44:3 For they did not conquer 1 the land by their swords,
and they did not prevail by their strength, 2
but rather by your power, 3 strength 4 and good favor, 5
for you were partial to 6 them.
91:15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him honor.
91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, 7
and will let him see my salvation.
6:26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you 8
and give you peace.”’
1 tn Or “take possession of.”
2 tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.
3 tn Heb “your right hand.” The
4 tn Heb “your arm.”
5 tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
6 tn Or “favorable toward.”
7 tn Heb “length of days.”
8 tn The last line of the blessing also has first the image and then the parallel interpretation – for God to lift up his face is for God to give peace. The idea of the fallen face is one of anger (see Gen 4:6,7); and the idea of the hidden face is that of withholding support, favor, or peace (see Deut 31:18; Ps 30:8; Ps 44:25). If God lifts his face toward his people, it means he has given them peace – peace, prosperity, completeness, health, safety, general well-being, and the like.
9 tn Grk “they will call his name.”
10 sn A quotation from Isa 7:14.
11 tn Grk “is translated.”
12 sn An allusion to Isa 8:8, 10 (LXX).
13 tn The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has been translated here as “remember” (BDAG 468 s.v. 1.c).
14 sn I am with you. Matthew’s Gospel begins with the prophecy that the Savior’s name would be “Emmanuel, that is, ‘God with us,’” (1:23, in which the author has linked Isa 7:14 and 8:8, 10 together) and it ends with Jesus’ promise to be with his disciples forever. The Gospel of Matthew thus forms an inclusio about Jesus in his relationship to his people that suggests his deity.
15 tc Most