Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 31:27
Context31:27 for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness. 1 Indeed, even while I have been living among you to this very day, you have rebelled against the Lord; you will be even more rebellious after my death! 2
Deuteronomy 32:5-6
Context32:5 His people have been unfaithful 3 to him;
they have not acted like his children 4 – this is their sin. 5
They are a perverse 6 and deceitful generation.
32:6 Is this how you repay 7 the Lord,
you foolish, unwise people?
Is he not your father, your creator?
He has made you and established you.
Exodus 14:11
Context14:11 and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? 8 What in the world 9 have you done to us by bringing 10 us out of Egypt?
Exodus 16:2
Context16:2 The entire company 11 of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the desert.
Exodus 17:2
Context17:2 So the people contended 12 with Moses, and they said, “Give us water to drink!” 13 Moses said to them, “Why do you contend 14 with me? Why do you test 15 the Lord?”
Numbers 11:4
Context11:4 16 Now the mixed multitude 17 who were among them craved more desirable foods, 18 and so the Israelites wept again 19 and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 20
Numbers 14:1-10
Context14:1 21 Then all the community raised a loud cry, 22 and the people wept 23 that night. 14:2 And all the Israelites murmured 24 against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died 25 in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished 26 in this wilderness! 14:3 Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 14:4 So they said to one another, 27 “Let’s appoint 28 a leader 29 and return 30 to Egypt.”
14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground 31 before the whole assembled community 32 of the Israelites. 14:6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments. 14:7 They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly 33 good land. 14:8 If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us – a land that is flowing with milk and honey. 34 14:9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. 35 Their protection 36 has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”
14:10 However, the whole community threatened to stone them. 37 But 38 the glory 39 of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent 40 of meeting.
Numbers 16:1-35
Context16:1 41 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, who were Reubenites, 42 took men 43 16:2 and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaders 44 of the community, chosen from the assembly, 45 famous men. 46 16:3 And they assembled against Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, 47 seeing that the whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the community of the Lord?”
16:4 When Moses heard it he fell down with his face to the ground. 48 16:5 Then he said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning the Lord will make known who are his, and who is holy. He will cause that person 49 to approach him; the person he has chosen he will cause to approach him. 16:6 Do this, Korah, you and all your company: 50 Take censers, 16:7 put fire in them, and set incense on them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses will be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!” 16:8 Moses said to Korah, “Listen now, you sons of Levi! 16:9 Does it seem too small a thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the community to minister to them? 16:10 He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Do you now seek 51 the priesthood also? 16:11 Therefore you and all your company have assembled together against the Lord! And Aaron – what is he that you murmur against him?” 52 16:12 Then Moses summoned 53 Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up. 54 16:13 Is it a small thing 55 that you have brought us up out of the land that flows with milk and honey, 56 to kill us in the wilderness? Now do you want to make yourself a prince 57 over us? 16:14 Moreover, 58 you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you think you can blind 59 these men? We will not come up.”
16:15 Moses was very angry, and he said to the Lord, “Have no respect 60 for their offering! I have not taken so much as one donkey from them, nor have I harmed any one of them!”
16:16 Then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company present yourselves before the Lord – you and they, and Aaron – tomorrow. 16:17 And each of you 61 take his censer, put 62 incense in it, and then each of you present his censer before the Lord: 250 censers, along with you, and Aaron – each of you with his censer.” 16:18 So everyone took his censer, put fire in it, and set incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 16:19 When 63 Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, then the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.
16:20 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 16:21 “Separate yourselves 64 from among this community, 65 that I may consume them in an instant.” 16:22 Then they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground 66 and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all people, 67 will you be angry with the whole community when only one man sins?” 68
16:23 So the Lord spoke to Moses: 16:24 “Tell the community: ‘Get away 69 from around the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’” 16:25 Then Moses got up 70 and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel went after him. 16:26 And he said to the community, “Move away from the tents of these wicked 71 men, and do not touch anything they have, lest you be destroyed because 72 of all their sins.” 73 16:27 So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselves 74 in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers. 16:28 Then Moses said, “This is how 75 you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. 76 16:29 If these men die a natural death, 77 or if they share the fate 78 of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 16:30 But if the Lord does something entirely new, 79 and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up 80 along with all that they have, and they 81 go down alive to the grave, 82 then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!”
16:31 When he had finished 83 speaking 84 all these words, the ground that was under them split open, 16:32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods. 16:33 They and all that they had went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them. So they perished from among the community. 16:34 All the Israelites 85 who were around them fled at their cry, 86 for they said, “What if 87 the earth swallows us too?” 16:35 Then a fire 88 went out from the Lord and devoured the 250 men who offered incense.
Numbers 20:2-5
Context20:2 And there was no water for the community, and so they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron. 20:3 The people contended 89 with Moses, saying, 90 “If only 91 we had died when our brothers died before the Lord! 20:4 Why 92 have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness? So that 93 we and our cattle should die here? 20:5 Why 94 have you brought us up from Egypt only to bring us to 95 this dreadful place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink!”
Numbers 21:5
Context21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we 96 detest this worthless 97 food.”
Numbers 25:2
Context25:2 These women invited 98 the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 99
Nehemiah 9:16-18
Context9:16 “But they – our ancestors 100 – behaved presumptuously; they rebelled 101 and did not obey your commandments. 9:17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. 102 But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. 103 You did not abandon them, 9:18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,’ or when they committed atrocious 104 blasphemies.
Psalms 78:8-72
Context78:8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,
who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that was not committed
and faithful to God. 105
78:9 The Ephraimites 106 were armed with bows, 107
but they retreated in the day of battle. 108
78:10 They did not keep their covenant with God, 109
and they refused to obey 110 his law.
78:11 They forgot what he had done, 111
the amazing things he had shown them.
78:12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. 112
78:13 He divided the sea and led them across it;
he made the water stand in a heap.
78:14 He led them with a cloud by day,
and with the light of a fire all night long.
78:15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea. 113
78:16 He caused streams to flow from the rock,
and made the water flow like rivers.
78:17 Yet they continued to sin against him,
and rebelled against the sovereign One 114 in the desert.
78:18 They willfully challenged God 115
by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.
78:19 They insulted God, saying, 116
“Is God really able to give us food 117 in the wilderness?
78:20 Yes, 118 he struck a rock and water flowed out,
streams gushed forth.
But can he also give us food?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
78:21 When 119 the Lord heard this, he was furious.
A fire broke out against Jacob,
and his anger flared up 120 against Israel,
78:22 because they did not have faith in God,
and did not trust his ability to deliver them. 121
78:23 He gave a command to the clouds above,
and opened the doors in the sky.
78:24 He rained down manna for them to eat;
he gave them the grain of heaven. 122
78:25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones. 123
He sent them more than enough to eat. 124
78:26 He brought the east wind through the sky,
and by his strength led forth the south wind.
78:27 He rained down meat on them like dust,
birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores. 125
78:28 He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp,
all around their homes.
78:29 They ate until they were stuffed; 126
he gave them what they desired.
78:30 They were not yet filled up, 127
their food was still in their mouths,
78:31 when the anger of God flared up against them.
He killed some of the strongest of them;
he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.
78:32 Despite all this, they continued to sin,
and did not trust him to do amazing things. 128
78:33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied 129
and filled with terror. 130
78:34 When he struck them down, 131 they sought his favor; 132
they turned back and longed for God.
78:35 They remembered that God was their protector, 133
and that the sovereign God was their deliverer. 134
78:36 But they deceived him with their words, 135
and lied to him. 136
78:37 They were not really committed to him, 137
and they were unfaithful to his covenant.
78:38 Yet he is compassionate.
He forgives sin and does not destroy.
He often holds back his anger,
and does not stir up his fury. 138
78:39 He remembered 139 that they were made of flesh,
and were like a wind that blows past and does not return. 140
78:40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness,
and insulted him 141 in the desert!
78:41 They again challenged God, 142
and offended 143 the Holy One of Israel. 144
78:42 They did not remember what he had done, 145
how he delivered them from the enemy, 146
78:43 when he performed his awesome deeds 147 in Egypt,
and his acts of judgment 148 in the region of Zoan.
78:44 He turned their rivers into blood,
and they could not drink from their streams.
78:45 He sent swarms of biting insects against them, 149
as well as frogs that overran their land. 150
78:46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
the fruit of their labor to the locust.
78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.
78:48 He rained hail down on their cattle, 151
and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock. 152
78:49 His raging anger lashed out against them, 153
He sent fury, rage, and trouble
as messengers who bring disaster. 154
78:50 He sent his anger in full force; 155
he did not spare them from death;
he handed their lives over to destruction. 156
78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power 157 in the tents of Ham.
78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;
he led them through the wilderness like a flock.
78:53 He guided them safely along,
while the sea covered their enemies.
78:54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this mountainous land 158 which his right hand 159 acquired.
78:55 He drove the nations out from before them;
he assigned them their tribal allotments 160
and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down. 161
78:56 Yet they challenged and defied 162 the sovereign God, 163
and did not obey 164 his commands. 165
78:57 They were unfaithful 166 and acted as treacherously as 167 their ancestors;
they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. 168
78:58 They made him angry with their pagan shrines, 169
and made him jealous with their idols.
78:59 God heard and was angry;
he completely rejected Israel.
78:60 He abandoned 170 the sanctuary at Shiloh,
the tent where he lived among men.
78:61 He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured; 171
he gave the symbol of his splendor 172 into the hand of the enemy. 173
78:62 He delivered his people over to the sword,
and was angry with his chosen nation. 174
78:63 Fire consumed their 175 young men,
and their 176 virgins remained unmarried. 177
78:64 Their 178 priests fell by the sword,
but their 179 widows did not weep. 180
78:65 But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; 181
he was like a warrior in a drunken rage. 182
78:66 He drove his enemies back;
he made them a permanent target for insults. 183
78:67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loves.
78:69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; 184
as secure as the earth, which he established permanently. 185
78:70 He chose David, his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds.
78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, 186
and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,
and of Israel, his chosen nation. 187
78:72 David 188 cared for them with pure motives; 189
he led them with skill. 190
Psalms 95:8-11
Context95:8 He says, 191 “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, 192
like they were that day at Massah 193 in the wilderness, 194
95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, 195
and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.
95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted 196 with that generation,
and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; 197
they do not obey my commands.’ 198
95:11 So I made a vow in my anger,
‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’” 199
[31:27] 1 tn Heb “stiffness of neck” (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV). See note on the word “stubborn” in Deut 9:6.
[31:27] 2 tn Heb “How much more after my death?” The Hebrew text has a sarcastic rhetorical question here; the translation seeks to bring out the force of the question.
[32:5] 3 tc The 3rd person masculine singular שָׁחַת (shakhat) is rendered as 3rd person masculine plural by Smr, a reading supported by the plural suffix on מוּם (mum, “defect”) as well as the plural of בֵּן (ben, “sons”).
[32:5] 4 tn Heb “(they are) not his sons.”
[32:5] 5 tn Heb “defect” (so NASB). This highly elliptical line suggests that Israel’s major fault was its failure to act like God’s people; in fact, they acted quite the contrary.
[32:5] 6 tn Heb “twisted,” “crooked.” See Ps 18:26.
[14:11] 8 sn B. Jacob (Exodus, 396-97) notes how the speech is overly dramatic and came from a people given to using such exaggerations (Num 16:14), even using a double negative. The challenge to Moses brings a double irony. To die in the desert would be without proper burial, but in Egypt there were graves – it was a land of tombs and graves! Gesenius notes that two negatives in the sentence do not nullify each other but make the sentence all the more emphatic: “Is it because there were no graves…?” (GKC 483 §152.y).
[14:11] 9 tn The demonstrative pronoun has the enclitic use again, giving a special emphasis to the question (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
[14:11] 10 tn The Hebrew term לְהוֹצִּיאָנוּ (lÿhotsi’anu) is the Hiphil infinitive construct with a suffix, “to bring us out.” It is used epexegetically here, explaining the previous question.
[16:2] 11 tn Or “community” or “assembly.”
[17:2] 12 tn The verb וַיָּרֶב (vayyarev) is from the root רִיב (riv); it forms the basis of the name “Meribah.” The word means “strive, quarrel, be in contention” and even “litigation.” A translation “quarrel” does not appear to capture the magnitude of what is being done here. The people have a legal dispute – they are contending with Moses as if bringing a lawsuit.
[17:2] 13 tn The imperfect tense with the vav (ו) follows the imperative, and so it carries the nuance of the logical sequence, showing purpose or result. This may be expressed in English as “give us water so that we may drink,” but more simply with the English infinitive, “give us water to drink.”
[17:2] 14 tn In this case and in the next clause the imperfect tenses are to be taken as progressive imperfects – the action is in progress.
[17:2] 15 tn The verb נָסָה (nasah) means “to test, tempt, try, prove.” It can be used of people simply trying to do something that they are not sure of (such as David trying on Saul’s armor), or of God testing people to see if they will obey (as in testing Abraham, Gen 22:1), or of people challenging others (as in the Queen of Sheba coming to test Solomon), and of the people in the desert in rebellion putting God to the test. By doubting that God was truly in their midst, and demanding that he demonstrate his presence, they tested him to see if he would act. There are times when “proving” God is correct and required, but that is done by faith (as with Gideon); when it is done out of unbelief, then it is an act of disloyalty.
[11:4] 16 sn The story of the sending of the quail is a good example of poetic justice, or talionic justice. God had provided for the people, but even in that provision they were not satisfied, for they remembered other foods they had in Egypt. No doubt there was not the variety of foods in the Sinai that might have been available in Egypt, but their life had been bitter bondage there as well. They had cried to the
[11:4] 17 tn The mixed multitude (or “rabble,” so NASB, NIV, NRSV; NLT “foreign rabble”) is the translation of an unusual word, הֲָאסַפְסֻף (ha’safsuf). It occurs in the Hebrew Bible only here. It may mean “a gathering of people” from the verb אָסַף (’asaf), yielding the idea of a mixed multitude (in line with Exod 12:38). But the root is different, and so no clear connection can be established. Many commentators therefore think the word is stronger, showing contempt through a word that would be equivalent to “riff-raff.”
[11:4] 18 tn The Hebrew simply uses the cognate accusative, saying “they craved a craving” (הִתְאַוּוּ תַּאֲוָה, hit’avvu ta’vah), but the context shows that they had this strong craving for food. The verb describes a strong desire, which is not always negative (Ps 132:13-14). But the word is a significant one in the Torah; it was used in the garden story for Eve’s desire for the tree, and it is used in the Decalogue in the warning against coveting (Deut 5:21).
[11:4] 19 tc The Greek and the Latin versions read “and they sat down” for “and they returned,” involving just a change in vocalization (which they did not have). This may reflect the same expression in Judg 20:26. But the change does not improve this verse.
[11:4] 20 tn The Hebrew expresses the strong wish or longing idiomatically: “Who will give us flesh to eat?” It is a rhetorical expression not intended to be taken literally, but merely to give expression to the longing they had. See GKC 476 §151.a.1.
[14:1] 21 sn This chapter forms part of the story already begun. There are three major sections here: dissatisfaction with the reports (vv. 1-10), the threat of divine punishment (vv. 11-38), and the defeat of the Israelites (vv. 39-45). See K. D. Sakenfeld, “The Problem of Divine Forgiveness in Num 14,” CBQ 37 (1975): 317-30; also J. R. Bartlett, “The Use of the Word רֹאשׁ as a Title in the Old Testament,” VT 19 (1969): 1-10.
[14:1] 22 tn The two verbs “lifted up their voice and cried” form a hendiadys; the idiom of raising the voice means that they cried aloud.
[14:1] 23 tn There are a number of things that the verb “to weep” or “wail” can connote. It could reflect joy, grief, lamentation, or repentance, but here it reflects fear, hopelessness, or vexation at the thought of coming all this way and being defeated by the Canaanite armies. See Judg 20:23, 26.
[14:2] 24 tn The Hebrew verb “to murmur” is לוּן (lun). It is a strong word, signifying far more than complaining or grumbling, as some of the modern translations have it. The word is most often connected to the wilderness experience. It is paralleled in the literature with the word “to rebel.” The murmuring is like a parliamentary vote of no confidence, for they no longer trusted their leaders and wished to choose a new leader and return. This “return to Egypt” becomes a symbol of their lack of faith in the
[14:2] 25 tn The optative is expressed by לוּ (lu) and then the verb, here the perfect tense מַתְנוּ (matnu) – “O that we had died….” Had they wanted to die in Egypt they should not have cried out to the
[14:4] 27 tn Heb “a man to his brother.”
[14:4] 28 tn The verb is נָתַן (natan, “to give”), but this verb has quite a wide range of meanings in the Bible. Here it must mean “to make,” “to choose,” “to designate” or the like.
[14:4] 29 tn The word “head” (רֹאשׁ, ro’sh) probably refers to a tribal chief who was capable to judge and to lead to war (see J. R. Bartlett, “The Use of the Word רֹאשׁ as a Title in the Old Testament,” VT 19 [1969]: 1-10).
[14:4] 30 tn The form is a cohortative with a vav (ו) prefixed. After the preceding cohortative this could also be interpreted as a purpose or result clause – in order that we may return.
[14:5] 31 sn This action of Moses and Aaron is typical of them in the wilderness with the Israelites. The act shows self-abasement and deference before the sovereign
[14:5] 32 tn Heb “before all the assembly of the congregation.”
[14:7] 33 tn The repetition of the adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od) is used to express this: “very, very [good].”
[14:8] 34 tn The subjective genitives “milk and honey” are symbols of the wealth of the land, second only to bread. Milk was a sign of such abundance (Gen 49:12; Isa 7:21,22). Because of the climate the milk would thicken quickly and become curds, eaten with bread or turned into butter. The honey mentioned here is the wild honey (see Deut 32:13; Judg 14:8-9). It signified sweetness, or the finer things of life (Ezek 3:3).
[14:9] 35 sn The expression must indicate that they could destroy the enemies as easily as they could eat bread.
[14:9] 36 tn Heb “their shade.” The figure compares the shade from the sun with the protection from the enemy. It is also possible that the text is alluding to their deities here.
[14:10] 37 tn Heb “said to stone them with stones.” The verb and the object are not from the same root, but the combination nonetheless forms an emphasis equal to the cognate accusative.
[14:10] 38 tn The vav (ו) on the noun “glory” indicates a strong contrast, one that interrupts their threatened attack.
[14:10] 39 sn The glory of the
[14:10] 40 tc The Greek, Syriac, and Tg. Ps.-J. have “in the cloud over the tent.”
[16:1] 41 sn There are three main movements in the story of ch. 16. The first is the rebellion itself (vv. 1-19). The second is the judgment (vv. 20-35). Third is the atonement for the rebels (vv. 36-50). The whole chapter is a marvelous account of a massive rebellion against the leaders that concludes with reconciliation. For further study see G. Hort, “The Death of Qorah,” ABR 7 (1959): 2-26; and J. Liver, “Korah, Dathan and Abiram,” Studies in the Bible (ScrHier 8), 189-217.
[16:1] 42 tc The MT reading is plural (“the sons of Reuben”); the Smr and LXX have the singular (“the son of Reuben”).
[16:1] 43 tn In the Hebrew text there is no object for the verb “took.” The translation presented above supplies the word “men.” However, it is possible that the MT has suffered damage here. The LXX has “and he spoke.” The Syriac and Targum have “and he was divided.” The editor of BHS suggests that perhaps the MT should be emended to “and he arose.”
[16:2] 44 tn Heb “princes” (so KJV, ASV).
[16:2] 45 tn These men must have been counselors or judges of some kind.
[16:2] 46 tn Heb “men of name,” or “men of renown.”
[16:3] 47 tn The meaning of רַב־לָכֶם (rab-lakhem) is something like “you have assumed far too much authority.” It simply means “much to you,” perhaps “you have gone to far,” or “you are overreaching yourselves” (M. Noth, Numbers [OTL], 123). He is objecting to the exclusiveness of the system that Moses has been introducing.
[16:4] 48 tn Heb “fell on his face.”
[16:6] 50 tn Heb “his congregation” or “his community.” The expression is unusual, but what it signifies is that Korah had set up a rival “Israel” with himself as leader.
[16:10] 51 tn The verb is the Piel perfect. There is no imperfect tense before this, which makes the construction a little difficult. If the vav (ו) is classified as a consecutive, then the form would stand alone as an equivalent to the imperfect, and rendered as a modal nuance such as “would you [now] seek,” or as a progressive imperfect, “are you seeking.” This latter nuance can be obtained by treating it as a regular perfect tense, with an instantaneous nuance: “do you [now] seek.”
[16:11] 52 sn The question indicates that they had been murmuring against Aaron, that is, expressing disloyalty and challenging his leadership. But it is actually against the
[16:12] 53 tn Heb “Moses sent to summon.” The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the lamed (ל) preposition does not mean “call to” but “summon.” This is a command performance; for them to appear would be to submit to Moses’ authority. This they will not do.
[16:12] 54 tn The imperfect tense נַעֲלֶה (na’aleh) expresses their unwillingness to report: “we are not willing,” or “we will not.” The verb means “to go up.” It is used in the sense of appearing before an authority or a superior (see, e.g., Gen 46:31; Deut 25:7; Judg 4:5).
[16:13] 55 tn The question is rhetorical. It was not a small thing to them – it was a big thing.
[16:13] 56 tn The modern scholar who merely sees these words as belonging to an earlier tradition about going up to the land of Canaan that flows with milk and honey misses the irony here. What is happening is that the text is showing how twisted the thinking of the rebels is. They have turned things completely around. Egypt was the land flowing with milk and honey, not Canaan where they will die. The words of rebellion are seldom original, and always twisted.
[16:13] 57 tn The verb הִשְׂתָּרֵר (histarer) is the Hitpael infinitive absolute that emphasizes the preceding תִשְׂתָּרֵר (tistarer), the Hitpael imperfect tense (both forms having metathesis). The verb means “to rule; to act like a prince; to make oneself a prince.” This is the only occurrence of the reflexive for this verb. The exact nuance is difficult to translate into English. But they are accusing Moses of seizing princely power for himself, perhaps making a sarcastic reference to his former status in Egypt. The rebels here are telling Moses that they had discerned his scheme, and so he could not “hoodwink” them (cf. NEB).
[16:14] 58 tn Here אַף (’af) has the sense of “in addition.” It is not a common use.
[16:14] 59 tn Heb “will you bore out the eyes of these men?” The question is “Will you continue to mislead them?” (or “hoodwink” them). In Deut 16:19 it is used for taking a bribe; something like that kind of deception is intended here. They are simply stating that Moses is a deceiver who is misleading the people with false promises.
[16:15] 60 tn The verb means “to turn toward”; it is a figurative expression that means “to pay attention to” or “to have regard for.” So this is a prayer against Dathan and Abiram.
[16:17] 61 tn Heb “and take, a man, his censer.”
[16:17] 62 tn This verb and the following one are both perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutives. Following the imperative they carry the same force, but in sequence.
[16:19] 63 tn This clause is clearly foundational for the clause that follows, the appearance of the
[16:21] 64 tn The verb is הִבָּדְלוּ (hibbadÿlu), the Niphal imperative of בָּדַל (badal). This is the same word that was just used when Moses reminded the Levites that they had been separated from the community to serve the
[16:21] 65 sn The group of people siding with Korah is meant, and not the entire community of the people of Israel. They are an assembly of rebels, their “community” consisting in their common plot.
[16:22] 66 sn It is Moses and Aaron who prostrate themselves; they have the good of the people at heart.
[16:22] 67 tn The expression “the God of the spirits of all humanity [flesh]” is somewhat difficult. The Hebrew text says אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכָל־בָּשָׂר (’elohey harukhot lÿkhol-basar). This expression occurs in Num 27:16 again. It also occurs in some postbiblical texts, a fact which has prompted some scholars to conclude that it is a late addition. The words clearly show that Moses is interceding for the congregation. The appeal in the verse is that it is better for one man to die for the whole nation than the whole nation for one man (see also John 11:50).
[16:22] 68 tn The verb is the Qal imperfect יֶחֱטָא (yekheta’); it refers to the sinful rebellion of Korah, but Moses is stating something of a principle: “One man sins, and will you be angry….” A past tense translation would assume that this is a preterite use of the imperfect (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[16:24] 69 tn The motif of “going up” is still present; here the Hebrew text says “go up” (the Niphal imperative – “go up yourselves”) from their tents, meaning, move away from them.
[16:26] 71 tn The word רָשָׁע (rasha’) has the sense of a guilty criminal. The word “wicked” sometimes gives the wrong connotation. These men were opposing the
[16:26] 72 tn The preposition bet (בְּ) in this line is causal – “on account of their sins.”
[16:26] 73 sn The impression is that the people did not hear what the
[16:27] 74 tn The verb נִצָּבִים (nitsavim) suggests a defiant stance, for the word is often used in the sense of taking a stand for or against something. It can also be somewhat neutral, having the sense of positioning oneself for a purpose.
[16:28] 76 tn The Hebrew text simply has כִּי־לֹא מִלִּבִּי (ki-lo’ millibbi, “for not from my heart”). The heart is the center of the will, the place decisions are made (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament). Moses is saying that the things he has done have not come “from the will of man” so to speak – and certainly not from some secret desire on his part to seize power.
[16:29] 77 tn Heb “if like the death of every man they die.”
[16:29] 78 tn The noun is פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah, “appointment, visitation”). The expression refers to a natural death, parallel to the first expression.
[16:30] 79 tn The verb בָּרָא (bara’) is normally translated “create” in the Bible. More specifically it means to fashion or make or do something new and fresh. Here the verb is joined with its cognate accusative to underscore that this will be so different everyone will know it is of God.
[16:30] 80 tn The figures are personifications. But they vividly describe the catastrophe to follow – which was very much like a mouth swallowing them.
[16:30] 81 tn The word is “life” or “lifetime”; it certainly means their lives – they themselves. But the presence of this word suggest more. It is an accusative specifying the state of the subject – they will go down alive to Sheol.
[16:30] 82 tn The word “Sheol” in the Bible can be used four different ways: the grave, the realm of the departed [wicked] spirits or Hell, death in general, or a place of extreme danger (one that will lead to the grave if God does not intervene). The usage here is certainly the first, and very likely the second as well. A translation of “pit” would not be inappropriate. Since they will go down there alive, it is likely that they will sense the deprivation and the separation from the land above. See H. W. Robinson, Inspiration and Revelation in the Old Testament; N. J. Tromp, Primitive Conceptions of Death and the Netherworld in the Old Testament (BibOr 21), 21-23; and A. Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic, especially ch. 3.
[16:31] 83 tn The initial temporal clause is standard: It begins with the temporal indicator “and it was,” followed here by the Piel infinitive construct with the preposition and the subjective genitive suffix. “And it happened when he finished.”
[16:31] 84 tn The infinitive construct with the preposition lamed (ל) functions here as the direct object of the preceding infinitive. It tells what he finished.
[16:34] 85 tn Heb “all Israel.”
[16:35] 88 tn For a discussion of the fire of the
[20:3] 89 tn The verb is רִיב (riv); it is often used in the Bible for a legal complaint, a law suit, at least in form. But it can also describe a quarrel, or strife, like that between Abram’s men and Lot’s men in Genesis 13. It will be the main verb behind the commemorative name Meribah, the place where the people strove with God. It is a far more serious thing than grumbling – it is directed, intentional, and well-argued. For further discussion, see J. Limburg, “The Root ‘rib’ and the Prophetic Lawsuit Speeches,” JBL 88 (1969): 291-304.
[20:3] 90 tn Heb “and they said, saying.”
[20:3] 91 tn The particle לוּ (lu) indicates the optative nuance of the line – the wishing or longing for death. It is certainly an absurdity to want to have died, but God took them at their word and they died in the wilderness.
[20:4] 92 tn Heb “and why….” The conjunction seems to be recording another thing that the people said in their complaint against Moses.
[20:4] 93 tn The clause uses the infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition. The clause would be a result clause in this sentence: “Why have you brought us here…with the result that we will all die?”
[20:5] 95 tn Here also the infinitive construct (Hiphil) forms the subordinate clause of the preceding interrogative clause.
[21:5] 97 tn The Israelites’ opinion about the manna was clear enough – “worthless.” The word used is קְלֹקֵל (qÿloqel, “good for nothing, worthless, miserable”).
[25:2] 98 tn The verb simply says “they called,” but it is a feminine plural. And so the women who engaged in immoral acts with Hebrew men invited them to their temple ritual.
[25:2] 99 sn What Israel experienced here was some of the debased ritual practices of the Canaanite people. The act of prostrating themselves before the pagan deities was probably participation in a fertility ritual, nothing short of cultic prostitution. This was a blatant disregard of the covenant and the Law. If something were not done, the nation would have destroyed itself.
[9:16] 100 tn Heb “and our fathers.” The vav is explicative.
[9:16] 101 tn Heb “they stiffened their neck” (so also in the following verse).
[9:17] 102 tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew
[9:17] 103 tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (vÿkhesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT.
[78:8] 105 tn Heb “a generation that did not make firm its heart and whose spirit was not faithful with God.” The expression “make firm the heart” means “to be committed, devoted” (see 1 Sam 7:3).
[78:9] 106 tn Heb “the sons of Ephraim.” Ephraim probably stands here by synecdoche (part for whole) for the northern kingdom of Israel.
[78:9] 107 tn Heb “ones armed, shooters of bow.” It is possible that the term נוֹשְׁקֵי (noshÿqey, “ones armed [with]”) is an interpretive gloss for the rare רוֹמֵי (romey, “shooters of”; on the latter see BDB 941 s.v. I רָמָה). The phrase נוֹשְׁקֵי קֶשֶׁת (noshÿqey qeshet, “ones armed with a bow”) appears in 1 Chr 12:2; 2 Chr 17:17.
[78:9] 108 sn They retreated. This could refer to the northern tribes’ failure to conquer completely their allotted territory (see Judg 1), or it could refer generally to the typical consequence (military defeat) of their sin (see vv. 10-11).
[78:10] 109 tn Heb “the covenant of God.”
[78:11] 111 tn Heb “his deeds.”
[78:12] 112 sn The region of Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta, where the enslaved Israelites lived (see Num 13:22; Isa 19:11, 13; 30:4; Ezek 30:14).
[78:15] 113 tn Heb “and caused them to drink, like the depths, abundantly.”
[78:17] 114 tn Heb “rebelling [against] the Most High.”
[78:18] 115 tn Heb “and they tested God in their heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the center of their volition.
[78:19] 116 tn Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”
[78:19] 117 tn Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”
[78:21] 119 tn Heb “therefore.”
[78:21] 120 tn Heb “and also anger went up.”
[78:22] 121 tn Heb “and they did not trust his deliverance.”
[78:24] 122 sn Manna was apparently shaped like a seed (Exod 16:31), perhaps explaining why it is here compared to grain.
[78:25] 123 sn Because of the reference to “heaven” in the preceding verse, it is likely that mighty ones refers here to the angels of heaven. The LXX translates “angels” here, as do a number of modern translations (NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[78:25] 124 tn Heb “provision he sent to them to satisfaction.”
[78:27] 125 tn Heb “and like the sand of the seas winged birds.”
[78:29] 126 tn Heb “and they ate and were very satisfied.”
[78:30] 127 tn Heb “they were not separated from their desire.”
[78:32] 128 tn Heb “and did not believe in his amazing deeds.”
[78:33] 129 tn Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”
[78:33] 130 tn Heb “and their years in terror.”
[78:34] 131 tn Or “killed them,” that is, killed large numbers of them.
[78:34] 132 tn Heb “they sought him.”
[78:35] 133 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[78:35] 134 tn Heb “and [that] God Most High [was] their redeemer.”
[78:36] 135 tn Heb “with their mouth.”
[78:36] 136 tn Heb “and with their tongue they lied to him.”
[78:37] 137 tn Heb “and their heart was not firm with him.”
[78:38] 138 tn One could translate v. 38 in the past tense (“he was compassionate…forgave sin and did not destroy…held back his anger, and did not stir up his fury”), but the imperfect verbal forms are probably best understood as generalizing. Verse 38 steps back briefly from the narrational summary of Israel’s history and lays the theological basis for v. 39, which focuses on God’s mercy toward sinful Israel.
[78:39] 139 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive signals a return to the narrative.
[78:39] 140 tn Heb “and he remembered that they [were] flesh, a wind [that] goes and does not return.”
[78:40] 141 tn Or “caused him pain.”
[78:41] 142 tn Heb “and they returned and tested God.” The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate that an earlier action was repeated.
[78:41] 143 tn Or “wounded, hurt.” The verb occurs only here in the OT.
[78:41] 144 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the
[78:42] 145 tn Heb “his hand,” symbolizing his saving activity and strength, as the next line makes clear.
[78:42] 146 tn Heb “[the] day [in] which he ransomed them from [the] enemy.”
[78:43] 147 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
[78:43] 148 tn Or “portents, omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are referred to here (see vv. 44-51).
[78:45] 149 tn Heb “and he sent an insect swarm against them and it devoured them.”
[78:45] 150 tn Heb “and a swarm of frogs and it destroyed them.”
[78:48] 151 tn Heb “and he turned over to the hail their cattle.”
[78:48] 152 tn Heb “and their livestock to the flames.” “Flames” here refer to the lightning bolts that accompanied the storm.
[78:49] 153 tn Heb “he sent against them the rage of his anger.” The phrase “rage of his anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[78:49] 154 tn Heb “fury and indignation and trouble, a sending of messengers of disaster.”
[78:50] 155 tn Heb “he leveled a path for his anger.” There were no obstacles to impede its progress; it moved swiftly and destructively.
[78:50] 156 tn Or perhaps “[the] plague.”
[78:51] 157 tn Heb “the beginning of strength.” If retained, the plural form אוֹנִים (’onim, “strength”) probably indicates degree (“great strength”), but many ancient witnesses read “their strength,” which presupposes an emendation to אֹנָם (’onam; singular form of the noun with third masculine plural pronominal suffix).
[78:54] 158 tn Heb “this mountain.” The whole land of Canaan seems to be referred to here. In Exod 15:17 the promised land is called the “mountain of your [i.e., God’s] inheritance.”
[78:54] 159 tn The “right hand” here symbolizes God’s military strength (see v. 55).
[78:55] 160 tn Heb “he caused to fall [to] them with a measuring line an inheritance.”
[78:55] 161 tn Heb “and caused the tribes of Israel to settle down in their tents.”
[78:56] 162 tn Or “tested and rebelled against.”
[78:56] 163 tn Heb “God, the Most High.”
[78:56] 165 tn Heb “his testimonies” (see Ps 25:10).
[78:57] 166 tn Heb “they turned back.”
[78:57] 167 tn Or “acted treacherously like.”
[78:57] 168 tn Heb “they turned aside like a deceitful bow.”
[78:58] 169 tn Traditionally, “high places.”
[78:61] 171 tn Heb “and he gave to captivity his strength.” The expression “his strength” refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant, which was housed in the tabernacle at Shiloh.
[78:61] 172 tn Heb “and his splendor into the hand of an enemy.” The expression “his splendor” also refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant.
[78:61] 173 sn Verses 60-61 refer to the Philistines’ capture of the ark in the days of Eli (1 Sam 4:1-11).
[78:62] 174 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[78:63] 175 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:63] 176 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:63] 177 tn Heb “were not praised,” that is, in wedding songs. The young men died in masses, leaving no husbands for the young women.
[78:64] 178 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:64] 179 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:64] 180 sn Because of the invading army and the ensuing panic, the priests’ widows had no time to carry out the normal mourning rites.
[78:65] 181 tn Heb “and the master awoke like one sleeping.” The
[78:65] 182 tn Heb “like a warrior overcome with wine.” The Hebrew verb רוּן (run, “overcome”) occurs only here in the OT. The phrase “overcome with wine” could picture a drunken warrior controlled by his emotions and passions (as in the present translation), or it could refer to a warrior who awakes from a drunken stupor.
[78:66] 183 tn Heb “a permanent reproach he made them.”
[78:69] 184 tc Heb “and he built like the exalting [ones] his sanctuary.” The phrase כְּמוֹ־רָמִים (kÿmo-ramim, “like the exalting [ones]”) is a poetic form of the comparative preposition followed by a participial form of the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”). The text should be emended to כִּמְרֹמִים (kimromim, “like the [heavenly] heights”). See Ps 148:1, where “heights” refers to the heavens above.
[78:69] 185 tn Heb “like the earth, [which] he established permanently.” The feminine singular suffix on the Hebrew verb יָסַד (yasad, “to establish”) refers to the grammatically feminine noun “earth.”
[78:71] 186 tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”
[78:71] 187 tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”
[78:72] 188 tn Heb “He”; the referent (David, God’s chosen king, mentioned in v. 70) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[78:72] 189 tn Heb “and he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart.”
[78:72] 190 tn Heb “and with the understanding of his hands he led them.”
[95:8] 191 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).
[95:8] 192 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
[95:8] 193 sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).
[95:8] 194 tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”
[95:9] 195 tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”
[95:10] 196 tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.
[95:10] 197 tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”
[95:10] 198 tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the
[95:11] 199 tn Heb “my resting place.” The promised land of Canaan is here viewed metaphorically as a place of rest for God’s people, who are compared to sheep (see v. 7).
