15:21 Terrifying sounds fill 5 his ears;
in a time of peace marauders 6 attack him.
28:1 The wicked person flees when there is no one pursuing, 7
but the righteous person is as confident 8 as a lion.
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; 9
at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, 10
until the remaining few are as isolated 11
as a flagpole on a mountaintop
or a signal flag on a hill.”
1 tn Heb “to the sword.”
2 tn Heb “in that hill country,” repeating the end of v. 43.
3 tn Heb “came out to meet.”
4 sn Hormah is probably Khirbet el-Meshash, 5.5 mi (9 km) west of Arad and 7.5 mi (12 km) SE of Beer Sheba. Its name is a derivative of the verb חָרָם (kharam, “to ban; to exterminate”). See Num 21:3.
5 tn The word “fill” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.
6 tn The word שׁוֹדֵד (shoded) means “a robber; a plunderer” (see Job 12:6). With the verb bo’ the sentence means that the robber pounces on or comes against him (see GKC 373 §118.f). H. H. Rowley observes that the text does not say that he is under attack, but that the sound of fears is in his ears, i.e., that he is terrified by thoughts of this.
7 sn The line portrays the insecurity of a guilty person – he flees because he has a guilty conscience, or because he is suspicious of others around him, or because he fears judgment.
8 tn The verb בָּטַח (batakh) means “to trust; to be secure; to be confident.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “bold.”
9 tn Heb “One thousand from before [or “because of”] one battle cry.” גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) is often defined as “threat,” but in war contexts it likely refers to a shout or battle cry. See Ps 76:6.
10 tn Heb “from before [or “because of”] the battle cry of five you will flee.
11 tn Heb “until you are left” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).