13] 124 tn Heb “young lions.”
[38:14] 125 tn The Hebrew text is framed as a rhetorical question: “will you not take notice?”
[38:16] 127 tn Or “reveal my holiness.”
[38:17] 128 tn Heb “by the hand of my servants.”
[38:17] 129 tn The Hebrew text adds “years” here, but this is probably a scribal gloss on the preceding phrase. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:201.
[38:18] 130 tn Heb “goes up against.”
[38:19] 131 sn The phrase “in the fire of my fury” occurs in Ezek 21:31; 22:21, 31.
[38:20] 134 tn The term occurs only here and in Song of Songs 2:14.
[38:21] 136 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Gog, cf. v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:14] 137 sn The decision referred to here is not a response on the part of the crowd, but the verdict handed out by the divine judge.
[14:1] 138 sn The eschatological day of the
[14:1] 139 tn Heb “your plunder.” Cf. NCV “the wealth you have taken.”
[14:2] 140 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[14:2] 141 tn Heb “not be cut off from the city” (so NRSV); NAB “not be removed.”
[14:3] 142 sn The statement the
[14:3] 143 tn Heb “as he fights on a day of battle” (similar NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:14] 144 tn The Hebrew phrase בִּירוּשָׁלָם (birushalam) with the verb נִלְחַם (nilkham, “make war”) would ordinarily suggest that Judah is fighting against Jerusalem (so NAB, CEV). While this could happen accidentally, the context here favors the idea that Judah is fighting alongside Jerusalem against a common enemy. The preposition בְּ (bÿ), then, should be construed as locative (“at”; cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[14:14] 145 tn The term translated “gathered up” could also be rendered “collected” (so NIV, NCV, NRSV, although this might suggest a form of taxation) or “confiscated” (which might imply seizure of property against someone’s will). The imagery in the context, however, suggests the aftermath of a great battle, where the spoils are being picked up by the victors (cf. NLT “captured”).
[19:11] 146 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[19:11] 147 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
[19:11] 148 tn A new sentence was started in the translation at this point and καί (kai) was not translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:11] 149 tn Or “in righteousness,” but since the context here involves the punishment of the wicked and the vindication of the saints, “justice” was preferred.
[19:12] 150 tn The genitive noun πυρός (puros) has been translated as an attributive genitive (see also Rev 1:14).
[19:12] 151 tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.
[19:12] sn Diadem crowns were a type of crown used as a symbol of the highest ruling authority in a given area, and thus often associated with kingship.
[19:12] 152 tn Grk “head, having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[19:12] 153 tn Although many translations supply a prepositional phrase to specify what the name was written on (“upon Him,” NASB; “on him,” NIV), there is no location for the name specified in the Greek text.
[19:13] 154 tc It appears that “dipped” (βεβαμμένον, bebammenon), supported by several uncials and other witnesses (A 051 Ï), is the original reading. Due to the lack of the preposition “in” (ἐν, en) after the verb (βεβαμμένον αἵματι, bebammenon {aimati), and also probably because of literary allusions to Isa 63:3, several
[19:13] tn Or perhaps “soaked.”
[19:13] 155 tn Grk “the name of him is called.”
[19:14] 156 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:14] 157 tn On the term translated “fine linen,” BDAG 185 s.v. βύσσινος states, “made of fine linen, subst. τὸ β. fine linen, linen garment…Rv 18:12, 16; 19:8, 14.”
[19:15] 158 tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[19:15] 159 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:15] 160 tn Grk “will shepherd.”
[19:15] 161 tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”
[19:15] sn A quotation from Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27, 12:5).
[19:15] 162 sn He stomps the winepress. See Isa 63:3, where Messiah does this alone (usually several individuals would join in the process), and Rev 14:20.
[19:15] 163 tn The genitive θυμοῦ (qumou) has been translated as an attributed genitive. Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (qumos) and ὀργή (orgh) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9).
[19:15] 164 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
[19:17] 165 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[19:17] 166 tn The precise significance of ἐν (en) here is difficult to determine.
[19:17] 167 tn On μεσουρανήματι (mesouranhmati) here see L&N 1.10: “high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.” The birds mentioned here are carrion birds like vultures, circling high overhead, and now being summoned to feast on the corpses.
[19:17] 168 tn This is the same Greek word (δεῖπνον, deipnon) used in 19:9.
[19:18] 169 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause, insofar as it is related to the first imperative, has the force of an imperative.
[19:18] 170 tn The idea of eating “your fill” is evident in the context with the use of χορτάζω (cortazw) in v. 21.
[19:18] 171 tn Grk “chiliarchs”; normally a chiliarch was a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).
[19:18] 172 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
[19:19] 173 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[19:20] 174 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of an unexpected development in the account: The opposing armies do not come together in battle; rather the leader of one side is captured.
[19:20] 175 tn For this meaning see BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 4.b, “by the authority of, on behalf of Rv 13:12, 14; 19:20.”
[19:20] 176 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
[19:21] 177 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:21] 178 tn On the translation of ἐχορτάσθησαν (ecortasqhsan) BDAG 1087 s.v. χορτάζω 1.a states, “of animals, pass. in act. sense πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh Rv 19:21 (cp. TestJud. 21:8).”
