Yeremia 3:12-19
Konteks3:12 “Go and shout this message to my people in the countries in the north. 1 Tell them,
‘Come back to me, wayward Israel,’ says the Lord.
‘I will not continue to look on you with displeasure. 2
For I am merciful,’ says the Lord.
‘I will not be angry with you forever.
3:13 However, you must confess that you have done wrong, 3
and that you have rebelled against the Lord your God.
You must confess 4 that you have given yourself to 5 foreign gods under every green tree,
and have not obeyed my commands,’ says the Lord.
3:14 “Come back to me, my wayward sons,” says the Lord, “for I am your true master. 6 If you do, 7 I will take one of you from each town and two of you from each family group, and I will bring you back to Zion. 3:15 I will give you leaders 8 who will be faithful to me. 9 They will lead you with knowledge and insight. 3:16 In those days, your population will greatly increase 10 in the land. At that time,” says the Lord, “people will no longer talk about having the ark 11 that contains the Lord’s covenant with us. 12 They will not call it to mind, remember it, or miss it. No, that will not be done any more! 13 3:17 At that time the city of Jerusalem 14 will be called the Lord’s throne. All nations will gather there in Jerusalem to honor the Lord’s name. 15 They will no longer follow the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. 16 3:18 At that time 17 the nation of Judah and the nation of Israel will be reunited. 18 Together they will come back from a land in the north to the land that I gave to your ancestors as a permanent possession. ” 19
‘Oh what a joy it would be for me to treat you like a son! 21
What a joy it would be for me to give 22 you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful piece of property there is in all the world!’ 23
I thought you would call me, ‘Father’ 24
and would never cease being loyal to me. 25
Yeremia 30:18-22
Konteks30:18 The Lord says,
“I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob.
I will show compassion on their ruined homes. 26
Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins. 27
Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site. 28
30:19 Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving 29
and the sounds of laughter and merriment.
I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away. 30
I will bring them honor and they will no longer be despised.
30:20 The descendants of Jacob will enjoy their former privileges.
Their community will be reestablished in my favor 31
and I will punish all who try to oppress them.
30:21 One of their own people will be their leader.
Their ruler will come from their own number. 32
I will invite him to approach me, and he will do so. 33
For no one would dare approach me on his own. 34
I, the Lord, affirm it! 35
30:22 Then you will again be my people
and I will be your God. 36
Yeremia 31:1--33:26
Konteks31:1 At that time I will be the God of all the clans of Israel 37
and they will be my people.
I, the Lord, affirm it!” 38
31:2 The Lord says,
“The people of Israel who survived
death at the hands of the enemy 39
will find favor in the wilderness
as they journey to find rest for themselves.
31:3 In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them.
He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.
That is why I have continued to be faithful to you. 40
31:4 I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, 41
so that you will once again be built up.
Once again you will take up the tambourine
and join in the happy throng of dancers. 42
31:5 Once again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria. 43
Those who plant them
will once again enjoy their fruit. 44
31:6 Yes, a time is coming
when watchmen 45 will call out on the mountains of Ephraim,
“Come! Let us go to Zion
to worship the Lord our God!”’” 46
31:7 Moreover, 47 the Lord says,
“Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob.
Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations. 48
Make your praises heard. 49
Then say, ‘Lord, rescue your people.
Deliver those of Israel who remain alive.’ 50
31:8 Then I will reply, 51 ‘I will bring them back from the land of the north.
I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth.
Blind and lame people will come with them,
so will pregnant women and women about to give birth.
A vast throng of people will come back here.
31:9 They will come back shedding tears of contrition.
I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. 52
I will lead them besides streams of water,
along smooth paths where they will never stumble. 53
I will do this because I am Israel’s father;
Ephraim 54 is my firstborn son.’”
31:10 Hear what the Lord has to say, O nations.
Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea.
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will regather them.
He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock.”
31:11 For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob.
He will secure their release 55 from those who had overpowered them. 56
31:12 They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion.
They will be radiant with joy 57 over the good things the Lord provides,
the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil,
the young sheep and calves he has given to them.
They will be like a well-watered garden
and will not grow faint or weary any more.
31:13 The Lord says, 58 “At that time young women will dance and be glad.
Young men and old men will rejoice. 59
I will turn their grief into gladness.
I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow.
31:14 I will provide the priests with abundant provisions. 60
My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide.”
31:15 The Lord says,
“A sound is heard in Ramah, 61
a sound of crying in bitter grief.
It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone.” 62
31:16 The Lord says to her, 63
“Stop crying! Do not shed any more tears! 64
For your heartfelt repentance 65 will be rewarded.
Your children will return from the land of the enemy.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 66
31:17 Indeed, there is hope for your posterity. 67
Your children will return to their own territory.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 68
31:18 I have indeed 69 heard the people of Israel 70 say mournfully,
‘We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. 71
You disciplined us and we learned from it. 72
Let us come back to you and we will do so, 73
for you are the Lord our God.
31:19 For after we turned away from you we repented.
After we came to our senses 74 we beat our breasts in sorrow. 75
We are ashamed and humiliated
because of the disgraceful things we did previously.’ 76
31:20 Indeed, the people of Israel are my dear children.
They are the children I take delight in. 77
For even though I must often rebuke them,
I still remember them with fondness.
So I am deeply moved with pity for them 78
and will surely have compassion on them.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 79
31:21 I will say, 80 ‘My dear children of Israel, 81 keep in mind
the road you took when you were carried off. 82
Mark off in your minds the landmarks.
Make a mental note of telltale signs marking the way back.
Return, my dear children of Israel.
Return to these cities of yours.
31:22 How long will you vacillate, 83
you who were once like an unfaithful daughter? 84
For I, the Lord, promise 85 to bring about something new 86 on the earth,
something as unique as a woman protecting a man!’” 87
31:23 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 88 says,
“I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns.
When I do, they will again say 89 of Jerusalem, 90
‘May the Lord bless you, you holy mountain,
the place where righteousness dwells.’ 91
31:24 The land of Judah will be inhabited by people who live in its towns
as well as by farmers and shepherds with their flocks. 92
31:25 I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary
and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint. 93
31:26 Then they will say, ‘Under these conditions I can enjoy sweet sleep
when I wake up and look around.’” 94
31:27 “Indeed, a time is coming,” 95 says the Lord, 96 “when I will cause people and animals to sprout up in the lands of Israel and Judah. 97 31:28 In the past I saw to it that they were uprooted and torn down, that they were destroyed and demolished. But now I will see to it that they are built up and firmly planted. 98 I, the Lord, affirm it!” 99
31:29 “When that time comes, people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but the children’s teeth have grown numb.’ 100 31:30 Rather, each person will die for his own sins. The teeth of the person who eats the sour grapes will themselves grow numb. 101
31:31 “Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, 102 “when I will make a new covenant 103 with the people of Israel and Judah. 104 31:32 It will not be like the old 105 covenant that I made with their ancestors 106 when I delivered them 107 from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” 108 says the Lord. 109 31:33 “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel 110 after I plant them back in the land,” 111 says the Lord. 112 “I will 113 put my law within them 114 and write it on their hearts and minds. 115 I will be their God and they will be my people. 116
31:34 “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. 117 For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” 118 says the Lord. “For 119 I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”
31:35 The Lord has made a promise to Israel.
He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by day
and the moon and stars to give light by night.
He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll.
He promises it as the one who is known as the Lord who rules over all. 120
31:36 The Lord affirms, 121 “The descendants of Israel will not
cease forever to be a nation in my sight.
That could only happen if the fixed ordering of the heavenly lights
were to cease to operate before me.” 122
31:37 The Lord says, “I will not reject all the descendants of Israel
because of all that they have done. 123
That could only happen if the heavens above could be measured
or the foundations of the earth below could all be explored,” 124
says the Lord. 125
31:38 “Indeed a time is coming,” 126 says the Lord, 127 “when the city of Jerusalem 128 will be rebuilt as my special city. 129 It will be built from the Tower of Hananel westward to the Corner Gate. 130 31:39 The boundary line will extend beyond that, straight west from there to the Hill of Gareb and then turn southward to Goah. 131 31:40 The whole valley where dead bodies and sacrificial ashes are thrown 132 and all the terraced fields 133 out to the Kidron Valley 134 on the east as far north 135 as the Horse Gate 136 will be included within this city that is sacred to the Lord. 137 The city will never again be torn down or destroyed.”
32:1 In the tenth year that Zedekiah was ruling over Judah the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 138 That was the same as the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
32:2 Now at that time, 139 the armies of the king of Babylon were besieging Jerusalem. 140 The prophet Jeremiah was confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse 141 attached to the royal palace of Judah. 32:3 For King Zedekiah 142 had confined Jeremiah there after he had reproved him for prophesying as he did. He had asked Jeremiah, “Why do you keep prophesying these things? Why do you keep saying that the Lord says, ‘I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon? I will let him capture it. 143 32:4 King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the Babylonians. 144 He will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon. He must answer personally to the king of Babylon and confront him face to face. 145 32:5 Zedekiah will be carried off to Babylon and will remain there until I have fully dealt with him. 146 I, the Lord, affirm it! 147 Even if you 148 continue to fight against the Babylonians, 149 you cannot win.’”
32:6 So now, Jeremiah said, “The Lord told me, 150 32:7 ‘Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will come to you soon. He will say to you, “Buy my field at Anathoth because you are entitled 151 as my closest relative to buy it.”’ 152 32:8 Now it happened just as the Lord had said! My cousin Hanamel 153 came to me in the courtyard of the guardhouse. He said to me, ‘Buy my field which is at Anathoth in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Buy it for yourself since you are entitled as my closest relative to take possession of it for yourself.’ When this happened, I recognized that the Lord had indeed spoken to me. 32:9 So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I weighed out seven ounces of silver and gave it to him to pay for it. 154 32:10 I signed the deed of purchase, 155 sealed it, and had some men serve as witnesses to the purchase. 156 I weighed out the silver for him on a scale. 32:11 There were two copies of the deed of purchase. One was sealed and contained the order of transfer and the conditions of purchase. 157 The other was left unsealed. 32:12 I took both copies of the deed of purchase 158 and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. I gave them to him in the presence 159 of my cousin 160 Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase, and all the Judeans who were housed in the courtyard of the guardhouse. 32:13 In the presence of all these people I instructed Baruch, 32:14 ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 161 says, “Take these documents, both the sealed copy of the deed of purchase and the unsealed copy. Put them in a clay jar so that they may be preserved for a long time to come.”’ 162 32:15 For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all 163 says, “Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’ 164
32:16 “After I had given the copies of the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, 32:17 ‘Oh, Lord God, 165 you did indeed 166 make heaven and earth by your mighty power and great strength. 167 Nothing is too hard for you! 32:18 You show unfailing love to thousands. 168 But you also punish children for the sins of their parents. 169 You are the great and powerful God who is known as the Lord who rules over all. 170 32:19 You plan great things and you do mighty deeds. 171 You see everything people do. 172 You reward each of them for the way they live and for the things they do. 173 32:20 You did miracles and amazing deeds in the land of Egypt which have had lasting effect. By this means you gained both in Israel and among humankind a renown that lasts to this day. 174 32:21 You used your mighty power and your great strength to perform miracles and amazing deeds and to bring great terror on the Egyptians. By this means you brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt. 175 32:22 You kept the promise that you swore on oath to their ancestors. 176 You gave them a land flowing with milk and honey. 177 32:23 But when they came in and took possession of it, they did not obey you or live as you had instructed them. They did not do anything that you commanded them to do. 178 So you brought all this disaster on them. 32:24 Even now siege ramps have been built up around the city 179 in order to capture it. War, 180 starvation, and disease are sure to make the city fall into the hands of the Babylonians 181 who are attacking it. 182 Lord, 183 you threatened that this would happen. Now you can see that it is already taking place. 184 32:25 The city is sure to fall into the hands of the Babylonians. 185 Yet, in spite of this, 186 you, Lord God, 187 have said to me, “Buy that field with silver and have the transaction legally witnessed.”’” 188
32:26 The Lord answered Jeremiah. 189 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all humankind. There is, indeed, nothing too difficult for me. 190 32:28 Therefore I, the Lord, say: 191 ‘I will indeed hand 192 this city over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Babylonian army. 193 They will capture it. 32:29 The Babylonian soldiers 194 that are attacking this city will break into it and set it on fire. They will burn it down along with the houses where people have made me angry by offering sacrifices to the god Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods on their rooftops. 195 32:30 This will happen because the people of Israel and Judah have repeatedly done what displeases me 196 from their earliest history until now 197 and because they 198 have repeatedly made me angry by the things they have done. 199 I, the Lord, affirm it! 200 32:31 This will happen because 201 the people of this city have aroused my anger and my wrath since the time they built it until now. 202 They have made me so angry that I am determined to remove 203 it from my sight. 32:32 I am determined to do so because the people of Israel and Judah have made me angry with all their wickedness – they, their kings, their officials, their priests, their prophets, and especially the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem 204 have done this wickedness. 205 32:33 They have turned away from me instead of turning to me. 206 I tried over and over again 207 to instruct them, but they did not listen and respond to correction. 208 32:34 They set up their disgusting idols in the temple which I have claimed for my own 209 and defiled it. 32:35 They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. 210 Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do! It never even entered my mind to command them to do such a thing! So Judah is certainly liable for punishment.’ 211
32:36 “You and your people 212 are right in saying, ‘War, 213 starvation, and disease are sure to make this city fall into the hands of the king of Babylon.’ 214 But now I, the Lord God of Israel, have something further to say about this city: 215 32:37 ‘I will certainly regather my people from all the countries where I will have exiled 216 them in my anger, fury, and great wrath. I will bring them back to this place and allow them to live here in safety. 32:38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 217 32:39 I will give them a single-minded purpose to live in a way that always shows respect for me. They will want to do that for 218 their own good and the good of the children who descend from them. 32:40 I will make a lasting covenant 219 with them that I will never stop doing good to them. 220 I will fill their hearts and minds with respect for me so that 221 they will never again turn 222 away from me. 32:41 I will take delight in doing good to them. I will faithfully and wholeheartedly plant them 223 firmly in the land.’
32:42 “For I, the Lord, say: 224 ‘I will surely bring on these people all the good fortune that I am hereby promising them. I will be just as sure to do that as I have been in bringing all this great disaster on them. 225 32:43 You and your people 226 are saying that this land will become desolate, uninhabited by either people or animals. You are saying that it will be handed over to the Babylonians. 227 But fields 228 will again be bought in this land. 229 32:44 Fields will again be bought with silver, and deeds of purchase signed, sealed, and witnessed. This will happen in the territory of Benjamin, the villages surrounding Jerusalem, the towns in Judah, the southern hill country, the western foothills, and southern Judah. 230 For I will restore them to their land. 231 I, the Lord, affirm it!’” 232
33:1 The Lord spoke 233 to Jeremiah a second time while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse. 234 33:2 “I, the Lord, do these things. I, the Lord, form the plan to bring them about. 235 I am known as the Lord. I say to you, 33:3 ‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious 236 things which you still do not know about.’ 33:4 For I, the Lord God of Israel, have something more to say about the houses in this city and the royal buildings which have been torn down for defenses against the siege ramps and military incursions of the Babylonians: 237 33:5 ‘The defenders of the city will go out and fight with the Babylonians. 238 But they will only fill those houses and buildings with the dead bodies of the people that I will kill in my anger and my wrath. 239 That will happen because I have decided to turn my back on 240 this city on account of the wicked things they have done. 241 33:6 But I will most surely 242 heal the wounds of this city and restore it and its people to health. 243 I will show them abundant 244 peace and security. 33:7 I will restore Judah and Israel 245 and will rebuild them as they were in days of old. 246 33:8 I will purify them from all the sin that they committed against me. I will forgive all their sins which they committed in rebelling against me. 247 33:9 All the nations will hear about all the good things which I will do to them. This city will bring me fame, honor, and praise before them for the joy that I bring it. The nations will tremble in awe at all the peace and prosperity that I will provide for it.’ 248
33:10 “I, the Lord, say: 249 ‘You and your people are saying 250 about this place, “It lies in ruins. There are no people or animals in it.” That is true. The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem 251 will soon be desolate, uninhabited either by people or by animals. But happy sounds will again be heard in these places. 33:11 Once again there will be sounds 252 of joy and gladness and the glad celebrations of brides and grooms. 253 Once again people will bring their thank offerings to the temple of the Lord and will say, “Give thanks to the Lord who rules over all. For the Lord is good and his unfailing love lasts forever.” 254 For I, the Lord, affirm 255 that I will restore the land to what it was 256 in days of old.’ 257
33:12 “I, the Lord who rules over all, say: 258 ‘This place will indeed lie in ruins. There will be no people or animals in it. But there will again be in it and in its towns sheepfolds where shepherds can rest their sheep. 33:13 I, the Lord, say that shepherds will once again count their sheep as they pass into the fold. 259 They will do this in all the towns in the southern hill country, the western foothills, the southern hill country, the territory of Benjamin, the villages surrounding Jerusalem, and the towns of Judah.’ 260
33:14 “I, the Lord, affirm: 261 ‘The time will certainly come when I will fulfill my gracious promise concerning the nations of Israel and Judah. 262 33:15 In those days and at that time I will raise up for them a righteous descendant 263 of David.
“‘He will do what is just and right in the land. 33:16 Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety 264 and Jerusalem 265 will live in security. At that time Jerusalem will be called “The Lord has provided us with justice.” 266 33:17 For I, the Lord, promise: “David will never lack a successor to occupy 267 the throne over the nation of Israel. 268 33:18 Nor will the Levitical priests ever lack someone to stand before me and continually offer up burnt offerings, sacrifice cereal offerings, and offer the other sacrifices.”’” 269
33:19 The Lord spoke further to Jeremiah. 270 33:20 “I, Lord, make the following promise: 271 ‘I have made a covenant with the day 272 and with the night that they will always come at their proper times. Only if you people 273 could break that covenant 33:21 could my covenant with my servant David and my covenant with the Levites ever be broken. So David will by all means always have a descendant to occupy his throne as king and the Levites will by all means always have priests who will minister before me. 274 33:22 I will make the children who follow one another in the line of my servant David very numerous. I will also make the Levites who minister before me very numerous. I will make them all as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sands which are on the seashore.’” 275
33:23 The Lord spoke still further to Jeremiah. 276 33:24 “You have surely noticed what these people are saying, haven’t you? They are saying, 277 ‘The Lord has rejected the two families of Israel and Judah 278 that he chose.’ So they have little regard that my people will ever again be a nation. 279 33:25 But I, the Lord, make the following promise: 280 I have made a covenant governing the coming of day and night. I have established the fixed laws governing heaven and earth. 33:26 Just as surely as I have done this, so surely will I never reject the descendants of Jacob. Nor will I ever refuse to choose one of my servant David’s descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, 281 I will restore them 282 and show mercy to them.”
Yesaya 40:1--46:13
Konteks40:1 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
says your 283 God.
40:2 “Speak kindly to 284 Jerusalem, 285 and tell her
that her time of warfare is over, 286
that her punishment is completed. 287
For the Lord has made her pay double 288 for all her sins.”
40:3 A voice cries out,
“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;
construct in the desert a road for our God.
40:4 Every valley must be elevated,
and every mountain and hill leveled.
The rough terrain will become a level plain,
the rugged landscape a wide valley.
40:5 The splendor 289 of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people 290 will see it at the same time.
For 291 the Lord has decreed it.” 292
40:6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Another asks, 293 “What should I cry out?”
The first voice responds: 294 “All people are like grass, 295
and all their promises 296 are like the flowers in the field.
40:7 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
when the wind sent by the Lord 297 blows on them.
Surely humanity 298 is like grass.
40:8 The grass dries up,
the flowers wither,
but the decree of our God is forever reliable.” 299
40:9 Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion!
Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! 300
Shout, don’t be afraid!
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
40:10 Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; 301
his military power establishes his rule. 302
Look, his reward is with him;
his prize goes before him. 303
40:11 Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart; 304
he leads the ewes along.
40:12 Who has measured out the waters 305 in the hollow of his hand,
or carefully 306 measured the sky, 307
or carefully weighed 308 the soil of the earth,
or weighed the mountains in a balance,
or the hills on scales? 309
40:13 Who comprehends 310 the mind 311 of the Lord,
or gives him instruction as his counselor? 312
40:14 From whom does he receive directions? 313
Who 314 teaches him the correct way to do things, 315
or imparts knowledge to him,
or instructs him in skillful design? 316
40:15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales.
He lifts 317 the coastlands 318 as if they were dust.
40:16 Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; 319
its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings. 320
40:17 All the nations are insignificant before him;
they are regarded as absolutely nothing. 321
40:18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you liken him?
40:19 A craftsman casts 322 an idol;
a metalsmith overlays it with gold
and forges silver chains for it.
40:20 To make a contribution one selects wood that will not rot; 323
he then seeks a skilled craftsman
to make 324 an idol that will not fall over.
40:21 Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?
Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made?
40:22 He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon; 325
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. 326
He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, 327
and spreads it out 328 like a pitched tent. 329
40:23 He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;
he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.
40:24 Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
40:25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One. 330
Who created all these heavenly lights? 332
He is the one who leads out their ranks; 333
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.
40:27 Why do you say, Jacob,
Why do you say, Israel,
“The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me, 334
My God is not concerned with my vindication”? 335
40:28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the creator of the whole earth. 336
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom. 337
40:29 He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.
40:30 Even youths get tired and weary;
even strong young men clumsily stumble. 338
40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help 339 find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, 340
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired.
41:1 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands! 341
Let the nations find renewed strength!
Let them approach and then speak;
let us come together for debate! 342
41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? 343
Who 344 officially commissions him for service? 345
He hands nations over to him, 346
and enables him to subdue 347 kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like windblown straw with his bow. 348
41:3 He pursues them and passes by unharmed; 349
he advances with great speed. 350
41:4 Who acts and carries out decrees? 351
Who 352 summons the successive generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning,
and at the very end – I am the one. 353
41:5 The coastlands 354 see and are afraid;
the whole earth 355 trembles;
they approach and come.
41:6 They help one another; 356
one says to the other, ‘Be strong!’
41:7 The craftsman encourages the metalsmith,
the one who wields the hammer encourages 357 the one who pounds on the anvil.
He approves the quality of the welding, 358
and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”
41:8 “You, my servant Israel,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend, 359
41:9 you whom I am bringing back 360 from the earth’s extremities,
and have summoned from the remote regions –
I told you, “You are my servant.”
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! 361
I strengthen you –
yes, I help you –
yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! 362
41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries 363 will be reduced to nothing 364 and perish.
41:12 When you will look for your opponents, 365 you will not find them;
your enemies 366 will be reduced to absolutely nothing.
41:13 For I am the Lord your God,
the one who takes hold of your right hand,
who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, 367
men of 368 Israel.
I am helping you,” says the Lord,
your protector, 369 the Holy One of Israel. 370
41:15 “Look, I am making you like 371 a sharp threshing sledge,
new and double-edged. 372
You will thresh the mountains and crush them;
you will make the hills like straw. 373
41:16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;
the wind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in the Lord;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
41:17 The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; 374
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
41:18 I will make streams flow down the slopes
and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water
and the arid land into springs.
41:19 I will make cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees grow in the wilderness;
I will make evergreens, firs, and cypresses grow together in the desert.
41:20 I will do this so 375 people 376 will observe and recognize,
so they will pay attention and understand
that the Lord’s power 377 has accomplished this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” 378
41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,” 379 says Jacob’s king. 380
41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, 381
so we may examine them 382 and see how they were fulfilled. 383
Or decree for us some future events!
41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, 384
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe. 385
41:24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent;
the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting. 386
41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north 387 and he advances,
one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. 388
He steps on 389 rulers as if they were clay,
like a potter treading the clay.
41:26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it 390 ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it!
Indeed, none of them announced it!
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
41:27 I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’ 391
I sent a herald to Jerusalem. 392
41:28 I look, but there is no one,
among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,
that I might ask questions and receive answers.
41:29 Look, all of them are nothing, 393
their accomplishments are nonexistent;
their metal images lack any real substance. 394
42:1 395 “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my spirit on him;
he will make just decrees 396 for the nations. 397
42:2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets. 398
42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish; 399
he will faithfully make just decrees. 400
42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed 401
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands 402 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 403
42:5 This is what the true God, 404 the Lord, says –
the one who created the sky and stretched it out,
the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, 405
the one who gives breath to the people on it,
and life to those who live on it: 406
42:6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; 407
I take hold of your hand.
I protect you 408 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 409
and a light 410 to the nations, 411
to release prisoners 413 from dungeons,
those who live in darkness from prisons.
42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name!
I will not share my glory with anyone else,
or the praise due me with idols.
42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; 414
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.” 415
42:10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song!
Praise him 416 from the horizon of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it, 417
you coastlands 418 and those who live there!
42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out,
the towns where the nomads of Kedar live!
Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully;
let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; 419
let them praise his deeds in the coastlands. 420
42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; 421
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power. 422
42:14 “I have been inactive 423 for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp. 424
42:15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up; 425
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands, 426
and dry up pools of water. 427
42:16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; 428
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. 429
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground. 430
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
42:17 Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated, 431
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’”
42:18 “Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice, 432 you blind ones!
42:19 My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner, 433 the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. 434
42:20 You see 435 many things, but don’t comprehend; 436
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
42:21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it. 437
42:22 But these people are looted and plundered;
all of them are trapped in pits 438
and held captive 439 in prisons.
They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them;
they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!” 440
42:23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Who will listen attentively in the future? 441
42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber?
Who handed Israel over to the looters? 442
Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned?
They refused to follow his commands;
they disobeyed his law. 443
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them,
along with the devastation 444 of war.
Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; 445
it burned against them, but they did notice. 446
43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect 447 you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
43:2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass 448 through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm 449 you.
43:3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, 450 your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba 451 in place of you.
43:4 Since you are precious and special in my sight, 452
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
43:5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
43:6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
43:7 everyone who belongs to me, 453
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed – yes, whom I made!
43:8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
43:9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us? 454
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’
43:10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider 455 and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me. 456
43:11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
43:12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
43:13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power; 457
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
43:14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector, 458 the Holy One of Israel: 459
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives, 460
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs. 461
43:15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, 462
the one who created Israel, your king.”
43:16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
43:17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, 463
together with a mighty army.
They fell down, 464 never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
43:18 “Don’t remember these earlier events; 465
don’t recall these former events.
43:19 “Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen! 466 Do you not recognize 467 it?
Yes, I will make a road in the desert
and paths 468 in the wilderness.
43:20 The wild animals of the desert honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.” 469
43:22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long 470 for me, O Israel.
43:23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding 471 incense.
43:24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds; 472
you did not present to me 473 the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds. 474
43:25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
43:26 Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right! 475
43:27 The father of your nation 476 sinned;
your spokesmen 477 rebelled against me.
43:28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected 478 Israel to humiliating abuse.”
44:1 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!”
44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –
the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:
“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,
Jeshurun, 479 whom I have chosen!
44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground 480
and cause streams to flow 481 on the dry land.
I will pour my spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your children.
44:4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, 482
like poplars beside channels of water.
44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will use 483 the name ‘Jacob.’
One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and use the name ‘Israel.’” 484
44:6 This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says,
their protector, 485 the Lord who commands armies:
“I am the first and I am the last,
there is no God but me.
44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! 486
Let him announce it and explain it to me –
since I established an ancient people – 487
let them announce future events! 488
44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! 489
Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?
You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?
There is no other sheltering rock; 490 I know of none.
44:9 All who form idols are nothing;
the things in which they delight are worthless.
Their witnesses cannot see;
they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.
44:10 Who forms a god and casts an idol
that will prove worthless? 491
44:11 Look, all his associates 492 will be put to shame;
the craftsmen are mere humans. 493
Let them all assemble and take their stand!
They will panic and be put to shame.
44:12 A blacksmith works with his tool 494
and forges metal over the coals.
He forms it 495 with hammers;
he makes it with his strong arm.
He gets hungry and loses his energy; 496
he drinks no water and gets tired.
44:13 A carpenter takes measurements; 497
he marks out an outline of its form; 498
he scrapes 499 it with chisels,
and marks it with a compass.
He patterns it after the human form, 500
like a well-built human being,
and puts it in a shrine. 501
44:14 He cuts down cedars
and acquires a cypress 502 or an oak.
He gets 503 trees from the forest;
he plants a cedar 504 and the rain makes it grow.
44:15 A man uses it to make a fire; 505
he takes some of it and warms himself.
Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
Then he makes a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it. 506
44:16 Half of it he burns in the fire –
over that half he cooks 507 meat;
he roasts a meal and fills himself.
Yes, he warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’
44:17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it, saying,
‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’
44:18 They do not comprehend or understand,
for their eyes are blind and cannot see;
their minds do not discern. 508
44:19 No one thinks to himself,
nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:
‘I burned half of it in the fire –
yes, I baked bread over the coals;
I roasted meat and ate it.
With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?
Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 509
his deceived mind misleads him.
He cannot rescue himself,
nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ 511
44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
O Israel, for you are my servant.
I formed you to be my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you! 512
44:22 I remove the guilt of your rebellious deeds as if they were a cloud,
the guilt of your sins as if they were a cloud. 513
Come back to me, for I protect 514 you.”
44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; 515
shout out, you subterranean regions 516 of the earth.
O mountains, give a joyful shout;
you too, O forest and all your trees! 517
For the Lord protects 518 Jacob;
he reveals his splendor through Israel. 519
44:24 This is what the Lord, your protector, 520 says,
the one who formed you in the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made everything,
who alone stretched out the sky,
who fashioned the earth all by myself, 521
44:25 who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers 522
and humiliates 523 the omen readers,
who overturns the counsel of the wise men 524
and makes their advice 525 seem foolish,
44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants 526
and brings to pass the announcements 527 of his messengers,
who says about Jerusalem, 528 ‘She will be inhabited,’
and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
her ruins I will raise up,’
44:27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!
I will dry up your sea currents,’
44:28 who commissions 529 Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd 530
to carry out all my wishes 531
and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’
and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’” 532
45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen 533 one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold 534
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings, 535
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
45:2 “I will go before you
and level mountains. 536
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars 537 I will hack through.
45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, 538
riches stashed away in secret places,
so you may recognize that I am the Lord,
the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.
45:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
Israel, my chosen one,
I call you by name
and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize 539 me.
45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer, 540
there is no God but me.
I arm you for battle, 541 even though you do not recognize 542 me.
45:6 I do this 543 so people 544 will recognize from east to west
that there is no God but me;
I am the Lord, I have no peer.
45:7 I am 545 the one who forms light
and creates darkness; 546
the one who brings about peace
and creates calamity. 547
I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.
45:8 O sky, rain down from above!
Let the clouds send down showers 548 of deliverance!
Let the earth absorb it 549 so salvation may grow, 550
and deliverance may sprout up 551 along with it.
I, the Lord, create it. 552
45:9 One who argues with his creator is in grave danger, 553
one who is like a mere 554 shard among the other shards on the ground!
The clay should not say to the potter, 555
“What in the world 556 are you doing?
Your work lacks skill!” 557
45:10 Danger awaits one who says 558 to his father,
“What in the world 559 are you fathering?”
and to his mother,
“What in the world are you bringing forth?” 560
45:11 This is what the Lord says,
the Holy One of Israel, 561 the one who formed him,
concerning things to come: 562
“How dare you question me 563 about my children!
How dare you tell me what to do with 564 the work of my own hands!
45:12 I made the earth,
I created the people who live 565 on it.
It was me – my hands 566 stretched out the sky, 567
I give orders to all the heavenly lights. 568
45:13 It is me – I stir him up and commission him; 569
I will make all his ways level.
He will rebuild my city;
he will send my exiled people home,
but not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
45:14 This is what the Lord says:
“The profit 570 of Egypt and the revenue 571 of Ethiopia,
along with the Sabeans, those tall men,
will be brought to you 572 and become yours.
They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. 573
They will bow down to you
and pray to you: 574
‘Truly God is with 575 you; he has no peer; 576
there is no other God!’”
45:15 Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,
O God of Israel, deliverer!
45:16 They will all be ashamed and embarrassed;
those who fashion idols will all be humiliated. 577
45:17 Israel will be delivered once and for all by the Lord; 578
you will never again be ashamed or humiliated. 579
45:18 For this is what the Lord says,
the one who created the sky –
he is the true God, 580
the one who formed the earth and made it;
he established it,
he did not create it without order, 581
he formed it to be inhabited –
“I am the Lord, I have no peer.
45:19 I have not spoken in secret,
in some hidden place. 582
I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain!’ 583
I am the Lord,
the one who speaks honestly,
who makes reliable announcements. 584
45:20 Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations!
Those who carry wooden idols know nothing,
those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.
45:21 Tell me! Present the evidence! 585
Let them consult with one another!
Who predicted this in the past?
Who announced it beforehand?
Was it not I, the Lord?
I have no peer, there is no God but me,
a God who vindicates and delivers; 586
there is none but me.
45:22 Turn to me so you can be delivered, 587
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!
For I am God, and I have no peer.
45:23 I solemnly make this oath 588 –
what I say is true and reliable: 589
‘Surely every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will solemnly affirm; 590
45:24 they will say about me,
“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’” 591
All who are angry at him will cower before him. 592
45:25 All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the Lord
and will boast in him. 593
Nebo 595 bends low.
Their images weigh down animals and beasts. 596
Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals. 597
46:2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images; 598
they themselves 599 head off into captivity. 600
46:3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, 601
all you who are left from the family of Israel, 602
you who have been carried from birth, 603
you who have been supported from the time you left the womb. 604
46:4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you, 605
even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
I made you and I will support you;
I will carry you and rescue you. 606
46:5 To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
46:6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale 607
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
46:7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not 608 move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
46:8 Remember this, so you can be brave! 609
Think about it, you rebels! 610
46:9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! 611
Truly I am God, I have no peer; 612
I am God, and there is none like me,
46:10 who announces the end from the beginning
and reveals beforehand 613 what has not yet occurred,
who says, ‘My plan will be realized,
I will accomplish what I desire,’
46:11 who summons an eagle 614 from the east,
from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.
Yes, I have decreed, 615
yes, I will bring it to pass;
I have formulated a plan,
yes, I will carry it out.
46:12 Listen to me, you stubborn people, 616
you who distance yourself from doing what is right. 617
46:13 I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;
I am bringing my salvation near, 618 it does not wait.
I will save Zion; 619
I will adorn Israel with my splendor.” 620
Yehezkiel 34:11-31
Konteks34:11 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. 34:12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day. 621 34:13 I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. 34:14 In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush 622 pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. 34:15 I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the sovereign Lord. 34:16 I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured and strengthen the sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them – with judgment!
34:17 “‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. 34:18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? When you drink clean water, must you muddy the rest of the water by trampling it with your feet? 34:19 As for my sheep, they must eat what you trampled with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet!
34:20 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 34:21 Because you push with your side and your shoulder, and thrust your horns at all the weak sheep until you scatter them abroad, 623 34:22 I will save my sheep; they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.
34:23 I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them – namely, my servant David. 624 He will feed them and will be their shepherd. 34:24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince 625 among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!
34:25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and will rid the land of wild beasts, so that they can live securely 626 in the wilderness and even sleep in the woods. 627 34:26 I will turn them and the regions around my hill into a blessing. I will make showers come down in their season; they will be showers that bring blessing. 628 34:27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 34:28 They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid. 34:29 I will prepare for them a healthy 629 planting. They will no longer be victims 630 of famine in the land and will no longer bear the insults of the nations. 34:30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, 631 and that they are my people, the house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord. 632 34:31 And you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are my people, 633 and I am your God, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
Yehezkiel 36:1--37:28
Konteks36:1 “As for you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! 36:2 This is what the sovereign Lord says: The enemy has spoken against you, saying “Aha!” and, “The ancient heights 634 have become our property!”’ 36:3 So prophesy and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Surely because they have made you desolate and crushed you from all directions, so that you have become the property of the rest of the nations, and have become the subject of gossip 635 and slander among the people, 36:4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the sovereign Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, and to the desolate ruins and the abandoned cities that have become prey and an object of derision to the rest of the nations round about – 36:5 therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Surely I have spoken in the fire of my zeal against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who with great joy and utter contempt have made my land their property and prey, because of its pasture.’
36:6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I have spoken in my zeal and in my anger, because you have endured the insults of the nations. 36:7 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I vow 636 that the nations around you will endure insults as well.
36:8 “‘But you, mountains of Israel, will grow your branches, and bear your fruit for my people Israel; for they will arrive soon. 637 36:9 For indeed, I am on your side; 638 I will turn to you, and you will be plowed and planted. 36:10 I will multiply your people 639 – the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities will be populated and the ruins rebuilt. 36:11 I will increase the number of people and animals on you; they will increase and be fruitful. 640 I will cause you to be inhabited as in ancient times, and will do more good for you than at the beginning of your history. 641 Then you will know that I am the Lord. 36:12 I will lead people, my people Israel, across you; they will possess you and you will become their inheritance. No longer will you bereave them of their children.
36:13 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Because they are saying to you, “You are a devourer of men, and bereave your nation of children,” 36:14 therefore you will no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the sovereign Lord. 36:15 I will no longer subject you to 642 the nations’ insults; no longer will you bear the shame of the peoples, and no longer will you bereave 643 your nation, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
36:16 The word of the Lord came to me: 36:17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it by their behavior 644 and their deeds. In my sight their behavior was like the uncleanness of a woman having her monthly period. 36:18 So I poured my anger on them 645 because of the blood they shed on the land and because of the idols with which they defiled it. 646 36:19 I scattered them among the nations; they were dispersed throughout foreign countries. In accordance with their behavior and their deeds I judged them. 36:20 But when they arrived in the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name. It was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, yet they have departed from his land.’ 36:21 I was concerned for my holy reputation 647 which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.
36:22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake that I am about to act, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation 648 which you profaned among the nations where you went. 36:23 I will magnify 649 my great name that has been profaned among the nations, that you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the sovereign Lord, when I magnify myself among you in their sight.
36:24 “‘I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries; then I will bring you to your land. 36:25 I will sprinkle you with pure water 650 and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all your idols. 36:26 I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone 651 from your body and give you a heart of flesh. 652 36:27 I will put my Spirit within you; 653 I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes 654 and carefully observe my regulations. 655 36:28 Then you will live in the land I gave to your fathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 656 36:29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and multiply it; I will not bring a famine on you. 36:30 I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the produce of the fields, so that you will never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 36:31 Then you will remember your evil behavior 657 and your deeds which were not good; you will loathe yourselves on account of your sins and your abominable deeds. 36:32 Understand that 658 it is not for your sake I am about to act, declares the sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and embarrassed by your behavior, O house of Israel.
36:33 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will populate the cities and the ruins will be rebuilt. 36:34 The desolate land will be plowed, instead of being desolate in the sight of everyone who passes by. 36:35 They will say, “This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; the ruined, desolate, and destroyed cities are now fortified and inhabited.” 36:36 Then the nations which remain around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken – and I will do it!’
36:37 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: I will allow the house of Israel to ask me to do this for them: 659 I will multiply their people like sheep. 660 36:38 Like the sheep for offerings, like the sheep of Jerusalem 661 during her appointed feasts, so will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
37:1 The hand 662 of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and placed 663 me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. 37:2 He made me walk all around among them. 664 I realized 665 there were a great many bones in the valley and they were very dry. 37:3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.” 37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 37:5 This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath 666 into you and you will live. 37:6 I will put tendons 667 on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath 668 in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard 669 a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 37:8 As I watched, I saw 670 tendons on them, then muscles appeared, 671 and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath 672 in them.
37:9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, 673 – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” 37:10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.
37:11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope has perished; we are cut off.’ 37:12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel. 37:13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. 37:14 I will place my breath 674 in you and you will live; I will give you rest in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord – I have spoken and I will act, declares the Lord.’”
37:15 The word of the Lord came to me: 37:16 “As for you, son of man, take one branch, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another branch and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the branch of Ephraim and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 37:17 Join 675 them as one stick; 676 they will be as one in your hand. 37:18 When your people 677 say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean?’ 37:19 tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place them on the stick of Judah, 678 and make them into one stick – they will be one in my hand.’ 679 37:20 The sticks you write on will be in your hand in front of them. 37:21 Then tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from round about and bring them to their land. 37:22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over them all. They will never again be two nations and never again be divided into two kingdoms. 680 37:23 They will not defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, and all their rebellious deeds. I will save them from all their unfaithfulness 681 by which they sinned. I will purify them; they will become my people and I will become their God.
37:24 “‘My servant David will be king over them; there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow 682 my regulations and carefully observe my statutes. 683 37:25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; they will live in it – they and their children and their grandchildren forever. David my servant will be prince over them forever. 37:26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a perpetual covenant with them. 684 I will establish them, 685 increase their numbers, and place my sanctuary among them forever. 37:27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 37:28 Then, when my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel.’” 686
Yehezkiel 39:1-29
Konteks39:1 “As for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal! 39:2 I will turn you around and drag you along; 687 I will lead you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 39:3 I will knock your bow out of your left hand and make your arrows fall from your right hand. 39:4 You will fall dead on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the people who are with you. I give you as food to every kind of bird and every wild beast. 39:5 You will fall dead in the open field; for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord. 39:6 I will send fire on Magog and those who live securely in the coastlands; then they will know that I am the Lord.
39:7 “‘I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 688 39:8 Realize that it is coming and it will be done, declares the sovereign Lord. It is the day I have spoken about.
39:9 “‘Then those who live in the cities of Israel will go out and use the weapons for kindling 689 – the shields, 690 bows and arrows, war clubs and spears – they will burn them for seven years. 39:10 They will not need to take 691 wood from the field or cut down trees from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons. They will take the loot from those who looted them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them, 692 declares the sovereign Lord.
39:11 “‘On that day I will assign Gog a grave in Israel. It will be the valley of those who travel east of the sea; it will block the way of the travelers. There they will bury Gog and all his horde; they will call it the valley of Hamon-Gog. 693 39:12 For seven months Israel 694 will bury them, in order to cleanse the land. 39:13 All the people of the land will bury them, and it will be a memorial 695 for them on the day I magnify myself, declares the sovereign Lord. 39:14 They will designate men to scout continually 696 through the land, burying those who remain on the surface of the ground, 697 in order to cleanse it. They will search for seven full months. 39:15 When the scouts survey 698 the land and see a human bone, they will place a sign by it, until those assigned to burial duty have buried it 699 in the valley of Hamon-Gog. 39:16 (A city by the name of Hamonah 700 will also be there.) They will cleanse the land.’
39:17 “As for you, son of man, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Tell every kind of bird and every wild beast: ‘Assemble and come! Gather from all around to my slaughter 701 which I am going to make for you, a great slaughter on the mountains of Israel! You will eat flesh and drink blood. 39:18 You will eat the flesh of warriors 702 and drink the blood of the princes of the earth – the rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fattened animals of Bashan. 39:19 You will eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, 703 at my slaughter 704 which I have made for you. 39:20 You will fill up at my table with horses and charioteers, 705 with warriors and all the soldiers,’ declares the sovereign Lord.
39:21 “I will display my majesty 706 among the nations. All the nations will witness the judgment I have executed, and the power I have exhibited 707 among them. 39:22 Then the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 39:23 The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile due to their iniquity, 708 for they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies; all of them died by the sword. 39:24 According to their uncleanness and rebellion I have dealt with them, and I hid my face from them.
39:25 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Now I will restore 709 the fortunes of Jacob, and I will have mercy on the entire house of Israel. I will be zealous for my holy name. 39:26 They will bear their shame for all their unfaithful acts against me, when they live securely on their land with no one to make them afraid. 39:27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will magnify myself among them in the sight of many nations. 39:28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will not leave any of them in exile 710 any longer. 39:29 I will no longer hide my face from them, when I pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, 711 declares the sovereign Lord.”
Hosea 2:14-23
Konteks2:14 However, in the future I will allure her; 712
I will lead 713 her back into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
2:15 From there I will give back her vineyards to her,
and turn the “Valley of Trouble” 714 into an “Opportunity 715 for Hope.”
There she will sing as she did when she was young, 716
when 717 she came up from the land of Egypt.
2:16 “At that time,” 718 declares the Lord,
“you will call, 719 ‘My husband’; 720
you will never again call me, 721 ‘My master.’ 722
2:17 For 723 I will remove the names of the Baal idols 724 from your lips, 725
so that you will never again utter their names!” 726
2:18 “At that time 727 I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals,
the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground.
I will abolish 728 the warrior’s bow and sword
– that is, every weapon of warfare 729 – from the land,
and I will allow them to live securely.” 730
2:19 I will commit myself to you 731 forever;
I will commit myself to you in 732 righteousness and justice,
in steadfast love and tender compassion.
2:20 I will commit myself to you in faithfulness;
then 733 you will acknowledge 734 the Lord.” 735
2:21 “At that time, 736 I will willingly respond,” 737 declares the Lord.
“I will respond to the sky,
and the sky 738 will respond to the ground;
2:22 then the ground will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil;
and they will respond to ‘God Plants’ (Jezreel)! 739
2:23 Then I will plant her as my own 740 in the land.
I will have pity on ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah).
I will say to ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people!’
And he 741 will say, ‘You are 742 my God!’”
Hosea 3:5
Konteks3:5 Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king. 743 Then they will submit to the Lord in fear and receive his blessings 744 in the future. 745
Hosea 14:2-9
Konteks14:2 Return to the Lord and repent! 746
Say to him: “Completely 747 forgive our iniquity;
accept 748 our penitential prayer, 749
that we may offer the praise of our lips as sacrificial bulls. 750
14:3 Assyria cannot save us;
we will not ride warhorses.
We will never again say, ‘Our gods’
to what our own hands have made.
For only you will show compassion to Orphan Israel!” 751
14:4 “I will heal their waywardness 752
and love them freely, 753
for my anger will turn 754 away from them.
14:5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily,
he will send down his roots like a cedar of 755 Lebanon.
14:6 His young shoots will grow;
his splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
14:7 People will reside again 756 in his shade;
they will plant and harvest grain in abundance. 757
They will blossom like a vine,
and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon.
14:8 O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do 758 with idols anymore!
I will answer him and care for him.
I am like 759 a luxuriant cypress tree; 760
your fruitfulness comes from me! 761
14:9 Who is wise?
Let him discern 762 these things!
Who is discerning?
Let him understand them!
For the ways of the Lord are right;
the godly walk in them,
but in them the rebellious stumble.
Yoel 2:28-32
Konteks2:28 (3:1) 763 After all of this 764
I will pour out my Spirit 765 on all kinds of people. 766
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; 767
your young men will see prophetic visions.
2:29 Even on male and female servants
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
2:30 I will produce portents both in the sky 768 and on the earth –
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
2:31 The sunlight will be turned to darkness
and the moon to the color of blood, 769
before the day of the Lord comes –
that great and terrible day!
2:32 It will so happen that
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. 770
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem 771 there will be those who survive, 772
just as the Lord has promised;
the remnant 773 will be those whom the Lord will call. 774
Amos 9:8-15
Konteks9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching 775 the sinful nation, 776
and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.
But I will not completely destroy the family 777 of Jacob,” says the Lord.
9:9 “For look, I am giving a command
and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations.
It will resemble a sieve being shaken,
when not even a pebble falls to the ground. 778
9:10 All the sinners among my people will die by the sword –
the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’
9:11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut 779 of David.
I will seal its 780 gaps,
repair its 781 ruins,
and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. 782
9:12 As a result they 783 will conquer those left in Edom 784
and all the nations subject to my rule.” 785
The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!
9:13 “Be sure of this, 786 the time is 787 coming,” says the Lord,
“when the plowman will catch up to the reaper 788
and the one who stomps the grapes 789 will overtake 790 the planter. 791
Juice will run down the slopes, 792
it will flow down all the hillsides. 793
9:14 I will bring back my people, Israel; 794
they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble 795 and settle down. 796
They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; 797
they will grow orchards 798 and eat the fruit they produce. 799
9:15 I will plant them on their land
and they will never again be uprooted from the 800 land I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.
Mikha 5:4-7
Konteks5:4 He will assume his post 801 and shepherd the people 802 by the Lord’s strength,
by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. 803
They will live securely, 804 for at that time he will be honored 805
even in the distant regions of 806 the earth.
5:5 He will give us peace. 807
Should the Assyrians try to invade our land
and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, 808
we will send 809 against them seven 810 shepherd-rulers, 811
make that eight commanders. 812
5:6 They will rule 813 the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod 814 with a drawn sword. 815
Our king 816 will rescue us from the Assyrians
should they attempt to invade our land
and try to set foot in our territory.
5:7 Those survivors from 817 Jacob will live 818
in the midst of many nations. 819
They will be like the dew the Lord sends,
like the rain on the grass,
that does not hope for men to come
or wait around for humans to arrive. 820
Mikha 7:14-20
Konteks7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, 821
the flock that belongs to you, 822
the one that lives alone in a thicket,
in the midst of a pastureland. 823
Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, 824
as they did in the old days. 825
7:15 “As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt,
I will show you 826 miraculous deeds.” 827
7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by 828 all their strength,
they will put their hands over their mouths,
and act as if they were deaf. 829
7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake,
like serpents crawling on the ground. 830
They will come trembling from their strongholds
to the Lord our God; 831
they will be terrified 832 of you. 833
7:18 There is no other God like you! 834
You 835 forgive sin
and pardon 836 the rebellion
of those who remain among your people. 837
You do not remain angry forever, 838
but delight in showing loyal love.
7:19 You will once again 839 have mercy on us;
you will conquer 840 our evil deeds;
you will hurl our 841 sins into the depths of the sea. 842
7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob
and extend your loyal love to Abraham, 843
which you promised on oath to our ancestors 844
in ancient times. 845
Zefanya 3:14-20
Konteks3:14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion! 846
Shout out, Israel!
Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
3:15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; 847
he has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!
You no longer need to fear disaster.
3:16 On that day they will say 848 to Jerusalem,
“Don’t be afraid, Zion!
Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! 849
3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you; 850
he renews you by his love; 851
he shouts for joy over you.” 852
3:18 “As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals –
I took them away from you;
they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. 853
3:19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.
I will rescue the lame sheep 854
and gather together the scattered sheep.
I will take away their humiliation
and make the whole earth admire and respect them. 855
3:20 At that time I will lead you –
at the time I gather you together. 856
Be sure of this! 857 I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you 858
when you see me restore you,” 859 says the Lord.
Zakharia 9:9-17
Konteks9:9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you:
he is legitimate 860 and victorious, 861
humble and riding on a donkey 862 –
on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
9:10 I will remove 863 the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be removed.
Then he will announce peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River 864 to the ends of the earth.
9:11 Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. 9:12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you. 9:13 I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow! 865 I will stir up your sons, Zion, against yours, Greece, and I will make you, Zion, 866 like a warrior’s sword.
9:14 Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Lord God will blow the trumpet and will sally forth on the southern storm winds. 9:15 The Lord who rules over all will guard them, and they will prevail and overcome with sling stones. Then they will drink, and will become noisy like drunkards, 867 full like the sacrificial basin or like the corners of the altar. 868 9:16 On that day the Lord their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land. 9:17 How precious and fair! 869 Grain will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women.
Zakharia 12:5-10
Konteks12:5 Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a means of strength to us through their God, the Lord who rules over all.’ 12:6 On that day 870 I will make the leaders of Judah like an igniter 871 among sticks and a burning torch among sheaves, and they will burn up all the surrounding nations right and left. Then the people of Jerusalem will settle once more in their place, the city of Jerusalem. 12:7 The Lord also will deliver the homes 872 of Judah first, so that the splendor of the kingship 873 of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not exceed that of Judah. 12:8 On that day the Lord himself will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like mighty David, and the dynasty of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. 874 12:9 So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations 875 that come against Jerusalem.”
12:10 “I will pour out on the kingship 876 of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, 877 the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn. 878
Zakharia 14:20-21
Konteks14:20 On that day the bells of the horses will bear the inscription “Holy to the Lord.” The cooking pots in the Lord’s temple 879 will be as holy as the bowls in front of the altar. 880 14:21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will become holy in the sight of the Lord who rules over all, so that all who offer sacrifices may come and use some of them to boil their sacrifices in them. On that day there will no longer be a Canaanite 881 in the house of the Lord who rules over all.
Wahyu 14:8-14
Konteks14:8 A 882 second 883 angel 884 followed the first, 885 declaring: 886 “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great city! 887 She made all the nations 888 drink of the wine of her immoral passion.” 889
14:9 A 890 third angel 891 followed the first two, 892 declaring 893 in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, 14:10 that person 894 will also drink of the wine of God’s anger 895 that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur 896 in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. 14:11 And the smoke from their 897 torture will go up 898 forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have 899 no rest day or night, along with 900 anyone who receives the mark of his name.” 14:12 This requires 901 the steadfast endurance 902 of the saints – those who obey 903 God’s commandments and hold to 904 their faith in Jesus. 905
14:13 Then 906 I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this:
‘Blessed are the dead,
those who die in the Lord from this moment on!’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they can rest from their hard work, 907 because their deeds will follow them.” 908
14:14 Then 909 I looked, and a white cloud appeared, 910 and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man! 911 He had 912 a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
[3:12] 1 tn Heb “Go and proclaim these words to the north.” The translation assumes that the message is directed toward the exiles of northern Israel who have been scattered in the provinces of Assyria to the north.
[3:12] 2 tn Heb “I will not cause my face to fall on you.”
[3:13] 3 tn Heb “Only acknowledge your iniquity.”
[3:13] 4 tn The words “You must confess” are repeated to convey the connection. The Hebrew text has an introductory “that” in front of the second line and a coordinative “and” in front of the next two lines.
[3:13] 5 tc MT reads דְּרָכַיִךְ (dÿrakhayikh, “your ways”), but the BHS editors suggest דּוֹדַיִךְ (dodayikh, “your breasts”) as an example of orthographic confusion. While the proposal makes sense, it remains a conjectural emendation since it is not supported by any actual manuscripts or ancient versions.
[3:13] tn Heb “scattered your ways with foreign [gods]” or “spread out your breasts to strangers.”
[3:14] 6 tn Or “I am your true husband.”
[3:14] sn There is a wordplay between the term “true master” and the name of the pagan god Baal. The pronoun “I” is emphatic, creating a contrast between the
[3:14] 7 tn The words, “If you do” are not in the text but are implicit in the connection of the Hebrew verb with the preceding.
[3:15] 9 tn Heb “after/according to my [own] heart.”
[3:16] 10 tn Heb “you will become numerous and fruitful.”
[3:16] 12 tn Heb “the ark of the covenant.” It is called this because it contained the tables of the law which in abbreviated form constituted their covenant obligations to the
[3:16] 13 tn Or “Nor will another one be made”; Heb “one will not do/make [it?] again.”
[3:17] 14 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:17] 15 tn Heb “will gather to the name of the
[3:17] 16 tn Heb “the stubbornness of their evil hearts.”
[3:18] 17 tn Heb “In those days.”
[3:18] 18 tn Heb “the house of Judah will walk together with the house of Israel.”
[3:18] 19 tn Heb “the land that I gave your [fore]fathers as an inheritance.”
[3:19] 20 tn Heb “I, myself, said.” See note on “I thought that she might come back to me” in 3:7.
[3:19] 21 tn Heb “How I would place you among the sons.” Israel appears to be addressed here contextually as the
[3:19] sn The imagery here appears to be that of treating the wife as an equal heir with the sons and of giving her the best piece of property.
[3:19] 22 tn The words “What a joy it would be for me to” are not in the Hebrew text but are implied in the parallel structure.
[3:19] 23 tn Heb “the most beautiful heritage among the nations.”
[3:19] 25 tn Heb “turn back from [following] after me.”
[30:18] 26 tn Heb “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and will have compassion on his habitations.” For the meaning of the idiom “restore the fortunes of” see the translator’s note on 29:14. The “tents of Jacob” refers to their homes or houses (see BDB 14 s.v. אֹהֶל 2 and compare usage in Judg 19:9; Mal 2:12). The word “ruined” has been supplied in the translation to show more clearly the idea of restoration of their houses on their former sites in conformity to the concepts in the latter half of the verse.
[30:18] 27 sn Heb “on its tel.” A tel is a site where successive layers of occupation are built upon one another after the destruction or decay of the former city. The original site was not abandoned because it had been chosen for strategic purposes, such as proximity to water or ease of defense. Many modern archaeological sites have the designation “Tel” as a component of their name because of this practice.
[30:18] 28 tn Heb “according to its custom [or plan].” Cf. BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6.d and compare usage in 1 Sam 27:11.
[30:19] 29 tn Heb “Out of them will come thanksgiving and a sound of those who are playful.”
[30:19] 30 sn Compare Jer 29:6.
[30:20] 31 tn Heb “his children will be as in former times and his congregation/community will be established before me.” “His children” refers to “Jacob” who has been referred to in v. 18 in the phrase “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob.” “His children” are thus the restored exiles. Some commentaries see the reference here to the restoration of numbers in accordance with the previous verse. However, the last line of this verse and the reference to the ruler in the following verse suggests rather restoration of the religious and political institutions to their former state. For the use of the word translated “community” (עֵדָה, ’edah) to refer to a political congregation as well as its normal use to refer to a religious one see 1 Kgs 12:20. For the idea of “in my favor” (i.e., under the eye and regard of) for the Hebrew phrase used here (לְפָנַי, lÿfanay) see BDB 817 s.v. פָּנֶה II.4.a(b).
[30:21] 32 sn The statement their ruler will come from their own number accords with the regulation in Deut 17:15. They would not be ruled by a foreign leader but by one of their own people. In v. 9 he is specifically said to come from the Davidic line. See the study note there.
[30:21] 33 sn Ordinarily this prerogative was confined to the priests and the Levites and even then under strict regulations (cf., e.g., Num 8:19; 16:10; Lev 16:10; 21:17; 22:3). Uzziah king of Judah violated this and suffered leprosy for having done so (2 Chr 26:16-20). It is clear, however, that both David and Solomon on occasion exercised priestly functions in the presence of the ark or the altar which it was normally lawful for only the priests to approach (cf., e.g., 2 Sam 6:13-14; 1 Kgs 8:22, 54-55). Here reference is probably not to the normal prerogatives of offering sacrifice or burning incense but access to God’s special presence at special times for the purpose of consultation.
[30:21] 34 tn Heb “For who is he who would pledge his heart to draw near to me.” The question is a rhetorical one expecting the answer “no one” and is a way of expressing an emphatic negative (see BDB 566 s.v. מִי f[c]). The concept of “pledging” something refers to putting up security in guarantee of payment. Here the word is used figuratively of “putting up one’s heart [i.e., his very being (cf. BDB 524 s.v. לֵב 7 and Ps 22:26)]” for the privilege of access to God. The rhetorical question denies that any one would do that if he were not bidden by God to do so.
[30:21] 35 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[30:22] 36 sn This was their highest privilege (cf. Exod 6:7, Lev 26:12; Jer 24:7) but also their greatest responsibility (cf. Jer 7:3; 11:4). It is a formula referring to a covenant relationship in which God pledges to protect, provide, and be present with his people and they in turn promise to be loyal and obedient to him (see Deut 26:17-18; 29:10-13).
[31:1] 37 sn This verse repeats v. 22 but with specific reference to all the clans of Israel, i.e., to all Israel and Judah. It functions here as a transition to the next section which will deal with the restoration of Israel (31:3-20) and Judah (31:21-25) and their reunification in the land (31:27-29) under a new covenant relation with God (31:31-37). See also the study note on 30:3 for further reference to this reunification in Jeremiah and the other prophets.
[31:1] 38 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:2] 39 tn Heb “who survived the sword.”
[31:2] sn This refers to the remnant of northern Israel who had not been killed when Assyria conquered Israel in 722
[31:3] 40 tn Or “The people of Israel who survived the onslaughts of Egypt and Amalek found favor in the wilderness as they journeyed to find rest. At that time long ago the
[31:4] 41 tn Heb “Virgin Israel.”
[31:4] sn For the significance of this metaphor see the note on Jer 14:17. Here the emphasis appears on his special love and care for his people and the hint (further developed in vv. 21-22) that, though guilty of sin, he considers them like an innocent young virgin.
[31:4] 42 sn Contrast Jer 7:34 and 25:10.
[31:5] 43 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[31:5] 44 sn The terms used here refer to the enjoyment of a period of peace and stability and the reversal of the curse (contrast, e.g., Deut 28:30). The Hebrew word translated “enjoy its fruit” is a technical one that refers to the owner of a vineyard getting to enjoy its fruit in the fifth year after it was planted, the crops of the first three years lying fallow, and that of the fourth being given to the
[31:6] 45 sn Watchmen were stationed at vantage points to pass on warning of coming attack (Jer 6:17; Ezek 33:2, 6) or to spread the news of victory (Isa 52:8). Here reference is made to the watchmen who signaled the special times of the year such as the new moon and festival times when Israel was to go to Jerusalem to worship. Reference is not made to these in the Hebrew Bible but there is a good deal of instruction regarding them in the later Babylonian Talmud.
[31:6] 46 sn Not only will Israel and Judah be reunited under one ruler (cf. 23:5-6), but they will share a unified place and practice of worship once again in contrast to Israel using the illicit places of worship, illicit priesthood, and illicit feasts instituted by Jeroboam (1 Kgs 12:26-31) and continued until the downfall of Samaria in 722
[31:7] 47 tn See the translator’s notes on 30:5, 12.
[31:7] 48 tn Heb “for the head/chief of the nations.” See BDB 911 s.v. רֹאשׁ 3.c and compare usage in Ps 18:44 referring to David as the “chief” or “foremost ruler” of the nations.
[31:7] 49 tn It is unclear who the addressees of the masculine plural imperatives are in this verse. Possibly they are the implied exiles who are viewed as in the process of returning and praying for their fellow countrymen.
[31:7] 50 tc Or “The
[31:8] 51 tn The words “And I will reply” are not in the text but the words vv. 8-9 appear to be the answer to the petition at the end of v. 7. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[31:9] 52 tn Heb “They will come with weeping; I will bring them with supplication.” The ideas of contrition and repentance are implicit from the context (cf. vv. 18-19) and are supplied for clarity.
[31:9] 53 sn Jer 31:8-9 are reminiscent of the “New Exodus” motif of Isa 40-66 which has already been referred to in Jer 16:14-15; 23:7-8. See especially Isa 35:3-10; 40:3-5, 11; 41:17-20; 42:14-17; 43:16-21; 49:9-13. As there, the New Exodus will so outstrip the old that the old will pale in comparison and be almost forgotten (see Jer 23:7-8).
[31:9] 54 sn Ephraim was the second son of Joseph who was elevated to a place of prominence in the family of Jacob by the patriarch’s special blessing. It was the strongest tribe in northern Israel and Samaria lay in its territory. It is often used as a poetic parallel for Israel as here. The poetry is not speaking of two separate entities here; it is a way of repeating an idea for emphasis. Moreover, there is no intent to show special preference for northern Israel over Judah. All Israel is metaphorically God’s son and the object of his special care and concern (Exod 4:22; Deut 32:6).
[31:11] 55 sn Two rather theologically significant metaphors are used in this verse. The Hebrew word translated “will set…free” is a word used in the legal sphere for paying a redemption price to secure the freedom of a person or thing (see, e.g., Exod 13:13, 15). It is used metaphorically and theologically to refer to Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut 15:15; Mic 6:4) and its deliverance from Babylonian exile (Isa 35:10). The word translated “secure their release” is a word used in the sphere of family responsibility where a person paid the price to free an indentured relative (Lev 25:48, 49) or paid the price to restore a relative’s property seized to pay a debt (Lev 25:25, 33). This word, too, was used to refer metaphorically and theologically to Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Exod 6:6) or release from Babylonian exile (Isa 43:1-4; 44:22). These words are traditionally translated “ransom” and “redeem” and are a part of traditional Jewish and Christian vocabulary for physical and spiritual deliverance.
[31:11] 56 tn Heb “from the hand/power of the one too strong for him.”
[31:12] 57 tn Reading a Qal perfect from the root II נָהַר (nahar; so KBL 509 s.v. and HALOT 639 s.v.) rather than I נָהַר (so BDB 625 s.v.).
[31:13] 58 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:13] 59 tc The translation follows the reading of the LXX (Greek version). The Hebrew reads “will dance and be glad, young men and old men together.” The Greek version presupposes a Qal imperfect of a rare verb (יַחְדּוּ [yakhdu] from the verb חָדָה [khadah]; see BDB 292 s.v. II חָדָה Qal) as opposed to the Hebrew text which reads a common adverb יַחְדָּו (yakhdav). The consonantal text is the same but the vocalization is different. There are no other examples of the syntax of the adverb used this way (i.e., of a compound subject added to a third subject) and the vocalization of the Hebrew text can be explained on the basis of a scribe misvocalizing the text based on his greater familiarity with the adverb.
[31:14] 60 tn Heb “I will satiate the priests with fat.” However, the word translated “fat” refers literally to the fat ashes of the sacrifices (see Lev 1:16; 4:2 and cf. BDB 206 s.v. דֶּשֶׁן 2. The word is used more abstractly for “abundance” or “rich food” (see Job 36:16 and BDB 206 s.v. דֶּשֶׁן 1). The people and the priests were prohibited from eating the fat (Lev 7:23-24).
[31:15] 61 sn Ramah is a town in Benjamin approximately five miles (8 km) north of Jerusalem. It was on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem. Traditionally, Rachel’s tomb was located near there at a place called Zelzah (1 Sam 10:2). Rachel was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin and was very concerned about having children because she was barren (Gen 30:1-2) and went to great lengths to have them (Gen 30:3, 14-15, 22-24). She was the grandmother of Ephraim and Manasseh which were two of the major tribes in northern Israel. Here Rachel is viewed metaphorically as weeping for her “children,” the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, who had been carried away into captivity in 722
[31:15] 62 tn Or “gone into exile” (cf. v. 16), though some English versions take this as meaning “dead” (e.g., NCV, CEV, NLT), presumably in light of Matt 2:18.
[31:16] 63 tn The words “to her” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[31:16] 64 tn Heb “Refrain your voice from crying and your eyes from tears.”
[31:16] 65 tn Heb “your work.” Contextually her “work” refers to her weeping and refusing to be comforted, that is, signs of genuine repentance (v. 15).
[31:16] 66 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:17] 67 tn For this nuance for the Hebrew word אַחֲרִית (’akharit) see BDB 31 s.v. אַחֲרִית d and compare usage in Pss 37:38; 109:13. Others translate “your future” but the “future” lies with the return of her descendants, her posterity.
[31:17] 68 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:18] 69 tn The use of “indeed” is intended to reflect the infinitive absolute which precedes the verb for emphasis (see IBHS 585-86 §35.3.1f).
[31:18] 70 tn Heb “Ephraim.” See the study note on 31:9. The more familiar term is used, the term “people” added to it, and plural pronouns used throughout the verse to aid in understanding.
[31:18] 71 tn Heb “like an untrained calf.” The metaphor is that of a calf who has never been broken to bear the yoke (cf. Hos 4:16; 10:11).
[31:18] sn Jer 2:20; 5:5 already referred to Israel’s refusal to bear the yoke of loyalty and obedience to the
[31:18] 72 tn The verb here is from the same root as the preceding and is probably an example of the “tolerative Niphal,” i.e., “I let myself be disciplined/I responded to it.” See IBHS 389-90 §23.4g and note the translation of some of the examples there, especially Isa 19:22; 65:1.
[31:18] 73 tn Heb “Bring me back in order that I may come back.” For the use of the plural pronouns see the marginal note at the beginning of the verse. The verb “bring back” and “come back” are from the same root in two different verbal stems and in the context express the idea of spiritual repentance and restoration of relationship not physical return to the land. (See BDB 999 s.v. שׁוּב Hiph.2.a for the first verb and 997 s.v. Qal.6.c for the second.) For the use of the cohortative to express purpose after the imperative see GKC 320 §108.d or IBHS 575 §34.5.2b.
[31:18] sn There is a wordplay on several different nuances of the same Hebrew verb in vv. 16-19. The Hebrew verb shub refers both to their turning away from God (v. 19) and to their turning back to him (v. 18). It is also the word that is used for their return to their homeland (vv. 16-17).
[31:19] 74 tn For this meaning of the verb see HAL 374 s.v. יָדַע Nif 5 or W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 129. REB translates “Now that I am submissive” relating the verb to a second root meaning “be submissive.” (See HALOT 375 s.v. II יָדַע and J. Barr, Comparative Philology and the Text of the Old Testament, 19-21, for evidence for this verb. Other passages cited with this nuance are Judg 8:16; Prov 10:9; Job 20:20.)
[31:19] 75 tn Heb “I struck my thigh.” This was a gesture of grief and anguish (cf. Ezek 21:12 [21:17 HT]). The modern equivalent is “to beat the breast.”
[31:19] 76 tn Heb “because I bear the reproach of my youth.” For the plural referents see the note at the beginning of v. 18.
[31:19] sn The expression the disgraceful things we did in our earlier history refers to the disgrace that accompanied the sins that Israel did in her earlier years before she learned the painful lesson of submission to the
[31:20] 77 tn Heb “Is Ephraim a dear son to me or a child of delight?” For the substitution of Israel for Ephraim and the plural pronouns for the singular see the note on v. 18. According to BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.c the question is rhetorical having the force of an impassioned affirmation. See 1 Sam 2:27; Job 41:9 (41:1 HT) for parallel usage.
[31:20] 78 tn Heb “my stomach churns for him.” The parallelism shows that this refers to pity or compassion.
[31:20] 79 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:21] 80 tn The words “I will say” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation to mark the transition from the address about Israel in a response to Rachel’s weeping (vv. 15-20) to a direct address to Israel which is essentially the answer to Israel’s prayer of penitence (cf. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 121.)
[31:21] sn The
[31:21] 81 tn Heb “Virgin Israel.” For the significance see the study note on 31:3.
[31:21] 82 tn Heb “Set your mind to the highway, the way which you went.” The phrase “the way you went” has been translated “the road you took when you were carried off” to help the reader see the reference to the exile implicit in the context. The verb “which you went” is another example of the old second feminine singular which the Masoretes typically revocalize (Kethib הָלָכְתִּי [halakhti]; Qere הָלָכְתְּ [halakht]). The vocative has been supplied in the translation at the beginning to help make the transition from third person reference to Ephraim/Israel in the preceding to second person in the following and to identify the referent of the imperatives. Likewise, this line has been moved to the front to show that the reference to setting up sign posts and landmarks is not literal but figurative, referring to making a mental note of the way they took when carried off so that they can easily find their way back. Lines three and four in the Hebrew text read, “Set up sign posts for yourself; set up guideposts/landmarks for yourself.” The word translated “telltale signs marking the way” occurs only here. Though its etymology and precise meaning are unknown, all the lexicons agree in translating it as “sign post” or something similar based on the parallelism.
[31:22] 83 tn The translation “dilly-dally” is suggested by J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 276. The verb occurs only here in this stem (the Hitpael) and only one other time in any other stem (the Qal in Song 5:6). The dictionaries define it as “to turn this way and that” (cf., e.g., BDB 330 s.v. חָמַק Hithp.). In the context it refers to turning this way and that looking for the way back.
[31:22] 84 sn Israel’s backsliding is forgotten and forgiven. They had once been characterized as an apostate people (3:14, 22; the word “apostate” and “unfaithful” are the same in Hebrew) and figuratively depicted as an adulterous wife (3:20). Now they are viewed as having responded to his invitation (compare 31:18-19 with 3:22-25). Hence they are no longer depicted as an unfaithful daughter but as an unsullied virgin (see the literal translation of “my dear children” in vv. 4, 21 and the study note on v. 4.)
[31:22] 85 tn Heb “For the
[31:22] 86 sn Heb “create.” This word is always used with God as the subject and refers to the production of something new or unique, like the creation of the world and the first man and woman (Gen 1:1; 2:3; 1:27; 5:1) or the creation of a new heavens and a new earth in a new age (Isa 65:17), or the bringing about of new and unique circumstances (Num 16:30). Here reference is made contextually to the new exodus, that marvelous deliverance which will be so great that the old will pale in comparison (see the first note on v. 9).
[31:22] 87 tn The meaning of this last line is uncertain. The translation has taken it as proverbial for something new and unique. For a fairly complete discussion of most of the options see C. Feinberg, “Jeremiah,” EBC 6:571. For the nuance of “protecting” for the verb here see BDB 686 s.v. סָבַב Po‘ 1 and compare the usage in Deut 32:10.
[31:23] 88 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” See 7:3 and the study note of 2:19 for the rendering of this title and an explanation of its significance.
[31:23] 89 tn Heb “They [i.e., people (the indefinite plural, GKC 460 §144.g)] will again say in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes.” For the meaning of the idiom “to restore the fortunes” see the translator’s note on 29:14.
[31:23] 90 tn The words “of Jerusalem” are not in the text but it is implicit in the titles that follow. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity to aid in identifying the referent.
[31:23] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[31:23] 91 sn The blessing pronounced on the city of Zion/Jerusalem by the restored exiles looks at the restoration of its once exalted state as the city known for its sanctity and its just dealing (see Isa 1:21 and Ps 122). This was a reversal of the state of Jerusalem in the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah where wickedness not righteousness characterized the inhabitants of the city (cf. Isa 1:21; Jer 4:14; 5:1; 13:27). The blessing here presupposes the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and the temple which gave the city its sanctity.
[31:24] 92 tn The translation “those who move about with their flocks” is based on an emendation of the Hebrew text which reads a third plural Qal perfect (נָסְעוּ, nos’u) to a masculine plural Qal participle in the construct (נֹסְעֵי, nosÿ’e) as suggested in the BHS fn. For the use of the construct participle before a noun with a preposition see GKC 421 §130.a. It is generally agreed that three classes of people are referred to here, townspeople, farmers, and shepherds. But the syntax of the Hebrew sentence is a little awkward: “And they [i.e., “people” (the indefinite plural, GKC 460 §144.g)] will live in it, Judah and all its cities [an apposition of nearer definition (GKC 425-26 §131.n)], [along with] farmers and those who move about with their flocks.” The first line refers awkwardly to the townspeople and the other two classes are added asyndetically (i.e., without the conjunction “and”).
[31:25] 93 tn The verbs here again emphasize that the actions are as good as done (i.e., they are prophetic perfects; cf. GKC 312-13 §106.n).
[31:25] sn For the concept here compare Jer 31:12 where the promise was applied to northern Israel. This represents the reversal of the conditions that would characterize the exiles according to the covenant curse of Deut 28:65-67.
[31:26] 94 tn Or “When I, Jeremiah, heard this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very pleasant.” The text is somewhat enigmatic. It has often been explained as an indication that Jeremiah had received this communication (30:3–31:26) while in a prophetic trance (compare Dan 10:9). However, there is no other indication that this is a vision or a vision report. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 124, 128-29) suggest that this is a speech of the restored (and refreshed) exiles like that which is formally introduced in v. 23. This speech, however, is not formally introduced. This interpretation is also reflected in TEV, CEV and is accepted here as fitting the context better and demanding less presuppositions. The Hebrew text reads literally, “Upon this I awoke and looked and my sleep was sweet to me.” Keown, Scalise, and Smothers have the best discussion of these two options as well as several other options.
[31:27] 95 tn Heb “Behold days are coming!” The particle “Behold” is probably used here to emphasize the reality of a fact. See the translator’s note on 1:6.
[31:27] sn This same expression is found in the introduction to the Book of Consolation (Jer 30:1-3) and in the introduction to the promise of a new covenant (or covenant; 31:31). In all three passages it is emphasized that the conditions apply to both Israel and Judah. The
[31:27] 96 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:27] 97 tn Heb “Behold, the days are coming and [= when] I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of people and of animals.” For the significance of the metaphor see the study note.
[31:27] sn The metaphor used here presupposes that drawn in Hos 2:23 (2:25 HT) which is in turn based on the wordplay with Jezreel (meaning “God sows”) in Hos 2:22. The figure is that of plant seed in the ground which produces a crop; here what are sown are the “seeds of people and animals.” For a similar picture of the repopulating of Israel and Judah see Ezek 36:10-11. The promise here reverses the scene of devastation that Jeremiah had depicted apocalyptically and hyperbolically in Jer 4:23-29 as judgment for Judah’s sins.
[31:28] 98 tn Heb “Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and demolish, so I will watch over them to build and to plant.” The words here repeat those of 1:10 and 1:12.
[31:28] 99 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:29] 100 tn This word only occurs here and in the parallel passage in Ezek 18:2 in the Qal stem and in Eccl 10:10 in the Piel stem. In the latter passage it refers to the bluntness of an ax that has not been sharpened. Here the idea is of the “bluntness” of the teeth, not from having ground them down due to the bitter taste of sour grapes but to the fact that they have lost their “edge,” “bite,” or “sharpness” because they are numb from the sour taste. For this meaning for the word see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:197.
[31:29] sn This is a proverbial statement that is also found in Ezek 18:2. It served to articulate the complaint that the present generation was suffering for the accrued sins of their ancestors (cf. Lam 5:7) and that the
[31:30] 101 sn The
[31:31] 102 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:31] 103 tn Or “a renewed covenant” (also in vv. 22-23).
[31:31] 104 tn Heb “the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”
[31:32] 105 tn The word “old” is not in the text but is implicit in the use of the word “new.” It is supplied in the translation for greater clarity.
[31:32] sn This refers to the Mosaic covenant which the nation entered into with God at Sinai and renewed on the plains of Moab. The primary biblical passages explicating this covenant are Exod 19–24 and the book of Deuteronomy; see as well the study note on Jer 11:2 for the form this covenant took and its relation to the warnings of the prophets. The renewed document of Deuteronomy was written down and provisions made for periodic public reading and renewal of commitment to it (Deut 31:9-13). Josiah had done this after the discovery of the book of the law (which was either Deuteronomy or a synopsis of it) early in the ministry of Jeremiah (2 Kgs 23:1-4; the date would be near 622
[31:32] 107 tn Heb “when I took them by the hand and led them out.”
[31:32] 108 tn Or “I was their master.” See the study note on 3:14.
[31:32] sn The metaphor of Yahweh as husband and Israel as wife has been used already in Jer 3 and is implicit in the repeated allusions to idolatry as spiritual adultery or prostitution. The best commentary on the faithfulness of God to his “husband-like” relation is seen in the book of Hosea, especially in Hos 1-3.
[31:32] 109 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:33] 110 tn Heb “with the house of Israel.” All commentators agree that the term here refers to both the whole nation which was divided into the house of Israel and the house of Judah in v. 30.
[31:33] 111 tn Heb “after those days.” Commentators are generally agreed that this refers to the return from exile and the repopulation of the land referred to in vv. 27-28 and not to something subsequent to the time mentioned in v. 30. This is the sequencing that is also presupposed in other new covenant passages such as Deut 30:1-6; Ezek 11:17-20; 36:24-28.
[31:33] 112 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:33] 113 tn Heb “‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days:’ says the
[31:33] 114 tn Heb “in their inward parts.” The Hebrew word here refers to the seat of the thoughts, emotions, and decisions (Jer 9:8 [9:7 HT]). It is essentially synonymous with “heart” in Hebrew psychological terms.
[31:33] 115 tn The words “and minds” is not in the text but is supplied in the translation to bring the English psychology more into line with the Hebrew where the “heart” is the center both of knowing/thinking/reflecting and deciding/willing.
[31:33] sn Two contexts are relevant for understanding this statement. First is the context of the first or old covenant which was characterized by a law written on stone tablets (e.g., Exod 32:15-16; 34:1, 28; Deut 4:13; 5:22; 9:10) or in a “book” or “scroll” (Deut 31:9-13) which could be lost (cf. 2 Kgs 22:8), forgotten (Hos 4:6), ignored (Jer 6:19; Amos 4:2), or altered (Jer 8:8). Second is the context of the repeated fault that Jeremiah has found with their stubborn (3:17; 7:24; 9:14; 11:8; 13:10; 16:12; 18:12; 23:17), uncircumcised (4:4; 9:26), and desperately wicked hearts (4:4; 17:9). Radical changes were necessary to get the people to obey the law from the heart and not just pay superficial or lip service to it (3:10; 12:2). Deut 30:1-6; Ezek 11:17-20; 36:24-28 speak of these radical changes. The
[31:33] 116 sn Compare Jer 24:7; 30:22; 31:1 and see the study note on 30:2.
[31:34] 117 tn Heb “teach…, saying, ‘Know the
[31:34] sn As mentioned in the translator’s note on 9:3 (9:2 HT) “knowing” God in covenant contexts like this involves more than just an awareness of who he is (9:23 [9:22 HT]). It involves an acknowledgment of his sovereignty and whole hearted commitment to obedience to him. This is perhaps best seen in the parallelisms in Hos 4:1; 6:6 where “the knowledge of God” is parallel with faithfulness and steadfast love and in the context of Hos 4 refers to obedience to the
[31:34] 118 sn This statement should be understood against the background of Jer 8:8-9 where class distinctions were drawn and certain people were considered to have more awareness and responsibility for knowing the law and also Jer 5:1-5 and 9:3-9 where the sinfulness of Israel was seen to be universal across these class distinctions and no trust was to be placed in friends, neighbors, or relatives because all without distinction had cast off God’s yoke (i.e., refused to submit themselves to his authority).
[31:34] 119 tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) that introduces this clause refers to more than just the preceding clause (i.e., that all will know the
[31:35] 120 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for this title. In the Hebrew text the verse reads: “Thus says the
[31:36] 121 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:36] 122 tn Heb “‘If these fixed orderings were to fail to be present before me,’ oracle of the
[31:37] 123 sn This answers Jeremiah’s question in 14:19.
[31:37] 124 tn Heb “If the heavens above could be measured or the foundations of the earth below be explored, then also I could reject all the seed of Israel for all they have done.”
[31:37] 125 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:38] 126 tc The words “is coming” (בָּאִים, ba’im) are not in the written text (Kethib) but are supplied in the margin (Qere), in several Hebrew
[31:38] sn On this idiom compare vv. 27, 31.
[31:38] 127 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[31:38] 128 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[31:38] 129 tn Heb “the city will be built to [or for] the
[31:38] 130 tn The word “westward” is not in the text but is supplied in the translation to give some orientation.
[31:38] sn The Tower of Hananel is referred to in Neh 3:1; 12:39; Zech 14:10. According to the directions given in Neh 3 it was in the northern wall, perhaps in the northeast corner, north of the temple mount. The Corner Gate is mentioned again in 2 Kgs 14:13; 2 Chr 25:23; 26:9; Zech 14:10. It is generally agreed that it was located in the northwest corner of the city.
[31:39] 131 tn The words “west” and “southward” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to give some orientation.
[31:39] sn The location of the Hill of Gareb and the place called Goah are not precisely known. However, it has been plausibly suggested from the other localities mentioned that the reference is to the hill west of the Hinnom valley mentioned in Josh 15:8. The location of Goah is generally placed south of that near the southwest corner of the Hinnom Valley which is referred to in the next verse.
[31:40] 132 sn It is generally agreed that this refers to the Hinnom Valley which was on the southwestern and southern side of the city. It was here where the people of Jerusalem had burned their children as sacrifices and where the
[31:40] 133 tc The translation here follows the Qere and a number of Hebrew
[31:40] 134 sn The Kidron Valley is the valley that joins the Hinnom Valley in the southeastern corner of the city and runs northward on the east side of the city.
[31:40] 135 tn The words “on the east” and “north” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to give orientation.
[31:40] 136 sn The Horse Gate is mentioned in Neh 3:28 and is generally considered to have been located midway along the eastern wall just south of the temple area.
[31:40] 137 tn The words “will be included within this city that is” are not in the text. The text merely says that “The whole valley…will be sacred to the
[31:40] sn The area that is here delimited is larger than any of the known boundaries of Jerusalem during the OT period. Again, this refers to the increase in population of the restored community (cf. 31:27).
[32:1] 138 tn Heb “The word which came to Jeremiah from the
[32:1] sn The dating formulas indicate that the date was 588/87
[32:2] 139 sn Jer 32:2-5 are parenthetical, giving the background for the actual report of what the
[32:2] 140 sn According to Jer 39:1 the siege began in Zedekiah’s ninth year (i.e., in 589/88
[32:2] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[32:2] 141 tn Heb “the courtyard of the guarding” or “place of guarding.” This expression occurs only in the book of Jeremiah (32:2, 8, 12; 33:1; 37:21; 38:6, 12, 28; 39:14, 15) and in Neh 3:25. It is not the same as an enclosed prison which is where Jeremiah was initially confined (37:15-16; literally a “house of imprisoning” [בֵּית הָאֵסוּר, bet ha’esur] or “house of confining” [בֵּית הַכֶּלֶא, bet hakkele’]). It is said to have been in the palace compound (32:2) near the citadel or upper palace (Neh 3:25). Though it was a place of confinement (32:2; 33:1; 39:15) Jeremiah was able to receive visitors, e.g., his cousin Hanamel (32:8) and the scribe Baruch (32:12), and conduct business there (32:12). According to 32:12 other Judeans were also housed there. A cistern of one of the royal princes, Malkijah, was located in this courtyard, so this is probably not a “prison compound” as NJPS interpret but a courtyard adjacent to a guardhouse or guard post (so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 151, and compare Neh 12:39 where reference is made to a Gate of the Guard/Guardhouse) used here for housing political prisoners who did not deserve death or solitary confinement as some of the officials though Jeremiah did.
[32:3] 142 tn Heb “Zedekiah king of Judah.”
[32:3] 143 tn The translation represents an attempt to break up a very long Hebrew sentence with several levels of subordination and embedded quotations and also an attempt to capture the rhetorical force of the question “Why…” which is probably an example of what E. W. Bullinger (Figures of Speech, 953-54) calls a rhetorical question of expostulation or remonstrance (cf. the note on 26:9 and compare also the question in 36:29. In all three of these cases NJPS translates “How dare you…” which captures the force nicely). The Hebrew text reads, “For Zedekiah king of Judah had confined him, saying, ‘Why are you prophesying, saying, “Thus says the
[32:4] 144 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[32:4] 145 tn Heb “his [Zedekiah’s] mouth will speak with his [Nebuchadnezzar’s] mouth and his eyes will see his eyes.” The verbs here are an obligatory imperfect and its vav consecutive perfect equivalent. (See IBHS 508-9 §31.4g for discussion and examples of the former and IBHS 528 §32.2.1d, n. 16, for the latter.)
[32:5] 146 tn This is the verb (פָּקַד, paqad) that has been met with several times in the book of Jeremiah, most often in the ominous sense of “punish” (e.g., 6:15; 11:22; 23:24) but also in the good sense of “resume concern for” (e.g., 27:22; 29:10). Here it is obviously in the ominous sense referring to his imprisonment and ultimate death (52:11).
[32:5] sn Compare Jer 34:2-3 for this same prophecy. The incident in Jer 34:1-7 appears to be earlier than this one. Here Jeremiah is confined to the courtyard of the guardhouse; there he appears to have freedom of movement.
[32:5] 147 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[32:5] 148 sn The pronouns are plural here, referring to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Jeremiah had counseled that they surrender (cf. 27:12; 21:8-10) because they couldn’t succeed against the Babylonian army even under the most favorable circumstances (37:3-10).
[32:5] 149 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[32:6] 150 tn Heb “The word of the
[32:7] 151 tn Heb “your right.” The term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here and in v. 8 refers to legal entitlement for the option to purchase a property (BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 5; cf. Deut 21:17).
[32:7] 152 sn Underlying this request are the laws of redemption of property spelled out in Lev 25:25-34 and illustrated in Ruth 4:3-4. Under these laws, if a property owner became impoverished and had to sell his land, the nearest male relative had the right and duty to buy it so that it would not pass out of the use of the extended family. The land, however, would not actually belong to Jeremiah because in the year of Jubilee it reverted to its original owner. All Jeremiah was actually buying was the right to use it (Lev 25:13-17). Buying the field, thus, did not make any sense (thus Jeremiah’s complaint in v. 25) other than the fact that the
[32:8] 153 tn Heb “And according to the word of the
[32:9] 154 tn Heb “I weighed out the money [more literally, “silver”] for him, seventeen shekels of silver.”
[32:9] sn Coins were not in common use until the postexilic period. Payment in gold and silver was made by cutting off pieces of silver or gold and weighing them in a beam balance using standard weights as the measure. A shekel weighed approximately 0.4 ounce or 11.4 grams. The English equivalents are only approximations.
[32:10] 155 tn The words “of purchase” are not in the text but are implicit. The qualification is spelled out explicitly in vv. 11, 12, 13. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity. An alternative translation would be “I put the deed in writing.” However, since the same idiom כָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר (catav bÿsefer) is used later in v. 12 with respect to the witnesses, it is likely that it merely refers to signing the document.
[32:10] 156 tn The words “to the purchase” are not in the text but are implicit in the idiom “I had some witnesses serve as witness.” The words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[32:11] 157 tn There is some uncertainty about the precise meaning of the phrases translated “the order of transfer and the regulations.” The translation follows the interpretation suggested by J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 237; J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah (NICOT), 586, n. 5; and presumably BDB 349 s.v. חֹק 7, which defines the use of חֹק (khoq) here as “conditions of the deed of purchase.”
[32:12] 158 tn Heb “the deed, the purchase.” This is a case of apposition of species in place of the genitive construction (cf. GKC 423 §131.b and compare the usage in Exod 24:5).
[32:12] 159 tn Heb “I took the deed of purchase, both that which was sealed [and contained] the order and the regulations and that which was open [i.e., unsealed], and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch…in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and in the presence of…and in the presence of….” It is awkward to begin a sentence with “I took…” without finishing the thought, and the long qualifiers in v. 12 make that sentence too long. The sentence is broken up in accordance with contemporary English style. The reference to the “deed of purchase” in v. 12 should be viewed as a plural consisting of both written and sealed copies as is clear from v. 11 and also v. 14. Part of the confusion is due to the nature of this document which consisted of a single papyrus scroll, half of which was rolled up and sealed and the other half which was left “opened” or unsealed. J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 237-38) is probably incorrect in assuming that the copies were duplicate since the qualification “containing the order of transfer and the regulations” is only applied to the appositional participle, “the sealed one [or copy].”
[32:12] sn Aramaic documents from a slightly later period help us understand the nature of such deeds. The document consisted of a single papyrus sheet divided in half. One half contained all the particulars and was tightly rolled up, bound with strips of cloth or thread, sealed with wax upon which the parties affixed their seal, and signed by witnesses. The other copy consisted of an abstract and was left loosely rolled and unsealed (i.e., open to be consulted at will). If questions were raised about legality of the contract then the sealed copy could be unsealed and consulted.
[32:12] 160 tc The translation follows a number of Hebrew
[32:14] 161 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For this title see 7:3 and the study notes on 2:19.
[32:14] 162 tn Heb “many days.” See BDB s.v. יוֹם 5.b for this usage.
[32:15] 163 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For this title see 7:3 and the study notes on 2:19.
[32:15] 164 sn The significance of the symbolic act performed by Jeremiah as explained here was a further promise (see the “again” statements in 31:4, 5, 23 and the “no longer” statements in 31:12, 29, 34, 40) of future restoration beyond the destruction implied in vv. 3-5. After the interruption of exile, normal life of buying and selling of fields, etc. would again be resumed and former property rights would be recognized.
[32:17] 165 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.” For an explanation of the rendering here see the study note on 1:6.
[32:17] sn The parallel usage of this introduction in Jer 1:6; 4:10; 14:13 shows that though this prayer has a lengthy introductory section of praise vv. 17-22, this prayer is really one of complaint or lament.
[32:17] 166 tn This is an attempt to render the Hebrew particle normally translated “behold.” See the translator’s note on 1:6 for the usage of this particle.
[32:17] 167 tn Heb “by your great power and your outstretched arm.” See 21:5; 27:5 and the marginal note on 27:5 for this idiom.
[32:18] 168 tn Or “to thousands of generations.” The contrast of showing steadfast love to “thousands” to the limitation of punishing the third and fourth generation of children for their parents’ sins in Exod 20:5-6; Deut 5:9-10; Exod 34:7 has suggested to many commentators and translators (cf., e.g., NRSV, TEV, NJPS) that reference here is to “thousands of generations.” The statement is, of course, rhetorical emphasizing God’s great desire to bless as opposed to the reluctant necessity to punish. It is part of the attributes of God spelled out in Exod 34:6-7.
[32:18] 169 tn Heb “pays back into the bosom of their children the sin of their parents.”
[32:18] 170 tn Heb “Nothing is too hard for you who show…and who punishes…the great [and] powerful God whose name is Yahweh of armies, [you who are] great in counsel…whose eyes are open…who did signs…” Jer 32:18-22 is a long series of relative clauses introduced by participles or relative pronouns in vv. 18-20a followed by second person vav consecutive imperfects carrying on the last of these relative clauses in vv. 20b-22. This is typical of hymnic introductions to hymns of praise (cf., e.g., Ps 136) but it is hard to sustain the relative subordination which all goes back to the suffix on “hard for you.” The sentences have been broken up but the connection with the end of v. 17 has been sacrificed for conformity to contemporary English style.
[32:19] 171 tn Heb “[you are] great in counsel and mighty in deed.”
[32:19] 172 tn Heb “your eyes are open to the ways of the sons of men.”
[32:19] 173 tn Heb “giving to each according to his way [= behavior/conduct] and according to the fruit of his deeds.”
[32:20] 174 tn Or “You did miracles and amazing deeds in the land of Egypt. And you continue to do them until this day both in Israel and among mankind. By this mean you have gained a renown…” The translation here follows the syntactical understanding reflected also in NJPS. The Hebrew text reads: “you did miracles and marvelous acts in the land of Egypt until this day and in Israel and in mankind and you made for yourself a name as this day.” The majority of English versions and commentaries understand the phrases “until this day and in Israel and in mankind” to be an elliptical sentence with the preceding verb and objects supplied as reflected in the alternate translation. However, the emphasis on the miraculous deeds in Egypt in this section both before and after this elliptical phrase and the dominant usage of the terms “signs and wonders” to refer to the plagues and other miraculous signs in Egypt calls this interpretation into question. The key here is understanding “both in Israel and in mankind” as an example of a casus pendens construction (a dangling subject, object, or other modifier) before a conjunction introducing the main clause (cf. GKC 327 §111.h and 458 §143.d and compare the usage in Jer 6:19; 33:24; 1 Kgs 15:13). This verse is the topic sentence which is developed further in v. 21 and initiates a narrative history of the distant past that continues until v. 22b where reference is made to the long history of disobedience which has led to the present crisis.
[32:21] 175 tn Heb “You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders and with a mighty hand and with outstretched arm and with great terror.” For the figurative expressions involved here see the marginal notes on 27:5. The sentence has been broken down to better conform to contemporary English style.
[32:22] 177 tn For an alternative translation of the expression “a land flowing with milk and honey” see the translator’s note on 11:5.
[32:23] 178 tn Or “They did not do everything that you commanded them to do.” This is probably a case where the negative (לֹא, lo’) negates the whole category indicated by “all” (כָּל, kol; see BDB 482 s.v. כָּל 1.e(c) and compare usage in Deut 12:16; 28:14). Jeremiah has repeatedly emphasized that the history of Israel since their entry into the land has been one of persistent disobedience and rebellion (cf., e.g. 7:22-26; 11:7-8). The statement, of course, is somewhat hyperbolical as all categorical statements of this kind are.
[32:24] 179 tn Heb “Siege ramps have come up to the city to capture it.”
[32:24] 181 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[32:24] 182 tn Heb “And the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it because of the sword, starvation, and disease.” The verb “has been given” is one of those perfects that view the action as good as done (the perfect of certainty or prophetic perfect).
[32:24] 183 tn The word “
[32:24] 184 tn Heb “And what you said has happened and behold you see it.”
[32:25] 185 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[32:25] 186 tn Heb “And you, Lord Yahweh, have said to me, ‘Buy the field for…’ even though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians.” The sentence has been broken up and the order reversed for English stylistic purposes. For the rendering “is sure to fall into the hands of” see the translator’s note on the preceding verse.
[32:25] 187 tn Heb “Lord
[32:25] 188 tn Heb “call in witnesses to witness.”
[32:26] 189 tn Heb “The word of the
[32:27] 190 tn Heb “Behold, I am the
[32:27] sn This statement furnishes the grounds both for the assurance that the city will indeed be delivered over to Nebuchadnezzar (vv. 28-29a) and that it will be restored and repopulated (vv. 37-41). This can be seen from the parallel introductions in vv. 28, “Therefore the
[32:28] 191 tn Heb “Thus says the
[32:28] 192 tn Heb “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of…”
[32:28] 193 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[32:29] 194 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[32:29] 195 sn Compare Jer 19:13.
[32:30] 196 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.” For this idiom see BDB 744 s.v. עַיִן 3.c and compare usage in 18:10.
[32:30] 197 tn Heb “from their youth.”
[32:30] sn Compare Jer 3:24-25; 11:21. The nation is being personified and reference is made to her history from the time she left Egypt onward (cf. 2:2).
[32:30] 198 tn Heb “the people of Israel.” However, since “people of Israel” has been used in the preceding line for the northern kingdom as opposed to the kingdom of Judah, it might lead to confusion to translate literally. Moreover, the pronoun “they” accomplishes the same purpose.
[32:30] 199 tn Heb “by the work of their hands.” See the translator’s note on 25:6 and the parallelism in 25:14 for this rendering rather than referring it to the making of idols as in 1:16; 10:3.
[32:30] 200 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[32:31] 201 tn The statements in vv. 28-29 regarding the certain destruction of the city are motivated by three parallel causal clauses in vv. 30a, b, 31, the last of which extends through subordinate and coordinate clauses until the end of v. 35. An attempt has been made to bring out this structure by repeating the idea “This/it will happen” in front of each of these causal clauses in the English translation.
[32:31] 202 tn Heb “from the day they built it until this day.”
[32:31] sn The Israelites did not in fact “build” Jerusalem. They captured it from the Jebusites in the time of David. This refers perhaps to the enlarging and fortifying of the city after it came into the hands of the Israelites (2 Sam 5:6-10).
[32:31] 203 tn Heb “For this city has been to me for a source of my anger and my wrath from the day they built it until this day so as remove it.” The preposition ְל (lamed) with the infinitive (Heb “so as to remove it”; לַהֲסִירָהּ, lahasirah) expresses degree (cf. R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 37, §199, and compare usage in 2 Sam 13:2).
[32:32] 204 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[32:32] 205 tn Heb “remove it from my sight 32:33 because of all the wickedness of the children of Israel and the children of Judah which they have done to make me angry, they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” The sentence has been broken up in conformity with contemporary English style and an attempt has been made to preserve the causal connections.
[32:33] 206 tn Heb “they have turned [their] backs to me, not [their] faces.” Compare the same idiom in 2:27.
[32:33] 207 tn For the idiom involved here see the translator’s note on 7:13. The verb that introduces this clause is a Piel infinitive absolute which is functioning in place of the finite verb (see, e.g., GKC 346 §113.ff and compare usage in Jer 8:15; 14:19. This grammatical point means that the versions cited in BHS fn a may not be reading a different text after all, but may merely be interpreting the form as syntactically equivalent to a finite verb as the present translation has done.).
[32:33] sn This refers to God teaching them through the prophets whom he has sent as indicated by the repeated use of this idiom elsewhere in 7:13, 25; 11:7; 25:3, 4; 26:5, 19.
[32:33] 208 tn Heb “But they were not listening so as to accept correction.”
[32:34] 209 tn Heb “the house which is called by my name.” Cf. 7:10, 11, 14 and see the translator’s note on 7:10 for the explanation for this rendering.
[32:35] 210 sn Compare Jer 7:30-31; 19:5 and the study notes on 7:30. The god Molech is especially associated with the practice of child sacrifice (Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; 2 Kgs 23:10). In 1 Kgs 11:7 this god is identified as the god of the Ammonites who is also called Milcom in 1 Kgs 11:5; 2 Kgs 23:13. Child sacrifice, however, was not confined to this god; it was also made to the god Baal (Jer 19:5) and to other idols that the Israelites had set up (Ezek 16:20-21). This practice was, however, strictly prohibited in Israel (Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut 12:31; 18:10). It was this practice as well as other pagan rites that Manasseh had instituted in Judah that ultimately led to Judah’s demise (2 Kgs 24:3-4). Though Josiah tried to root these pagan practices (2 Kgs 23:4-14) out of Judah he could not do so. The people had only made a pretense of following his reforms; their hearts were still far from God (Jer 3:10; 12:2).
[32:35] 211 tn Heb “They built high places to Baal which are in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to cause their sons and daughters to pass through [the fire] to Molech [a thing] which I did not command them and [which] did not go up into my heart [= “mind” in modern psychology] to do this abomination so as to make Judah liable for punishment.” For the use of the Hiphil of חָטָא (khata’) to refer to the liability for punishment see BDB s.v. חָטָא Hiph.3 and compare the usage in Deut 24:8. Coming at the end as this does, this nuance is much more likely than “cause Judah to sin” which is the normal translation assigned to the verb here. The particle לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) that precedes it is here once again introducing a result and not a purpose (compare other clear examples in 27:10, 15). The sentence has been broken down in conformity to contemporary English style and an attempt has been made to make clear that what is detestable and not commanded is not merely child sacrifice to Molech but child sacrifice in general.
[32:36] 212 tn Heb “you.” However, the pronoun is plural and is addressed to more than just Jeremiah (v. 26). It includes Jeremiah and those who have accepted his prophecy of doom.
[32:36] 214 sn Compare Jer 32:24, 28. In 32:24 this is Jeremiah’s statement just before he expresses his perplexity about the
[32:36] 215 tn Heb “And now therefore thus says the
[32:37] 216 tn The verb here should be interpreted as a future perfect; though some of the people have already been exiled (in 605 and 597
[32:38] 217 sn The covenant formula setting forth the basic relationship is reinstituted along with a new covenant (v. 40). See also 24:7; 30:22; 31:1 and the study note on 30:22.
[32:39] 218 tn Heb “I will give to them one heart and one way to [= in order that they may] fear me all the days for good to them.” The phrase “one heart” refers both to unanimity of will and accord (cf. 1 Chr 12:38 [12:39 HT]; 2 Chr 30:12) and to singleness of purpose or intent (cf. Ezek 11:19 and see BDB 525 s.v. ֵלב 4 where reference is made to “inclinations, resolutions, and determinations of the will”). The phrase “one way” refers to one way of life or conduct (cf. BDB 203 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 6.a where reference is made to moral action and character), a way of life that is further qualified by the goal of showing “fear, reverence, respect” for the
[32:39] sn Other passages also speak about the “single-minded purpose” (Heb “one heart”) and “living in a way that shows respect for me.” Deut 30:6-8 speaks of a circumcised heart that will love him, obey him, and keep his commands. Ezek 11:20-21 speaks of the removal of a stony heart and the giving of a single-minded, “fleshy” heart and a new spirit that will follow his decrees and keep his laws. Ezek 36:26-27 speaks of the removal of a stony heart and the giving of a new, “fleshy” heart and a new spirit and an infusion of God’s own spirit so that they will be able to follow his decrees and keep his laws. Jer 24:7 speaks of the giving of a (new) heart so that they might “know” him. And Jer 31:33 speaks of God writing his law on their hearts. All this shows that there is a new motivation and a new enablement for fulfilling the old stipulations, especially that of whole-hearted devotion to him (cf. Deut 6:4-6).
[32:40] 219 tn Heb “an everlasting covenant.” For the rationale for the rendering “agreement” and the nature of the biblical covenants see the study note on 11:2.
[32:40] sn For other references to the lasting (or everlasting) nature of the new covenant see Isa 55:3; 61:8; Jer 50:5; Ezek 16:60; 37:26. The new covenant appears to be similar to the ancient Near Eastern covenants of grants whereby a great king gave a loyal vassal a grant of land or dynastic dominion over a realm in perpetuity in recognition of past loyalty. The right to such was perpetual as long as the great king exercised dominion, but the actual enjoyment could be forfeited by individual members of the vassal’s dynasty. The best example of such an covenant in the OT is the Davidic covenant where the dynasty was given perpetual right to rule over Israel. Individual kings might be disciplined and their right to enjoy dominion taken away, but the dynasty still maintained the right to rule (see 2 Sam 23:5; Ps 89:26-37 and note especially 1 Kgs 11:23-39). The new covenant appears to be the renewal of God’s promise to Abraham to always be the God of his descendants and for his descendants to be his special people (Gen 17:7) something they appear to have forfeited by their disobedience (see Hos 1:9). However, under the new covenant he promises to never stop doing them good and grants them a new heart, a new spirit, the infusion of his own spirit, and the love and reverence necessary to keep from turning away from him. The new covenant is not based on their past loyalty but on his gracious forgiveness and his gifts.
[32:40] 220 tn Or “stop being gracious to them” or “stop blessing them with good”; Heb “turn back from them to do good to them.”
[32:40] 221 tn Or “I will make them want to fear and respect me so much that”; Heb “I will put the fear of me in their hearts.” However, as has been noted several times, “heart” in Hebrew is more the center of the volition (and intellect) than the center of emotions as it is in English. Both translations are intended to reflect the difference in psychology.
[32:40] 222 tn The words “never again” are not in the text but are implicit from the context and are supplied not only by this translation but by a number of others.
[32:41] 223 tn Heb “will plant them in the land with faithfulness with all my heart and with all my soul.” The latter expressions are, of course, anthropomorphisms (see Deut 6:5).
[32:42] 224 tn Heb “For thus says the
[32:42] 225 tn Heb “As I have brought all this great disaster on these people so I will bring upon them all the good fortune which I am promising them.” The translation has broken down the longer Hebrew sentence to better conform to English style.
[32:42] sn See the same guarantee in Jer 31:27.
[32:43] 226 tn Heb “you.” However, the pronoun is plural and is addressed to more than just Jeremiah (v. 26). It includes Jeremiah and those who have accepted his prophecy of doom.
[32:43] 227 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[32:43] 228 tn The noun is singular with the article, but it is a case of the generic singular (cf. GKC 406 §126.m).
[32:43] 229 tn Heb “Fields will be bought in this land of which you [masc. pl.] are saying, ‘It will be desolate [a perfect of certainty or prophetic perfect] without man or beast; it will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’” The original sentence has been broken down to better conform to contemporary English style.
[32:44] 230 tn Heb “They will buy fields with silver and write in the deed and seal [it] and have witnesses witness [it] in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the towns in Judah, in the towns in the hill country, in the towns in the Shephelah, and in the towns in the Negev.” The long Hebrew sentence has again been restructured to better conform to contemporary English style. The indefinite “they will buy” is treated as a passive. It is followed by three infinitive absolutes which substitute for the finite verb (cf. GKC 345 §113.y) which is a common feature of the style of the book of Jeremiah.
[32:44] sn For the geographical districts mentioned here compare Jer 17:26.
[32:44] 231 tn Or “I will reverse their fortunes.” For this idiom see the translator’s note on 29:14 and compare the usage in 29:14; 30:3, 18; 31:23.
[32:44] 232 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[33:1] 233 sn The introductory statement here ties this incident in with the preceding chapter which was the first time that the
[33:1] 234 tn Heb “And the word of the
[33:2] 235 tn Or “I, the
[33:3] 236 tn This passive participle or adjective is normally used to describe cities or walls as “fortified” or “inaccessible.” All the lexicons, however, agree in seeing it used here metaphorically of “secret” or “mysterious” things, things that Jeremiah could not know apart from the
[33:4] 237 tn Heb “the sword.” The figure has been interpreted for the sake of clarity.
[33:5] 238 tn Heb “The Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for further explanation.
[33:5] 239 sn This refers to the tearing down of buildings within the city to strengthen the wall or to fill gaps in it which had been broken down by the Babylonian battering rams. For a parallel to this during the siege of Sennacherib in the time of Hezekiah see Isa 22:10; 2 Chr 32:5. These torn-down buildings were also used as burial mounds for those who died in the fighting or through starvation and disease during the siege. The siege prohibited them from taking the bodies outside the city for burial and leaving them in their houses or in the streets would have defiled them.
[33:5] 240 tn Heb “Because I have hidden my face from.” The modern equivalent for this gesture of rejection is “to turn the back on.” See Ps 13:1 for comparable usage. The perfect is to be interpreted as a perfect of resolve (cf. IBHS 488-89 §30.5.1d and compare the usage in Ruth 4:3).
[33:5] 241 tn The translation and meaning of vv. 4-5 are somewhat uncertain. The translation and precise meaning of vv. 4-5 are uncertain at a number of points due to some difficult syntactical constructions and some debate about the text and meaning of several words. The text reads more literally, “33:4 For thus says the
[33:6] 242 tn Heb “Behold I am healing.” For the usage of the particle “behold” indicating certainty see the translator’s note on 1:6. These are the great and hidden things that the
[33:6] 243 sn Compare Jer 30:17. Jerusalem is again being personified and her political and spiritual well-being are again in view.
[33:6] 244 tn The meaning and text of this word is questioned by KBL 749 s.v. עֲתֶרֶת. However, KBL also emends both occurrences of the verb from which BDB 801 s.v. עֲתֶרֶת derives this noun. BDB is more likely correct in seeing this and the usage of the verb in Prov 27:6; Ezek 35:13 as Aramaic loan words from a root meaning to be rich (equivalent to the Hebrew עָשַׁר, ’ashar).
[33:7] 245 tn Heb “I will reverse [or restore] the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel.” For this idiom see the translator’s note on Jer 29:14 and see the usage in 30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44.
[33:7] 246 tn This phrase simply means “as formerly” (BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן 3.a). The reference to the “as formerly” must be established from the context. See the usage in Judg 20:32; 1 Kgs 13:6; Isa 1:26.
[33:7] sn Reference is to the reunification of Israel and Judah to the state that they were before the division after Solomon. Compare Jer 3:18; 30:3; 31:27 and see the study note on 30:3.
[33:8] 247 sn Compare Jer 31:34; Ezek 36:25, 33.
[33:9] 248 tn Heb “And it [the city] will be to me for a name for joy and for praise and for honor before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good things which I will do for them and which will be in awe and tremble for all the good things and all the peace [or prosperity] which I will do for them.” The long complex Hebrew sentence has been broken down to better conform with contemporary English style.
[33:10] 249 tn Heb “Thus says the
[33:10] sn The phrase here is parallel to that in v. 4 and introduces a further amplification of the “great and mysterious things” of v. 3.
[33:10] 250 tn Heb “You.” However, the pronoun is plural as in 32:36, 43. See the translator’s note on 32:36.
[33:10] 251 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:11] 252 tn Heb “33:10 Thus says the
[33:11] 253 sn What is predicted here is a reversal of the decimation caused by the Babylonian conquest that had been threatened in 7:34; 16:9; 25:10.
[33:11] 254 sn This is a common hymnic introduction to both individual songs of thanksgiving (e.g., Ps 118:1) and communal songs of thanksgiving (e.g., Ps 136 where it is a liturgical refrain accompanying a recital of Israel’s early history and of the
[33:11] 255 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[33:11] 256 tn Or “I will restore the fortunes of the land.”
[33:11] sn See the study note on Jer 29:18 and compare 29:14; 30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7 for the meaning and usage of this idiom. The promise here repeats that in 33:7.
[33:11] 257 tn This phrase simply means “as formerly” (BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן 3.a). The reference to the “as formerly” must be established from the context. See the usage in Judg 20:32; 1 Kgs 13:6; Isa 1:26.
[33:11] sn This refers to the reunification of Israel and Judah to the state that they were before the division after Solomon. Compare Jer 3:18; 30:3; 31:27 and see the study note on 30:3.
[33:12] 258 tn Heb “Thus says Yahweh of armies.” For the explanation for the first person introduction see the translator’s notes on 33:2, 10. Verses 4, 10, 12 introduce three oracles, all under the answer to the
[33:13] 259 sn Heb “Sheep will again pass under the hands of the counter.” This appears to be a reference to counting the sheep to make sure that none was missing as they returned to the fold. See the same idiom in Lev 27:52 and in the metaphor in Ezek 20:37.
[33:13] 260 sn Compare Jer 32:44.
[33:14] 261 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[33:14] 262 sn This refers at the very least to the promises of Jer 23:5-6, 7-8; 30:3; 31:27, 31 where the same formula “The time will certainly come (Heb “Behold the days are coming”)” occurs. Reference may also be to the promises through the earlier prophets of what is alluded to here, i.e., the restoration of Israel and Judah under a Davidic ruler and the revival of the offerings (cf. Hos 1:10-11; 3:4-5; Amos 9:11-12; Isa 11:1-5, 10-16; Jer 30:9, 21 for the former and Jer 31:14; 33:11 for the latter).
[33:15] 263 tn Heb “sprig” or “shoot.”
[33:15] sn For the meaning of this term and its significance in biblical prophecy see the study note on 23:5.
[33:16] 264 tn For the translation of this term in this context see the parallel context in 23:6 and consult the translator’s note there.
[33:16] 265 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[33:16] 266 tn Heb “And this is what will be called to it: ‘The
[33:16] sn For the significance of this title see the study note on the parallel text in 23:6. Other titles by which Jerusalem is to be known are found in Isa 62:2-4; Jer 3:17; Ezek 48:35; Zech 8:3 emphasizing that the
[33:17] 267 tn Heb “a man shall not be cut off to David [i.e., belonging to the Davidic line] sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.”
[33:17] 268 sn It should be noted once again that the reference is to all Israel, not just to Judah (cf. Jer 23:5-6; 30:9).
[33:18] 269 tn Heb “And to the Levites, the priests [= the Levitical priests, the apposition in place of the adjective] there shall not be cut off a man from before me who offers up burnt offering, sacrifices a cereal offering, or makes a sacrifice all the days.”
[33:19] 270 tn Heb “And the word of the
[33:20] 271 tn Heb “Thus says the
[33:20] 272 tn The word יוֹמָם (yomam) is normally an adverb meaning “daytime, by day, daily.” However, here and in v. 25 and in Jer 15:9 it means “day, daytime” (cf. BDB 401 s.v. יוֹמָם 1).
[33:20] 273 tn Heb “you.” The pronoun is plural as in 32:36, 43; 33:10.
[33:21] 274 tn The very complex and elliptical syntax of the original Hebrew of vv. 20-21 has been broken down to better conform with contemporary English style. The text reads somewhat literally (after the addition of a couple of phrases which have been left out by ellipsis): “Thus says the
[33:21] sn This refers to a reaffirmation of the Davidic covenant (cf., e.g., 2 Sam 7:11-16, 25-29; Ps 89:3-4, 19-29) and God’s covenant with the Levites (cf. Num 25:10-13; Mal 2:4-6; Deut 32:8-11).
[33:22] 275 tn Heb “Just as the stars in the sky cannot be numbered or the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will greatly increase [or multiply] the seed of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.” The word “seed of” does not carry over to the “the Levites” as a noun governing two genitives because “the Levites” has the accusative marker in front of it. The sentence has been broken down in conformity with contemporary English style.
[33:22] sn Context makes it clear that what is in view is an innumerable line of descendants from the righteous ruler that the
[33:23] 276 tn Heb “And the word of the
[33:24] 277 tn Heb “Have you not seen what this people have said, saying.” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer. The sentence has been broken in two to better conform with contemporary English style.
[33:24] 278 tn Heb “The two families which the
[33:24] 279 tn Heb “and my people [i.e., Israel and Judah] they disdain [or look down on] from being again a nation before them.” The phrase “before them” refers to their estimation, their mental view (cf. BDB s.v. פָּנֶה II.4.a[g]). Hence it means they look with disdain on the people being a nation again (cf. BDB s.v. עוֹד 1.a[b] for the usage of עוֹד [’od] here).
[33:25] 280 tn Heb “Thus says the
[33:26] 281 tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is probably intensive here as it has been on a number of occasions in the book of Jeremiah (see BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 1.e for the category).
[33:26] 282 tn Or “I will make them prosperous once again,” or “I will bring them back from captivity.”
[33:26] sn For the meaning of this idiom see the translator’s note on Jer 29:14 and compare the usage in 29:14; 30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7, 11. This has been the emphasis on this section which is called by some commentators “The Book of Consolation.” Jeremiah’s emphasis up until chapters 30-33 had been on judgment but he was also called to be the prophet of restoration (cf. Jer 1:10). Promises of restoration though rare up to this point have, however, occurred on occasion (see, e.g., Jer 3:18; 23:5-7; 24:6-7; 29:10-14).
[40:1] 283 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural. The identity of the addressee is uncertain: (1) God’s people may be addressed, or (2) the unidentified heralds commanded to comfort Jerusalem.
[40:2] 284 tn Heb “speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is personified as a woman.
[40:2] 285 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[40:2] 286 tn Heb “that she is filled [with] her warfare.” Some understand צָבָא (tsavah, “warfare”) as meaning “hard service” or “compulsory labor” in this context.
[40:2] 287 tn Heb “that her punishment is accepted [as satisfactory].”
[40:2] 288 tn Heb “for she has received from the hand of the Lord double.” The principle of the double portion in punishment is also seen in Jer 16:18; 17:18 and Rev 18:6. For examples of the double portion in Israelite law, see Exod 22:4, 7, 9 (double restitution by a thief) and Deut 21:17 (double inheritance portion for the firstborn).
[40:5] 289 tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).
[40:5] 290 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”
[40:5] 292 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:6] 293 tn Heb “and he says.” Apparently a second “voice” responds to the command of the first “voice.”
[40:6] 294 tn The words “the first voice responds” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The first voice tells the second one what to declare.
[40:6] 295 tn Heb “all flesh is grass.” The point of the metaphor is explained in v. 7.
[40:6] 296 tn Heb “and all his loyalty.” The antecedent of the third masculine suffix is בָּשָׂר (basar, “flesh”), which refers collectively to mankind. The LXX, apparently understanding the antecedent as “grass,” reads “glory,” but חֶסֶד (khesed) rarely, if ever, has this nuance. The normal meaning of חֶסֶד (“faithfulness, loyalty, devotion”) fits very well in the argument. Human beings and their faithfulness (verbal expressions of faithfulness are specifically in view; cf. NRSV “constancy”) are short-lived and unreliable, in stark contrast to the decrees and promises of the eternal God.
[40:7] 297 tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).
[40:7] 298 tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:8] 299 tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine “word” specifically refers to his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).
[40:9] 300 tn The second feminine singular imperatives are addressed to personified Zion/Jerusalem, who is here told to ascend a high hill and proclaim the good news of the Lord’s return to the other towns of Judah. Isa 41:27 and 52:7 speak of a herald sent to Zion, but the masculine singular form מְבַשֵּׂר (mÿvaser) is used in these verses, in contrast to the feminine singular form מְבַשֶּׂרֶת (mÿvaseret) employed in 40:9, where Zion is addressed as a herald.
[40:10] 301 tn Heb “comes as a strong one”; ASV “will come as a mighty one.” The preposition בְּ (bet) here carries the nuance “in the capacity of.” It indicates that the Lord possesses the quality expressed by the noun. See GKC 379 §119.i and HALOT 104 s.v. בְּ.
[40:10] 302 tn Heb “his arm rules for him” (so NIV, NRSV). The Lord’s “arm” symbolizes his military power (see Isa 51:9-10; 63:5).
[40:10] 303 tn As the Lord returns to Jerusalem as a victorious warrior, he brings with him the spoils of victory, called here his “reward” and “prize.” These terms might also be translated “wages” and “recompense.” Verse 11 indicates that his rescued people, likened to a flock of sheep, are his reward.
[40:11] 304 tn Heb “in his bosom” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), an expression which reflects closeness and protective care.
[40:12] 305 tn The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has מי ים (“waters of the sea”), a reading followed by NAB.
[40:12] 306 tn Heb “with a span.” A “span” was the distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger of the spread hand” (BDB 285 s.v. זֶרֶת).
[40:12] 307 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[40:12] 308 tn Heb “or weighed by a third part [of a measure].”
[40:12] 309 sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions of v. 12 is “no one but the Lord. The Lord, and no other, created the world. Like a merchant weighing out silver or commodities on a scale, the Lord established the various components of the physical universe in precise proportions.
[40:13] 310 tn Perhaps the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “advises” (note the following line).
[40:13] 311 tn In this context רוּחַ (ruakh) likely refers to the Lord’s “mind,” or mental faculties, rather than his personal Spirit (see BDB 925 s.v.).
[40:13] 312 tn Heb “or [as] the man of his counsel causes him to know?”
[40:14] 313 tn Heb “With whom did he consult, so that he gave discernment to him?”
[40:14] 314 tn Heb “and taught him.” The vav (ו) consecutive with prefixed verbal form continues the previous line. The translation employs an interrogative pronoun for stylistic reasons.
[40:14] 315 tn The phrase אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּט (’orakh mishpat) could be translated “path of justice” (so NASB, NRSV), but in this context, where creative ability and skill is in view, the phrase is better understood in the sense of “the way that is proper or fitting” (see BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6); cf. NIV, NCV “the right way.”
[40:14] 316 tn Heb “or the way of understanding causes him to know?”
[40:14] sn The implied answer to the rhetorical questions in vv. 13-14 is, “No one.” In contrast to Marduk, the creator-god of Mesopotamian myths who receives help from the god of wisdom, the Lord neither needs nor receives any such advice or help. See R. Whybray, Heavenly Counsellor (SOTSMS), 64-77.
[40:15] 317 tn Or “weighs” (NIV); NLT “picks up.”
[40:15] 318 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV, NLT).
[40:16] 319 tn The words “for a sacrifice” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:16] 320 sn The point is that not even the Lebanon forest could supply enough wood and animals for an adequate sacrifice to the Lord.
[40:17] 321 tn Heb “[as derived] from nothing and unformed.”
[40:19] 322 tn Heb “pours out”; KJV “melteth.”
[40:20] 323 tn The first two words of the verse (הַמְסֻכָּן תְּרוּמָה, hamsukan tÿrumah) are problematic. Some take מְסֻכָּן as an otherwise unattested Pual participle from סָכַן (sakhan, “be poor”) and translate “the one who is impoverished.” תְּרוּמָה (tÿrumah, “contribution”) can then be taken as an adverbial accusative, “with respect to a contribution,” and the entire line translated, “the one who is too impoverished for such a contribution [i.e., the metal idol of v. 19?] selects wood that will not rot.” However, מְסֻכָּן is probably the name of a tree used in idol manufacturing (cognate with Akkadian musukkanu, cf. H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 133). מְסֻכָּן may be a scribal interpretive addition attempting to specify עֵץ (’ets) or עֵץ may be a scribal attempt to categorize מְסֻכָּן. How an idol constitutes a תְּרוּמָה (“contribution”) is not entirely clear.
[40:20] 324 tn Or “set up” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “to prepare.”
[40:22] 325 tn Heb “the circle of the earth” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[40:22] 326 tn The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:22] 327 tn The otherwise unattested noun דֹּק (doq), translated here “thin curtain,” is apparently derived from the verbal root דקק (“crush”) from which is derived the adjective דַּק (daq, “thin”; see HALOT 229 s.v. דקק). The nuance “curtain” is implied from the parallelism (see “tent” in the next line).
[40:22] 328 tn The meaning of the otherwise unattested verb מָתַח (matakh, “spread out”) is determined from the parallelism (note the corresponding verb “stretch out” in the previous line) and supported by later Hebrew and Aramaic cognates. See HALOT 654 s.v. *מתה.
[40:22] 329 tn Heb “like a tent [in which] to live”; NAB, NASB “like a tent to dwell (live NIV, NRSV) in.”
[40:25] 330 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[40:26] 331 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
[40:26] 332 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
[40:26] 333 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)
[40:27] 334 tn Heb “my way is hidden from the Lord” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:27] 335 tn Heb “and from my God my justice passes away”; NRSV “my right is disregarded by my God.”
[40:28] 336 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[40:28] 337 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
[40:30] 338 tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.
[40:31] 339 tn The words “for the Lord’s help” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[40:31] 340 tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).
[41:1] 341 tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:1] 342 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.
[41:2] 343 sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).
[41:2] 344 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.
[41:2] 345 tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”
[41:2] 346 tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”
[41:2] 347 tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).
[41:2] 348 sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.
[41:3] 349 tn Heb “[in] peace”; KJV, ASV “safely”; NASB “in safety”; NIV “unscathed.”
[41:3] 350 tn Heb “a way with his feet he does not come [or “enter”].” One could translate, “by a way he was not [previously] entering with his feet.” This would mean that he is advancing into new territory and expanding his conquests. The present translation assumes this is a hyperbolic description to his speedy advance. He moves so quickly he does not enter the way with his feet, i.e., his feet don’t even touch the ground. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 94.
[41:4] 351 tn Heb “Who acts and accomplishes?”; NASB “Who has performed and accomplished it.”
[41:4] 352 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:4] 353 tn Heb “I, the Lord, [am with] the first, and with the last ones I [am] he.”
[41:5] 354 tn Or “islands” (NIV, CEV); NCV “faraway places”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”
[41:5] 355 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[41:6] 356 tn Heb “each his neighbor helps”; NCV “The workers help each other.”
[41:7] 357 tn The verb “encourages” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[41:7] 358 tn Heb “saying of the welding, ‘It is good.’”
[41:8] 359 tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).
[41:9] 360 tn Heb “whom I have taken hold of [i.e., to lead back].”
[41:10] 361 tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).
[41:10] 362 tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).
[41:11] 363 tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”
[41:11] 364 tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”
[41:12] 365 tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”
[41:12] 366 tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”
[41:14] 367 tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.
[41:14] 368 tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”
[41:14] 369 tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.
[41:14] 370 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[41:15] 371 tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”
[41:15] 372 tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.
[41:15] 373 sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.
[41:17] 374 tn Heb “will answer them” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[41:20] 375 tn The words “I will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text has here simply, “in order that.”
[41:20] 376 tn Heb “they”; NAB, NRSV “that all may see”; CEV, NLT “Everyone will see.”
[41:20] 377 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[41:20] 378 tn Or “created it” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “has made it happen.”
[41:21] 379 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
[41:21] 380 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
[41:22] 381 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
[41:22] 382 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
[41:22] 383 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
[41:23] 384 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
[41:23] 385 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).
[41:23] tn Heb “so we might be frightened and afraid together.” On the meaning of the verb שָׁתָע (shata’), see the note at v. 10.
[41:24] 386 tn Heb “an object of disgust [is he who] chooses you.”
[41:25] 387 sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.
[41:25] 388 tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”
[41:25] 389 tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).
[41:26] 390 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[41:27] 391 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “First to Zion, ‘Look here they are!’” The words “I decreed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[41:27] 392 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[41:29] 393 tc The Hebrew text has אָוֶן (’aven, “deception,” i.e., “false”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has אין (“nothing”), which forms a better parallel with אֶפֶס (’efes, “nothing”) in the next line. See also 40:17 and 41:12.
[41:29] 394 tn Heb “their statues are wind and nothing”; NASB “wind and emptiness”; NIV “wind and confusion.”
[42:1] 395 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
[42:1] 396 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[42:1] 397 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
[42:2] 398 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
[42:3] 399 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
[42:3] 400 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[42:4] 401 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
[42:4] 402 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
[42:4] 403 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
[42:5] 404 tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
[42:5] 405 tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”
[42:5] 406 tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).
[42:6] 407 tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.
[42:6] 408 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
[42:6] 409 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
[42:6] 410 sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.
[42:6] 411 tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
[42:7] 412 sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
[42:7] 413 sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.
[42:9] 414 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
[42:9] 415 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
[42:10] 416 tn Heb “his praise.” The phrase stands parallel to “new song” in the previous line.
[42:10] 417 tn Heb “and its fullness”; NASB, NIV “and all that is in it.”
[42:10] 418 tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “distant coastlands.”
[42:12] 419 tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”
[42:12] 420 tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”
[42:13] 421 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
[42:13] 422 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
[42:14] 423 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
[42:14] 424 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
[42:15] 425 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
[42:15] 426 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (’iyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
[42:15] 427 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
[42:16] 428 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
[42:16] 429 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
[42:16] 430 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
[42:17] 431 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
[42:18] 432 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
[42:19] 433 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (mÿshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (moshÿlam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (mÿshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (kÿmo sholÿmi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
[42:19] 434 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
[42:20] 435 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, 2nd person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
[42:20] 436 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
[42:21] 437 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.
[42:22] 438 tc The Hebrew text has בַּחוּרִים (bakhurim, “young men”), but the text should be emended to בְּהוֹרִים (bÿhorim, “in holes”).
[42:22] 439 tn Heb “and made to be hidden”; NAB, NASB, NIV, TEV “hidden away in prisons.”
[42:22] 440 tn Heb “they became loot and there was no one rescuing, plunder and there was no one saying, ‘Bring back’.”
[42:23] 441 tn The interrogative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[42:24] 442 tn Heb “Who gave to the robber Jacob, and Israel to the looters?” In the first line the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְשׁוֹסֶה (mÿshoseh), a Polel participle from שָׁסָה (shasah, “plunder”). The marginal reading (Qere) is מְשִׁיסָּה (mÿshissah), a noun meaning “plunder.” In this case one could translate “Who handed Jacob over as plunder?”
[42:24] 443 tn Heb “they were not willing in his ways to walk, and they did not listen to his law.”
[42:25] 444 tn Heb “strength” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “fury”; NASB “fierceness”; NIV “violence.”
[42:25] 445 tn Heb “and it blazed against him all around, but he did not know.” The subject of the third feminine singular verb “blazed” is the divine חֵמָה (khemah, “anger”) mentioned in the previous line.
[42:25] 446 tn Heb “and it burned against him, but he did not set [it] upon [the] heart.”
[43:1] 447 tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”
[43:2] 448 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[43:2] 449 tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”
[43:3] 450 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:3] 451 sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9.
[43:4] 452 tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
[43:7] 453 tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:9] 454 tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
[43:10] 455 tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[43:10] 456 tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
[43:13] 457 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
[43:14] 458 tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[43:14] 459 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:14] 460 tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
[43:14] 461 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
[43:15] 462 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[43:17] 463 tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
[43:17] 464 tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.”
[43:18] 465 tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
[43:19] 466 tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.”
[43:19] 467 tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.”
[43:19] 468 tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”).
[43:21] 469 tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
[43:22] 470 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
[43:23] 471 tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[43:24] 472 tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
[43:24] 473 tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”
[43:24] 474 sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5, 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
[43:26] 475 tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
[43:27] 476 tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16).
[43:27] 477 tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings.
[43:28] 478 tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[44:2] 479 sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.
[44:3] 480 tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)
[44:3] 481 tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[44:4] 482 tn The Hebrew term בֵין (ven) is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But בֵין is probably the name of a tree (cf. C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition bet (בְּ) to kaf (כְּ), one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. חָצִיר (khatsir) is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.
[44:5] 483 tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”
[44:5] 484 tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”
[44:6] 485 tn Heb “his kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:7] 486 tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”
[44:7] 487 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.
[44:7] 488 tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”
[44:8] 489 tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[44:8] 490 tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
[44:10] 491 tn The rhetorical question is sarcastic. The sense is, “Who is foolish enough…?”
[44:11] 492 tn The pronoun “his” probably refers to the one who forms/casts an idol (v. 10), in which case it refers to the craftsman’s associates in the idol-manufacturing guild.
[44:11] 493 sn The point seems to be this: If the idols are the mere products of human hands, then those who trust in them will be disappointed, for man-made gods are incapable of helping their “creators.”
[44:12] 494 tn The noun מַעֲצָד (ma’atsad), which refers to some type of tool used for cutting, occurs only here and in Jer 10:3. See HALOT 615 s.v. מַעֲצָד.
[44:12] 495 tn Some English versions take the pronoun “it” to refer to an idol being fashioned by the blacksmith (cf. NIV, NCV, CEV). NLT understands the referent to be “a sharp tool,” which is then used by the carpenter in the following verse to carve an idol from wood.
[44:12] 496 tn Heb “and there is no strength”; NASB “his strength fails.”
[44:13] 497 tn Heb “stretches out a line” (ASV similar); NIV “measures with a line.”
[44:13] 498 tn Heb “he makes an outline with the [?].” The noun שֶׂרֶד (shered) occurs only here; it apparently refers to some type of tool or marker. Cf. KJV “with a line”; ASV “with a pencil”; NAB, NRSV “with a stylus”; NASB “with red chalk”; NIV “with a marker.”
[44:13] 499 tn Heb “works” (so NASB) or “fashions” (so NRSV); NIV “he roughs it out.”
[44:13] 500 tn Heb “he makes it like the pattern of a man”; NAB “like a man in appearance.”
[44:13] 501 tn Heb “like the glory of man to sit [in] a house”; NIV “that it may dwell in a shrine.”
[44:14] 502 tn It is not certain what type of tree this otherwise unattested noun refers to. Cf. ASV “a holm-tree” (NRSV similar).
[44:14] 503 tn Heb “strengthens for himself,” i.e., “secures for himself” (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמֵץ Pi.2).
[44:14] 504 tn Some prefer to emend אֹרֶן (’oren) to אֶרֶז (’erez, “cedar”), but the otherwise unattested noun appears to have an Akkadian cognate, meaning “cedar.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 44-45. HALOT 90 s.v. I אֹרֶן offers the meaning “laurel.”
[44:15] 505 tn Heb “and it becomes burning [i.e., firewood] for a man”; NAB “to serve man for fuel.”
[44:15] 506 tn Or perhaps, “them.”
[44:16] 507 tn Heb “eats” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV “roasts.”
[44:18] 508 tn Heb “for their eyes are smeared over so they cannot see, so their heart cannot be wise.”
[44:19] 509 tn There is no formal interrogative sign here, but the context seems to indicate these are rhetorical questions. See GKC 473 §150.a.
[44:20] 510 tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”
[44:20] 511 tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”
[44:21] 512 tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a Niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Although the Niphal ordinarily has the passive sense, it can have a reflexive nuance as well (see above translation). Some have suggested an emendation to a Qal form: “Do not forget me” (all the ancient versions, NEB, REB; see GKC 369 §117.x). “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line. Since the MT is the harder reading and fits with Israel’s complaint that God had forgotten her (Isa 40:27), the MT reading should be retained (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, ESV). The passive has been rendered as an active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style (so also NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
[44:22] 513 tn Heb “I blot out like a cloud your rebellious deeds, and like a cloud your sins.” “Rebellious deeds” and “sins” stand by metonymy for the guilt they produce. Both עָב (’av) and עָנָן (’anan) refer to the clouds in the sky. It is tempting for stylistic purposes to translate the second with “fog” or “mist” (cf. NAB, NRSV “cloud…mist”; NIV “cloud…morning mist”; NLT “morning mists…clouds”), but this distinction between the synonyms is unwarranted here. The point of the simile seems to be this: The Lord forgives their sins, causing them to vanish just as clouds disappear from the sky (see Job 7:9; 30:15).
[44:22] 514 tn Heb “redeem.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:23] 515 tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”
[44:23] 516 tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.
[44:23] 517 tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”
[44:23] 518 tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:23] 519 tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”
[44:24] 520 tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
[44:24] 521 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “Who [was] with me?” The marginal reading (Qere) is “from with me,” i.e., “by myself.” See BDB 87 s.v. II אֵת 4.c.
[44:25] 522 tc The Hebrew text has בַּדִּים (baddim), perhaps meaning “empty talkers” (BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד). In the four other occurrences of this word (Job 11:3; Isa 16:6; Jer 48:30; 50:36) the context does not make the meaning of the term very clear. Its primary point appears to be that the words spoken are meaningless or false. In light of its parallelism with “omen readers,” some have proposed an emendation to בָּרִים (barim, “seers”). The Mesopotamian baru-priests were divination specialists who played an important role in court life. See R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 93-98. Rather than supporting an emendation, J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:189, n. 79) suggests that Isaiah used בַּדִּים purposively as a derisive wordplay on the Akkadian word baru (in light of the close similarity of the d and r consonants).
[44:25] 523 tn Or “makes fools of” (NIV, NRSV); NAB and NASB both similar.
[44:25] 524 tn Heb “who turns back the wise” (so NRSV); NIV “overthrows the learning of the wise”; TEV “The words of the wise I refute.”
[44:25] 525 tn Heb “their knowledge” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[44:26] 526 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
[44:26] 527 tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.
[44:26] 528 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[44:28] 529 tn Heb “says to.” It is possible that the sentence is not completed, as the description of Cyrus and his God-given role is developed in the rest of the verse. 45:1 picks up where 44:28a leaves off with the Lord’s actual words to Cyrus finally being quoted in 45:2.
[44:28] 530 tn Heb “my shepherd.” The shepherd motif is sometimes applied, as here, to a royal figure who is responsible for the well-being of the people whom he rules.
[44:28] 531 tn Heb “that he might bring to completion all my desire.”
[44:28] 532 tn Heb “and [concerning the] temple, you will be founded.” The preposition -לְ (lÿ) is understood by ellipsis at the beginning of the second line. The verb תִּוָּסֵד (tivvased, “you will be founded”) is second masculine singular and is probably addressed to the personified temple (הֵיכָל [hekhal, “temple”] is masculine).
[45:1] 533 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
[45:1] 534 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
[45:1] 535 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
[45:2] 536 tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).
[45:2] 537 tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”
[45:3] 538 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
[45:4] 539 tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.”
[45:5] 540 tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.
[45:5] 541 tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).
[45:5] 542 tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”
[45:6] 543 tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[45:6] 544 tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”
[45:7] 545 tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.
[45:7] 546 tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”
[45:7] 547 sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).
[45:8] 548 tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”
[45:8] 549 tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”
[45:8] 550 tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).
[45:8] 551 tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).
[45:8] 552 tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).
[45:9] 553 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”
[45:9] 554 tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.
[45:9] 555 tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”
[45:9] 556 tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.
[45:9] 557 tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”
[45:10] 558 tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”
[45:10] 559 tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.
[45:10] 560 sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.
[45:11] 561 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[45:11] 562 tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yotsÿro, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”
[45:11] 563 tn Heb “Ask me” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
[45:11] 564 tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.
[45:12] 565 tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[45:12] 566 tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.
[45:12] 567 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[45:12] 568 tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.
[45:13] 569 tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.
[45:14] 570 tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”
[45:14] 571 tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”
[45:14] 572 tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”
[45:14] 573 sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.
[45:14] 574 sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.
[45:14] 575 tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”
[45:14] 576 tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.
[45:16] 577 tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”
[45:17] 578 tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”
[45:17] 579 tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”
[45:18] 580 tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.
[45:18] 581 tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.
[45:19] 582 tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”
[45:19] 583 tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”
[45:19] 584 tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”
[45:21] 585 tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.
[45:21] 586 tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”
[45:22] 587 tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”
[45:23] 588 tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”
[45:23] 589 tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”
[45:23] 590 tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”
[45:24] 591 tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”
[45:24] 592 tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”
[45:25] 593 tn Heb “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”
[46:1] 594 sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.
[46:1] 595 sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
[46:1] 596 tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
[46:1] 597 tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
[46:2] 598 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
[46:2] 599 tn נַפְשָׁם (nafsham, “their souls/lives”) is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb הָלָכָה (halakhah, “they go”) agrees with the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, life”).
[46:2] 600 sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
[46:3] 601 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
[46:3] 602 tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
[46:3] 603 tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
[46:3] 604 tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
[46:4] 605 tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
[46:4] 606 sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
[46:6] 607 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
[46:7] 608 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
[46:8] 609 tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (’ashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
[46:8] 610 tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
[46:9] 611 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
[46:9] 612 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[46:10] 613 tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
[46:11] 614 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
[46:11] 615 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
[46:12] 616 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
[46:12] 617 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
[46:13] 618 tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
[46:13] 619 tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
[46:13] 620 tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”
[34:12] 621 sn The imagery may reflect the overthrow of the Israelites by the Babylonians in 587/6
[34:23] 624 sn The messianic king is here called “David” (see Jer 30:9 and Hos 3:5, as well as Isa 11:1 and Mic 5:2) because he will fulfill the Davidic royal ideal depicted in the prophets and royal psalms (see Ps 2, 89).
[34:24] 625 sn The messianic king (“David”) is called both “king” and “prince” in 37:24-25. The use of the term “prince” for this king facilitates the contrast between this ideal ruler and the Davidic “princes” denounced in earlier prophecies (see 7:27; 12:10, 12; 19:1; 21:25; 22:6, 25).
[34:25] 626 tn The phrase “live securely” occurs in Ezek 28:26; 38:8, 11, 14; 39:26 as an expression of freedom from fear. It is a promised blessing resulting from obedience (see Lev 26:5-6).
[34:25] 627 sn The woods were typically considered to be places of danger (Ps 104:20-21; Jer 5:6).
[34:26] 628 tn Heb “showers of blessing.” Abundant rain, which in turn produces fruit and crops (v. 27), is a covenantal blessing for obedience (Lev 26:4).
[34:29] 629 tc The MT reads לְשֵׁם (lÿshem, “for a name”), meaning perhaps a renowned planting (place). The translation takes this to be a metathesis of שָׁלֹם (shalom) as was read by the LXX.
[34:29] 630 tn Heb “those gathered” for famine.
[34:30] 631 sn A promise given to Abraham (Gen 15:7) and his descendants (Gen 15:8; Exod 6:7).
[34:30] 632 sn The blessings described in vv. 25-30 are those promised for obedience in Lev 26:4-13.
[34:31] 633 tn Heb, “the sheep of my pasture, you are human.” See 36:37-38 for a similar expression. The possessive pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation to balance “I am your God” in the next clause.
[36:2] 634 tn Or “high places.”
[36:3] 635 tn Heb “lip of the tongue.”
[36:7] 636 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
[36:8] 637 tn Heb “they draw near to arrive.”
[36:9] 638 tn Heb “I (am) toward you.”
[36:10] 639 tn Heb “I will multiply on you human(s).”
[36:11] 640 sn These verbs occur together in Gen 1:22, 28; 9:1.
[36:11] 641 tn Heb “your beginning.”
[36:15] 642 tn Heb “cause you to hear.”
[36:15] 643 tc The MT reads תַכְשִׁלִי (takhshiliy), a metathesis for תַשְׁכִלִי (tashkhiliy) from the root שָׁכַל (shakhal) which is used in each of the previous verses.
[36:18] 645 sn See Ezek 7:8; 9:8; 14:19; 20:8, 13, 21; 22:22; 30:15.
[36:18] 646 sn For the concept of defiling the land in legal literature, see Lev 18:28; Deut 21:23.
[36:22] 648 sn In Ezek 20:22 God refrained from punishment for the sake of his holy name. Here God’s reputation is the basis for Israel’s restoration.
[36:23] 649 tn Or “sanctify,” Heb “make holy.”
[36:25] 650 sn The Lord here uses a metaphor from the realm of ritual purification. For the use of water in ritual cleansing, see Exod 30:19-20; Lev 14:51; Num 19:18; Heb 10:22.
[36:26] 651 sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is stubborn and unresponsive (see 1 Sam 25:37). In Rabbinic literature a “stone” was associated with an evil inclination (b. Sukkah 52a).
[36:26] 652 sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is responsive and obedient to God.
[36:27] 653 tn Or “in the midst of you.” The word “you” is plural.
[36:27] 654 tn Heb “and I will do that which in my statutes you will walk.” The awkward syntax (verb “to do, act” + accusative sign + relative clause + prepositional phrase + second person verb) is unique, though Eccl 3:14 contains a similar construction. In the last line of that verse we read that “God acts so that (relative pronoun) they fear before him.” However, unlike Ezek 36:27, the statement has no accusative sign before the relative pronoun.
[36:27] 655 tn Heb “and my laws you will guard and you will do them.” Jer 31:31-34 is parallel to this passage.
[36:28] 656 sn This promise reflects the ancient covenantal ideal (see Exod 6:7).
[36:32] 658 tn Heb “Let it be known.”
[36:37] 659 tn The Niphal verb may have a tolerative function here, “Again (for) this I will allow myself to be sought by the house of Israel to act for them.” Or it may be reflexive: “I will reveal myself to the house of Israel by doing this also.”
[36:37] 660 sn Heb “I will multiply them like sheep, human(s).”
[36:38] 661 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[37:1] sn Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s hand being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God (3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1).
[37:1] 663 tn Heb “caused me to rest.”
[37:2] 664 tn Heb “and he made me pass over them, around, around.”
[37:2] 665 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and is here translated as “I realized” because it results from Ezekiel’s recognition of the situation around him. In Hebrew, the exclamation is repeated in the following sentence.
[37:5] 666 tn Heb “I am about to bring a spirit.”
[37:6] 667 tn The exact physiological meaning of the term is uncertain. In addition to v. 8, the term occurs only in Gen 32:33; Job 10:11; 40:17; and Jer 48:4.
[37:7] 669 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
[37:8] 670 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
[37:9] 673 tn Or “spirit,” and several times in this verse.
[37:14] 674 tn Or “spirit.” This is likely an allusion to Gen 2 and God’s breath which creates life.
[37:17] 675 tn Heb “bring near.”
[37:17] 676 tn Heb “one to one for you for one stick.”
[37:18] 677 tn Heb “the sons of your people.”
[37:19] 678 tn Heb “I will place them on it, that is, on the stick of Judah.”
[37:19] 679 sn The reunification of Israel and Judah is envisioned as well in Ezek 33:23, 29; Jer 3:18; 23:5-6; Hos 1:11; Amos 9:11.
[37:22] 680 sn Jeremiah also attested to the reuniting of the northern and southern kingdoms (Jer 3:12, 14; 31:2-6).
[37:23] 681 tc Heb “their dwellings.” The text as it stands does not make sense. Based on the LXX, a slight emendation of two vowels, including a mater, yields the reading “from their turning,” a reference here to their turning from God and deviating from his commandments. See BDB 1000 s.v. מְשׁוּבָה, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:407.
[37:24] 682 tn Heb “walk [in].”
[37:24] 683 tn Heb “and my statutes they will guard and they will do them.”
[37:26] 684 sn See Isa 24:5; 55:3; 61:8; Jer 32:40; 50:5; Ezek 16:60, for other references to perpetual covenants.
[37:26] 685 tn Heb “give them.”
[37:28] 686 sn The sanctuary of Israel becomes the main focus of Ezek 40-48.
[39:2] 687 tn The Hebrew root occurs only here in the OT. An apparent cognate in the Ethiopic language means “walk along.” For a discussion of the research on this verb, see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:460.
[39:7] 688 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The
[39:9] 689 tn Heb “burn and kindle the weapons.”
[39:9] 690 tn Two different types of shields are specified in the Hebrew text.
[39:10] 691 tn Heb “they will not carry.”
[39:10] 692 tn Heb “loot their looters and plunder their plunderers.”
[39:11] 693 tn The name means “horde of Gog.”
[39:12] 694 tn Heb “the house of Israel.”
[39:14] 696 tn Heb “men of perpetuity.”
[39:14] 697 tn Heb “and bury the travelers and those who remain on the surface of the ground.” The reference to “travelers” seems odd and is omitted in the LXX. It is probably an accidental duplication (see v. 11).
[39:15] 698 tn Heb “as the scouts scout.”
[39:15] 699 tn That is, the aforementioned bone.
[39:16] 700 tn This name appears to be a feminine form of the word “horde,” used in the name Hamon-Gog.
[39:17] 701 tn Or “sacrifice” (so also in the rest of this verse).
[39:18] 702 sn See Rev 19:17-18.
[39:19] 703 sn Eating the fat and drinking blood were God’s exclusive rights in Israelite sacrifices (Lev 3:17).
[39:19] 704 tn Or “sacrifice” (so also in the rest of this verse).
[39:20] 705 tn Heb “chariots.”
[39:21] 707 tn Heb “my hand which I have placed.”
[39:23] 708 tn Or “in their punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18: 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.
[39:25] 709 tn Heb “cause to return.”
[39:28] 710 tn Heb “there,” referring to the foreign nations to which they were exiled. The translation makes the referent clear.
[39:29] 711 sn See Ezek 11:19; 37:14.
[2:14] 712 tn The participle מְפַתֶּיהָ (méfatteha, Piel participle masculine singular + 3rd feminine singular suffix from פָּתָה, patah, “to allure”) following the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “Now!”) describes an event that will occur in the immediate or near future.
[2:14] 713 tn Following the future-time referent participle (מְפַתֶּיהָ, méfatteha) there is a string of perfects introduced by vav consecutive that refer to future events.
[2:15] 714 tn Heb “Valley of Achor,” so named because of the unfortunate incident recorded in Josh 7:1-26 (the name is explained in v. 26; the Hebrew term Achor means “disaster” or “trouble”). Cf. TEV, CEV “Trouble Valley.”
[2:15] 715 tn Heb “door” or “doorway”; cf. NLT “gateway.” Unlike the days of Joshua, when Achan’s sin jeopardized Israel’s mission and cast a dark shadow over the nation, Israel’s future return to the land will be marked by renewed hope.
[2:15] 716 tn Heb “as in the days of her youth” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[2:15] 717 tn Heb “as in the day when” (so KJV, NASB).
[2:16] 718 tn Heb “And in that day”; NLT “In that coming day.”
[2:16] 719 tc The MT reads תִּקְרְאִי (tiqrÿ’i, “you will call”; Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular). The versions (LXX, Syriac, Vulgate) all reflect an alternate Vorlage of תִּקְרָא לִי (tiqra’ li, “she will call me”; Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular followed by preposition לְ, lamed, + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix). This textual variant undoubtedly arose under the influence of לִי תִּקְרְאִי (tiqrÿ’i li) which follows. Most English versions follow the reading of the MT (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, CEV), but some follow the ancient versions and read the 3rd person (“she”, so NAB, NCV, TEV).
[2:16] 720 tn There are wordplays on the terms אִישׁ (’ish) and בַּעַל (ba’al) here. The term אִישִׁי (’ishi, “my man, husband”) is a title of affection (Gen 2:23; 3:6, 16) as the counterpart to אִשָּׁה (’ishah, “woman, wife”). The term בַּעְלִי (ba’li, “my lord”) emphasizes the husband’s legal position (Exod 21:3; Deut 22:22; 24:4). The relationship will no longer be conditioned on the outward legal commitment but on a new inward bond of mutual affection and love.
[2:16] 721 tc The MT reads תִקְרְאִי לִי (tiqrÿ’i li, “you will call me”; Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular followed by preposition לְ, lamed, + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix). The versions (LXX, Syriac, Vulgate) all reflect an alternate Vorlage of תִקְרְא לִי (tiqrÿ’ li, “she will call me”; Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular followed by preposition לְ + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix). This textual variant is related to the preceding textual issue (see preceding tc note).
[2:16] 722 sn There is a wordplay on the terms בַּעְלִי (ba’li, “my master”) and הַבְּעָלִים (habbé’alim, “the Baals”) which are derived from the root בַּעַל (ba’al, “master; lord”). This wordplay is especially effective because the term בַּעַל can refer to one’s husband and is also the name of the Canaanite storm god Baal. Referring to a spouse the term normally means “husband; master.” It was a common, ordinary, nonpejorative term that was frequently used in an interchangeable manner with אִישׁ (’ish, “husband; man”). Due to its similarity in sound to the abhorrent Canaanite fertility god Baal, the repentant Israelites would be so spiritually sensitive that they would refrain from even uttering this neutral term for fear of recalling their former idolatry. The purpose of the exile is to end Israel’s worship of Baal and to remove syncretism.
[2:17] 723 tn The vav consecutive prefixed to וַהֲסִרֹתִי (vahasiroti) “I will remove” (vav consecutive + Hiphil perfect 1st person common singular) introduces an explanatory clause.
[2:17] 724 tn Heb “the Baals.” The singular term בַּעַל (ba’al) refers to the Canaanite god Baal himself, while the plural form הַבְּעָלִים (habbé’alim) refers to the manifestations of the god (i.e., idols; BDB 127 s.v. בָּעַל II.1).
[2:17] 725 tn Heb “from her mouth.” In the translation this is rendered as second person for consistency.
[2:17] 726 tn Heb “they will no longer be mentioned by their name.”
[2:18] 727 tn Heb “And in that day” (so KJV, ASV).
[2:18] 728 tn Heb “I will break”; NAB “I will destroy”; NCV “I will smash”; NLT “I will remove.”
[2:18] 729 tn Heb “bow and sword and warfare.” The first two terms in the triad וְקֶשֶׁת וְחֶרֶב וּמִלְחָמָה (vÿqeshet vÿkherev umilkhamah, literally, “bow and sword and warfare”) are examples of synecdoche of specific (bow and sword) for general (weapons of war, so CEV). However, they might be examples of metonymy (bow and sword) of association (warfare).
[2:18] 730 tn Heb “and I will cause them to lie down in safety.” The causative nuance (“will make them”) is retained in several English versions (e.g., KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[2:19] 731 tn Heb “I will betroth you to me” (so NIV) here and in the following lines. Cf. NRSV “I will take you for my wife forever.”
[2:19] 732 tn The preposition בְּ (bet), which is repeated throughout 2:19-20 [21-22], denotes price paid (BDB 90 s.v. בְּ III.3; e.g., Ezek 3:14). The text contains an allusion to the payment of bridal gifts. The
[2:20] 733 tn The vav consecutive on the suffix conjugation verb וְיָדַעַתְּ (véyada’at, “then you will know”) introduces a result clause (cf. NASB, CEV).
[2:20] 734 tn Or “know.” The term יָדַע (yada’, “know, acknowledge”) is often used in covenant contexts. It can refer to the suzerain’s acknowledgment of his covenant obligations to his vassal or to the vassal’s acknowledgment of his covenant obligations to his suzerain. When used in reference to a vassal, the verb “know” is metonymical (cause for effect) for “obey.” See H. Huffmann, “The Treaty Background of Hebrew ya„daà,” BASOR 181 (1966): 31-37.
[2:20] 735 tc The MT reads יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the
[2:21] 736 tn Heb “And in that day”; NAB, NRSV “On that day.”
[2:21] 737 tn The verb עָנָה, (’anah) which is used throughout 2:23-24, is related to the root I עָנָה (’anah), “to answer, listen attentively, react willingly” (BDB 772 s.v. 1.b; HALOT 852 s.v. ענה 3.b).
[2:21] 738 tn Heb “and they.” In the Hebrew text the plural pronoun is used because it refers back to the term translated “sky,” which is a dual form in Hebrew. Many English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, NRSV) use the plural term “heavens” here, which agrees with a plural pronoun (cf. also NIV, NCV “skies”).
[2:22] 739 tn Heb “Jezreel.” The use of the name יִזְרְעֶאל (yizré’e’l, “Jezreel”) creates a powerful three-fold wordplay: (1) The proper name יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) is a phonetic wordplay on the similar sounding name יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra’el, “Israel”): God will answer Israel, that is, Jezreel. (2) The name יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) plays on the verb זָרַע (zara’, “to sow, plant”), the immediately following word: וּזְרַעְתִּיהָ (uzéra’tiha, vav + Qal perfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix: “I will sow/plant her”). This wordplay creates a popular etymology for יִזְרְעֶאל meaning, “God sows/plants,” which fits well into the agricultural fertility imagery in 2:21-23 [2:23-25]. (3) This positive connotation of יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) in 2:21-23[23-25] reverses the negative connotation of יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) in 1:4-5 (bloodshed of Jehu in the Jezreel Valley).
[2:23] 740 tn Heb “for myself.”
[2:23] 741 tn The Hebrew text, carrying out the reference to the son born in 1:8-9, uses the third person masculine singular pronoun here; some English translations use third person plural (“they,” so KJV, NASB, NIV, CEV) in keeping with the immediate context, which refers to reestablished Israel.
[2:23] 742 tn The words “You are” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but are implied. It is necessary to supply the phrase in the translation to prevent the reader from understanding the predicate “my God” as an exclamation (cf. NAB).
[3:5] 743 tn Heb “David their king”; cf. NCV “the king from David’s family”; TEV “a descendant of David their king”; NLT “David’s descendant, their king.”
[3:5] sn It is not clear whether Hosea was predicting a restoration of Davidic kingship over Israel and Judah (e.g., Jer 17:25; 22:2) or referring to the ultimate Davidic king, namely, the Messiah, who will fulfill the conditions of the Davidic covenant and inaugurate/fulfill the blessings of the Davidic covenant for Israel. The Messiah is frequently pictured as the “New David” because he would fulfill the ideals of the Davidic covenant and be everything that David and his descendants were commissioned to be (e.g., Isa 9:7[6]; 16:5; Jer 23:5-6; 30:9; 33:15-16; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25).
[3:5] 744 tn Heb “his goodness”; NLT “his good gifts.”
[3:5] 745 tn Heb “in the end of the days.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT “in the last days.”
[14:2] 746 tn Heb “Take words with you and return to the
[14:2] 747 tn The word order כָּל־תִּשָּׂא עָוֹן (kol-tisa’ ’avon) is syntactically awkward. The BHS editors suggest rearranging the word order: תִּשָּׂא כָּל־עוֹן (“Forgive all [our] iniquity!”). However, Gesenius suggests that כָּל (“all”) does not function as the construct in the genitive phrase כָּל־עוֹן (“all [our] iniquity”); it functions adverbially modifying the verb תִּשָּׂא (“Completely forgive!”; see GKC 415 §128.e).
[14:2] 748 sn The repetition of the root לָקַח (laqakh) creates a striking wordplay in 14:2. If Israel will bring (לָקַח) its confession to God, he will accept (לָקַח) repentant Israel and completely forgive its sin.
[14:2] 749 tn Heb “and accept [our] speech.” The word טוֹב (tov) is often confused with the common homonymic root I טוֹב (tov, “good”; BDB 373 s.v. I טוֹב). However, this is probably IV טוֹב (tov, “word, speech”; HALOT 372 s.v. IV טוֹב), a hapax legomenon that is related to the verb טבב (“to speak”; HALOT 367 s.v. טבב) and the noun טִבָּה (tibbah, “rumor”; HALOT 367 s.v. טִבָּה). The term טוֹב (“word; speech”) refers to the repentant prayer mentioned in 14:1-3. Most translations relate it to I טוֹב and treat it as (1) accusative direct object: “accept that which is good” (RSV, NJPS), “Accept our good sacrifices” (CEV), or (2) adverbial accusative of manner: “receive [us] graciously” (KJV, NASB, NIV). Note TEV, however, which follows the suggestion made here: “accept our prayer.”
[14:2] 750 tc The MT reads פָרִים (farim, “bulls”), but the LXX reflects פְּרִי (pÿri, “fruit”), a reading followed by NASB, NIV, NRSV: “that we may offer the fruit of [our] lips [as sacrifices to you].” Although the Greek expression in Heb 13:15 (καρπὸν χειλέων, karpon xeilewn, “the fruit of lips”) reflects this LXX phrase, the MT makes good sense as it stands; NT usage of the LXX should not be considered decisive in resolving OT textual problems. The noun פָרִים (parim, “bulls”) functions as an adverbial accusative of state.
[14:3] 751 tn Heb “For the orphan is shown compassion by you.” The present translation takes “orphan” as a figurative reference to Israel, which is specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:4] 752 sn The noun מְשׁוּבָתָה (mÿshuvatah, “waywardness”; cf. KJV “backsliding”) is from the same root as שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return!”) in 14:1[2]. This repetition of שׁוּב (shuv) creates a wordplay which emphasizes reciprocity: if Israel will return (שׁוּבָה, shuvah) to the
[14:4] 753 tn The noun נְדָבָה (nÿdavah, “voluntariness; free-will offering”) is an adverbial accusative of manner: “freely, voluntarily” (BDB 621 s.v. נְדָבָה 1). Cf. CEV “without limit”; TEV “with all my heart”; NLT “my love will know no bounds.”
[14:4] 754 sn The verb שָׁב, shav, “will turn” (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to turn”) continues the wordplay on שׁוּב in 14:1-4[2-5]. If Israel will “return” (שׁוּב) to the
[14:5] 755 tn Heb “like Lebanon” (so KJV; also in the following verse). The phrase “a cedar of” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it is supplied in translation for clarity. Cf. TEV “the trees of Lebanon”; NRSV “the forests of Lebanon.”
[14:7] 756 tn Hosea uses the similar-sounding terms יָשֻׁבוּ יֹשְׁבֵי (yashuvu yoshve, “the dwellers will return”) to create a wordplay between the roots שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) and יָשַׁב (yashav, “to dwell; to reside”).
[14:7] 757 tn Heb “they will cause the grain to live” or “they will revive the grain.” Some English versions treat this as a comparison: “they shall revive as the corn” (KJV); “will flourish like the grain” (NIV).
[14:8] 758 tn The Hebrew expression מַה־לִּי עוֹד (mah-li ’od) is a formula of repudiation/emphatic denial that God has anything in common with idols: “I want to have nothing to do with […] any more!” Cf., e.g., Judg 11:12; 2 Sam 16:10; 19:23; 1 Kgs 17:18; 2 Kgs 3:13; 2 Chr 35:21; Jer 2:18; Ps 50:16; BDB 553 s.v. מָה 1.d.(c).
[14:8] 759 tn The term “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity, as in the majority of English versions (including KJV).
[14:8] 760 tn Cf. KJV “a green fir tree”; NIV, NCV “a green pine tree”; NRSV “an evergreen cypress.”
[14:8] 761 tn Heb “your fruit is found in me”; NRSV “your faithfulness comes from me.”
[14:9] 762 tn The shortened form of the prefix-conjugation verb וְיָבֵן (vÿyaven) indicates that it is a jussive rather than an imperfect. When a jussive comes from a superior to an inferior, it may connote exhortation and instruction or advice and counsel. For the functions of the jussive, see IBHS 568-70 §34.3.
[2:28] 763 sn Beginning with 2:28, the verse numbers through 3:21 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:28 ET = 3:1 HT, 2:29 ET = 3:2 HT, 2:30 ET = 3:3 HT, 2:31 ET = 3:4 HT, 2:32 ET = 3:5 HT, 3:1 ET = 4:1 HT, etc., through 3:21 ET = 4:21 HT. Thus Joel in the Hebrew Bible has 4 chapters, the 5 verses of ch. 3 being included at the end of ch. 2 in the English Bible.
[2:28] 764 tn Heb “Now it will be after this.”
[2:28] 765 sn This passage plays a key role in the apostolic explanation of the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2:17-21. Peter introduces his quotation of this passage with “this is that spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16; cf. the similar pesher formula used at Qumran). The New Testament experience at Pentecost is thus seen in some sense as a fulfillment of this Old Testament passage, even though that experience did not exhaustively fulfill Joel’s words. Some portions of Joel’s prophecy have no precise counterpart in that experience. For example, there is nothing in the experience recorded in Acts 2 that exactly corresponds to the earthly and heavenly signs described in Joel 3:3-4. But inasmuch as the messianic age had already begun and the “last days” had already commenced with the coming of the Messiah (cf. Heb 1:1-2), Peter was able to point to Joel 3:1-5 as a text that was relevant to the advent of Jesus and the bestowal of the Spirit. The equative language that Peter employs (“this is that”) stresses an incipient fulfillment of the Joel passage without precluding or minimizing a yet future and more exhaustive fulfillment in events associated with the return of Christ.
[2:28] 766 tn Heb “all flesh.” As a term for humanity, “flesh” suggests the weakness and fragility of human beings as opposed to God who is “spirit.” The word “all” refers not to all human beings without exception (cf. NAB, NASB “all mankind”; NLT “all people”), but to all classes of human beings without distinction (cf. NCV).
[2:28] 767 tn Heb “your old men will dream dreams.”
[2:30] 768 tn Or “in the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[2:31] 769 tn Heb “to blood,” but no doubt this is intended to indicate by metonymy the color of blood rather than the substance itself. The blood red color suggests a visual impression here – something that could be caused by fires, volcanic dust, sandstorms, or other atmospheric phenomena.
[2:32] 770 tn While a number of English versions render this as “saved” (e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT), this can suggest a “spiritual” or “theological” salvation rather than the physical deliverance from the cataclysmic events of the day of the Lord described in the context.
[2:32] 771 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:32] 772 tn Heb “deliverance”; or “escape.” The abstract noun “deliverance” or “escape” probably functions here as an example of antimeria, referring to those who experience deliverance or escape with their lives: “escaped remnant” or “surviving remnant” (Gen 32:8; 45:7; Judg 21:17; 2 Kgs 19:30, 31; Isa 4:2; 10:20; 15:9; 37:31, 32; Ezek 14:22; Obad 1:17; Ezra 9:8, 13-15; Neh 1:2; 1 Chr 4:43; 2 Chr 30:6).
[2:32] 773 tn Heb “and among the remnant.”
[2:32] 774 tn The participle used in the Hebrew text seems to indicate action in the imminent future.
[9:8] 775 tn Heb “the eyes of the sovereign
[9:8] 777 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
[9:9] 778 tn Heb “like being shaken with a sieve, and a pebble does not fall to the ground.” The meaning of the Hebrew word צְרוֹר (tsÿror), translated “pebble,” is unclear here. In 2 Sam 17:13 it appears to refer to a stone. If it means “pebble,” then the sieve described in v. 6 allows the grain to fall into a basket while retaining the debris and pebbles. However, if one interprets צְרוֹר as a “kernel of grain” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT) then the sieve is constructed to retain the grain and allow the refuse and pebbles to fall to the ground. In either case, the simile supports the last statement in v. 8 by making it clear that God will distinguish between the righteous (the grain) and the wicked (the pebbles) when he judges, and will thereby preserve a remnant in Israel. Only the sinners will be destroyed (v. 10).
[9:11] 779 tn The phrase translated “collapsing hut” refers to a temporary shelter (cf. NASB, NRSV “booth”) in disrepair and emphasizes the relatively weakened condition of the once powerful Davidic dynasty. Others have suggested that the term refers to Jerusalem, while still others argue that it should be repointed to read “Sukkoth,” a garrison town in Transjordan. Its reconstruction would symbolize the rebirth of the Davidic empire and its return to power (e.g., M. E. Polley, Amos and the Davidic Empire, 71-74).
[9:11] 780 tc The MT reads a third feminine plural suffix, which could refer to the two kingdoms (Judah and Israel) or, more literally, to the breaches in the walls of the cities that are mentioned in v. 4 (cf. 4:3). Some emend to third feminine singular, since the “hut” of the preceding line (a feminine singular noun) might be the antecedent. In that case, the final nun (ן) is virtually dittographic with the vav (ו) that appears at the beginning of the following word.
[9:11] 781 tc The MT reads a third masculine singular suffix, which could refer back to David. However, it is possible that an original third feminine singular suffix (יה-, yod-hey) has been misread as masculine (יו-, yod-vav). In later Hebrew script a ה (he) resembles a יו- (yod-vav) combination.
[9:11] 782 tn Heb “and I will rebuild as in days of antiquity.”
[9:12] 783 sn They probably refers to the Israelites or to the Davidic rulers of the future.
[9:12] 784 tn Heb “take possession of the remnant of Edom”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “possess the remnant of Edom.”
[9:12] 785 tn Heb “nations over whom my name is proclaimed.” The Hebrew idiom indicates ownership, sometimes as a result of conquest. See 2 Sam 12:28.
[9:12] sn This verse envisions a new era of Israelite rule, perhaps patterned after David’s imperialistic successes (see 2 Sam 8-10). At the same time, however, the verse does not specify how this rule is to be accomplished. Note that the book ends with a description of peace and abundance, and its final reference to God (v. 15) does not include the epithet “the Lord who commands armies,” which has militaristic overtones. This is quite a different scene than what the book began with: nations at war and standing under the judgment of God.
[9:13] 786 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[9:13] 787 tn Heb “the days are.”
[9:13] 788 sn The plowman will catch up to the reaper. Plowing occurred in October-November, and harvesting in April-May (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109.) But in the future age of restored divine blessing, there will be so many crops the reapers will take all summer to harvest them, and it will be time for plowing again before the harvest is finished.
[9:13] 789 sn When the grapes had been harvested, they were placed in a press where workers would stomp on them with their feet and squeeze out the juice. For a discussion of grape harvesting technique, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-12.
[9:13] 790 tn The verb is omitted here in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation from the parallel line.
[9:13] 791 sn The grape harvest occurred in August-September, planting in November-December (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109). But in the future age described here there will be so many grapes the workers who stomp them will still be working when the next planting season arrives.
[9:13] 792 tn Or “hills,” where the vineyards were planted.
[9:13] 793 tn Heb “and all the hills will melt.”
[9:14] 794 tn This line can also be translated “I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel” and is a common idiom (e.g., Deut 30:3; Jer 30:3; Hos 6:11; Zeph 3:20). This rendering is followed by several modern English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV, NJPS).
[9:14] 795 tn Or “the ruined [or “desolate”] cities.”
[9:14] 796 tn Or “and live [in them].”
[9:14] 797 tn Heb “drink their wine.”
[9:14] 799 tn Heb “eat their fruit.”
[9:15] 800 tn Heb “their.” The pronoun was replaced by the English definite article in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[5:4] 801 tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”
[5:4] 802 tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:4] 803 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the
[5:4] 804 tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).
[5:4] 806 tn Or “to the ends of.”
[5:5] 807 tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).
[5:5] 808 tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).
[5:5] 810 sn The numbers seven and eight here symbolize completeness and emphasize that Israel will have more than enough military leadership and strength to withstand the Assyrian advance.
[5:5] 812 tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”
[5:6] 813 tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”
[5:6] 814 sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.
[5:6] 815 tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).
[5:6] 816 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:7] 817 tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).
[5:7] 819 tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).
[5:7] 820 tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”
[5:7] sn Men wait eagerly for the dew and the rain, not vice versa. Just as the dew and rain are subject to the
[7:14] 821 tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).
[7:14] 822 tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”
[7:14] 823 tn Or “in the midst of Carmel.” The Hebrew term translated “pastureland” may be a place name.
[7:14] sn The point seems to be that Israel is in a vulnerable position, like sheep in a thicket populated by predators, while rich pastureland (their homeland and God’s blessings) is in view.
[7:14] 824 sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.
[7:14] 825 tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”
[7:15] 826 tn Heb “him.” This probably refers to Israel in a collective sense. Because the switch from direct address to the third person is awkward, some prefer to emend the suffix to a second person form. In any case, it is necessary to employ a second person pronoun in the translation to maintain the connection for the English reader.
[7:15] 827 sn I will show you miraculous deeds. In this verse the
[7:16] 828 tn Or “be ashamed of.”
[7:16] 829 tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the
[7:17] 830 tn Heb “like crawling things on the ground.” The parallelism suggests snakes are in view.
[7:17] 831 tn Thetranslationassumesthatthe phrase אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (’el-yÿhvah ’elohenu, “to the
[7:17] 832 tn Heb “they will be in dread and afraid.”
[7:17] 833 tn The
[7:18] 834 tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”
[7:18] 835 tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.
[7:18] 836 tn Heb “pass over.”
[7:18] 837 tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”
[7:18] 838 tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”
[7:19] 839 tn The verb יָשׁוּב (yashuv, “he will return”) is here used adverbially in relation to the following verb, indicating that the
[7:19] 840 tn Some prefer to read יִכְבֹּס (yikhbos, “he will cleanse”; see HALOT 459 s.v. כבס pi). If the MT is taken as it stands, sin is personified as an enemy that the
[7:19] 841 tn Heb “their sins,” but the final mem (ם) may be enclitic rather than a pronominal suffix. In this case the suffix from the preceding line (“our”) may be understood as doing double duty.
[7:19] 842 sn In this metaphor the
[7:20] 843 tn More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.
[7:20] 844 tn Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.
[7:20] 845 tn Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”
[3:14] 846 sn This phrase is used as an epithet for the city and the nation. “Daughter” may seem extraneous in English but consciously joins the various epithets and metaphors of Israel and Jerusalem as a woman, a device used to evoke sympathy from the reader.
[3:15] 847 tn Heb “your judgments,” that is, “the judgments directed against you.” The translation reflects the implications of the parallelism.
[3:16] 848 tn Heb “it will be said.” The passive construction has been translated as active for stylistic reasons.
[3:16] 849 tn Heb “your hands must not go limp.”
[3:17] 850 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with joy.”
[3:17] 851 tc The MT reads, “he is silent in his love,” but this makes no sense in light of the immediately preceding and following lines. Some take the Hiphil verb form as causative (see Job 11:3) rather than intransitive and translate, “he causes [you] to be silent by his love,” that is, “he soothes [you] by his love.” The present translation follows the LXX and assumes an original reading יְחַדֵּשׁ (yÿkhaddesh, “he renews”) with ellipsis of the object (“you”).
[3:17] 852 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with a shout of joy.”
[3:18] 853 tn Heb “The ones grieving from an assembly I gathered from you they were, tribute upon her, a reproach.” Any translation of this difficult verse must be provisional at best. The present translation assumes three things: (1) The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “assembly” is causal (the individuals are sorrowing because of the assemblies or festivals they are no longer able to hold). (2) מַשְׂאֵת (mas’et) means “tribute” and refers to the exiled people being treated as the spoils of warfare (see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah [WEC], 385-86). (3) The third feminine singular suffix refers to personified Jerusalem, which is addressed earlier in the verse (the pronominal suffix in “from you” is second feminine singular). For other interpretive options see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 146.
[3:19] 854 tn The word “sheep” is supplied for clarification. As in Mic 4:6-7, the exiles are here pictured as injured and scattered sheep whom the divine shepherd rescues from danger.
[3:19] 855 tn Heb “I will make them into praise and a name, in all the earth, their shame.” The present translation assumes that “their shame” specifies “them” and that “name” stands here for a good reputation.
[3:20] 856 tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.
[3:20] 858 tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”
[3:20] 859 tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.
[9:9] 860 tn The Hebrew term צַדִּיק (tsadiq) ordinarily translated “righteous,” frequently occurs, as here, with the idea of conforming to a standard or meeting certain criteria. The Messianic king riding into Jerusalem is fully qualified to take the Davidic throne (cf. 1 Sam 23:3; Isa 9:5-6; 11:4; 16:5; Jer 22:1-5; 23:5-6).
[9:9] 861 tn The Hebrew term נוֹשָׁע (nosha’) a Niphal participle of יָשַׁע (yasha’, “to save”) could mean “one delivered” or, if viewed as active, “one bringing salvation” (similar KJV, NIV, NKJV). It is preferable to take the normal passive use of the Niphal and understand that the king, having been delivered, is as a result “victorious” (so also NRSV, TEV, NLT).
[9:9] 862 sn The NT understands this verse to be a prophecy of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and properly so (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15), but reference to the universal rule of the king in v. 10 reveals that this is a “split prophecy,” that is, it has a two-stage fulfillment. Verse 9 was fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly ministry but v. 10 awaits a millennial consummation (cf. Rev 19:11-16).
[9:10] 863 tc The MT first person pronoun (“I”), which seems to shift the subject too abruptly, becomes 3rd person masculine singular (“he”) in the LXX (הִכְרִית, hikhrit, presupposed for הִכְרַתִּי, hikhratti). However, the
[9:10] tn Heb “cut off” (so NASB, NRSV; also later in this verse); NAB “banish”; NIV, CEV “take away.”
[9:10] 864 tn Heb “the river.” The Hebrew expression typically refers to the Euphrates, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:13] 865 tn The words “my arrow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify the imagery for the modern reader (cf. NRSV, NLT).
[9:13] 866 tn The word “Zion” is not repeated here in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the statement refers to Zion and not to Greece.
[9:15] 867 tn Heb “they will drink and roar as with wine”; the LXX (followed here by NAB, NRSV) reads “they will drink blood like wine” (referring to a figurative “drinking” of the blood of their enemies).
[9:15] 868 sn The whole setting is eschatological as the intensely figurative language shows. The message is that the
[9:17] 869 sn This expostulation best fits the whole preceding description of God’s eschatological work on behalf of his people. His goodness is especially evident in his nurturing of the young men and women of his kingdom.
[12:6] 870 sn On that day (referring to the day of the
[12:6] 871 tn Heb “a firepot” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “a blazing pot”; NLT “a brazier.”
[12:7] 872 tn Heb “the tents” (so NAB, NRSV); NIV “the dwellings.”
[12:7] 873 tn Heb “house,” referring here to the dynastic line. Cf. NLT “the royal line”; CEV “the kingdom.” The same expression is translated “dynasty” in the following verse.
[12:8] 874 sn The statement the dynasty of David will be like God is hyperbole to show the remarkable enhancements that will accompany the inauguration of the millennial age.
[12:10] 876 tn Or “dynasty”; Heb “house.”
[12:10] 877 tc Because of the difficulty of the concept of the mortal piercing of God, the subject of this clause, and the shift of pronoun from “me” to “him” in the next, many
[12:10] tn Or “on me.”
[12:10] 878 tn The Hebrew term בְּכוֹר (bÿkhor, “firstborn”), translated usually in the LXX by πρωτότοκος (prwtotokos), has unmistakable messianic overtones as the use of the Greek term in the NT to describe Jesus makes clear (cf. Col 1:15, 18). Thus, the idea of God being pierced sets the stage for the fatal wounding of Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God (cf. John 19:37; Rev 1:7). Note that some English translations supply “son” from the context (e.g., NIV, TEV, NLT).
[14:20] 879 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
[14:20] 880 sn In the glory of the messianic age there will be no differences between the sacred (the bowls before the altar) and the profane (the cooking pots in the
[14:21] 881 tn Or “merchant”; “trader” (because Canaanites, especially Phoenicians, were merchants and traders; cf. BDB 489 s.v. I and II כְּנַעֲנִי). English versions have rendered the term as “Canaanite” (KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV), “trader” (RSV, NEB), “traders” (NRSV, NLT), or “merchant” (NAB), although frequently a note is given explaining the other option. Cf. also John 2:16.
[14:21] sn This is not to preclude the Canaanite (or anyone else) from worship; the point is that in the messianic age all such ethnic and religious distinctions will be erased and all people will be eligible to worship the
[14:8] 882 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[14:8] 883 tc There are several different variants comprising a textual problem involving “second” (δεύτερος, deuteros). First, several
[14:8] 884 tn Grk “And another angel, a second.”
[14:8] 885 tn The words “the first” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[14:8] 886 tn For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.
[14:8] 887 sn The fall of Babylon the great city is described in detail in Rev 18:2-24.
[14:8] 888 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[14:8] 889 tn Grk “of the wine of the passion of the sexual immorality of her.” Here τῆς πορνείας (th" porneia") has been translated as an attributive genitive. In an ironic twist of fate, God will make Babylon drink her own mixture, but it will become the wine of his wrath in retribution for her immoral deeds (see the note on the word “wrath” in 16:19).
[14:9] 890 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[14:9] 891 tn Grk “And another angel, a third.”
[14:9] 892 tn Grk “followed them.”
[14:9] 893 tn For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.
[14:10] 894 tn Grk “he himself.”
[14:10] 895 tn The Greek word for “anger” here is θυμός (qumos), a wordplay on the “passion” (θυμός) of the personified city of Babylon in 14:8.
[14:10] 896 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
[14:11] 897 tn The Greek pronoun is plural here even though the verbs in the previous verse are singular.
[14:11] 898 tn The present tense ἀναβαίνει (anabainei) has been translated as a futuristic present (ExSyn 535-36). This is also consistent with the future passive βασανισθήσεται (basanisqhsetai) in v. 10.
[14:11] 899 tn The present tense ἔχουσιν (ecousin) has been translated as a futuristic present to keep the English tense consistent with the previous verb (see note on “will go up” earlier in this verse).
[14:12] 902 tn Or “the perseverance.”
[14:12] 903 tn Grk “who keep.”
[14:12] 904 tn The words “hold to” are implied as a repetition of the participle translated “keep” (οἱ τηροῦντες, Joi throunte").
[14:12] 905 tn Grk “faith of Jesus.” The construction may mean either “faith in Jesus” or “faithful to Jesus.” Either translation implies that ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou) is to be taken as an objective genitive; the difference is more lexical than grammatical because πίστις (pistis) can mean either “faith” or “faithfulness.”
[14:13] 906 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[14:13] 907 tn Or “from their trouble” (L&N 22.7).
[14:13] 908 tn Grk “their deeds will follow with them.”
[14:14] 909 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[14:14] 910 tn Grk “and behold, a white cloud.”
[14:14] 911 tn This phrase constitutes an allusion to Dan 7:13. Concerning υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (Juio" tou anqrwpou), BDAG 1026 s.v. υἱός 2.d.γ says: “ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου lit. ‘the son of the man’…‘the human being, the human one, the man’…On Israelite thought contemporary w. Jesus and alleged knowledge of a heavenly being looked upon as a ‘Son of Man’ or ‘Man’, who exercises Messianic functions such as judging the world (metaph., pictorial passages in En 46-48; 4 Esdr 13:3, 51f)…Outside the gospels: Ac 7:56…Rv 1:13; 14:14 (both after Da 7:13…).” The term “son” here in this expression is anarthrous and as such lacks specificity. Some commentators and translations take the expression as an allusion to Daniel 7:13 and not to “the son of man” found in gospel traditions (e.g., Mark 8:31; 9:12; cf. D. E. Aune, Revelation [WBC], 2:800-801; cf. also NIV). Other commentators and versions, however, take the phrase “son of man” as definite, involving allusions to Dan 7:13 and “the son of man” gospel traditions (see G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 771-72; NRSV).
[14:14] 912 tn Grk “like a son of man, having.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence.
