7:10 The arrogance of Israel testifies against him,
yet they refuse to return to the Lord their God!
In spite of all this they refuse to seek him!
7:14 They do not pray to me, 1
but howl in distress on their beds;
They slash themselves 2 for grain and new wine,
but turn away from me.
5:15 Then I will return again to my lair
until they have suffered their punishment. 3
Then they will seek me; 4
in their distress they will earnestly seek me.
36:13 The godless at heart 5 nourish anger, 6
they do not cry out even when he binds them.
9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,
they did not seek reconciliation 7 with the Lord who commands armies.
43:22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long 8 for me, O Israel.
64:7 No one invokes 9 your name,
or makes an effort 10 to take hold of you.
For you have rejected us 11
and handed us over to our own sins. 12
22:30 “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. 13
1 tn Heb “they do not cry out to me in their heart”; NLT “with sincere hearts.”
2 tc The MT reads יִתְגּוֹרָרוּ (yitgoraru) which is either (1) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they assemble themselves”; so KJV, NASB) from I גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn”; BDB 157 s.v. I גּוּר) or (2) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they excite themselves”) from II גּוּר (gur, “to stir up”; BDB 158 s.v. II גּוּר). However, the Hebrew lexicographers suggest that both of these options are unlikely. Several other Hebrew
3 tn The verb יֶאְשְׁמוּ (ye’shÿmu, Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural from אָשַׁם, ’asham, “to be guilty”) means “to bear their punishment” (Ps 34:22-23; Prov 30:10; Isa 24:6; Jer 2:3; Hos 5:15; 10:2; 14:1; Zech 11:5; Ezek 6:6; BDB 79 s.v. אָשַׁם 3). Many English versions translate this as “admit their guilt” (NIV, NLT) or “acknowledge their guilt” (NASB, NRSV), but cf. NAB “pay for their guilt” and TEV “have suffered enough for their sins.”
4 tn Heb “seek my face” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “seek my presence.”
5 tn The expression “godless [or hypocrite] in heart” is an intensification of the description. It conveys that they are intentionally godless. See Matt 23:28.
6 tn Heb “they put anger.” This is usually interpreted to mean they lay up anger, or put anger in their hearts.
7 tn This verse describes the people’s response to the judgment described in vv. 11-12. The perfects are understood as indicating simple past.
8 tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.”
9 tn Or “calls out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “calls on.”
10 tn Or “rouses himself”; NASB “arouses himself.”
11 tn Heb “for you have hidden your face from us.”
12 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and you caused us to melt in the hand of our sin.” The verb וַתְּמוּגֵנוּ (vattÿmugenu) is a Qal preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the root מוּג (mug, “melt”). However, elsewhere the Qal of this verb is intransitive. If the verbal root מוּג (mug) is retained here, the form should be emended to a Polel pattern (וַתְּמֹגְגֵנוּ, vattÿmogÿgenu). The translation assumes an emendation to וַתְּמַגְּנֵנוּ (vattÿmaggÿnenu, “and you handed us over”). This form is a Piel preterite 2nd person masculine singular with a 1st person common plural suffix from the verbal root מִגֵּן (miggen, “hand over, surrender”; see HALOT 545 s.v. מגן and BDB 171 s.v. מָגָן). The point is that God has abandoned them to their sinful ways and no longer seeks reconciliation.
13 tn Heb “I did not find.”
14 tn Heb “we have not pacified the face of.”
15 tn Or “by gaining insight.”
16 tn Heb “by your truth.” The Hebrew term does not refer here to abstract truth, however, but to the reliable moral guidance found in the covenant law. See vv 10-11.