1:17 Surely it is futile to spread 1 a net
in plain sight of 2 any bird, 3
מ (Mem)
1:13 He sent down fire 4
into my bones, and it overcame 5 them.
He spread out a trapper’s net 6 for my feet;
he made me turn back.
He has made me desolate;
I am faint all day long.
5:1 Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, you Israelites! 7
Listen closely, 8 O king! 9
For judgment is about to overtake you! 10
For you were like a trap 11 to Mizpah, 12
like a net 13 spread out to catch Tabor. 14
20:20 Then 15 they watched him carefully and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. 16 They wanted to take advantage of what he might say 17 so that they could deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction 18 of the governor. 20:21 Thus 19 they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, 20 and show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 21
1 tn Heb “for the net to be spread out.” The Pual participle of זָרָה (zarah) means “to be spread” (HALOT 280 s.v. I זרה pu.1). The subject of this verbal use of the participle is the noun הָרָשֶׁת (harashet, “the net”). It is futile for the net to be spread out in plain view of birds.
2 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
3 tn Heb “all of the possessors of wings.”
4 tn Heb “He sent fire from on high.” Normally God sends fire from heaven. The idiom מִמָּרוֹם (mimmarom, “from on high”) can still suggest the location but as an idiom may focus on the quality of the referent. For example, “to speak from on high” means “to presume to speak as if from heaven” = arrogantly (Ps 73:8); “they fight against me from on high” = proudly (Ps 56:3) (BDB 928-29 s.v. מָרוֹם). As a potential locative, מִמָּרוֹם (mimmarom, “from on high”) designates God as the agent; idiomatically the same term paints him as pitiless.
5 tc The MT reads וַיִּרְדֶּנָּה (vayyirdennah, “it prevailed against them”), representing a vav (ו) consecutive + Qal preterite 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine plural suffix from רָדָה (radah, “to prevail”). The LXX κατήγαγεν αὐτό (kathgagen auto, “it descended”) reflects an alternate vocalization tradition of וַיֹּרִדֶנָּה (vayyoridennah, “it descended against them”), representing a vav (ו) consecutive + Hiphil preterite 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine plural suffix from יָרָד (yarad, “to go down”), or הֹרִידָהּ (horidah, “it descended against her”), a Hiphil perfect ms + 3rd person feminine singular suffix from from יָרָד (yarad, “to go down”). Internal evidence favors the MT. The origin of the LXX vocalization can be explained by the influence of the preceding line, “He sent down fire from on high.”
6 tn Heb “net.” The term “trapper’s” is supplied in the translation as a clarification.
7 tn Heb “O house of Israel” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); NLT “all of Israel’s leaders.”
8 tn Heb “Use the ear”; ASV “give ear.”
9 tn Heb “O house of the king” (so KJV); NIV “O royal house.”
10 tn Heb “for the judgment is to you”; or “For this accusation is against you.” Cf. NIV “This judgment is against you.”
11 sn The noun פַּח (pakh, “trap”) is used (1) literally of a bird-trap, used in similes and metaphors (Amos 3:5; Prov 7:23; Eccl 9:12), and (2) figuratively to refer to (a) calamities and plots (Job 18:9; 22:10; Pss 91:3; 119:110; 124:7; 140:6; 141:9; 142:4; Prov 22:5; Isa 24:17-18; Jer 18:22; 48:43-44; Hos 9:8) and (b) a source of calamity (Josh 23:13; Pss 11:6; 69:23; Isa 8:14; Hos 5:1; BDB 809 s.v. פַּח).
12 tn Heb “you were a trap to Mizpah.”
13 sn The noun רֶשֶׁת (reshet, “net”) is used (1) literally of a net used to catch birds (Prov 1:17) and (2) in figurative descriptions of the wicked plotting to ensnare their victims (Prov 29:5; Pss 9:16; 10:9; 25:15; 31:5; 35:7; 57:7; 140:6; Job 18:8; BDB 440 s.v. רֶשֶׁת).
14 tn Heb “and a net spread out over Tabor.”
15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
16 tn Grk “righteous,” but in this context the point is their false sincerity.
17 tn Grk “so that they might catch him in some word.”
18 tn This word is often translated “authority” in other contexts, but here, in combination with ἀρχή (arch), it refers to the domain or sphere of the governor’s rule (L&N 37.36).
19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the plans by the spies.
20 tn Or “precisely”; Grk “rightly.” Jesus teaches exactly, the straight and narrow.
21 sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question was specifically designed to trap Jesus.
22 tn Grk “hearts.”