42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; 6
now I announce new events.
Before they begin to occur,
I reveal them to you.” 7
1 sn Jesus was stressing that all stand at risk of death, if they do not repent and receive life.
2 tn Or “you will all likewise perish,” but this could be misunderstood to mean that they would perish by the same means as the Galileans. Jesus’ point is that apart from repentance all will perish.
3 sn Jesus’ point repeats v. 3. The circumstances make no difference. All must deal with the reality of what death means.
4 tn Grk “similarly.”
5 tn Or “Make every effort” (L&N 68.74; cf. NIV); “Do your best” (TEV); “Work hard” (NLT); Grk “Struggle.” The idea is to exert one’s maximum effort (cf. BDAG 17 s.v. ἀγωνίζομαι 2.b, “strain every nerve to enter”) because of the supreme importance of attaining entry into the kingdom of God.
6 tn Heb “the former things, look, they have come.”
7 tn Heb “before they sprout up, I cause you to hear.” The pronoun “you” is plural, referring to the people of Israel. In this verse “the former things” are the Lord’s earlier predictive oracles which have come to pass, while “the new things” are predicted events that have not yet begun to take place. “The former things” are earlier events in Israel’s history which God announced beforehand, such as the Exodus (see 43:16-18). “The new things” are the predictions about the servant (42:1-7). and may also include Cyrus’ conquests (41:25-27).
8 tn Or “Pay attention!” Grk “Behold.”