12:3 May the Lord cut off 1 all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts! 2
64:8 Their slander will bring about their demise. 3
All who see them will shudder, 4
120:3 How will he severely punish you,
you deceptive talker? 5
149:9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies 6 have been sentenced. 7
All his loyal followers will be vindicated. 8
Praise the Lord!
17:20 The one who has a perverse heart 9 does not find good, 10
and the one who is deceitful in speech 11 falls into trouble.
3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles,
Judah falls,
for their words and their actions offend the Lord; 12
they rebel against his royal authority. 13
1 tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the
2 tn Heb “a tongue speaking great [things].”
3 tc The MT reads literally, “and they caused him to stumble, upon them, their tongue.” Perhaps the third plural subject of the verb is indefinite with the third singular pronominal suffix on the verb being distributive (see Ps 63:10). In this case one may translate, “each one will be made to stumble.” The preposition עַל (’al) might then be taken as adversative, “against them [is] their tongue.” Many prefer to emend the text to וַיַּכְשִׁילֵמוֹ עֲלֵי לְשׁוֹנָם (vayyakhshilemo ’aley lÿshonam, “and he caused them to stumble over their tongue”). However, if this reading is original, it is difficult to see how the present reading of the MT arose. Furthermore, the preposition is not collocated with the verb כָּשַׁל (kashal) elsewhere. It is likely that the MT is corrupt, but a satisfying emendation has not yet been proposed.
4 tn The Hitpolel verbal form is probably from the root נוּד (nud; see HALOT 678 s.v. נוד), which is attested elsewhere in the Hitpolel stem, not the root נָדַד (nadad, as proposed by BDB 622 s.v. I נָדַד), which does not occur elsewhere in this stem.
5 tn Heb “What will he give to you, and what will he add to you, O tongue of deception?” The psalmist addresses his deceptive enemies. The
6 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the enemies of the people of God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “to do against them judgment [that] is written.”
8 tn Heb “it is honor for all his godly ones.” The judgment of the oppressive kings will bring vindication and honor to God’s people (see vv. 4-5).
9 tn The verse parallels two descriptions of the wicked person: “crooked/perverse of heart” (genitive of specification), and “turned away in his tongue” (deceitful). The first phrase describes twisted intentions. The second, using the Niphal participle (“one turned away”) with “tongue,” the metonymy of cause, describes one who has turned away from speaking truth. Cf. NLT “the twisted tongue tumbles into trouble.”
10 tn The phrase “does not find good” is a figure (tapeinosis) meaning, “will experience calamity.” The wicked person can expect trouble ahead.
11 tn Heb “tongue”; NIV “whose tongue is deceitful.”
12 tn Heb “for their tongue and their deeds [are] to the Lord.”
13 tn Heb “to rebel [against] the eyes of his majesty.” The word כָּבוֹד (kavod) frequently refers to the Lord’s royal splendor that is an outward manifestation of his authority as king.
14 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
15 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn Grk “out of your own mouth” (an idiom).
17 tn Note the contrast between this slave, described as “wicked,” and the slave in v. 17, described as “good.”
18 tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”
19 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new character. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
20 sn This is the one place in the NT the office of chief tax collector is noted. He would organize the other tax collectors and collect healthy commissions (see also the note on the word tax collector in 3:12).
21 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
22 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
23 tn Grk “the word which had been spoken to them.”
24 tn Grk “marveled.” It is a hard word to translate with one term in this context. There is a mixture of amazement and pondering at work in considering the surprising events here. See Luke 1:21, 63; 2:33.
25 tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).
26 tn Or “soul.”
27 tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.
28 tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebew) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.
29 sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.
30 tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.
31 tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.
32 tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”
33 tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”
34 sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.
35 tn Or “to their own advantage.”