49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce,
and their fury, for it was cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob,
and scatter them in Israel! 1
16:6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets,
so 14 you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!” 15
1 sn Divide…scatter. What is predicted here is a division of their tribes. Most commentators see here an anticipation of Levi being in every area but not their own. That may be part of it, but not entirely what the curse intended. These tribes for their ruthless cruelty would be eliminated from the power and prestige of leadership.
2 tc The present translation reads הַפְּשָׁעִים (happÿsha’im, “rebellious acts”) for the MT הַפֹּשְׁעִים (happoshÿ’im, “rebels”). While the MT is understandable (cf. NIV, “when rebels have become completely wicked”), the filling up of transgressions is a familiar OT expression (cf. Gen 15:16) and fits this context well. Cf. the LXX, Theodotion, the Vulgate, and the Syriac.
3 tn Heb “strong of face.”
4 tn Heb “understanding riddles.” Possible meanings include “double-dealing” (BDB 295 s.v. חִידָה; cf. TEV, CEV) and “with a good knowledge of intrigue” (HALOT 309 s.v. חִידָה; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
5 tn Heb “stand” or “stand up.”
6 tn Grk “it”; the referent (the second beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Grk “it was given [permitted] to it [the second beast].”
8 tn Grk “breath,” but in context the point is that the image of the first beast is made to come to life and speak.
9 tn Grk “of the beast”; the word “first” has been supplied to specify the referent.
10 tn Grk “and that no one be able to buy or sell.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Although the ἵνα (Jina) is left untranslated, the English conjunction “thus” is used to indicate that this is a result clause.
11 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context. In the context of buying and selling, food could be primarily in view, but the more general “things” was used in the translation because the context is not specific.
12 tn Grk “except the one who had.”
13 tn Grk “his name or the number of his name.”
14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this judgment is the result of what these wicked people did to the saints and prophets.
15 tn Grk “They are worthy”; i.e., of this kind of punishment. By extension, “they got what they deserve.”
16 tn Or “of the witnesses to Jesus.” Here the genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou) is taken as an objective genitive; Jesus is the object of their testimony.
17 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
18 tn Grk “I marveled a great marvel” (an idiom for great astonishment).