Discovery BoxEzekiel 25:8-14
Context25:8 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Moab 1 and Seir say, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations.” 25:9 So look, I am about to open up Moab’s flank, 2 eliminating the cities, 3 including its frontier cities, 4 the beauty of the land – Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim. 25:10 I will hand it over, 5 along with the Ammonites, 6 to the tribes 7 of the east, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. 25:11 I will execute judgments against Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
25:12 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Edom 8 has taken vengeance against the house of Judah; they have made themselves fully culpable 9 by taking vengeance 10 on them. 11 25:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom, and I will kill the people and animals within her, 12 and I will make her desolate; from Teman to Dedan they will die 13 by the sword. 25:14 I will exact my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will carry out in Edom my anger and rage; they will experience 14 my vengeance, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
Ezekiel 35:1-15
Context35:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 35:2 “Son of man, turn toward 15 Mount Seir, 16 and prophesy against it. 35:3 Say to it, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Look, I am against you, Mount Seir;
I will stretch out my hand against you
and turn you into a desolate ruin.
35:4 I will lay waste your cities;
and you will become desolate.
Then you will know that I am the Lord!
35:5 “‘You have shown unrelenting hostility and poured the people of Israel onto the blades of a sword 17 at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment. 35:6 Therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will subject you to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. 35:7 I will turn Mount Seir into a desolate ruin; 18 I will cut off 19 from it the one who passes through or returns. 35:8 I will fill its mountains with its dead; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines, those killed by the sword will fall. 35:9 I will turn you into a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
35:10 “‘You said, “These two nations, these two lands 20 will be mine, and we will possess them,” 21 – although the Lord was there – 35:11 therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will deal with you according to your anger, and according to your envy, by which you acted spitefully against them. I will reveal myself to them when I judge you. 35:12 Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all the insults you spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are desolate, they have been given to us for food.” 35:13 You exalted yourselves against me with your speech 22 and hurled many insults against me 23 – I have heard them all! 35:14 This is what the sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will turn you into a desolation. 35:15 As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I deal with you – you will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all of Edom – all of it! Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Psalms 137:7
Context137:7 Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell. 24
They said, “Tear it down, tear it down, 25
right to its very foundation!”
Isaiah 34:1-17
Context34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!
Pay attention, you people!
The earth and everything it contains must listen,
the world and everything that lives in it. 26
34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations
and furious with all their armies.
He will annihilate them and slaughter them.
34:3 Their slain will be left unburied, 27
their corpses will stink; 28
the hills will soak up their blood. 29
34:4 All the stars in the sky will fade away, 30
the sky will roll up like a scroll;
all its stars will wither,
like a leaf withers and falls from a vine
or a fig withers and falls from a tree. 31
34:5 He says, 32 “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. 33
Look, it now descends on Edom, 34
on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”
34:6 The Lord’s sword is dripping with blood,
it is covered 35 with fat;
it drips 36 with the blood of young rams and goats
and is covered 37 with the fat of rams’ kidneys.
For the Lord is holding a sacrifice 38 in Bozrah, 39
a bloody 40 slaughter in the land of Edom.
34:7 Wild oxen will be slaughtered 41 along with them,
as well as strong bulls. 42
Their land is drenched with blood,
their soil is covered with fat.
34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, 43
a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. 44
34:9 Edom’s 45 streams will be turned into pitch
and her soil into brimstone;
her land will become burning pitch.
34:10 Night and day it will burn; 46
its smoke will ascend continually.
Generation after generation it will be a wasteland
and no one will ever pass through it again.
34:11 Owls and wild animals 47 will live there, 48
all kinds of wild birds 49 will settle in it.
The Lord 50 will stretch out over her
the measuring line of ruin
and the plumb line 51 of destruction. 52
34:12 Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom
and all her officials will disappear. 53
34:13 Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns;
thickets and weeds will grow 54 in her fortified cities.
Jackals will settle there;
ostriches will live there. 55
34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; 56
wild goats will bleat to one another. 57
Yes, nocturnal animals 58 will rest there
and make for themselves a nest. 59
34:15 Owls 60 will make nests and lay eggs 61 there;
they will hatch them and protect them. 62
Yes, hawks 63 will gather there,
each with its mate.
34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! 64
Not one of these creatures will be missing, 65
none will lack a mate. 66
For the Lord has issued the decree, 67
and his own spirit gathers them. 68
34:17 He assigns them their allotment; 69
he measures out their assigned place. 70
They will live there 71 permanently;
they will settle in it through successive generations.
Isaiah 63:1-6
Context63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, 72
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? 73
Who 74 is this one wearing royal attire, 75
who marches confidently 76 because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!” 77
63:2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? 78
63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them 79 in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained 80 all my clothes.
63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived. 81
63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support. 82
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on. 83
63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,
I made them drunk 84 in my rage,
I splashed their blood on the ground.” 85
Jeremiah 49:7-22
Context49:7 The Lord who rules over all 86 spoke about Edom. 87
“Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman? 88
Can Edom’s counselors not give her any good advice? 89
Has all of their wisdom turned bad? 90
49:8 Turn and flee! Take up refuge in remote places, 91
you people who live in Dedan. 92
For I will bring disaster on the descendants of Esau.
I have decided it is time for me to punish them. 93
49:9 If grape pickers came to pick your grapes,
would they not leave a few grapes behind? 94
If robbers came at night,
would they not pillage only what they needed? 95
49:10 But I will strip everything away from Esau’s descendants.
I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide.
Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed.
Not one of them will be left!
49:11 Leave your orphans behind and I will keep them alive.
Your widows too can depend on me.” 96
49:12 For the Lord says, “If even those who did not deserve to drink from the cup of my wrath must drink from it, do you think you will go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must certainly drink from the cup of my wrath. 97 49:13 For I solemnly swear,” 98 says the Lord, “that Bozrah 99 will become a pile of ruins. It will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example to be used in curses. 100 All the towns around it will lie in ruins forever.”
49:14 I said, 101 “I have heard a message from the Lord.
A messenger has been sent among the nations to say,
‘Gather your armies and march out against her!
Prepare to do battle with her!’” 102
49:15 The Lord says to Edom, 103
“I will certainly make you small among nations.
I will make you despised by all humankind.
49:16 The terror you inspire in others 104
and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you.
You may make your home in the clefts of the rocks;
you may occupy the highest places in the hills. 105
But even if you made your home where the eagles nest,
I would bring you down from there,”
says the Lord.
49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror.
All who pass by it will be filled with horror;
they will hiss out their scorn
because of all the disasters that have happened to it. 106
49:18 Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah
and the towns that were around them.
No one will live there.
No human being will settle in it,”
says the Lord.
49:19 “A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan 107
scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it. 108
So too I will chase the Edomites off their land. 109
Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose. 110
For there is no one like me, and there is no one who can call me to account. 111
There is no 112 ruler 113 who can stand up against me.
49:20 So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Edom,
what I intend to do to 114 the people who live in Teman. 115
Their little ones will be dragged off.
I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done. 116
49:21 The people of the earth will quake when they hear of their downfall. 117
Their cries of anguish will be heard all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba. 118
49:22 Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings,
a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah.
At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful
as a woman in labor.” 119
Lamentations 4:21
Contextש (Sin/Shin)
4:21 Rejoice and be glad for now, 120 O people of Edom, 121
who reside in the land of Uz.
But the cup of judgment 122 will pass 123 to you also;
you will get drunk and take off your clothes.
Amos 1:11-12
Context1:11 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Edom has committed three crimes 124 –
make that four! 125 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 126
He chased his brother 127 with a sword;
he wiped out his allies. 128
In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; 129
in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 130
1:12 So I will set Teman 131 on fire;
fire 132 will consume Bozrah’s 133 fortresses.”
Obadiah 1:1-9
Context1:1 The vision 134 that Obadiah 135 saw. 136
The Lord God 137 says this concerning 138 Edom: 139
We have heard a report from the Lord.
An envoy was sent among the nations, saying, 140
“Arise! Let us make war against Edom!” 141
1:2 The Lord says, 142 “Look! I will 143 make you a weak nation; 144
you will be greatly despised!
1:3 Your presumptuous heart 145 has deceived you –
you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs, 146
whose home is high in the mountains. 147
You think to yourself, 148
‘No one can 149 bring me down to the ground!’ 150
1:4 Even if you were to soar high like an eagle, 151
even if you 152 were to make your nest among the stars,
I can bring you down even from there!” says the Lord.
1:5 “If thieves came to rob you 153 during the night, 154
they would steal only as much as they wanted! 155
If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards, 156
they would leave some behind for the poor! 157
But you will be totally destroyed! 158
1:6 How the people of Esau 159 will be thoroughly plundered! 160
Their 161 hidden valuables will be ransacked! 162
1:7 All your allies 163 will force 164 you from your homeland! 165
Your treaty partners 166 will deceive you and overpower you.
Your trusted friends 167 will set an ambush 168 for 169 you
that will take you by surprise! 170
1:8 At that time,” 171 the Lord says,
“I will destroy the wise sages of Edom! 172
the advisers 173 from Esau’s mountain! 174
1:9 Your warriors will be shattered, O Teman, 175
so that 176 everyone 177 will be destroyed 178 from Esau’s mountain!
Malachi 1:2-4
Context1:2 “I have shown love to you,” says the Lord, but you say, “How have you shown love to us?”
“Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob 1:3 and rejected Esau. 179 I turned Esau’s 180 mountains into a deserted wasteland 181 and gave his territory 182 to the wild jackals.”
1:4 Edom 183 says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord who rules over all 184 responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as 185 the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased.
[25:8] 1 sn Moab was located immediately south of Ammon.
[25:9] 3 tn Heb “from the cities.” The verb “eliminating” has been added in the translation to reflect the privative use of the preposition (see BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b).
[25:9] 4 tn Heb “from its cities, from its end.”
[25:10] 5 tn Heb “I will give it for a possession.”
[25:10] 6 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon” (twice in this verse).
[25:12] 8 sn Edom was located south of Moab.
[25:12] 9 tn Heb “and they have become guilty, becoming guilty.” The infinitive absolute following the finite verb makes the statement emphatic and draws attention to the degree of guilt incurred by Edom due to its actions.
[25:12] 10 tn Heb “and they have taken vengeance.”
[25:12] 11 sn Edom apparently in some way assisted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6
[25:13] 12 tn Heb “and I will cut off from her man and beast.”
[35:2] 15 tn Heb “set your face against.”
[35:2] 16 sn Mount Seir is to be identified with Edom (Ezek 35:15), home of Esau’s descendants (Gen 25:21-30).
[35:5] 17 tn Or “gave over…to the power of the sword.” This phrase also occurs in Jer 18:21 and Ps 63:10.
[35:7] 18 tc The translation reads with some manuscripts לְשִׁמְמָה וּמְשַׁמָּה (lÿshimmah umÿshammah, “desolate ruin”) as in verse 3 and often in Ezekiel. The majority reading reverses the first mem (מ) with the shin (שׁ) resulting in the repetition of the word desolate: לְשִׁמְמָה וּשְׁמָמָה (lÿshimmah ushÿmamah).
[35:10] 20 sn The reference is to Israel and Judah.
[35:13] 22 tn Heb “your mouth.”
[35:13] 23 tn Heb “and you multiplied against me your words.” The Hebrew verb occurs only here and in Prov 27:6, where it refers to the “excessive” kisses of an enemy. The basic idea of the verb appears to be “to be abundant.” Here it occurs in the causative (Hiphil) stem.
[137:7] 24 tn Heb “remember, O
[137:7] 25 tn Heb “lay [it] bare, lay [it] bare.”
[34:1] 26 tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”
[34:3] 27 tn Heb “will be cast aside”; NASB, NIV “thrown out.”
[34:3] 28 tn Heb “[as for] their corpses, their stench will arise.”
[34:3] 29 tn Heb “hills will dissolve from their blood.”
[34:4] 30 tc Heb “and all the host of heaven will rot.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa inserts “and the valleys will be split open,” but this reading may be influenced by Mic 1:4. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarcton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to “the valleys” to the conjunction prefixed to the verb “rot.”
[34:4] 31 tn Heb “like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree.”
[34:5] 32 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
[34:5] 33 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] my sword is drenched in the heavens.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has תראה (“[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]”), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV “My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens.”
[34:5] 34 sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
[34:6] 35 tn The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
[34:6] 36 tn The words “it drips” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 37 tn The words “and is covered” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 38 tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the Lord.”
[34:6] 39 sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
[34:6] 40 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[34:7] 41 tn Heb “will go down”; NAB “shall be struck down.”
[34:7] 42 tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.
[34:8] 43 tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”
[34:8] 44 tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”
[34:9] 45 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Edom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:10] 46 tn Heb “it will not be extinguished.”
[34:11] 47 tn קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB “hoot owl”; NIV “screech owl”; TEV “ravens”), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV “small animals”; ASV “porcupine”; NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”).
[34:11] 48 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).
[34:11] 49 tn The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vÿ’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף (“owl”; see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and עֹרֵב (“raven”; Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.
[34:11] 50 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:11] 51 tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
[34:11] 52 sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
[34:12] 53 tn Heb “will be nothing”; NCV, TEV, NLT “will all be gone.”
[34:13] 54 tn The words “will grow” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:13] 55 tc Heb “and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches.” The translation assumes an emendation of חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass”) to חָצֵר (khatser, “settlement”). One of the Qumran scrolls of Isaiah (1QIsaa) supports this emendation (cf. HALOT 344 s.v. II חָצִיר)
[34:14] 56 tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”
[34:14] 57 tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
[34:14] 58 tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”
[34:14] 59 tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”
[34:15] 60 tn Hebrew קִפּוֹז (qippoz) occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.
[34:15] 61 tn For this proposed meaning for Hebrew מָלַט (malat), see HALOT 589 s.v. I מלט.
[34:15] 62 tn Heb “and brood [over them] in her shadow.”
[34:15] 63 tn The precise meaning of דַּיָּה (dayyah) is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.
[34:16] 64 tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”
[34:16] 65 tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:16] 66 tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
[34:16] 67 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and a few medieval
[34:16] 68 tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 69 tn Heb “and he causes the lot to fall for them.” Once again the pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 70 tn Heb “and his hand divides for them with a measuring line.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) now switches to masculine plural, referring to all the animals and birds mentioned in vv. 11-15, some of which were identified with masculine nouns. This signals closure for this portion of the speech, which began in v. 11. The following couplet (v. 17b) forms an inclusio with v. 11a through verbal repetition.
[34:17] 71 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV); NCV “they will own that land forever.”
[63:1] 72 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
[63:1] 73 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
[63:1] 74 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
[63:1] 75 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
[63:1] 76 tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).
[63:1] 77 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
[63:2] 78 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
[63:3] 79 sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
[63:3] 80 tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
[63:4] 81 tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
[63:5] 82 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
[63:5] 83 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
[63:6] 84 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
[63:6] 85 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
[49:7] 86 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for this title.
[49:7] 87 sn Edom was a kingdom to the south and east of Judah. Its borders varied over time but basically Edom lay in the hundred mile strip between the Gulf of Aqaba on the south and the Zered River on the north. It straddled the Arabah leading down from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, having as its northern neighbors both Judah and Moab. A long history of hostility existed between Israel and Edom, making Edom one of the favorite objects of the prophets’ oracles of judgment (cf., e.g., Isa 21:11-12; 34:5-15; 63:1-6; Amos 1:11-12; Ezek 25:12-14; 35:1-15; Obad 1-16). Not much is known about Edom at this time other than the fact that they participated in the discussions regarding rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in 594
[49:7] 88 sn Teman was the name of one of Esau’s descendants, the name of an Edomite clan and the name of the district where they lived (Gen 36:11, 15, 34). Like the name Bozrah, it is used poetically for all of Edom (Jer 49:20; Ezek 25:13).
[49:7] 89 tn Heb “Has counsel perished from men of understanding?”
[49:7] 90 tn The meaning of this last word is based on the definition given in KBL 668 s.v. II סָרַח Nif and HALOT 726 s.v. II סָרַח Nif, which give the nuance “to be [or become] corrupt” rather than that of BDB 710 s.v. סָרַח Niph who give the nuance “let loose (i.e., to be dismissed; to be gone)” from a verb that is elsewhere used of the overhanging of a curtains or a cliff.
[49:8] 91 tn Heb “make deep to dwell.” The meaning of this phrase is debated. Some take it as a reference for the Dedanites who were not native to Edom to go down from the heights of Edom and go back home (so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 330). The majority of commentaries, however, take it as a reference to the Dedanites disassociating themselves from the Edomites and finding remote hiding places to live in (so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 718). For the options see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:375.
[49:8] 92 sn Dedan. The Dedanites were an Arabian tribe who lived to the southeast of Edom. They are warned here to disassociate themselves from Edom because Edom is about to suffer disaster.
[49:8] 93 tn Heb “For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him, the time when I will punish him.” Esau was the progenitor of the tribes and nation of Edom (cf. Gen 36:1, 8, 9, 19).
[49:9] 94 tn The translation of this verse is generally based on the parallels in Obad 5. There the second line has a ה interrogative in front of it. The question can still be assumed because questions can be asked in Hebrew without a formal marker (cf. GKC 473 §150.a and BDB 519 s.v. לֹא 1.a[e] and compare usage in 2 Kgs 5:26).
[49:9] 95 tn The tense and nuance of the verb translated “pillage” are both different than the verb in Obad 5. There the verb is the imperfect of גָּנַב (ganav, “to steal”). Here the verb is the perfect of a verb which means to “ruin” or “spoil.” The English versions and commentaries, however, almost all render the verb here in much the same way as in Obad 5. The nuance must mean they only “ruin, destroy” (by stealing) only as much as they need (Heb “their sufficiency”), and the verb is used as metonymical substitute, effect for cause. The perfect must be some kind of a future perfect; “would they not have destroyed only…” The negative question is carried over by ellipsis from the preceding lines.
[49:11] 96 tn Or “Their children and relatives will all be destroyed. And none of their neighbors will say, ‘Leave your orphans with me and I’ll keep them alive. Your widows can trust in me.’” This latter interpretation is based on a reading in a couple of the Greek versions (Symmachus and Lucian) and is accepted by a number of the modern commentaries, (J. Bright, J. A. Thompson, W. L. Holladay, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers). However, the majority of modern English versions do not follow it and lacking any other Hebrew or versional evidence it is probable that this is an interpretation to explain the mitigation of what appears as a prophecy of utter annihilation. There have been other cases in Jeremiah where a universal affirmation (either positive or negative) has been modified in the verses that follow. The verb in the second line תִּבְטָחוּ (tivtakhu) is highly unusual; it is a second masculine plural form with a feminine plural subject. The form is explained in GKC 127-28 §47.k and 160-61 §60.a, n. 1 as a pausal substitution for the normal form תִּבְטַחְנָה (tivtakhnah) and a similar form in Ezek 37:7 cited as a parallel.
[49:12] 97 tn The words “of my wrath” after “cup” in the first line and “from the cup of my wrath” in the last line are not in the text but are implicit in the metaphor. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[49:13] 98 tn Heb “I swear by myself.” See 22:5 and the study note there.
[49:13] 99 sn Bozrah appears to have been the chief city in Edom, its capital city (see its parallelism with Edom in Isa 34:6; 63:1; Jer 49:22). The reference to “its towns” (translated here “all the towns around it”) could then be a reference to all the towns in Edom. It was located about twenty-five miles southeast of the southern end of the Dead Sea apparently in the district of Teman (see the parallelism in Amos 1:12).
[49:13] 100 tn See the study note on 24:9 for the rendering of this term.
[49:14] 101 tn The words “I said” are not in the text but it is generally agreed that the words that follow are Jeremiah’s. These words are supplied in the translation to make clear that the speaker has shifted from the
[49:14] 102 tn Heb “Rise up for battle.” The idea “against her” is implicit from the context and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[49:15] 103 tn The words “The
[49:16] 104 tn The meaning of this Hebrew word (תִּפְלֶצֶת, tifletset) is uncertain because it occurs only here. However, it is related to a verb root that refers to the shaking of the pillars (of the earth) in Job 9:6 and a noun (מִפְלֶצֶת, mifletset) that refers to “horror” or “shuddering” used in Job 21:6; Isa 21:4; Ezek 7:18; Ps 55:6. This is the nuance that is accepted by BDB, KBL, HAL and a majority of the modern English versions. The suffix is an objective genitive. The fact that the following verb is masculine singular suggests that the text here (הִשִּׁיא אֹתָךְ, hishi’ ’otakh) is in error for הִשִּׁיאָתָךְ (hishi’atakh; so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 327, n. 16.a).
[49:16] 105 tn The Hebrew text of the first four lines reads: “Your terror [= the terror you inspire] has deceived you, [and] the arrogance of your heart, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the heights of the hill.” The sentence is broken up and restructured to better conform with English style.
[49:17] 106 sn This verse is very similar to Jer 19:8 where the same judgment is pronounced on Jerusalem. For the meaning of some of the terms here (“hiss out their scorn” and “all the disasters that have happened to it”) see the notes on that verse.
[49:19] 107 tn See the study note on Jer 12:5 for the rendering of this term.
[49:19] 108 tn “The pasture-ground on the everflowing river” according to KBL 42 s.v. I אֵיתָן 1. The “everflowing river” refers to the Jordan.
[49:19] 109 tn Heb “Behold, like a lion comes up from the thicket of the Jordan into the pastureland of everflowing water so [reading כֵּן (ken) for כִּי (ki); or “indeed” (reading כִּי as an asseverative particle with J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 719, n. 6)] I will suddenly chase him [Edom] from upon it [the land].” The sentence has been restructured to better conform with contemporary English style and the significance of the simile drawn from the comparison has been spelled out for the sake of clarity. The form אַרְגִּיעָה (’argi’ah) is functioning here as an adverbial modifier in a verbal hendiadys (cf. GKC 386 §120.g).
[49:19] 110 tn For the use of the interrogative מִי (mi) in the sense of “whoever” and functioning like an adjective see BDB 567 s.v. מִי g and compare the usage in Prov 9:4, 16.
[49:19] 111 tn For the meaning of this verb in the sense of “arraign” or “call before the bar of justice” compare Job 9:19 and see BDB 417 s.v. יָעַד Hiph.
[49:19] 112 tn The interrogative מִי (mi) is rendered “there is no one” in each of the last three occurrences in this verse because it is used in a rhetorical question that expects the answer “no one” or “none” and is according to BDB 566 s.v. מִי f(c) equivalent to a rhetorical negative.
[49:19] 113 tn The word “shepherd” (רֹעֶה, ro’eh) has been used often in the book of Jeremiah to refer metaphorically to the ruler or leader (cf. BDB 945 s.v. I רָעָה Qal.1.d(2) and compare usage, e.g., in Jer 2:8; 23:1).
[49:20] 114 tn Heb “Therefore listen to the plan of the
[49:20] 115 sn Teman here appears to be a poetic equivalent for Edom, a common figure of speech in Hebrew poetry where the part is put for the whole. “The people of Teman” is thus equivalent to all the people of Edom.
[49:20] 116 tn Heb “They will surely drag them off, namely the young ones of the flock. He will devastate their habitation [or their sheepfold] on account of them.” The figure of the lion among the flock of sheep appears to be carried on here where the people are referred to as a flock and their homeland is referred to as a sheepfold. It is hard, however, to carry the figure over here into the translation, so the figures have been interpreted instead. Both of these last two sentences are introduced by a formula that indicates a strong affirmative oath (i.e., they are introduced by אִם לֹא [’im lo’; cf. BDB 50 s.v. אִם 1.b(2)]). The subject of the verb “they will drag them off” is the indefinite third plural which may be taken as a passive in English (cf. GKC 460 §144.g). The subject of the last line is the
[49:21] 117 tn Heb “The earth will quake when at the sound of their downfall.” However, as in many other places “earth” stands here metonymically for the inhabitants or people of the earth (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 578-79, and compare usage in 2 Sam 15:23; Ps 66:4).
[49:21] 118 tn Heb “the Red Sea,” of which the Gulf of Aqaba formed the northeastern arm. The land of Edom once reached this far according to 1 Kgs 9:26.
[49:22] 119 sn Compare Jer 48:40-41 for a similar prophecy about Moab. The parallelism here suggests that Bozrah, like Teman in v. 20, is a poetic equivalent for Edom.
[4:21] 120 tn The phrase “for now” is added in the translation to highlight the implied contrast between the present joy of the Gentiles (4:21a) and their future judgment (4:21b).
[4:21] 121 tn Heb “O Daughter of Edom.”
[4:21] 122 tn Heb “the cup.” Judgment is often depicted as a cup of wine that God forces a person to drink, causing him to lose consciousness, red wine drooling out of his mouth – resembling corpses lying on the ground as a result of the actual onslaught of the
[4:21] 123 tn The imperfect verb “will pass” may also be a jussive, continuing the element of request, “let the cup pass…”
[1:11] 124 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.
[1:11] 125 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Edom, even because of four.”
[1:11] 126 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[1:11] 127 sn It is likely that “brother” refers here to a treaty partner (see the note on the word “brotherhood” in 1:9). However, it is possible, if Israel is in view, that Edom’s ancient blood relationship to God’s people is alluded to here. Cf. NCV, NLT “their relatives, the Israelites.”
[1:11] 128 tn Or “He stifled his compassion.” The Hebrew term רָחֲמָיו (rakhamayv) is better understood here (parallel to “brother/treaty partner”) as a reference to “allies” which Edom betrayed. An Aramaic cognate is attested (see DNWSI 2:1069-70). See M. Fishbane, “The Treaty Background of Amos 1:11 and Related Matters,” JBL 89 (1970): 313-18; idem, “Critical Note: Additional Remarks on rh£myw (Amos 1:11),” JBL 91 (1972): 391-93; and M. Barré, “Amos 1:11 reconsidered,” CBQ 47 (1985) 420-27. Some argue that the clause is best translated as “and destroyed his womenfolk.” רַחַם (rakham) means “womb”; the plural here would be a metonymy for “women” and could establish a parallel with the atrocity of 1:13. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 64-65.
[1:11] 129 tn Heb “his anger tore continually.” The Hebrew verb טָרַף (taraf, “tear apart”) is often used of an animal tearing apart its prey. The word picture here is that of a vicious predator’s feeding frenzy.
[1:11] 130 tn Traditionally, “he kept his fury continually.” The Hebrew term שְׁמָרָה (shÿmarah) could be taken as a Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix (with mappiq omitted), “he kept it” (NASB, NKJV, NRSV). It is also possible in light of the parallelism that שָׁמַר (shamar) is a rare homonym cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to rage; to be furious.” Repointing the verb as שָׁמְרָה (shamÿrah, third person feminine singular), one could translate literally, “his fury raged continually” (NIV, NJPS).
[1:12] 131 sn Teman was an important region (or perhaps city) in Edom.
[1:12] 132 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:12] 133 sn Bozrah was a city located in northern Edom.
[1:1] 134 sn The date of the book of Obadiah is very difficult to determine. Since there is no direct indication of chronological setting clearly suggested by the book itself, and since the historical identity of the author is uncertain as well, a possible date for the book can be arrived at only on the basis of internal evidence. When did the hostile actions of Edom against Judah that are described in this book take place? Many nineteenth-century scholars linked the events of the book to a historical note found in 2 Kgs 8:20 (cf. 2 Chr 21:16-17): “In [Jehoram’s] days Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah and established a king over themselves.” If this is the backdrop against which Obadiah should be read, it would suggest a ninth-century
[1:1] 135 sn The name Obadiah in Hebrew means “servant of the
[1:1] 136 tn Heb “the vision of Obadiah” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “This is the prophecy of Obadiah.”
[1:1] 137 tn Heb “Lord
[1:1] 138 tn The Hebrew preposition לְ (lÿ) is better translated here “concerning” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, NLT) or “about” (so NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV) Edom rather than “to” Edom, although much of the book does speak directly to Edom.
[1:1] 139 sn The name Edom derives from a Hebrew root that means “red.” Edom was located to the south of the Dead Sea in an area with numerous rocky crags that provided ideal military advantages for protection. Much of the sandstone of this area has a reddish color. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob (Gen 25:19-26).
[1:1] 140 tn Although the word “saying” is not in the Hebrew text, it has been supplied in the translation because what follows seems to be the content of the envoy’s message. Cf. ASV, NASB, NCV, all of which supply “saying”; NIV, NLT “to say.”
[1:1] 141 tn Heb “Arise, and let us arise against her in battle!” The term “Edom” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation to specify the otherwise ambiguous referent of the term “her.”
[1:2] 142 tn The introductory phrase “the
[1:2] 143 tn The Hebrew perfect verb form used here usually describes past events. However, here and several times in the following verses it is best understood as portraying certain fulfillment of events that at the time of writing were still future. It is the perfect of certitude. See GKC 312-13 §106.n; Joüon 2:363 §112.h.
[1:2] 144 sn Heb “I will make you small among the nations” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “least among the nations”; NCV “the smallest of nations.”
[1:3] 145 tn Heb “the presumption of your heart”; NAB, NIV “the pride of your heart”; NASB “arrogance of your heart.”
[1:3] 146 tn Heb “in the concealed places of the rock”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “in the clefts of the rock”; NCV “the hollow places of the cliff”; CEV “a mountain fortress.”
[1:3] 147 tn Heb “on high (is) his dwelling”; NASB “in the loftiness of your dwelling place”; NRSV “whose dwelling (abode NAB) is in the heights.”
[1:3] 148 tn Heb “the one who says in his heart.”
[1:3] 149 tn The Hebrew imperfect verb used here is best understood in a modal sense (“Who can bring me down?”) rather than in the sense of a simple future (“Who will bring me down?”). So also in v. 4 (“I can bring you down”). The question is not so much whether this will happen at some time in the future, but whether it even lies in the realm of possible events. In their hubris the Edomites were boasting that no one had the capability of breaching their impregnable defenses. However, their pride caused them to fail to consider the vast capabilities of Yahweh as warrior.
[1:3] 150 tn Heb “Who can bring me down?” This rhetorical question implies a negative answer: “No one!”
[1:4] 151 sn The eagle was often used in the ancient Near East as a symbol of strength and swiftness.
[1:4] 152 tc The present translation follows the reading תָּשִׂים (tasim; active) rather than שִׁים (sim; passive) of the MT (“and your nest be set among the stars,” NAB). Cf. LXX, Syriac, Vg.
[1:5] 153 sn Obadiah uses two illustrations to show the totality of Edom’s approaching destruction. Both robbers and harvesters would have left at least something behind. Such will not be the case, however, with the calamity that is about to befall Edom. A virtually identical saying appears in Jer 49:9-10.
[1:5] 154 tn Heb “If thieves came to you, or if plunderers of the night” (NRSV similar). The repetition here adds rhetorical emphasis.
[1:5] 155 tn Heb “Would they not have stolen only their sufficiency?” The rhetorical question is used to make an emphatic assertion, which is perhaps best represented by the indicative form in the translation.
[1:5] 156 tn Heb “If grape pickers came to you.” The phrase “to harvest your vineyards” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation to clarify the point of the entire simile which is assumed.
[1:5] 157 tn Heb “Would they not have left some gleanings?” The rhetorical question makes an emphatic assertion, which for the sake of clarity is represented by the indicative form in the translation. The implied answer to these rhetorical questions is “yes.” The fact that something would have remained after the imagined acts of theft or harvest stands in stark contrast to the totality of Edom’s destruction as predicted by Obadiah. Edom will be so decimated as a result of God’s judgment that nothing at all will be left
[1:5] 158 tn Heb “O how you will be cut off.” This emotional interjection functions rhetorically as the prophet’s announcement of judgment on Edom. In Hebrew this statement actually appears between the first and second metaphors, that is, in the middle of this verse. As the point of the comparison, one would expect it to follow both of the two metaphors; however, Obadiah interrupts his own sentence to interject his emphatic exclamation that cannot wait until the end of the sentence. This emphatic sentence structure is eloquent in Hebrew but awkward in English. Since this emphatic assertion is the point of his comparison, it appears at the end of the sentence in this translation, where one normally expects to find the concluding point of a metaphorical comparison.
[1:6] 159 tn Heb “Esau.” The name Esau here is a synecdoche of part for whole referring to the Edomites. Cf. “Jacob” in v. 10, where the meaning is “Israelites.”
[1:6] 160 tn Heb “How Esau will be searched!”; NAB “How they search Esau.” The Hebrew verb חָפַשׂ (khafas, “to search out”) is used metonymically here for plundering the hidden valuables of a conquered people (e.g., 1 Kgs 20:6).
[1:6] 161 tn Heb “his” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); this is singular agreeing with “Esau” in the previous line.
[1:6] 162 tn Heb “searched out” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “pillaged”; TEV “looted”; NLT “found and taken.” This pictures the violent action of conquering warriors ransacking the city in order to loot and plunder its valuables.
[1:7] 163 tn Heb “All the men of your covenant”; KJV, ASV “the men of thy confederacy.” In Hebrew “they will send you unto the border” and “all the men of your covenant” appear in two separate poetic lines (cf. NAB “To the border they drive you – all your allies”). Since the second is a noun clause functioning as the subject of the first clause, the two are rendered as a single sentence in the translation.
[1:7] 164 tn Heb “send”; NASB “send you forth”; NAB “drive”; NIV “force.”
[1:7] 165 tn Heb “to the border” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:7] 166 tn Heb “the men of your peace.” This expression refers to a political/military alliance or covenant of friendship.
[1:7] 167 tn Heb “your bread,” which makes little sense in the context. The Hebrew word can be revocalized to read “those who eat bread with you,” i.e., “your friends.” Cf. KJV “they that eat thy bread”; NIV “those who eat your bread”; TEV “Those friends who ate with you.”
[1:7] 168 tn Heb “set a trap” (so NIV, NRSV). The meaning of the Hebrew word מָזוֹר (mazor; here translated “ambush”) is uncertain; it occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. The word probably refers to something “spread out” for purposes of entrapment, such as a net. Other possibilities include “trap,” “fetter,” or “stumbling block.”
[1:7] 169 tn Heb “beneath” (so NAB).
[1:7] 170 tn Heb “there is no understanding in him.”
[1:8] 171 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NIV); NAB, NASB, NRSV “on that day.”
[1:8] 172 tn Heb “Will I not destroy those who are wise from Edom?” The rhetorical question functions as an emphatic affirmation. For the sake of clarity this has been represented by the emphatic indicative in the translation.
[1:8] 173 tn Heb “understanding”; NIV “men of understanding.” This undoubtedly refers to members of the royal court who offered political and military advice to the Edomite kings. In the ancient Near East, such men of wisdom were often associated with divination and occultic practices (cf. Isa 3:3, 47:10, 13). The Edomites were also renown in the ancient Near East as a center of traditional sagacity and wisdom; perhaps that is referred to here (cf. Jer 49:7).
[1:8] 174 tn Heb “and understanding from the mountain of Esau.” The phrase “I will remove the men of…” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness. Here “understanding” is a synecdoche of part for whole; the faculty of understanding is put for the wise men who possess it.
[1:9] 175 sn Teman, like Sela, was a prominent city of Edom. The name Teman is derived from the name of a grandson of Esau (cf. Gen 36:11). Here it is a synecdoche of part for whole, standing for all of Edom.
[1:9] 176 tn The Hebrew word used here (לְמַעַן, lÿma’an) usually expresses purpose. The sense in this context, however, is more likely that of result.
[1:9] 177 tn Heb “a man,” meaning “every single person” here; cf. KJV “every one.”
[1:9] 178 tn Heb “cut off” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV, NLT “cut down”; CEV “wiped out.”
[1:3] 179 tn Heb “and I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated.” The context indicates this is technical covenant vocabulary in which “love” and “hate” are synonymous with “choose” and “reject” respectively (see Deut 7:8; Jer 31:3; Hos 3:1; 9:15; 11:1).
[1:3] 180 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:3] 181 tn Heb “I set his mountains as a desolation.”
[1:3] 182 tn Or “inheritance” (so NIV, NLT).
[1:4] 183 sn Edom, a “brother” nation to Israel, became almost paradigmatic of hostility toward Israel and God (see Num 20:14-21; Deut 2:8; Jer 49:7-22; Ezek 25:12-14; Amos 1:11-12; Obad 10-12).
[1:4] 184 sn The epithet
[1:4] 185 tn Heb “and they will call them.” The third person plural subject is indefinite; one could translate, “and people will call them.”
