7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho 5 to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel 6 ) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.
31:1 “I made a covenant with 9 my eyes;
how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin? 10
4:25 Let your eyes look directly 11 in front of you
and let your gaze 12 look straight before you.
23:5 When you gaze upon riches, 13 they are gone,
for they surely make wings for themselves,
and fly off into the sky like an eagle! 14
33:15 The one who lives 15 uprightly 16
and speaks honestly;
the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures
and rejects a bribe; 17
the one who does not plot violent crimes 18
and does not seek to harm others 19 –
5:1 When 20 he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. 21 After he sat down his disciples came to him.
2:16 When Herod 22 saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men 23 to kill all the children in Bethlehem 24 and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.
1 tn Heb “seek out, look into.”
2 tn This last clause is a relative clause explaining the influence of the human heart and physical sight. It literally says, “which you go whoring after them.” The verb for “whoring” may be interpreted to mean “act unfaithfully.” So, the idea is these influences lead to unfaithful activity: “after which you act unfaithfully.”
3 tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT).
4 tn Heb “shekels.”
5 map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.
6 map For the location of Bethel see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
7 tn Heb “and to the kings who [are] from the north in.”
8 tn Heb “Chinneroth,” a city and plain located in the territory of Naphtali in Galilee (BDB 490 s.v. כִּנֶּרֶת, כִּנֲרוֹת).
9 tn The idea of cutting a covenant for something may suggest a covenant that is imposed, except that this construction elsewhere argues against it (see 2 Chr 29:10).
10 tn This half-verse is the effect of the covenant. The interrogative מָה (mah) may have the force of the negative, and so be translated “not to pay attention.”
11 tn The jussives in this verse are both Hiphil, the first from the verb “to gaze; to look intently [or, carefully],” (נָבַט, navat) and the second from the verb “to be smooth, straight” (יָשָׁר, yashar).
12 tn Heb “your eyelids.” The term “eyelids” is often a poetic synonym for “eye” (it is a metonymy of adjunct, something connected with the eye put for the eye that sees); it may intensify the idea as one might squint to gain a clearer look.
13 tc The Kethib is הֲתָעוּף (hata’uf), “do your eyes fly [light] on it?” The Qere is the Hiphil, הֲתָעִיף (hata’if) “do you cause your eyes to fly on it?” But the line is difficult. The question may be indirect: If you cast your eyes on it, it is gone – when you think you are close, it slips away.
14 sn This seventh saying warns people not to expend all their energy trying to get rich because riches are fleeting (cf. Instruction of Amememope, chap. 7, 9:10-11 which says, “they have made themselves wings like geese and have flown away to heaven”). In the ancient world the symbol of birds flying away signified fleeting wealth.
15 tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).
16 tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”
17 tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”
18 tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”
19 tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”
20 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
21 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").
22 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
23 tn Or “soldiers.”
24 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.