Genesis 24:43

24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 1  When 2  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

Psalms 37:5

37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! 3 

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. 4 

Proverbs 3:6

3:6 Acknowledge 5  him in all your ways, 6 

and he will make your paths straight. 7 

1 tn Heb “the spring of water.”

2 tn Heb “and it will be.”

3 tn Heb “roll your way upon the Lord.” The noun “way” may refer here to one’s activities or course of life.

4 tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the Lord will vindicate those who trust in him.

5 tn Heb “know him.” The verb יָדַע (yadah, “to know”) includes mental awareness of who God is and the consequential submission to his lordship. To know him is to obey him. The sage is calling for a life of trust and obedience in which the disciple sees the Lord in every event and relies on him. To acknowledge the Lord in every event means trusting and obeying him for guidance in right conduct.

6 tn The term דֶרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) is figurative (hypocatastasis: implied comparison) referring to a person’s course of life, actions and undertakings (Prov 2:8; 3:6, 23; 11:5; 20:24; 29:27; 31:3; BDB 203 s.v. 5; cf. TEV “in everything you do”; NCV, NLT “in all you do”). This is a call for total commitment in trust for obedience in all things.

7 tn The verb יָשָׁר (yashar) means “to make smooth; to make straight” (BDB 444 s.v.). This phrase means “to make the way free from obstacles,” that is, to make it successful (e.g., Isa 40:3). The straight, even road is the right road; God will make the way smooth for the believer.