Yesaya 24:1-23
Konteks24:1 Look, the Lord is ready to devastate the earth
and leave it in ruins;
he will mar its surface
and scatter its inhabitants.
24:2 Everyone will suffer – the priest as well as the people, 1
the master as well as the servant, 2
the elegant lady as well as the female attendant, 3
the seller as well as the buyer, 4
the borrower as well as the lender, 5
the creditor as well as the debtor. 6
24:3 The earth will be completely devastated
and thoroughly ransacked.
For the Lord has decreed this judgment. 7
24:4 The earth 8 dries up 9 and withers,
the world shrivels up and withers;
the prominent people of the earth 10 fade away.
24:5 The earth is defiled by 11 its inhabitants, 12
for they have violated laws,
disregarded the regulation, 13
and broken the permanent treaty. 14
24:6 So a treaty curse 15 devours the earth;
its inhabitants pay for their guilt. 16
This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, 17
and are reduced to just a handful of people. 18
24:7 The new wine dries up,
the vines shrivel up,
all those who like to celebrate 19 groan.
24:8 The happy sound 20 of the tambourines stops,
the revelry of those who celebrate comes to a halt,
the happy sound of the harp ceases.
24:9 They no longer sing and drink wine; 21
the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.
24:10 The ruined town 22 is shattered;
all of the houses are shut up tight. 23
24:11 They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine; 24
all joy turns to sorrow; 25
celebrations disappear from the earth. 26
24:12 The city is left in ruins; 27
the gate is reduced to rubble. 28
24:13 This is what will happen throughout 29 the earth,
among the nations.
It will be like when they beat an olive tree,
and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest. 30
24:14 They 31 lift their voices and shout joyfully;
they praise 32 the majesty of the Lord in the west.
24:15 So in the east 33 extol the Lord,
along the seacoasts extol 34 the fame 35 of the Lord God of Israel.
24:16 From the ends of the earth we 36 hear songs –
the Just One is majestic. 37
But I 38 say, “I’m wasting away! I’m wasting away! I’m doomed!
Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!” 39
24:17 Terror, pit, and snare
are ready to overtake you inhabitants of the earth! 40
24:18 The one who runs away from the sound of the terror
will fall into the pit; 41
the one who climbs out of the pit,
will be trapped by the snare.
For the floodgates of the heavens 42 are opened up 43
and the foundations of the earth shake.
24:19 The earth is broken in pieces,
the earth is ripped to shreds,
the earth shakes violently. 44
24:20 The earth will stagger around 45 like a drunk;
it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. 46
Its sin will weigh it down,
and it will fall and never get up again.
24:21 At that time 47 the Lord will punish 48
the heavenly forces in the heavens 49
and the earthly kings on the earth.
24:22 They will be imprisoned in a pit, 50
locked up in a prison,
and after staying there for a long time, 51 they will be punished. 52
24:23 The full moon will be covered up, 53
the bright sun 54 will be darkened; 55
for the Lord who commands armies will rule 56
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem 57
in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. 58
Yeremia 25:15-29
Konteks25:15 So 59 the Lord, the God of Israel, spoke to me in a vision. 60 “Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my wrath. 61 Take it and make the nations to whom I send you drink it. 25:16 When they have drunk it, they will stagger to and fro 62 and act insane. For I will send wars sweeping through them.” 63
25:17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand. I made all the nations to whom he sent me drink the wine of his wrath. 64 25:18 I made Jerusalem 65 and the cities of Judah, its kings and its officials drink it. 66 I did it so Judah would become a ruin. I did it so Judah, its kings, and its officials would become an object 67 of horror and of hissing scorn, an example used in curses. 68 Such is already becoming the case! 69 25:19 I made all of these other people drink it: Pharaoh, king of Egypt; 70 his attendants, his officials, his people, 25:20 the foreigners living in Egypt; 71 all the kings of the land of Uz; 72 all the kings of the land of the Philistines, 73 the people of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, the people who had been left alive from Ashdod; 74 25:21 all the people of Edom, 75 Moab, 76 Ammon; 77 25:22 all the kings of Tyre, 78 all the kings of Sidon; 79 all the kings of the coastlands along the sea; 80 25:23 the people of Dedan, Tema, Buz, 81 all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples; 82 25:24 all the kings of Arabia who 83 live in the desert; 25:25 all the kings of Zimri; 84 all the kings of Elam; 85 all the kings of Media; 86 25:26 all the kings of the north, whether near or far from one another; and all the other kingdoms which are on the face of the earth. After all of them have drunk the wine of the Lord’s wrath, 87 the king of Babylon 88 must drink it.
25:27 Then the Lord said to me, 89 “Tell them that the Lord God of Israel who rules over all 90 says, 91 ‘Drink this cup 92 until you get drunk and vomit. Drink until you fall down and can’t get up. 93 For I will send wars sweeping through you.’ 94 25:28 If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, tell them that the Lord who rules over all says 95 ‘You most certainly must drink it! 96 25:29 For take note, I am already beginning to bring disaster on the city that I call my own. 97 So how can you possibly avoid being punished? 98 You will not go unpunished! For I am proclaiming war against all who live on the earth. I, the Lord who rules over all, 99 affirm it!’ 100
Yoel 3:9-14
Konteks3:9 Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for a holy war!
Call out the warriors!
Let all these fighting men approach and attack! 101
3:10 Beat your plowshares 102 into swords,
and your pruning hooks 103 into spears! 104
Let the weak say, ‘I too am a warrior!’ 105
3:11 Lend your aid 106 and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves 107 to that place.”
Bring down, O Lord, your warriors! 108
3:12 Let the nations be roused and let them go up
to the valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.
3:13 Rush forth with 109 the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!
Come, stomp the grapes, 110 for the winepress is full!
The vats overflow.
Indeed, their evil is great! 111
3:14 Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision,
for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision! 112
Amos 1:1--2:16
Konteks1:1 The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. 113 He 114 was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him 115 during the time of 116 King Uzziah of Judah and 117 King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 118
“The Lord comes roaring 120 out of Zion;
from Jerusalem 121 he comes bellowing! 122
The shepherds’ pastures wilt; 123
the summit of Carmel 124 withers.” 125
1:3 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Damascus has committed three crimes 126 –
make that four! 127 – I will not revoke my
decree of judgment. 128
They ripped through Gilead like threshing sledges with iron teeth. 129
1:4 So I will set Hazael’s house 130 on fire;
fire 131 will consume Ben Hadad’s 132 fortresses.
1:5 I will break the bar 133 on the gate of Damascus.
I will remove 134 the ruler 135 from Wicked Valley, 136
the one who holds the royal scepter from Beth Eden. 137
The people of Aram will be deported to Kir.” 138
The Lord has spoken!
1:6 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Gaza 139 has committed three crimes 140 –
make that four! 141 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 142
They deported a whole community 143 and sold them 144 to Edom.
1:7 So I will set Gaza’s city wall 145 on fire;
fire 146 will consume her fortresses.
1:8 I will remove 147 the ruler 148 from Ashdod, 149
the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. 150
I will strike Ekron 151 with my hand; 152
the rest of the Philistines will also die.” 153
The sovereign Lord has spoken!
1:9 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Tyre has committed three crimes 154 –
make that four! 155 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 156
They sold 157 a whole community 158 to Edom;
they failed to observe 159 a treaty of brotherhood. 160
1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; 161
fire 162 will consume her fortresses.”
1:11 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Edom has committed three crimes 163 –
make that four! 164 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 165
He chased his brother 166 with a sword;
he wiped out his allies. 167
In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; 168
in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 169
1:12 So I will set Teman 170 on fire;
fire 171 will consume Bozrah’s 172 fortresses.”
1:13 This is what the Lord says:
“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes 173 –
make that four! 174 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 175
They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women 176
so they could expand their territory.
1:14 So I will set fire to Rabbah’s 177 city wall; 178
fire 179 will consume her fortresses.
War cries will be heard on the day of battle; 180
a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. 181
1:15 Ammon’s 182 king will be deported; 183
he and his officials 184 will be carried off 185 together.”
The Lord has spoken!
2:1 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Moab has committed three crimes 186 –
make that four! 187 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 188
They burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime. 189
2:2 So I will set Moab on fire, 190
and it will consume Kerioth’s 191 fortresses.
Moab will perish 192 in the heat of battle 193
amid war cries and the blaring 194 of the ram’s horn. 195
2:3 I will remove 196 Moab’s leader; 197
I will kill all Moab’s 198 officials 199 with him.”
The Lord has spoken!
2:4 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions 200 –
make that four! 201 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 202
They rejected the Lord’s law; 203
they did not obey his commands.
Their false gods, 204
to which their fathers were loyal, 205
led them astray.
2:5 So I will set Judah on fire,
and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.” 206
2:6 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions 207 –
make that four! 208 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 209
They sold the innocent 210 for silver,
the needy for a pair of sandals. 211
2:7 They trample 212 on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; 213
they push the destitute away. 214
A man and his father go to the same girl; 215
in this way they show disrespect 216 for my moral purity. 217
2:8 They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral;
they do so right 218 beside every altar!
They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied;
they do so right in the temple 219 of their God! 220
2:9 For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. 221
They were as tall as cedars 222
and as strong as oaks,
but I destroyed the fruit on their branches 223
and their roots in the ground. 224
2:10 I brought you up from the land of Egypt;
I led you through the wilderness for forty years
so you could take the Amorites’ land as your own.
2:11 I made some of your sons prophets
and some of your young men Nazirites. 225
Is this not true, you Israelites?”
The Lord is speaking!
2:12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine; 226
you commanded the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy!’
2:13 Look! I will press you down,
like a cart loaded down with grain presses down. 227
2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; 228
strong men will have no strength left; 229
warriors will not be able to save their lives.
2:15 Archers 230 will not hold their ground; 231
fast runners will not save their lives,
nor will those who ride horses. 232
2:16 Bravehearted 233 warriors will run away naked in that day.”
The Lord is speaking!
Zefanya 3:8
Konteks3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 234 for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder. 235
I have decided 236 to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 237 the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
Zakharia 14:3
Konteks14:3 Then the Lord will go to battle 238 and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days. 239
Zakharia 14:12-16
Konteks14:12 But this will be the nature of the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will decay while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot away in their sockets, and their tongues will dissolve in their mouths. 14:13 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 240 Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered up 241 – gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance. 14:15 This is the kind of plague that will devastate horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the other animals in those camps.
14:16 Then all who survive from all the nations that came to attack Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the Lord who rules over all, and to observe the Feast of Tabernacles. 242
Roma 1:18
Konteks1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people 243 who suppress the truth by their 244 unrighteousness, 245
Wahyu 6:12-17
Konteks6:12 Then 246 I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge 247 earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, 248 and the full moon became blood red; 249 6:13 and the stars in the sky 250 fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping 251 its unripe figs 252 when shaken by a fierce 253 wind. 6:14 The sky 254 was split apart 255 like a scroll being rolled up, 256 and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 6:15 Then 257 the kings of the earth, the 258 very important people, the generals, 259 the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave 260 and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 6:16 They 261 said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 262 6:17 because the great day of their 263 wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” 264
Wahyu 14:15-20
Konteks14:15 Then 265 another angel came out of the temple, shouting in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use 266 your sickle and start to reap, 267 because the time to reap has come, since the earth’s harvest is ripe!” 14:16 So 268 the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
14:17 Then 269 another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 14:18 Another 270 angel, who was in charge of 271 the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to the angel 272 who had the sharp sickle, “Use 273 your sharp sickle and gather 274 the clusters of grapes 275 off the vine of the earth, 276 because its grapes 277 are now ripe.” 278 14:19 So 279 the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard 280 of the earth and tossed them into the great 281 winepress of the wrath of God. 14:20 Then 282 the winepress was stomped 283 outside the city, and blood poured out of the winepress up to the height of horses’ bridles 284 for a distance of almost two hundred miles. 285
Wahyu 19:15-21
Konteks19:15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. 286 He 287 will rule 288 them with an iron rod, 289 and he stomps the winepress 290 of the furious 291 wrath of God, the All-Powerful. 292 19:16 He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
19:17 Then 293 I saw one angel standing in 294 the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: 295
“Come, gather around for the great banquet 296 of God,
19:18 to eat 297 your fill 298 of the flesh of kings,
the flesh of generals, 299
the flesh of powerful people,
the flesh of horses and those who ride them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, 300
and small and great!”
19:19 Then 301 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 302 the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf 303 – 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. 304 19:21 The 305 others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged 306 themselves with their flesh.
Wahyu 20:9
Konteks20:9 They 307 went up 308 on the broad plain of the earth 309 and encircled 310 the camp 311 of the saints and the beloved city, but 312 fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely. 313
Wahyu 20:15
Konteks20:15 If 314 anyone’s name 315 was not found written in the book of life, that person 316 was thrown into the lake of fire.
[24:2] 1 tn Heb “and it will be like the people, like the priest.”
[24:2] 2 tn Heb “like the servant, like his master.”
[24:2] 3 tn Heb “like the female servant, like her mistress.”
[24:2] 4 tn Heb “like the buyer, like the seller.”
[24:2] 5 tn Heb “like the lender, like the borrower.”
[24:2] 6 tn Heb “like the creditor, just as the one to whom he lends.”
[24:3] 7 tn Heb “for the Lord has spoken this word.”
[24:4] 8 tn Some prefer to read “land” here, but the word pair אֶרֶץ/תֵּבֵל (erets/tevel [see the corresponding term in the parallel line]) elsewhere clearly designates the earth/world (see 1 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 16:30; Job 37;12; Pss 19:4; 24:1; 33:8; 89:11; 90:2; 96:13; 98:9; Prov 8:26, 31; Isa 14:16-17; 34:1; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Lam 4:12). According to L. Stadelmann, תבל designates “the habitable part of the world” (The Hebrew Conception of the World [AnBib], 130).
[24:4] 9 tn Or “mourns” (BDB 5 s.v. אָבַל). HALOT 6-7 lists the homonyms I אבל (“mourn”) and II אבל (“dry up”). They propose the second here on the basis of parallelism.
[24:4] 10 tn Heb “the height of the people of the earth.” The translation assumes an emendation of the singular form מְרוֹם (mÿrom, “height of”) to the plural construct מְרֹמֵי (mÿrome, “high ones of”; note the plural verb at the beginning of the line), and understands the latter as referring to the prominent people of human society.
[24:5] 11 tn Heb “beneath”; cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV “under”; NAB “because of.”
[24:5] 12 sn Isa 26:21 suggests that the earth’s inhabitants defiled the earth by shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. See also Num 35:33-34, which assumes that bloodshed defiles a land.
[24:5] 13 tn Heb “moved past [the?] regulation.”
[24:5] 14 tn Or “everlasting covenant” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the ancient covenant”; CEV “their agreement that was to last forever.”
[24:5] sn For a lengthy discussion of the identity of this covenant/treaty, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In this context, where judgment comes upon both the pagan nations and God’s covenant community, the phrase “permanent treaty” is intentionally ambiguous. For the nations this treaty is the Noahic mandate of Gen 9:1-7 with its specific stipulations and central regulation (Gen 9:7). By shedding blood, the warlike nations violated this treaty, which promotes population growth and prohibits murder. For Israel, which was also guilty of bloodshed (see Isa 1:15, 21; 4:4), this “permanent treaty” would refer more specifically to the Mosaic Law and its regulations prohibiting murder (Exod 20:13; Num 35:6-34), which are an extension of the Noahic mandate.
[24:6] 15 sn Ancient Near Eastern treaties often had “curses,” or threatened judgments, attached to them. (See Deut 28 for a biblical example of such curses.) The party or parties taking an oath of allegiance acknowledged that disobedience would activate these curses, which typically threatened loss of agricultural fertility as depicted in the following verses.
[24:6] 16 tn The verb אָשַׁם (’asham, “be guilty”) is here used metonymically to mean “pay, suffer for one’s guilt” (see HALOT 95 s.v. אשׁם).
[24:6] 17 tn BDB 359 s.v. חָרַר derives the verb חָרוּ (kharu) from חָרַר (kharar, “burn”), but HALOT 351 s.v. II חרה understands a hapax legomenon חָרָה (kharah, “to diminish in number,” a homonym of חָרָה) here, relating it to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “to decrease.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חורו, perhaps understanding the root as חָוַר (khavar, “grow pale”; see Isa 29:22 and HALOT 299 s.v. I חור).
[24:6] 18 tn Heb “and mankind is left small [in number].”
[24:7] 19 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “all the joyful in heart,” but the context specifies the context as parties and drinking bouts.
[24:8] 20 tn Heb “the joy” (again later in this verse).
[24:9] 21 tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”
[24:10] 22 tn Heb “the city of chaos” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). Isaiah uses the term תֹּהוּ (tohu) rather frequently of things (like idols) that are empty and worthless (see BDB 1062 s.v.), so the word might characterize the city as rebellious or morally worthless. However, in this context, which focuses on the effects of divine judgment, it probably refers to the ruined or worthless condition in which the city is left (note the use of the word in Isa 34:11). For a discussion of the identity of this city, see R. Chisholm, “The ‘Everlasting Covenant’ and the ‘City of Chaos’: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24,” CTR 6 (1993): 237-53. In the context of universal judgment depicted in Isa 24, this city represents all the nations and cities of the world which, like Babylon of old and the powers/cities mentioned in chapters 13-23, rebel against God’s authority. Behind the stereotypical language one can detect various specific manifestations of this symbolic and paradigmatic city, including Babylon, Moab, and Jerusalem, all of which are alluded or referred to in chapters 24-27.
[24:10] 23 tn Heb “every house is closed up from entering.”
[24:11] 24 tn Heb “[there is] an outcry over the wine in the streets.”
[24:11] 25 tn Heb “all joy turns to evening,” the darkness of evening symbolizing distress and sorrow.
[24:11] 26 tn Heb “the joy of the earth disappears.”
[24:12] 27 tn Heb “and there is left in the city desolation.”
[24:12] 28 tn Heb “and [into] rubble the gate is crushed.”
[24:13] 29 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[24:13] 30 sn The judgment will severely reduce the earth’s population. See v. 6.
[24:14] 31 sn The remnant of the nations (see v. 13) may be the unspecified subject. If so, then those who have survived the judgment begin to praise God.
[24:14] 32 tn Heb “they yell out concerning.”
[24:15] 33 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “in the lights,” interpreted by some to mean “in the region of light,” referring to the east. Some scholars have suggested the emendation of בָּאֻרִים (ba’urim) to בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם (bÿ’iyyey hayyam, “along the seacoasts”), a phrase that is repeated in the next line. In this case, the two lines form synonymous parallelism. If one retains the MT reading (as above), “in the east” and “along the seacoasts” depict the two ends of the earth to refer to all the earth (as a merism).
[24:15] 34 tn The word “extol” is supplied in the translation; the verb in the first line does double duty in the parallelism.
[24:15] 35 tn Heb “name,” which here stands for God’s reputation achieved by his mighty deeds.
[24:16] 36 sn The identity of the subject is unclear. Apparently in vv. 15-16a an unidentified group responds to the praise they hear in the west by exhorting others to participate.
[24:16] 37 tn Heb “Beauty belongs to the just one.” These words may summarize the main theme of the songs mentioned in the preceding line.
[24:16] 38 sn The prophet seems to contradict what he hears the group saying. Their words are premature because more destruction is coming.
[24:16] 39 tn Heb “and [with] deception deceivers deceive.”
[24:16] tn Verse 16b is a classic example of Hebrew wordplay. In the first line (“I’m wasting away…”) four consecutive words end with hireq yod ( ִי); in the second line all forms are derived from the root בָּגַד (bagad). The repetition of sound draws attention to the prophet’s lament.
[24:17] 40 tn Heb “[are] upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.” The first line of v. 17 provides another classic example of Hebrew wordplay. The names of the three instruments of judgment (פָח,פַחַת,פַּחַד [pakhad, fakhat, fakh]) all begin with the letters פח (peh-khet) and the first two end in dental consonants (ת/ד, tet/dalet). Once again the repetition of sound draws attention to the statement and contributes to the theme of the inescapability of judgment. As their similar-sounding names suggest, terror, pit, and snare are allies in destroying the objects of divine wrath.
[24:18] 41 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[24:18] 42 tn Heb “from the height”; KJV “from on high.”
[24:18] 43 sn The language reflects the account of the Noahic Flood (see Gen 7:11).
[24:19] 44 tn Once more repetition is used to draw attention to a statement. In the Hebrew text each lines ends with אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”). Each line also uses a Hitpolel verb form from a geminate root preceded by an emphatic infinitive absolute.
[24:20] 45 tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.
[24:20] 46 tn The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
[24:21] 47 tn Or “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.
[24:21] 48 tn Heb “visit [in judgment].”
[24:21] 49 tn Heb “the host of the height in the height.” The “host of the height/heaven” refers to the heavenly luminaries (stars and planets, see, among others, Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5; 23:4-5; 2 Chr 33:3, 5) that populate the divine/heavenly assembly in mythological and prescientific Israelite thought (see Job 38:7; Isa 14:13).
[24:22] 50 tn Heb “they will be gathered [in] a gathering [as] a prisoner in a cistern.” It is tempting to eliminate אֲסֵפָה (’asefah, “a gathering”) as dittographic or as a gloss, but sound repetition is one of the main characteristics of the style of this section of the chapter.
[24:22] 51 tn Heb “and after a multitude of days.”
[24:22] 52 tn Heb “visited” (so KJV, ASV). This verse can mean to visit for good or for evil. The translation assumes the latter, based on v. 21a. However, BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד B.Niph.2 suggests the meaning “visit graciously” here, in which case one might translate “they will be released.”
[24:23] 53 tn Heb “will be ashamed.”
[24:23] 54 tn Or “glow of the sun.”
[24:23] 55 tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).
[24:23] 56 tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”
[24:23] 57 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:23] 58 tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”
[25:15] 59 tn This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) which is probably being used in the sense that BDB 473-74 s.v. כִּי 3.c notes, i.e., the causal connection is somewhat loose, related here to the prophecies against the nations. “So” seems to be the most appropriate way to represent this.
[25:15] 60 tn Heb “Thus said the
[25:15] 61 sn “Drinking from the cup of wrath” is a common figure to represent being punished by God. Isaiah had used it earlier to refer to the punishment which Judah was to suffer and from which God would deliver her (Isa 51:17, 22) and Jeremiah’s contemporary Habakkuk uses it of Babylon “pouring out its wrath” on the nations and in turn being forced to drink the bitter cup herself (Hab 2:15-16). In Jer 51:7 the
[25:16] 62 tn There is some debate about the meaning of the verb here. Both BDB 172 s.v. גָּעַשׁ Hithpo and KBL 191 s.v. גָּעַשׁ Hitpol interpret this of the back and forth movement of staggering. HALOT 192 s.v. גָּעַשׁ Hitpo interprets it as vomiting. The word is used elsewhere of the up and down movement of the mountains (2 Sam 22:8) and the up and down movement of the rolling waves of the Nile (Jer 46:7, 8). The fact that a different verb is used in v. 27 for vomiting would appear to argue against it referring to vomiting (contra W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:674; it is “they” that do this not their stomachs).
[25:16] 63 tn Heb “because of the sword that I will send among them.” Here, as often elsewhere in Jeremiah, the sword is figurative for warfare which brings death. See, e.g., 15:2. The causal particle here is found in verbal locutions where it is the cause of emotional states or action. Hence there are really two “agents” which produce the effects of “staggering” and “acting insane,” the cup filled with God’s wrath and the sword. The sword is the “more literal” and the actual agent by which the first agent’s action is carried out.
[25:17] 64 tn The words “the wine of his wrath” are not in the text but are implicit in the metaphor (see vv. 15-16). They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[25:18] 65 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[25:18] 66 tn The words “I made” and “drink it” are not in the text. The text from v. 18 to v. 26 contains a list of the nations that Jeremiah “made drink it.” The words are supplied in the translation here and at the beginning of v. 19 for the sake of clarity. See also the note on v. 26.
[25:18] 67 tn Heb “in order to make them a ruin, an object of…” The sentence is broken up and the antecedents are made specific for the sake of clarity and English style.
[25:18] 68 tn See the study note on 24:9 for explanation.
[25:18] 69 tn Heb “as it is today.” This phrase would obviously be more appropriate after all these things had happened as is the case in 44:6, 23 where the verbs referring to these conditions are past. Some see this phrase as a marginal gloss added after the tragedies of 597
[25:19] 70 sn See further Jer 46:2-28 for the judgment against Egypt.
[25:20] 71 tn The meaning of this term and its connection with the preceding is somewhat uncertain. This word is used of the mixture of foreign people who accompanied Israel out of Egypt (Exod 12:38) and of the foreigners that the Israelites were to separate out of their midst in the time of Nehemiah (Neh 13:3). Most commentators interpret it here of the foreign people who were living in Egypt. (See BDB 786 s.v. I עֶרֶב and KBL 733 s.v. II עֶרֶב.)
[25:20] 72 sn The land of Uz was Job’s homeland (Job 1:1). The exact location is unknown but its position here between Egypt and the Philistine cities suggests it is south of Judah, probably in the Arabian peninsula. Lam 4:21 suggests that it was near Edom.
[25:20] 73 sn See further Jer 47:1-7 for the judgment against the Philistines. The Philistine cities were west of Judah.
[25:20] 74 sn The Greek historian Herodotus reports that Ashdod had been destroyed under the Pharaoh who preceded Necho, Psammetichus.
[25:21] 75 sn See further Jer 49:7-22 for the judgment against Edom. Edom, Moab, and Ammon were east of Judah.
[25:21] 76 sn See further Jer 48:1-47 for the judgment against Moab.
[25:21] 77 sn See further Jer 49:1-6 for the judgment against Ammon.
[25:22] 78 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[25:22] 79 sn Tyre and Sidon are mentioned within the judgment on the Philistines in Jer 47:4. They were Phoenician cities to the north and west of Judah on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now Lebanon.
[25:22] map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[25:22] 80 sn The connection with Tyre and Sidon suggests that these were Phoenician colonies. See also Isa 23:2.
[25:23] 81 sn Dedan and Tema are mentioned together in Isa 21:13-14 and located in the desert. They were located in the northern part of the Arabian peninsula south and east of Ezion Geber. Buz is not mentioned anywhere else and its location is unknown. Judgment against Dedan and Tema is mentioned in conjunction with the judgment on Edom in Jer 47:7-8.
[25:23] 82 tn For the discussion regarding the meaning of the terms here see the notes on 9:26.
[25:23] sn See Jer 9:26 where these are mentioned in connection with Moab, Edom, and Ammon.
[25:24] 83 tc Or “and all the kings of people of mixed origin who.” The Greek version gives evidence of having read the term only once; it refers to the “people of mixed origin” without reference to the kings of Arabia. While the term translated “people of mixed origin” seems appropriate in the context of a group of foreigners within a larger entity (e.g. Israel in Exod 12:38; Neh 13:3; Egypt in Jer 50:37), it seems odd to speak of them as a separate entity under their own kings. The presence of the phrase in the Hebrew text and the other versions dependent upon it can be explained as a case of dittography.
[25:24] sn See further Jer 49:28-33 for judgment against some of these Arabian peoples.
[25:25] 84 sn The kingdom of Zimri is mentioned nowhere else, so its location is unknown.
[25:25] 85 sn See further Jer 49:34-39 for judgment against Elam.
[25:25] 86 sn Elam and Media were east of Babylon; Elam in the south and Media in the north. They were in what is now western Iran.
[25:26] 87 tn The words “have drunk the wine of the
[25:26] 88 tn Heb “the king of Sheshach.” “Sheshach” is a code name for Babylon 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. On this principle Hebrew שׁ (shin) is substituted for Hebrew ב (bet) and Hebrew כ (kaf) is substituted for Hebrew ל (lamed). On the same principle “Leb Kamai” in Jer 51:1 is a code name for Chasdim or Chaldeans which is Jeremiah’s term for the Babylonians. No explanation is given for why the code names are used. The name “Sheshach” for Babylon also occurs in Jer 51:41 where the term Babylon is found in parallelism with it.
[25:27] 89 tn The words “Then the
[25:27] 90 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.”
[25:27] sn See the study notes on 2:19 and 7:3 for explanation of this extended title.
[25:27] 91 tn Heb “Tell them, ‘Thus says the
[25:27] 92 tn The words “this cup” are not in the text but are implicit to the metaphor and the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[25:27] 93 tn Heb “Drink, and get drunk, and vomit and fall down and don’t get up.” The imperatives following drink are not parallel actions but consequent actions. For the use of the imperative plus the conjunctive “and” to indicate consequent action, even intention see GKC 324-25 §110.f and compare usage in 1 Kgs 22:12; Prov 3:3b-4a.
[25:27] 94 tn Heb “because of the sword that I will send among you.” See the notes on 2:16 for explanation.
[25:28] 95 tn Heb “Tell them, ‘Thus says the
[25:28] 96 tn The translation attempts to reflect the emphatic construction of the infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb which is here an obligatory imperfect. (See Joüon 2:371-72 §113.m and 2:423 §123.h, and compare usage in Gen 15:13.)
[25:29] 97 tn Heb “which is called by my name.” See translator’s note on 7:10 for support.
[25:29] 98 tn This is an example of a question without the formal introductory particle following a conjunctive vav introducing an opposition. (See Joüon 2:609 §161.a.) It is also an example of the use of the infinitive before the finite verb in a rhetorical question involving doubt or denial. (See Joüon 2:422-23 §123.f, and compare usage in Gen 37:8.)
[25:29] 99 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
[25:29] sn See the study notes on 2:19 and 7:3 for explanation of this extended title.
[25:29] 100 tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of armies.”
[3:9] 101 tn Heb “draw near and go up.”
[3:10] 102 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
[3:10] 103 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
[3:10] 104 sn This conversion of farming instruments to instruments of war is the reverse of Isa 2:4 (cf. Mic 4:3), where military weapons are transformed into tools for farming. Isaiah describes a time of kingdom blessing and prosperity, whereas Joel describes a time of eschatological conflict and judgment.
[3:10] 105 sn The “weak” individual mentioned here is apparently the farmer who has little or no military prowess or prior fighting experience. Under ordinary circumstances such a person would be ill-prepared for assuming the role of a soldier. However, in the scene that Joel is describing here even the most unlikely candidate will become a participant to be reckoned with in this final conflict.
[3:11] 106 tn This Hebrew verb is found only here in the OT; its meaning is uncertain. Some scholars prefer to read here עוּרוּ (’uru, “arouse”) or חוּשׁוּ (khushu, “hasten”).
[3:11] 107 tc The present translation follows the reading of the imperative הִקָּבְצוּ (hiqqavÿtsu) rather than the perfect with vav (ו) consecutive וְנִקְבָּצוּ (vÿniqbbatsu) of the MT.
[3:11] 108 tc Some commentators prefer to delete the line “Bring down, O
[3:13] 110 tn Heb “go down” or “tread.” The Hebrew term רְדוּ (rÿdu) may be from יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”) or from רָדָה (radah, “have dominion,” here in the sense of “to tread”). If it means “go down,” the reference would be to entering the vat to squash the grapes. If it means “tread,” the verb would refer specifically to the action of those who walk over the grapes to press out their juice. The phrase “the grapes” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[3:13] 111 sn The immediacy of judgment upon wickedness is likened to the urgency required for a harvest that has reached its pinnacle of development. When the harvest is completely ripe, there can be no delay by the reapers in gathering the harvest. In a similar way, Joel envisions a time when human wickedness will reach such a heightened degree that there can be no further stay of divine judgment (cf. the “fullness of time” language in Gal 4:4).
[3:14] 112 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.
[1:1] 113 tn Heb “The words of Amos.” Among the prophetic books this opening phrase finds a parallel only at Jer 1:1 but is not that uncommon in other genres (note, e.g., Prov 30:1; 31:1; Eccl 1:1; Neh 1:1).
[1:1] 114 tn Heb “who.” Here a new sentence has been started in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:1] 115 tn Heb “which he saw concerning Israel.”
[1:1] 116 tn Heb “in the days of.”
[1:1] 117 tn The Hebrew text repeats, “and in the days of.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:1] 118 sn This refers to a well-known earthquake that occurred during the first half of the 8th century
[1:2] 119 tn Heb “he;” the referent (Amos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:2] 120 sn The
[1:2] 121 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:2] 122 tn Heb “gives his voice.”
[1:2] 123 tn Lexicographers debate whether there are two roots אָבַל (’aval), one signifying “mourn” and the other “be dry,” or simply one (“mourn”). The parallel verb (“withers”) might favor the first option and have the meaning “wilt away.” It is interesting to note, however, that the root appears later in the book in the context of lament (5:16; 8:8, 10; 9:5). Either 1:2 is a possible wordplay to alert the reader to the death that will accompany the judgment (the option of two roots), or perhaps the translation “mourns” is appropriate here as well (cf. KJV, NASB, NKJV, NJPS; see also D. J. A. Clines, “Was There an ’BL II ‘Be Dry’ in Classical Hebrew?” VT 42 [1992]: 1-10).
[1:2] 124 sn Carmel was a region known for its abundant plants and trees. See Isa 33:9; 35:2; Jer 50:19.
[1:2] 125 sn Loss of a land’s fertility is frequently associated with judgment in the OT and ancient Near Eastern literature.
[1:3] 126 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” or “sins.” The word refers to rebellion against authority and is used in the international political realm (see 1 Kgs 12:19; 2 Kgs 1:1; 3:5, 7; 8:22). There is debate over its significance in this context. Some relate the “rebellion” of the foreign nations to God’s mandate to Noah (Gen 9:5-7). This mandate is viewed as a treaty between God and humankind, whereby God holds humans accountable to populate the earth and respect his image as it is revealed in all people. While this option is a possible theological explanation of the message in light of the Old Testament as a whole, nothing in these oracles alludes to that Genesis passage. J. Barton suggests that the prophet is appealing to a common morality shared across the ancient Near East regarding the conduct of war since all of the oracles can be related to activities and atrocities committed in warfare (Amos’s Oracles against the Nations [SOTSMS], 39-61). The “transgression” then would be a violation of what all cultures would take as fundamental human decency. Some argue that the nations cited in Amos 1-2 had been members of the Davidic empire. Their crime would consist of violating the mutual agreements that all should have exhibited toward one another (cf. M. E. Polley, Amos and the Davidic Empire). This interpretation is connected to the notion that Amos envisions a reconstituted Davidic empire for Israel and the world (9:11-15). Ultimately, we can only speculate what lay behind Amos’ thinking. He does not specify the theological foundation of his universal moral vision, but it is clear that Amos believes that all nations are responsible before the Lord for their cruelty toward other human beings. He also assumes that even those who did not know his God would recognize their inhumane treatment of others as inherently wrong. The translation “crimes” is general enough to communicate that a standard (whether human or divine) has been breached. For a survey of the possible historical events behind each oracle, see S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia).
[1:3] 127 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Damascus, even because of four.”
[1:3] sn The three…four style introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2. Based on the use of a similar formula in wisdom literature (see Prov 30:18-19, 29-31), one expects to find in each case a list of four specific violations. However, only in the eighth oracle (against Israel) does one find the expected fourfold list. Through this adaptation and alteration of the normal pattern the
[1:3] 128 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The pronominal object (1) refers to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 46-47. Another option (2) is to understand the suffix as referring to the particular nation mentioned in the oracle and to translate, “I will not take him [i.e., that particular nation] back.” In this case the
[1:3] 129 tn Heb “they threshed [or “trampled down”] Gilead with sharp iron implements” (NASB similar).
[1:3] sn Like threshing sledges with iron teeth. A threshing sledge was made of wooden boards embedded with sharp stones or iron teeth. As the sledge was pulled over the threshing floor the stones or iron teeth would separate the grain from the stalks. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 64-65. Here the threshing metaphor is used to emphasize how violently and inhumanely the Arameans (the people of Damascus) had treated the people of Gilead (located east of the Jordan River).
[1:4] 130 tn “Hazael’s house” (“the house of Hazael”) refers to the dynasty of Hazael.
[1:4] sn Hazael took the throne of Aram in 843
[1:4] 131 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:4] 132 sn Ben-hadad may refer to Hazael’s son and successor (2 Kgs 13:3, 24) or to an earlier king (see 1 Kgs 20), perhaps the ruler whom Hazael assassinated when he assumed power.
[1:5] 133 sn The bar on the city gate symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.
[1:5] 135 tn Heb “the one who sits.” Some English versions take the Hebrew term in a collective sense as “inhabitants” (e.g., KJV, NKJV, NASB, NRSV). The context and the parallel in the next clause (“the one who holds the royal scepter”), however, suggest that the royal house is in view. For this term (יוֹשֵׁב, yoshev), see N. K. Gottwald, The Tribes of Yahweh, 512-30.
[1:5] 136 tn Heb “valley of wickedness.” Though many English versions take the Hebrew phrase בִקְעַת־אָוֶן (biq’-at ’aven) as a literal geographical place name (“Valley of Aven,” so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), it appears to be a derogatory epithet for Damascus and the kingdom of Aram.
[1:5] 137 tn Many associate the name “Beth Eden” with Bit Adini, an Aramean state located near the Euphrates River, but it may be a sarcastic epithet meaning “house of pleasure.”
[1:5] 138 sn According to Amos 9:7, the Arameans originally came from Kir. The
[1:6] 139 sn Gaza was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath). It was considered to mark the southern limit of Canaan at the point on the coast where it was located (Gen 10:19).
[1:6] 140 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.
[1:6] 141 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Gaza, even because of four.”
[1:6] sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.
[1:6] 142 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[1:6] 143 tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A number of English translations take this as a collective singular and translate it with a plural (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:6] 144 tn Heb “in order to hand them over.”
[1:7] 145 sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.
[1:7] 146 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:8] 148 tn Heb “the one who sits.” Some translations take this expression as a collective singular referring to the inhabitants rather than the ruler (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT).
[1:8] 149 sn Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).
[1:8] 150 sn Ashkelon was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).
[1:8] 151 sn Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath).
[1:8] 152 tn Heb “I will turn my hand against Ekron.” For other uses of the idiom, “turn the hand against,” see Ps 81:14; Isa 1:25; Jer 6:9; Zech 13:7.
[1:8] 153 tn Heb “and the remnant of the Philistines will perish.” The translation above assumes that reference is made to other Philistines beside those living in the cities mentioned. Another option is to translate, “Every last Philistine will die.”
[1:9] 154 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.
[1:9] 155 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Tyre, even because of four.”
[1:9] sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.
[1:9] 156 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[1:9] 157 tn Heb “handed over.”
[1:9] 158 tn Heb “[group of] exiles.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 6.
[1:9] 159 tn Heb “did not remember.”
[1:9] 160 sn A treaty of brotherhood. In the ancient Near Eastern world familial terms were sometimes used to describe treaty partners. In a treaty between superior and inferior parties, the lord would be called “father” and the subject “son.” The partners in a treaty between equals referred to themselves as “brothers.” For biblical examples, see 1 Kgs 9:13; 20:32-33.
[1:10] 161 sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.
[1:10] 162 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:11] 163 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.
[1:11] 164 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Edom, even because of four.”
[1:11] sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.
[1:11] 165 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[1:11] 166 sn It is likely that “brother” refers here to a treaty partner (see the note on the word “brotherhood” in 1:9). However, it is possible, if Israel is in view, that Edom’s ancient blood relationship to God’s people is alluded to here. Cf. NCV, NLT “their relatives, the Israelites.”
[1:11] 167 tn Or “He stifled his compassion.” The Hebrew term רָחֲמָיו (rakhamayv) is better understood here (parallel to “brother/treaty partner”) as a reference to “allies” which Edom betrayed. An Aramaic cognate is attested (see DNWSI 2:1069-70). See M. Fishbane, “The Treaty Background of Amos 1:11 and Related Matters,” JBL 89 (1970): 313-18; idem, “Critical Note: Additional Remarks on rh£myw (Amos 1:11),” JBL 91 (1972): 391-93; and M. Barré, “Amos 1:11 reconsidered,” CBQ 47 (1985) 420-27. Some argue that the clause is best translated as “and destroyed his womenfolk.” רַחַם (rakham) means “womb”; the plural here would be a metonymy for “women” and could establish a parallel with the atrocity of 1:13. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 64-65.
[1:11] 168 tn Heb “his anger tore continually.” The Hebrew verb טָרַף (taraf, “tear apart”) is often used of an animal tearing apart its prey. The word picture here is that of a vicious predator’s feeding frenzy.
[1:11] 169 tn Traditionally, “he kept his fury continually.” The Hebrew term שְׁמָרָה (shÿmarah) could be taken as a Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix (with mappiq omitted), “he kept it” (NASB, NKJV, NRSV). It is also possible in light of the parallelism that שָׁמַר (shamar) is a rare homonym cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to rage; to be furious.” Repointing the verb as שָׁמְרָה (shamÿrah, third person feminine singular), one could translate literally, “his fury raged continually” (NIV, NJPS).
[1:12] 170 sn Teman was an important region (or perhaps city) in Edom.
[1:12] 171 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:12] 172 sn Bozrah was a city located in northern Edom.
[1:13] 173 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.
[1:13] 174 tn Heb “Because of three violations of the Ammonites, even because of four.”
On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.
[1:13] 175 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[1:13] 176 sn The Ammonites ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women in conjunction with a military invasion designed to expand their territory. Such atrocities, although repugnant, were not uncommon in ancient Near Eastern warfare.
[1:14] 177 sn Rabbah was the Ammonite capital.
[1:14] 178 sn The city wall symbolizes the city’s defenses and security.
[1:14] 179 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 180 tn Heb “with a war cry in the day of battle.”
[1:14] 181 tn Heb “with wind in the day of the windstorm.”
[1:14] sn A windstorm is a metaphor for judgment and destruction in the OT (see Isa 29:6; Jer 23:19) and ancient Near Eastern literature.
[1:15] 182 tn Heb “their”; the referent (Ammon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:15] 183 tn Heb “will go into exile.”
[1:15] 184 tn Or “princes” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT); TEV “officers”; CEV “leaders.”
[1:15] 185 tn The words “will be carried off” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[2:1] 186 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.
[2:1] 187 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Moab, even because of four.”
[2:1] sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.
[2:1] 188 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[2:1] 189 sn The Moabites apparently desecrated the tomb of an Edomite king and burned his bones into a calcined substance which they then used as plaster (cf. Deut 27:2, 4). See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 72. Receiving a proper burial was very important in this culture. Desecrating a tomb or a deceased individual’s bones was considered an especially heinous act.
[2:2] 190 sn The destruction of Moab by fire is an example of a judgment in kind – as the Moabites committed the crime of “burning,” so the
[2:2] 191 sn Kerioth was an important Moabite city. See Jer 48:24, 41.
[2:2] 192 tn Or “die” (KJV, NASB, NRSV, TEV); NAB “shall meet death.”
[2:2] 193 tn Or “in the tumult.” This word refers to the harsh confusion of sounds that characterized an ancient battle – a mixture of war cries, shouts, shrieks of pain, clashes of weapons, etc.
[2:2] 194 tn Heb “sound” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).
[2:2] 195 sn The ram’s horn (used as a trumpet) was blown to signal the approaching battle.
[2:3] 196 tn Heb “cut off” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB “root out”; NCV “bring to an end.”
[2:3] 197 tn Heb “the leader [traditionally, “judge”] from her midst.”
[2:3] 198 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Moab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:3] 199 tn Or “princes” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT); TEV, CEV “leaders.”
[2:4] 200 tn This is the same Hebrew term that is translated “crimes” in the previous oracles (see at 1:3). The change to “covenant transgressions” reflects the probability that the prophet is condemning the nation of Israel for violating stipulations of the Mosaic Law.
[2:4] 201 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Judah, even because of four.”
[2:4] sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3.
[2:4] 202 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[2:4] 203 tn Or “instruction”; NCV “teachings.”
[2:4] 204 tn Heb “lies.” This may very well be a derogatory term for idols (perhaps also at Ps. 40:4 [Heb 40:5]). Elsewhere false gods are called “vanities” (Deut 32:21; 1 Kgs 16:13, 26) and a delusion (Isa 66:3). In no other prophetic passages, however, are they called “lies.” The term could refer to the deceptions of false prophets (note Ezek 13:6-9; cf. Hab 2:3). See F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos (AB), 301-6.
[2:4] 205 tn Heb “after which their fathers walked.” The expression “to walk after” is an idiom meaning “to be loyal to.” See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 75-76.
[2:4] sn Here the idolatry of the parents carried over to the children, who persisted in worshiping the idols to which their fathers were loyal.
[2:5] 206 map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:6] 207 tn For this translation see the note at 2:4.
[2:6] 208 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Israel, even because of four.”
[2:6] sn On the three…four style that introduces each of the judgment oracles of chaps. 1-2 see the note on the word “four” in 1:3. Only in this last oracle against Israel does one find the list of four specific violations expected based on the use of a similar formula elsewhere in wisdom literature (see Prov 30:18-19, 29-31). This adaptation of the normal pattern indicates the
[2:6] 209 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[2:6] 210 tn Or “honest” (CEV, NLT). The Hebrew word sometimes has a moral-ethical connotation, “righteous, godly,” but the parallelism (note “poor”) suggests a socio-economic or legal sense here. The practice of selling debtors as slaves is in view (Exod 21:2-11; Lev 25:35-55; Deut 15:12-18) See the note at Exod 21:8 and G. C. Chirichigno, Debt-Slavery in Israel and the Ancient Near East (JSOTSup). Probably the only “crime” the victim had committed was being unable to pay back a loan or an exorbitant interest rate on a loan. Some have suggested that this verse refers to bribery in legal proceedings: The innocent are “sold” in the sense that those in power pay off the elders or judges for favorable decisions (5:12; cf. Exod 23:6-7).
[2:6] 211 tn Perhaps the expression “for a pair of sandals” indicates a relatively small price or debt. Some suggest that the sandals may have been an outward token of a more substantial purchase price. Others relate the sandals to a ritual attached to the transfer of property, signifying here that the poor would be losing their inherited family lands because of debt (Ruth 4:7; cf. Deut 25:8-10). Still others emend the Hebrew form slightly to נֶעְלָם (ne’lam, “hidden thing”; from the root עָלַם, ’alam, “to hide”) and understand this as referring to a bribe.
[2:7] 212 tn Most scholars now understand this verb as derived from the root II שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to crush; to trample”), an alternate form of שׁוּף (shuf), rather than from I שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to pant, to gasp”; cf. KJV, ASV, NASB).
[2:7] 213 tn Heb “those who stomp on the dirt of the ground on the head of the poor.” It is possible to render the line as “they trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the ground,” thereby communicating that the poor are being stepped on in utter contempt (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 79-80). The participial form הַשֹּׁאֲפִים (hasho’afim) is substantival and stands in apposition to the pronominal suffix on מִכְרָם (mikhram, v. 6b).
[2:7] sn The picture of the poor having dirt-covered heads suggests their humiliation before their oppressors and/or their sorrow (see 2 Sam 1:2; 15:32).
[2:7] 214 tn Heb “they turn aside the way of the destitute.” Many interpreters take “way” to mean “just cause” and understand this as a direct reference to the rights of the destitute being ignored. The injustice done to the poor is certainly in view, but the statement is better taken as a word picture depicting the powerful rich pushing the “way of the poor” (i.e., their attempt to be treated justly) to the side. An even more vivid picture is given in Amos 5:12, where the rich are pictured as turning the poor away from the city gate (where legal decisions were made, and therefore where justice should be done).
[2:7] 215 sn Most interpreters see some type of sexual immorality here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT), even though the Hebrew phrase הָלַךְ אֶל (halakh ’el, “go to”) never refers elsewhere to sexual intercourse. (The usual idiom is בוֹא אֶל [bo’ ’el]. However, S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 82) attempts to develop a linguistic case for a sexual connotation here.) The precise identification of the “girl” in question is not clear. Some see the referent as a cultic prostitute (cf. NAB; v. 8 suggests a cultic setting), but the term נַעֲרָה (na’arah) nowhere else refers to a prostitute. Because of the contextual emphasis on social oppression, some suggest the exploitation of a slave girl is in view. H. Barstad argues that the “girl” is the hostess at a pagan מַרְזֵחַ (marzeakh) banquet (described at some length in 6:4-7). In his view the sin described here is not sexual immorality, but idolatry (see H. Barstad, The Religious Polemics of Amos [VTSup], 33-36). In this case, one might translate, “Father and son go together to a pagan banquet.” In light of this cultic context, F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman argue that this is a reference to a specific female deity (“the Girl”) and correlate this verse with 8:14 (Amos [AB], 318-19).
[2:7] 216 tn Or “pollute”; “desecrate”; “dishonor.”
[2:7] 217 tn Heb “my holy name.” Here “name” is used metonymically for God’s moral character or reputation, while “holy” has a moral and ethical connotation.
[2:8] 218 tn The words “They do so right” are supplied twice in the translation of this verse for clarification.
[2:8] 220 tn Or “gods.” The Hebrew term אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (’elohehem) may be translated “their gods” (referring to pagan gods), “their god” (referring to a pagan god, cf. NAB, NIV, NLT), or “their God” (referring to the God of Israel, cf. NASB, NRSV).
[2:9] 221 tn Heb “I destroyed the Amorites from before them.” The translation takes מִפְּנֵי (mippÿney) in the sense of “for the sake of.” See BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֻה II.6.a and H. W. Wolff, Joel and Amos (Hermeneia), 134. Another option is to take the phrase in a spatial sense, “I destroyed the Amorites, [clearing them out] from before them [i.e., Israel]” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[2:9] 222 tn Heb “whose height was like the height of cedars.”
[2:9] 223 tn Heb “his fruit from above.”
[2:9] 224 tn Heb “and his roots from below.”
[2:11] 225 tn Or perhaps “religious devotees” (also in the following verse). The Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) refers to one who “consecrated” or “devoted” to God (see Num 6:1-21).
[2:12] 226 sn Nazirites were strictly forbidden to drink wine (Num 6:2-3).
[2:13] 227 tn The precise meaning of this verse is unclear. Various suggested meanings have been proposed (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 94): (1) One option is to relate the verb to an Arabic verb, meaning “to hinder; to hamper,” and translate, “I am making you immobile, like a cart filled with grain is immobile.” In this case, the
[2:14] 228 tn Heb “and a place of refuge will perish from the swift.”
[2:14] 229 tn Heb “the strong will not increase his strength.”
[2:15] 230 tn Heb “the one who holds the bow.”
[2:15] 231 tn For the idiom of “holding [or “standing”] one’s ground” in battle, there is a similar phrase in Ezek 13:5; also related is the expression “to hold one’s own against” (or “to withstand”) in Judg 2:14; 2 Kgs 10:4; Dan 8:7 (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 97). Other options include “will not endure” or “will not survive.”
[2:15] 232 tn The last two lines read literally, “The one fast in his feet will not rescue [his life], and the rider of the horse will not rescue his life.” The phrase “his life” does double duty in the parallelism and should be understood in both lines.
[2:16] 233 tn Or “the most stouthearted” (NAB); NRSV “those who are stout of heart.”
[3:8] 234 tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.
[3:8] 235 tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).
[3:8] 236 tn Heb “for my decision is.”
[14:3] 238 sn The statement the
[14:3] 239 tn Heb “as he fights on a day of battle” (similar NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:14] 240 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] 241 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”).
[14:16] 242 sn Having imposed his sovereignty over the earth following the Battle of Armageddon, the
[1:18] 243 tn The genitive ἀνθρώπων could be taken as an attributed genitive, in which case the phase should be translated “against all ungodly and unrighteous people” (cf. “the truth of God” in v. 25 which is also probably an attributed genitive). C. E. B. Cranfield takes the section 1:18-32 to refer to all people (not just Gentiles), while 2:1-3:20 points out that the Jew is no exception (Romans [ICC], 1:104-6; 1:137-38).
[1:18] 244 tn “Their” is implied in the Greek, but is supplied because of English style.
[1:18] 245 tn Or “by means of unrighteousness.” Grk “in (by) unrighteousness.”
[6:12] 246 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[6:12] 247 tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”
[6:12] 248 tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).
[6:12] 249 tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).
[6:13] 250 tn Or “in heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”). The genitive τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (tou ouranou) is taken as a genitive of place.
[6:13] 251 tn Grk “throws [off]”; the indicative verb has been translated as a participle due to English style.
[6:13] 252 tn L&N 3.37 states, “a fig produced late in the summer season (and often falling off before it ripens) – ‘late fig.’ ὡς συκὴ βάλλει τοὺς ὀλύνθους αὐτῆς ὑπὸ ἀνέμου μεγάλου σειομένη ‘as the fig tree sheds its late figs when shaken by a great wind’ Re 6:13. In the only context in which ὄλυνθος occurs in the NT (Re 6:13), one may employ an expression such as ‘unripe fig’ or ‘fig which ripens late.’”
[6:13] 253 tn Grk “great wind.”
[6:14] 254 tn Or “The heavens were.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) can mean either “heaven” or “sky.”
[6:14] 255 tn BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποχωρίζω states, “ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπεχωρίσθη the sky was split Rv 6:14.” Although L&N 79.120 gives the meaning “the sky disappeared like a rolled-up scroll” here, a scroll that is rolled up does not “disappear,” and such a translation could be difficult for modern readers to understand.
[6:14] 256 tn On this term BDAG 317 s.v. ἑλίσσω states, “ὡς βιβλίον ἑλισσόμενον like a scroll that is rolled up…Rv 6:14.”
[6:15] 257 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[6:15] 258 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated; nor is it translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[6:15] 259 tn Grk “chiliarchs.” A chiliarch was normally 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).
[6:15] 260 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
[6:16] 261 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[6:16] 262 tn It is difficult to say where this quotation ends. The translation ends it after “withstand it” at the end of v. 17, but it is possible that it should end here, after “Lamb” at the end of v. 16. If it ends after “Lamb,” v. 17 is a parenthetical explanation by the author.
[6:17] 263 tc Most
[6:17] 264 tn The translation “to withstand (it)” for ἵστημι (Jisthmi) is based on the imagery of holding one’s ground in a military campaign or an attack (BDAG 482 s.v. B.4).
[14:15] 265 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[14:15] 266 tn Grk “Send out.”
[14:15] 267 tn The aorist θέρισον (qerison) has been translated ingressively.
[14:16] 268 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.
[14:17] 269 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[14:18] 270 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[14:18] 271 tn Grk “who had authority over.” This appears to be the angel who tended the fire on the altar.
[14:18] 272 tn Grk “to the one having the sharp sickle”; the referent (the angel in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:18] 274 tn On this term BDAG 1018 s.v. τρυγάω states: “‘gather in’ ripe fruit, esp. harvest (grapes) w. acc. of the fruit (POslo. 21, 13 [71 ad]; Jos., Ant. 4, 227) Lk 6:44; Rv 14:18 (in imagery, as in the foll. places)…W. acc. of that which bears the fruit gather the fruit of the vine…or the vineyard (s. ἄμπελος a) Rv 14:19.”
[14:18] 275 tn On this term BDAG 181 s.v. βότρυς states, “bunch of grapes Rv 14:18…The word is also found in the Phrygian Papias of Hierapolis, in a passage in which he speaks of the enormous size of the grapes in the new aeon (in the Lat. transl. in Irenaeus 5, 33, 2f.): dena millia botruum Papias (1:2). On this see Stephan. Byz. s.v. Εὐκαρπία: Metrophanes says that in the district of Εὐκαρπία in Phrygia Minor the grapes were said to be so large that one bunch of them caused a wagon to break down in the middle.”
[14:18] 276 tn The genitive τῆς γῆς (ths ghs), taken symbolically, could be considered a genitive of apposition.
[14:18] 277 tn Or perhaps, “its bunches of grapes” (a different Greek word from the previous clause). L&N 3.38 states, “the fruit of grapevines (see 3.27) – ‘grape, bunch of grapes.’ τρύγησον τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἤκμασαν αἱ σταφυλαὶ αὐτῆς ‘cut the grapes from the vineyard of the earth because its grapes are ripe’ Re 14:18. Some scholars have contended that βότρυς means primarily a bunch of grapes, while σταφυλή designates individual grapes. In Re 14:18 this difference might seem plausible, but there is scarcely any evidence for such a distinction, since both words may signify grapes as well as bunches of grapes.”
[14:18] 278 tn On the use of ἥκμασαν (hkmasan) BDAG 36 s.v. ἀκμάζω states, “to bloom…of grapes…Rv 14:18.”
[14:19] 279 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.
[14:19] 280 tn Or “vine.” BDAG 54 s.v. ἄμπελος a states, “τρυγᾶν τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀ. τῆς γῆς to harvest the grapes fr. the vine of the earth (i.e. fr. the earth, symbol. repr. as a grapevine) Rv 14:18f; but ἀ may be taking on the meaning of ἀμπελών, as oft. in pap., possibly PHib. 70b, 2 [III bc].” The latter alternative has been followed in the translation (ἀμπελών = “vineyard”).
[14:19] 281 tn Although the gender of μέγαν (megan, masc.) does not match the gender of ληνόν (lhnon, fem.) it has been taken to modify that word (as do most English translations).
[14:20] 282 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[14:20] 283 sn The winepress was stomped. See Isa 63:3, where Messiah does this alone (usually several individuals would join in the process).
[14:20] 284 tn L&N 6.7 states, “In Re 14:20 the reference to a bit and bridle is merely an indication of measurement, that is to say, the height of the bit and bridle from the ground, and one may reinterpret this measurement as ‘about a meter and a half’ or ‘about five feet.’”
[14:20] 285 tn Grk “1,600 stades.” A stade was a measure of length about 607 ft (185 m). Thus the distance here would be 184 mi or 296 km.
[19:15] 286 tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[19:15] 287 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:15] 288 tn Grk “will shepherd.”
[19:15] 289 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] 290 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] 291 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] 292 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] 293 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[19:17] 294 tn The precise significance of ἐν (en) here is difficult to determine.
[19:17] 295 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] 296 tn This is the same Greek word (δεῖπνον, deipnon) used in 19:9.
[19:18] 297 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause, insofar as it is related to the first imperative, has the force of an imperative.
[19:18] 298 tn The idea of eating “your fill” is evident in the context with the use of χορτάζω (cortazw) in v. 21.
[19:18] 299 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] 300 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
[19:19] 301 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[19:20] 302 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] 303 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] 304 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
[19:21] 305 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:21] 306 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).”
[20:9] 307 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[20:9] 308 tn The shift here to past tense reflects the Greek text.
[20:9] 309 tn On the phrase “broad plain of the earth” BDAG 823 s.v. πλάτος states, “τὸ πλάτος τῆς γῆς Rv 20:9 comes fr. the OT (Da 12:2 LXX. Cp. Hab 1:6; Sir 1:3), but the sense is not clear: breadth = the broad plain of the earth is perh. meant to provide room for the countless enemies of God vs. 8, but the ‘going up’ is better suited to Satan (vs. 7) who has recently been freed, and who comes up again fr. the abyss (vs. 3).” The referent here thus appears to be a plain large enough to accommodate the numberless hoards that have drawn up for battle against the Lord Christ and his saints.
[20:9] 310 tn Or “surrounded.”
[20:9] 311 tn On the term παρεμβολή (parembolh) BDAG 775 s.v. states, “Mostly used as a military t.t.…so always in our lit.…1. a (fortified) camp…ἡ παρεμβολὴ τῶν ἁγίων Rv 20:9 is also to be understood fr. the OT use of the word.”
[20:9] 312 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[20:9] 313 tn See L&N 20.45 for the translation of κατεσθίω (katesqiw) as “to destroy utterly, to consume completely.”
[20:15] 314 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[20:15] 315 tn The word “name” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[20:15] 316 tn Grk “he”; the pronoun has been intensified by translating as “that person.”
