Psalms 68:2

68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. ¹ 

As wax melts before fire,

so the wicked are destroyed before God.

Joshua 7:5

7:5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ²  and defeated them on the steep slope. ³  The people’s ⁴  courage melted away like water. ⁵ 

Job 23:16

23:16 Indeed, God has made my heart faint; ⁶ 

the Almighty has terrified me.

Mark 14:33-34

14:33 He took Peter, James, ⁷  and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed. 14:34 He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.”

¹ tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”

² tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shÿvarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”).

³ sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

⁴ tn Or “army’s.”

⁵ tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”

⁶ tn The verb הֵרַךְ (kherakh) means “to be tender”; in the Piel it would have the meaning “to soften.” The word is used in parallel constructions with the verbs for “fear.” The implication is that God has made Job fearful.

⁷ tn Grk “and James,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.