Exodus 20:19

20:19 They said to Moses, “You speak ¹  to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.”

Psalms 85:8

85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says. ² 

For he will make ³  peace with his people, his faithful followers. ⁴ 

Yet they must not ⁵  return to their foolish ways.

Isaiah 6:8

6:8 I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” ⁶  I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Daniel 10:19

10:19 He said to me, “Don’t be afraid, you who are valued. ⁷  Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, “Sir, you may speak now, ⁸  for you have given me strength.”

Acts 9:6

9:6 But stand up ⁹  and enter the city and you will be told ¹⁰  what you must do.”

¹ tn The verb is a Piel imperative. In this context it has more of the sense of a request than a command. The independent personal pronoun “you” emphasizes the subject and forms the contrast with God’s speaking.

² sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.

³ tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).

⁴ tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.

⁵ tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (’el), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.

⁶ tn Heb “for us.” The plural pronoun refers to the Lord, the seraphs, and the rest of the heavenly assembly.

⁷ tn Heb “treasured man.”

⁸ tn Heb “my lord may speak.”

⁹ tn Or “But arise.”

¹⁰ tn Literally a passive construction, “it will be told to you.” This has been converted to another form of passive construction in the translation.