Psalms 76:7

76:7 You are awesome! Yes, you!

Who can withstand your intense anger?

Psalms 130:3-4

130:3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of sins,

O Lord, who could stand before you?

130:4 But you are willing to forgive,

so that you might be honored.

Joel 2:11

2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders as he leads his army.

Indeed, his warriors 10  are innumerable; 11 

Surely his command is carried out! 12 

Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome 13 

and very terrifying – who can survive 14  it?

Malachi 3:2

3:2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, 15  like a launderer’s soap.


tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (meaz, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (meoz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).

tn Heb “observe.”

tn The words “before you” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist must be referring to standing before God’s judgment seat. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one.”

tn Or “surely.”

tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”

tn Or “consequently you are.”

tn Heb “feared.”

tn Heb “the Lord gives his voice.”

tn Heb “before his army.”

10 tn Heb “military encampment.”

11 tn Heb “very large.”

12 tn Heb “he makes his word powerful.”

13 tn Or “powerful.” Heb “great.”

14 tn Heb “endure.” The MT and LXX read “endure,” while one of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXIIc) has “bear.”

15 sn The refiner’s fire was used to purify metal and refine it by melting it and allowing the dross, which floated to the top, to be scooped off.