51:7 Sprinkle me 1 with water 2 and I will be pure; 3
wash me 4 and I will be whiter than snow. 5
68:14 When the sovereign judge 6 scatters kings, 7
let it snow 8 on Zalmon!
1:18 9 Come, let’s consider your options,” 10 says the Lord.
“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,
you can become 11 white like snow;
though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,
you can become 12 white like wool. 13
7:9 After these things I looked, and here was 14 an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, 15 people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands.
19:18 to eat 20 your fill 21 of the flesh of kings,
the flesh of generals, 22
the flesh of powerful people,
the flesh of horses and those who ride them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, 23
and small and great!”
1 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
2 tn Heb “cleanse me with hyssop.” “Hyssop” was a small plant (see 1 Kgs 4:33) used to apply water (or blood) in purification rites (see Exod 12:22; Lev 14:4-6, 49-52; Num 19:6-18. The psalmist uses the language and imagery of such rites to describe spiritual cleansing through forgiveness.
3 tn After the preceding imperfect, the imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates result.
4 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
5 sn I will be whiter than snow. Whiteness here symbolizes the moral purity resulting from forgiveness (see Isa 1:18).
6 tn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (“Shaddai”). Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life, blesses and kills, and judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses (protects) and takes away life and/or happiness.
7 tn The Hebrew text adds “in it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix may refer back to God’s community/dwelling place (v. 10).
8 tn The verb form appears to be a Hiphil jussive from שָׁלַג (shalag), which is usually understood as a denominative verb from שֶׁלֶג (sheleg, “snow”) with an indefinite subject. The form could be taken as a preterite, in which case one might translate, “when the sovereign judge scattered kings, it snowed on Zalmon” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The point of the image is unclear. Perhaps “snow” suggests fertility and blessing (see v. 9 and Isa 55:10), or the image of a snow-capped mountain suggests grandeur.
9 sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).
10 tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.
11 tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.
12 tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.
13 tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.
14 tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the previous question.
17 tn Though the expression “the answer” is not in the Greek text, it is clearly implied. Direct objects in Greek were frequently omitted when clear from the context.
18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
19 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause, insofar as it is related to the first imperative, has the force of an imperative.
21 tn The idea of eating “your fill” is evident in the context with the use of χορτάζω (cortazw) in v. 21.
22 tn Grk “chiliarchs”; normally a chiliarch was a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).
23 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.