Ezekiel 22:20-21

22:20 As silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are gathered in a furnace so that the fire can melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and in my rage. I will deposit you there ¹  and melt you. 22:21 I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted in it.

Psalms 18:15

18:15 The depths ²  of the sea ³  were exposed;

the inner regions ⁴  of the world were uncovered

by ⁵  your battle cry, ⁶  Lord,

by the powerful breath from your nose. ⁷ 

Isaiah 30:33

30:33 For ⁸  the burial place is already prepared; ⁹ 

it has been made deep and wide for the king. ¹⁰ 

The firewood is piled high on it. ¹¹ 

The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone,

will ignite it.

Isaiah 37:7

37:7 Look, I will take control of his mind; ¹²  he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down ¹³  with a sword in his own land.”’”

Isaiah 40:7

40:7 The grass dries up,

the flowers wither,

when the wind sent by the Lord ¹⁴  blows on them.

Surely humanity ¹⁵  is like grass.

Haggai 1:9

1:9 ‘You expected a large harvest, but instead ¹⁶  there was little, and when you brought it home it disappeared right away. ¹⁷  Why?’ asks the Lord who rules over all. ‘Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house! ¹⁸ 

¹ tn Heb “I will put.” No object is supplied in the Hebrew, prompting many to emend the text to “I will blow.” See BHS and verse 21.

² tn Or “channels.”

³ tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.

⁴ tn Or “foundations.”

⁵ tn Heb “from.” The preposition has a causal sense here.

⁶ tn The noun is derived from the verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

⁷ tn 2 Sam 22:16 reads “by the battle cry of the Lord, by the blast of the breath of his nose.” The phrase “blast of the breath” (Heb “breath of breath”) employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.

⁸ tn Or “indeed.”

⁹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for arranged from before [or “yesterday”] is [?].” The meaning of תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh), which occurs only here, is unknown. The translation above (as with most English versions) assumes an emendation to תֹּפֶת (tofet, “Topheth”; cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) and places the final hey (ה) on the beginning of the next word as an interrogative particle. Topheth was a place near Jerusalem used as a burial ground (see Jer 7:32; 19:11).

¹⁰ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “Also it is made ready for the king, one makes it deep and wide.” If one takes the final hey (ה) on תָּפְתֶּה (tafÿteh) and prefixes it to גָּם (gam) as an interrogative particle (see the preceding note), one can translate, “Is it also made ready for the king?” In this case the question is rhetorical and expects an emphatic affirmative answer, “Of course it is!”

¹¹ tn Heb “its pile of wood, fire and wood one makes abundant.”

¹² tn Heb “I will put in him a spirit.” The precise sense of רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a spiritual being who will take control of his mind (see 1 Kgs 22:19), or it could refer to a disposition of concern and fear. In either case the Lord’s sovereignty over the king is apparent.

¹³ tn Heb “cause him to fall” (so KJV, ASV, NAB), that is, “kill him.”

¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).

¹⁵ tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

¹⁶ tn Heb “look!” (הִנֵּה, hinneh). The term, an interjection, draws attention to the point being made.

¹⁷ tn Heb “I blew it away” (so NRSV, TEV, NLT). The imagery here suggests that human achievements are so fragile and temporal that a mere breath from God can destroy them (see Ezek 22:20, 21; and Isa 40:7 with נָשַׁב, nashav).

¹⁸ tn Heb “and each of you runs to his own house”; NIV “is busy with”; TEV “is busy working on”; NCV “work hard for.”