24:24 Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, 1
and will afflict Asshur, 2 and will afflict Eber,
and he will also perish forever.” 3
38:1 The word of the Lord came to me:
4:1 “And you, son of man, take a brick 8 and set it in front of you. Inscribe 9 a city on it – Jerusalem.
1 tc The MT is difficult. The Kittim refers normally to Cyprus, or any maritime people to the west. W. F. Albright proposed emending the line to “islands will gather in the north, ships from the distant sea” (“The Oracles of Balaam,” JBL 63 [1944]: 222-23). Some commentators accept that reading as the original state of the text, since the present MT makes little sense.
2 tn Or perhaps “Assyria” (so NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
3 tn Or “it will end in utter destruction.”
4 tn Heb “from the sword.”
5 tn Heb “it.”
6 tn Heb “come up.”
7 tn Or “reveal my holiness.”
8 sn Ancient Near Eastern bricks were 10 to 24 inches long and 6 to 13 1/2 inches wide.
9 tn Or perhaps “draw.”