Exodus 17:14

17:14 The Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the ¹  book, and rehearse ²  it in Joshua’s hearing; ³  for I will surely wipe out ⁴  the remembrance ⁵  of Amalek from under heaven.

Deuteronomy 32:34

32:34 “Is this not stored up with me?” says the Lord, ⁶ 

“Is it not sealed up in my storehouses?

Psalms 56:8

56:8 You keep track of my misery. ⁷ 

Put my tears in your leather container! ⁸ 

Are they not recorded in your scroll? ⁹ 

Malachi 3:16

3:16 Then those who respected ¹⁰  the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice. ¹¹  A scroll ¹²  was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name.

Revelation 20:12

20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then ¹³  books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. ¹⁴  So ¹⁵  the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. ¹⁶ 

¹ tn The presence of the article does not mean that he was to write this in a book that was existing now, but in one dedicated to this purpose (book, meaning scroll). See GKC 408 §126.s.

² tn The Hebrew word is “place,” meaning that the events were to be impressed on Joshua.

³ tn Heb “in the ears of Joshua.” The account should be read to Joshua.

⁴ tn The construction uses the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense to stress the resolution of Yahweh to destroy Amalek. The verb מָחָה (makhah) is often translated “blot out” – but that is not a very satisfactory image, since it would not remove completely what is the object. “Efface, erase, scrape off” (as in a palimpsest, a manuscript that is scraped clean so it can be reused) is a more accurate image.

⁵ sn This would seem to be defeated by the preceding statement that the events would be written in a book for a memorial. If this war is recorded, then the Amalekites would be remembered. But here God was going to wipe out the memory of them. But the idea of removing the memory of a people is an idiom for destroying them – they will have no posterity and no lasting heritage.

⁶ tn Verses 34-35 appear to be a quotation of the Lord and so the introductory phrase “says the Lord” is supplied in the translation.

⁷ tn Heb “my wandering you count, you.” The Hebrew term נֹד (nod, “wandering,” derived from the verbal root נוֹד, nod, “to wander”; cf. NASB) here refers to the psalmist’s “changeable circumstances of life” and may be translated “misery.” The verb סָפַר (safar, “count”) probably carries the nuance “assess” here. Cf. NIV “my lament”; NRSV “my tossings.”

⁸ tn Traditionally “your bottle.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20). If such a container is metaphorically in view here, then the psalmist seems to be asking God to store up his tears as a reminder of his suffering.

⁹ tn The word “recorded” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The rhetorical question assumes a positive response (see the first line of the verse).

¹⁰ tn Or “fear” (so NAB); NRSV “revered”; NCV “honored.”

¹¹ tn Heb “heard and listened”; NAB “listened attentively.”

¹² sn The scroll mentioned here is a “memory book” (סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן, sefer zikkaron) in which the Lord keeps an ongoing record of the names of all the redeemed (see Exod 32:32; Isa 4:3; Dan 12:1; Rev 20:12-15).

¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

¹⁴ tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”

¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.

¹⁶ tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”