21:3 For you bring him 1 rich 2 blessings; 3
you place a golden crown on his head.
79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations! 4
Quickly send your compassion our way, 5
for we are in serious trouble! 6
65:24 Before they even call out, 7 I will respond;
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
65:1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; 8
I appeared to those who did not look for me. 9
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke 10 my name.
4:1 Seven women will grab hold of
one man at that time. 11
They will say, “We will provide 12 our own food,
we will provide 13 our own clothes;
but let us belong to you 14 –
take away our shame!” 15
1 tn Or “meet him [with].”
2 tn Heb “good.”
3 sn You bring him rich blessings. The following context indicates that God’s “blessings” include deliverance/protection, vindication, sustained life, and a long, stable reign (see also Pss 3:8; 24:5).
4 tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that ראשׁנים (“former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.
5 tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.
6 tn Heb “for we are very low.”
7 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
8 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
9 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
10 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
11 tn Or “in that day” (ASV).
12 tn Heb “eat” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “buy.”
13 tn Heb “wear” (so NASB, NRSV); NCV “make.”
14 tn Heb “only let your name be called over us.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28, and BDB 896 s.v. I ָקרָא Niph. 2.d.(4). The language reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israel, where women were legally the property of their husbands.
15 sn This refers to the humiliation of being unmarried and childless. The women’s words reflect the cultural standards of ancient Israel, where a woman’s primary duties were to be a wife and mother.