Deuteronomy 32:36

32:36 The Lord will judge his people,

and will change his plans concerning ¹  his servants;

when he sees that their power has disappeared,

and that no one is left, whether confined or set free.

Isaiah 1:24

1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies, ² 

the powerful ruler of Israel, ³  says this:

“Ah, I will seek vengeance ⁴  against my adversaries,

I will take revenge against my enemies. ⁵ 

Zechariah 6:8

6:8 Then he cried out to me, “Look! The ones going to the northland have brought me ⁶  peace about the northland.” ⁷ 

¹ tn The translation understands the verb in the sense of “be grieved, relent” (cf. HALOT 689 s.v. נחם hitp 2); cf. KJV, ASV “repent himself”; NLT “will change his mind.” Another option is to translate “will show compassion to” (see BDB 637 s.v. נחם); cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV.

² tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at v. 9.

³ tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Israel.”

⁴ tn Heb “console myself” (i.e., by getting revenge); NRSV “pour out my wrath on.”

⁵ sn The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.

⁶ tn Heb “my spirit.” The subject appears to be the Lord who exclaims here that the horsemen have accomplished their task of bringing peace.

⁷ sn The immediate referent of peace about the northland is to the peace brought by Persia’s conquest of Babylonia, a peace that allowed the restoration of the Jewish people (cf. 2 Chr 36:22-23; Isa 44:28; 45:1-2). However, there is also an eschatological dimension, referring to a time when there will be perfect and universal peace.