Exodus 15:14-16

15:14 The nations will hear ¹  and tremble;

anguish ²  will seize ³  the inhabitants of Philistia.

15:15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified, ⁴ 

trembling will seize ⁵  the leaders of Moab,

and the inhabitants of Canaan will shake.

15:16 Fear and dread ⁶  will fall ⁷  on them;

by the greatness ⁸  of your arm they will be as still as stone ⁹ 

until ¹⁰  your people pass by, O Lord,

until the people whom you have bought ¹¹  pass by.

Joshua 2:9-11

2:9 She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you. ¹²  We are absolutely terrified of you, ¹³  and all who live in the land are cringing before ¹⁴  you. ¹⁵  2:10 For we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and how you annihilated the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan. ¹⁶  2:11 When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you. ¹⁷  For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below!

Joshua 9:9-11

9:9 They told him, “Your subjects ¹⁸  have come from a very distant land because of the reputation ¹⁹  of the Lord your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt ²⁰  9:10 and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan – King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth. 9:11 Our leaders and all who live in our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey and go meet them. Tell them, “We are willing to be your subjects. ²¹  Make a treaty with us.”’

¹ tn This verb is a prophetic perfect, assuming that the text means what it said and this song was sung at the Sea. So all these countries were yet to hear of the victory.

² tn The word properly refers to “pangs” of childbirth. When the nations hear, they will be terrified.

³ tn The verb is again a prophetic perfect.

⁴ tn This is a prophetic perfect.

⁵ tn This verb is imperfect tense.

⁶ tn The two words can form a nominal hendiadys, “a dreadful fear,” though most English versions retain the two separate terms.

⁷ tn The form is an imperfect.

⁸ tn The adjective is in construct form and governs the noun “arm” (“arm” being the anthropomorphic expression for what God did). See GKC 428 §132.c.

⁹ sn For a study of the words for fear, see N. Waldman, “A Comparative Note on Exodus 15:14-16,” JQR 66 (1976): 189-92.

¹⁰ tn Clauses beginning with עַד (’ad) express a limit that is not absolute, but only relative, beyond which the action continues (GKC 446-47 §138.g).

¹¹ tn The verb קָנָה (qanah) here is the verb “acquire, purchase,” and probably not the homonym “to create, make” (see Gen 4:1; Deut 32:6; and Prov 8:22).

¹² tn Heb “has given the land to you.” Rahab’s statement uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.

¹³ tn Heb “terror of you has fallen upon us.”

¹⁴ tn Or “melting away because of.”

¹⁵ tn Both of these statements are actually subordinated to “I know” in the Hebrew text, which reads, “I know that the Lord…and that terror of you…and that all the inhabitants….”

¹⁶ tn Heb “and what you did to the two Amorite kings who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, how you annihilated them.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “And we heard and our heart[s] melted and there remained no longer breath in a man because of you.”

¹⁸ tn Or “servants.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “name.”

²⁰ tn Heb “the report about him, all that he did in Egypt.”

²¹ tn Heb “your servants.”