38:17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? 13
Have you seen the gates of deepest darkness? 14
9:13 when they prayed: 15
“Have mercy on me, 16 Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, 17
O one who can snatch me away 18 from the gates of death!
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 19
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 20
and they drew near the gates of death.
127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
They will not be put to shame 21 when they confront 22 enemies at the city gate.
24:7 Wisdom is unattainable 23 for a fool;
in court 24 he does not open his mouth. 25
28:6 He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions,
and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. 26
38:10 “I thought, 27
‘In the middle of my life 28 I must walk through the gates of Sheol,
I am deprived 29 of the rest of my years.’
38:1 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. 30 The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and told him, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Give instructions to your household, for you are about to die; you will not get well.’”
1:1 From Paul, 31 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.
2 tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).
3 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
4 tn Or “inherit.”
5 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).
6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.
8 sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.
9 sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.
10 tn Heb “which I will say to.”
11 tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.
12 tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.
13 tn Heb “uncovered to you.”
14 tn Some still retain the traditional phrase “shadow of death” in the English translation (cf. NIV). The reference is to the entrance to Sheol (see Job 10:21).
15 tn The words “when they prayed,” though not represented in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarification. The petition in vv. 13-14 is best understood as the cry for help which the oppressed offered to God when the nations threatened. The
16 tn Or “show me favor.”
17 tn Heb “see my misery from the ones who hate me.”
18 tn Heb “one who lifts me up.”
19 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
20 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
21 tn Being “put to shame” is here metonymic for being defeated, probably in a legal context, as the reference to the city gate suggests. One could be humiliated (Ps 69:12) or deprived of justice (Amos 5:12) at the gate, but with strong sons to defend the family interests this was less likely to happen.
22 tn Heb “speak with.”
23 tc The MT reads רָאמוֹת (ra’mot, “corals”) – wisdom to the fool is corals, i.e., an unattainable treasure. With a slight change in the text, removing the א (alef), the reading is רָמוֹת (ramot, “high”), i.e., wisdom is too high – unattainable – for a fool. The internal evidence favors the emendation, which is followed by most English versions including KJV.
24 tn Heb “[city] gate,” a metonymy of subject, meaning what goes on in the gate – court cases and business transactions. So it is in these assemblies that the fool keeps quiet. The term “court” has been used in the translation for clarity. Some English versions do not emphasize the forensic connotation here: NCV “in a discussion”; NLT “When the leaders gather.”
25 sn The verse portrays a fool out of his element: In a serious moment in the gathering of the community, he does not even open his mouth (a metonymy of cause, meaning “speak”). Wisdom is too high for the fool – it is beyond his ability.
26 tn Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.
27 tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
28 tn The precise meaning of the phrase בִּדְמִי יָמַי (bidmi yamay, “in the [?] of my days”) is uncertain. According to HALOT 226 s.v. דְּמִי this word is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from דַּמִי (dami, “quiet, rest, peacefulness”).
29 tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The Pual of of פָּקַד (paqad) occurs only here and in Exod 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”
30 tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying”; NRSV “became sick and was at the point of death.”
31 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.