42:14 “I have been inactive 1 for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp. 2
64:12 In light of all this, 3 how can you still hold back, Lord?
How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; 4
consuming fire goes ahead of him
and all around him a storm rages. 5
50:21 When you did these things, I was silent, 6
so you thought I was exactly like you. 7
But now I will condemn 8 you
and state my case against you! 9
1 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
2 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
3 tn Heb “because of these”; KJV, ASV “for these things.”
4 tn According to GKC 322 §109.e, the jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al) is used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.”
5 tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”
6 tn Heb “these things you did and I was silent.” Some interpret the second clause (“and I was silent”) as a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, “[When you do these things], should I keep silent?” (cf. NEB). See GKC 335 §112.cc.
7 tn The Hebrew infinitive construct (הֱיוֹת, heyot) appears to function like the infinitive absolute here, adding emphasis to the following finite verbal form (אֶהְיֶה, ’ehyeh). See GKC 339-40 §113.a. Some prefer to emend הֱיוֹת (heyot) to the infinitive absolute form הָיוֹ (hayo).
8 tn Or “rebuke” (see v. 8).
9 tn Heb “and I will set in order [my case against you] to your eyes.” The cohortative form expresses the