44:26 who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants 1
and brings to pass the announcements 2 of his messengers,
who says about Jerusalem, 3 ‘She will be inhabited,’
and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt,
her ruins I will raise up,’
49:8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;
in the day of deliverance I will help you;
I will protect you 4 and make you a covenant mediator for people, 5
to rebuild 6 the land 7
and to reassign the desolate property.
52:9 In unison give a joyful shout,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord consoles his people;
he protects 8 Jerusalem.
61:4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate; 9
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. 10
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, 11 your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for 12 the dust of her ruins. 13
33:12 “I, the Lord who rules over all, say: 14 ‘This place will indeed lie in ruins. There will be no people or animals in it. But there will again be in it and in its towns sheepfolds where shepherds can rest their sheep. 33:13 I, the Lord, say that shepherds will once again count their sheep as they pass into the fold. 15 They will do this in all the towns in the southern hill country, the western foothills, the southern hill country, the territory of Benjamin, the villages surrounding Jerusalem, and the towns of Judah.’ 16
1 tn Heb “the word of his servant.” The following context indicates that the Lord’s prophets are in view.
2 tn Heb “counsel.” The Hebrew term עֵצָה (’etsah) probably refers here to the divine plan as announced by the prophets. See HALOT 867 s.v. I עֵצָה.
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).
5 tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (’am, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.
6 tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”
7 tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.
8 tn Or “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.
9 tn Heb “and the formerly desolate places they will raise up.”
10 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
11 tn Or “for.”
12 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
13 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
14 tn Heb “Thus says Yahweh of armies.” For the explanation for the first person introduction see the translator’s notes on 33:2, 10. Verses 4, 10, 12 introduce three oracles, all under the answer to the
15 sn Heb “Sheep will again pass under the hands of the counter.” This appears to be a reference to counting the sheep to make sure that none was missing as they returned to the fold. See the same idiom in Lev 27:52 and in the metaphor in Ezek 20:37.
16 sn Compare Jer 32:44.