Discovery BoxGenesis 12:1-20
Context12:1 Now the Lord said 1 to Abram, 2
“Go out 3 from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household
to the land that I will show you. 4
12:2 Then I will make you 5 into a great nation, and I will bless you, 6
and I will make your name great, 7
so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 8
12:3 I will bless those who bless you, 9
but the one who treats you lightly 10 I must curse,
and all the families of the earth will bless one another 11 by your name.”
12:4 So Abram left, 12 just as the Lord had told him to do, 13 and Lot went with him. (Now 14 Abram was 75 years old 15 when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew 16 Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired 17 in Haran, and they left for 18 the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.
12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree 19 of Moreh 20 at Shechem. 21 (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) 22 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants 23 I will give this land.” So Abram 24 built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel 25 and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. 26 12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages 27 down to the Negev. 28
12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt 29 to stay for a while 30 because the famine was severe. 31 12:11 As he approached 32 Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, 33 I know that you are a beautiful woman. 34 12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. 35 12:13 So tell them 36 you are my sister 37 so that it may go well 38 for me because of you and my life will be spared 39 on account of you.”
12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife 40 was taken 41 into the household of Pharaoh, 42 12:16 and he did treat Abram well 43 on account of her. Abram received 44 sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases 45 because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this 46 you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her 47 to be my wife? 48 Here is your wife! 49 Take her and go!” 50 12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, 51 and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.
Genesis 50:1-26
Context50:1 Then Joseph hugged his father’s face. 52 He wept over him and kissed him. 50:2 Joseph instructed the physicians in his service 53 to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel. 50:3 They took forty days, for that is the full time needed for embalming. 54 The Egyptians mourned 55 for him seventy days. 56
50:4 When the days of mourning 57 had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s royal court, 58 “If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh, 59 50:5 ‘My father made me swear an oath. He said, 60 “I am about to die. Bury me 61 in my tomb that I dug for myself there in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go and bury my father; then I will return.’” 50:6 So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.” 62
50:7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; all Pharaoh’s officials went with him – the senior courtiers 63 of his household, all the senior officials of the land of Egypt, 50:8 all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. But they left their little children and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 50:9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him, so it was a very large entourage. 64
50:10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad 65 on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and bitter sorrow. 66 There Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father. 50:11 When the Canaanites who lived in the land saw them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very sad occasion 67 for the Egyptians.” That is why its name was called 68 Abel Mizraim, 69 which is beyond the Jordan.
50:12 So the sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them. 50:13 His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the field Abraham purchased as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 50:14 After he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to bury his father.
50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay 70 us in full 71 for all the harm 72 we did to him?” 50:16 So they sent word 73 to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave these instructions before he died: 50:17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. 74 50:18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, “Here we are; we are your slaves.” 50:19 But Joseph answered them, “Don’t be afraid. Am 75 I in the place of God? 50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, 76 but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. 77 50:21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly 78 to them.
50:22 Joseph lived in Egypt, along with his father’s family. 79 Joseph lived 110 years. 50:23 Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation. 80 He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph. 81
50:24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to you 82 and lead you up from this land to the land he swore on oath to give 83 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 50:25 Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 50:26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. 84 After they embalmed him, his body 85 was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Genesis 50:1
Context50:1 Then Joseph hugged his father’s face. 86 He wept over him and kissed him.
Isaiah 13:1--14:32
Context13:1 87 This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: 88
13:2 89 On a bare hill raise a signal flag,
shout to them,
wave your hand,
so they might enter the gates of the princes!
13:3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; 90
I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, 91
my boasting, arrogant ones. 92
13:4 93 There is a loud noise on the mountains –
it sounds like a large army! 94
There is great commotion among the kingdoms 95 –
nations are being assembled!
The Lord who commands armies is mustering
forces for battle.
13:5 They come from a distant land,
from the horizon. 96
It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, 97
coming to destroy the whole earth. 98
13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment 99 is near;
it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. 100
13:7 For this reason all hands hang limp, 101
every human heart loses its courage. 102
13:8 They panic –
cramps and pain seize hold of them
like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.
They look at one another in astonishment;
their faces are flushed red. 103
13:9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment 104 is coming;
it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, 105
and annihilating its sinners.
13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations
no longer give out their light; 108
the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,
and the moon does not shine. 109
13:11 110 I will punish the world for its evil, 111
and wicked people for their sin.
I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,
I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. 112
13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,
and people more scarce 113 than gold from Ophir.
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 114
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 115
because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,
in the day he vents his raging anger. 116
13:14 Like a frightened gazelle 117
or a sheep with no shepherd,
each will turn toward home, 118
each will run to his homeland.
13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;
everyone who is seized 119 will die 120 by the sword.
13:16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;
their houses will be looted
and their wives raped.
13:17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; 121
they are not concerned about silver,
nor are they interested in gold. 122
13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; 123
they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, 124
they will not 125 look with pity on children.
13:19 Babylon, the most admired 126 of kingdoms,
the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, 127
will be destroyed by God
just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. 128
13:20 No one will live there again;
no one will ever reside there again. 129
No bedouin 130 will camp 131 there,
no shepherds will rest their flocks 132 there.
13:21 Wild animals will rest there,
the ruined 133 houses will be full of hyenas. 134
Ostriches will live there,
wild goats will skip among the ruins. 135
13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,
jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. 136
Her time is almost up, 137
her days will not be prolonged. 138
14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 139 he will again choose Israel as his special people 140 and restore 141 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 142 of Jacob. 14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. 143 They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them. 14:3 When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, 144 and from the hard labor which you were made to perform, 14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: 145
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 146 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 147 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 148
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 149
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 150
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 151
‘Since you fell asleep, 152
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 153
14:9 Sheol 154 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 155 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 156
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 157
14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
14:11 Your splendor 158 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 159
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 160
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 161
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 162 of the nations! 163
14:13 You said to yourself, 164
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 165
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 166
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 167 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 168
14:15 But you were brought down 169 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 170
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 171
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 172 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 173
14:18 174 As for all the kings of the nations,
all of them 175 lie down in splendor, 176
each in his own tomb. 177
14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave
like a shoot that is thrown away. 178
You lie among 179 the slain,
among those who have been slashed by the sword,
among those headed for 180 the stones of the pit, 181
as if you were a mangled corpse. 182
14:20 You will not be buried with them, 183
because you destroyed your land
and killed your people.
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again.
14:21 Prepare to execute 184 his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed. 185
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.” 186
14:22 “I will rise up against them,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, 187
including the offspring she produces,” 188
says the Lord.
14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals 189
and covered with pools of stagnant water.
I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” 190
says the Lord who commands armies.
14:24 191 The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:
“Be sure of this:
Just as I have intended, so it will be;
just as I have planned, it will happen.
14:25 I will break Assyria 192 in my land,
I will trample them 193 underfoot on my hills.
Their yoke will be removed from my people,
the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. 194
14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” 195
14:27 Indeed, 196 the Lord who commands armies has a plan,
and who can possibly frustrate it?
His hand is ready to strike,
and who can possibly stop it? 197
14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, 198 this message was revealed: 199
14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken! 200
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder. 201
14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; 202
the needy will rest securely.
But I will kill your root by famine;
it will put to death all your survivors. 203
14:31 Wail, O city gate!
Cry out, O city!
Melt with fear, 204 all you Philistines!
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,
and there are no stragglers in its ranks. 205
14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? 206
Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;
the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.
Isaiah 47:1-15
Context47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,
O virgin 207 daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground, not on a throne,
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 208 you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.
47:2 Pick up millstones and grind flour!
Remove your veil,
strip off your skirt,
expose your legs,
cross the streams!
47:3 Let your private parts be exposed!
Your genitals will be on display! 209
I will get revenge;
I will not have pity on anyone,” 210
47:4 says our protector –
the Lord who commands armies is his name,
the Holy One of Israel. 211
47:5 “Sit silently! Go to a hiding place, 212
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed, 213 you will no longer be called ‘Queen of kingdoms.’
47:6 I was angry at my people;
I defiled my special possession
and handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy; 214
you even placed a very heavy burden on old people. 215
47:7 You said,
‘I will rule forever as permanent queen!’ 216
You did not think about these things; 217
you did not consider how it would turn out. 218
47:8 So now, listen to this,
O one who lives so lavishly, 219
who lives securely,
who says to herself, 220
‘I am unique! No one can compare to me! 221
I will never have to live as a widow;
I will never lose my children.’ 222
47:9 Both of these will come upon you
suddenly, in one day!
You will lose your children and be widowed. 223
You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies, 224
despite 225 your many incantations
and your numerous amulets. 226
47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; 227
you thought, 228 ‘No one sees me.’
Your self-professed 229 wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,
when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ 230
47:11 Disaster will overtake you;
you will not know how to charm it away. 231
Destruction will fall on you;
you will not be able to appease it.
Calamity will strike you suddenly,
before you recognize it. 232
47:12 Persist 233 in trusting 234 your amulets
and your many incantations,
which you have faithfully recited 235 since your youth!
Maybe you will be successful 236 –
maybe you will scare away disaster. 237
47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. 238
Let them take their stand –
the ones who see omens in the sky,
who gaze at the stars,
who make monthly predictions –
let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! 239
47:14 Look, they are like straw,
which the fire burns up;
they cannot rescue themselves
from the heat 240 of the flames.
There are no coals to warm them,
no firelight to enjoy. 241
47:15 They will disappoint you, 242
those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth. 243
Each strays off in his own direction, 244
leaving no one to rescue you.”
Daniel 5:1-31
Context5:1 King Belshazzar 245 prepared a great banquet 246 for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of 247 them all. 248 5:2 While under the influence 249 of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels – the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father 250 had confiscated 251 from the temple in Jerusalem 252 – so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them. 253 5:3 So they brought the gold and silver 254 vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God 255 in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. 5:4 As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5:5 At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared 256 and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand. 257 The king was watching the back 258 of the hand that was writing. 5:6 Then all the color drained from the king’s face 259 and he became alarmed. 260 The joints of his hips gave way, 261 and his knees began knocking together. 5:7 The king called out loudly 262 to summon 263 the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed 264 to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple 265 and have a golden collar 266 placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.
5:8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its 267 interpretation to the king. 5:9 Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken. 268 His nobles were completely dumbfounded.
5:10 Due to the noise 269 caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother 270 then entered the banquet room. She 271 said, “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t be shaken! 5:11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, he proved to have 272 insight, discernment, and wisdom like that 273 of the gods. 274 King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners. 275 5:12 Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret 276 dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. 277 Now summon 278 Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation.”
5:13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 5:14 I have heard about you, how there is a spirit of the gods in you, and how you have 279 insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom. 5:15 Now the wise men and 280 astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they were unable to disclose the interpretation of the message. 5:16 However, I have heard 281 that you are able to provide interpretations and to decipher knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third 282 ruler in the kingdom.”
5:17 But Daniel replied to the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its 283 interpretation. 5:18 As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty. 284 5:19 Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear 285 before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared 286 whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. 5:20 And when his mind 287 became arrogant 288 and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. 5:21 He was driven from human society, his mind 289 was changed to that of an animal, he lived 290 with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.
5:22 “But you, his son 291 Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, 292 although you knew all this. 5:23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods 293 that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control 294 your very breath and all your ways! 5:24 Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.
5:25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, 295 TEQEL, and PHARSIN. 296 5:26 This is the interpretation of the words: 297 As for mene 298 – God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end. 5:27 As for teqel – you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. 5:28 As for peres 299 – your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
5:29 Then, on Belshazzar’s orders, 300 Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. 5:30 And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, 301 was killed. 302 5:31 (6:1) 303 So Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.
Habakkuk 2:16
Context2:16 But you will become drunk 304 with shame, not majesty. 305
Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! 306
The cup of wine in the Lord’s right hand 307 is coming to you,
and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!
Revelation 18:1-24
Context18:1 After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance. 308 18:2 He 309 shouted with a powerful voice:
“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!
She 310 has become a lair for demons,
a haunt 311 for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detested beast. 312
18:3 For all the nations 313 have fallen 314 from
the wine of her immoral passion, 315
and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.” 316
18:4 Then 317 I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, 18:5 because her sins have piled 318 up all the way to heaven 319 and God has remembered 320 her crimes. 321 18:6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; 322 pay her back double 323 corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her. 18:7 As much as 324 she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, 325 to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, 326 ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ 18:8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues 327 in a single day: disease, 328 mourning, 329 and famine, and she will be burned down 330 with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”
18:9 Then 331 the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury 332 with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up. 333 18:10 They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say,
“Woe, woe, O great city,
Babylon the powerful city!
For in a single hour your doom 334 has come!”
18:11 Then 335 the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo 336 any longer – 18:12 cargo such as gold, silver, 337 precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, 338 scarlet cloth, 339 all sorts of things made of citron wood, 340 all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble, 18:13 cinnamon, spice, 341 incense, perfumed ointment, 342 frankincense, 343 wine, olive oil and costly flour, 344 wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages, 345 slaves and human lives. 346
18:14 (The ripe fruit 347 you greatly desired 348
has gone from you,
and all your luxury 349 and splendor 350
have gone from you –
they will never ever be found again!) 351
18:15 The merchants who sold 352 these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep 353 and mourn, 18:16 saying,
“Woe, woe, O great city –
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing, 354
and adorned with gold, 355 precious stones, and pearls –
18:17 because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!” 356
And every ship’s captain, 357 and all who sail along the coast 358 – seamen, and all who 359 make their living from the sea, stood a long way off 18:18 and began to shout 360 when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up, 361 “Who is like the great city?” 18:19 And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning, 362
“Woe, Woe, O great city –
in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth –
because in a single hour she has been destroyed!” 363
18:20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has pronounced judgment 364 against her on your behalf!) 365
18:21 Then 366 one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force 367
Babylon the great city will be thrown down 368
and it will never be found again!
18:22 And the sound of the harpists, musicians,
flute players, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you 369 again.
No 370 craftsman 371 who practices any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the noise of a mill 372 will never be heard in you again.
18:23 Even the light from a lamp
will never shine in you again!
The voices of the bridegroom and his bride
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,
because all the nations 373 were deceived by your magic spells! 374
18:24 The 375 blood of the saints and prophets was found in her, 376
along with the blood 377 of all those who had been killed on the earth.”
[12:1] 1 sn The
[12:1] 2 tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.
[12:1] 3 tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”
[12:1] 4 sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the
[12:2] 5 tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.
[12:2] 6 sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.
[12:2] 7 tn Or “I will make you famous.”
[12:2] 8 tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.
[12:3] 9 tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the
[12:3] 10 tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic
[12:3] 11 tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[12:4] 12 sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).
[12:4] 13 tn Heb “just as the
[12:4] 14 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.
[12:4] 15 tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”
[12:5] 16 tn Heb “the son of his brother.”
[12:5] 17 tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.
[12:5] 18 tn Heb “went out to go.”
[12:6] 20 sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.
[12:6] 21 tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”
[12:6] 22 tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.
[12:7] 23 tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[12:7] 24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:8] 25 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[12:8] 26 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
[12:9] 27 tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”
[12:9] 28 tn Or “the South [country].”
[12:10] 29 sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.
[12:10] 30 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.
[12:10] 31 tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:11] 32 tn Heb “drew near to enter.”
[12:11] 33 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.
[12:11] 34 tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”
[12:12] 35 tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.
[12:13] 37 sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.
[12:13] 38 tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.
[12:13] 39 tn Heb “and my life will live.”
[12:15] 40 tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.
[12:15] 41 tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.
[12:15] 42 tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.
[12:16] 43 sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.
[12:16] 44 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
[12:17] 45 tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the
[12:18] 46 tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
[12:19] 47 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.
[12:19] 48 tn Heb “to me for a wife.”
[12:19] 49 tn Heb “Look, your wife!”
[12:19] 50 tn Heb “take and go.”
[12:20] 51 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[50:1] 52 tn Heb “fell on.” The expression describes Joseph’s unrestrained sorrow over Jacob’s death; he probably threw himself across the body and embraced his father.
[50:2] 53 tn Heb “his servants the physicians.”
[50:3] 54 tn Heb “and forty days were fulfilled for him, for thus are fulfilled the days of embalming.”
[50:3] 56 sn Seventy days. This probably refers to a time of national mourning.
[50:4] 58 tn Heb “the house of Pharaoh.”
[50:4] 59 tn Heb “in the ears of Pharaoh.”
[50:5] 61 tn The imperfect verbal form here has the force of a command.
[50:6] 62 tn Heb “he made you swear on oath.”
[50:7] 63 tn Or “dignitaries”; Heb “elders.”
[50:10] 65 sn The location of the threshing floor of Atad is not certain. The expression the other side of the Jordan could refer to the eastern or western bank, depending on one’s perspective. However, it is commonly used in the OT for Transjordan. This would suggest that the entourage came up the Jordan Valley and crossed into the land at Jericho, just as the Israelites would in the time of Joshua.
[50:10] 66 tn Heb “and they mourned there [with] very great and heavy mourning.” The cognate accusative, as well as the two adjectives and the adverb, emphasize the degree of their sorrow.
[50:11] 67 tn Heb “this is heavy mourning for Egypt.”
[50:11] 68 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so it may be translated as passive.
[50:11] 69 sn The name Abel Mizraim means “the mourning of Egypt.”
[50:15] 70 tn The imperfect tense could be a simple future; it could also have a desiderative nuance.
[50:15] 71 tn The infinitive absolute makes the statement emphatic, “repay in full.”
[50:16] 73 tn The verb means “command,” but they would hardly be commanding him. It probably means they sent their father’s instructions to Joseph.
[50:17] 74 tn Heb “and Joseph wept when they spoke to him.”
[50:20] 76 tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”
[50:20] 77 tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”
[50:21] 78 tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”
[50:22] 79 tn Heb “he and the house of his father.”
[50:23] 80 tn Heb “saw Ephraim, the children of the third.”
[50:23] 81 tn Heb “they were born on the knees of Joseph.” This expression implies their adoption by Joseph, which meant that they received an inheritance from him.
[50:24] 82 tn The verb פָּקַד (paqad) means “to visit,” i.e., to intervene for blessing or cursing; here Joseph announces that God would come to fulfill the promises by delivering them from Egypt. The statement is emphasized by the use of the infinitive absolute with the verb: “God will surely visit you.”
[50:24] 83 tn The words “to give” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[50:26] 84 tn Heb “son of a hundred and ten years.”
[50:1] 86 tn Heb “fell on.” The expression describes Joseph’s unrestrained sorrow over Jacob’s death; he probably threw himself across the body and embraced his father.
[13:1] 87 sn Isa 13-23 contains a series of judgment oracles against various nations. It is likely that Israel, not the nations mentioned, actually heard these oracles. The oracles probably had a twofold purpose. For those leaders who insisted on getting embroiled in international politics, these oracles were a reminder that Judah need not fear foreign nations or seek international alliances for security reasons. For the righteous remnant within the nation, these oracles were a reminder that Israel’s God was indeed the sovereign ruler of the earth, worthy of his people’s trust.
[13:1] 88 tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] [about] Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”
[13:2] 89 sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).
[13:3] 90 tn Heb “my consecrated ones,” i.e., those who have been set apart by God for the special task of carrying out his judgment.
[13:3] 91 tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”
[13:3] 92 tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV “my proudly exulting ones.”
[13:4] 93 sn In vv. 4-10 the prophet appears to be speaking, since the Lord is referred to in the third person. However, since the Lord refers to himself in the third person later in this chapter (see v. 13), it is possible that he speaks throughout the chapter.
[13:4] 94 tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”
[13:4] 95 tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”
[13:5] 96 tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”
[13:5] 97 tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”
[13:5] 98 tn Or perhaps, “land” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NLT). Even though the heading and subsequent context (see v. 17) indicate Babylon’s judgment is in view, the chapter has a cosmic flavor that suggests that the coming judgment is universal in scope. Perhaps Babylon’s downfall occurs in conjunction with a wider judgment, or the cosmic style is poetic hyperbole used to emphasize the magnitude and importance of the coming event.
[13:6] 99 tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[13:6] 100 tn Heb “like destruction from the sovereign judge it comes.” The comparative preposition (כְּ, kÿ) has here the rhetorical nuance, “in every way like.” The point is that the destruction unleashed will have all the earmarks of divine judgment. One could paraphrase, “it comes as only destructive divine judgment can.” On this use of the preposition in general, see GKC 376 §118.x.
[13:7] 101 tn Heb “drop”; KJV “be faint”; ASV “be feeble”; NAB “fall helpless.”
[13:7] 102 tn Heb “melts” (so NAB).
[13:8] 103 tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.
[13:9] 104 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”
[13:9] 105 tn Heb “[with] cruelty, and fury, and rage of anger.” Three synonyms for “anger” are piled up at the end of the line to emphasize the extraordinary degree of divine anger that will be exhibited in this judgment.
[13:9] 106 tn Heb “making desolate.”
[13:9] 107 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
[13:10] 108 tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
[13:10] 109 tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”
[13:11] 110 sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.
[13:11] 111 tn Or “I will bring disaster on the world.” Hebrew רָעָה (ra’ah) could refer to the judgment (i.e., disaster, calamity) or to the evil that prompts it. The structure of the parallel line favors the latter interpretation.
[13:11] 112 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”
[13:12] 113 tn The verb is supplied in the translation from the first line. The verb in the first line (“I will make scarce”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.
[13:13] 114 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[13:13] 115 tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).
[13:13] 116 tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
[13:14] 117 tn Or “like a gazelle being chased.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[13:14] 118 tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).
[13:15] 119 tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See HALOT 764 s.v. ספה.
[13:15] 120 tn Heb “will fall” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NLT “will be run through with a sword.”
[13:17] 121 tn Heb “against them”; NLT “against Babylon.”
[13:17] 122 sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.
[13:18] 123 tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.
[13:18] 124 tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”
[13:18] 125 tn Heb “their eye does not.” Here “eye” is a metonymy for the whole person.
[13:19] 126 tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).
[13:19] 127 tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”
[13:19] 128 tn Heb “and Babylon…will be like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah.” On מַהְפֵּכַת (mahpekhat, “overthrow”) see the note on the word “destruction” in 1:7.
[13:20] 129 tn Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.
[13:20] 130 tn Or “Arab” (NAB, NASB, NIV); cf. CEV, NLT “nomads.”
[13:20] 131 tn יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See GKC 186 §68.k.
[13:20] 132 tn The words “their flocks” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.
[13:21] 133 tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:21] 134 tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).
[13:21] 135 tn Heb “will skip there.”
[13:22] 136 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).
[13:22] 137 tn Heb “near to come is her time.”
[13:22] 138 sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689
[14:1] 139 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
[14:1] 140 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:1] 141 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
[14:2] 143 tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”
[14:3] 144 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[14:4] 145 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
[14:4] 146 tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.
[14:6] 147 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
[14:6] 148 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:6] 149 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:8] 150 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:8] 151 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
[14:8] 152 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
[14:8] 153 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
[14:9] 154 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
[14:9] 155 tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.
[14:9] 156 tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.
[14:9] 157 tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.
[14:11] 158 tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”
[14:11] 159 tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:11] 160 tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
[14:12] 161 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.
[14:12] 162 tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
[14:12] 163 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
[14:13] 164 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
[14:13] 165 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
[14:13] 166 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
[14:14] 167 tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה.
[14:14] 168 sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.
[14:15] 169 tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.
[14:15] 170 tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.
[14:16] 171 tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
[14:17] 172 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.
[14:17] 173 tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.
[14:18] 174 sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.
[14:18] 175 tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[14:18] 176 sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.
[14:18] 177 tn Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.
[14:19] 178 tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר (netser, “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”
[14:19] 179 tn Heb “are clothed with.”
[14:19] 180 tn Heb “those going down to.”
[14:19] 181 tn בּוֹר (bor) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.
[14:19] 182 tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.
[14:20] 183 tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).
[14:21] 184 tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”
[14:21] 185 tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
[14:21] 186 sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.
[14:22] 187 tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).
[14:22] 188 tn Heb “descendant and child.”
[14:23] 189 tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).
[14:23] 190 tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
[14:24] 191 sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.
[14:25] 192 tn Heb “to break Assyria.”
[14:25] 193 tn Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.
[14:25] 194 tn Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.
[14:26] 195 tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
[14:27] 196 tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:27] 197 tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”
[14:28] 198 sn Perhaps 715
[14:28] 199 tn Heb “this oracle came.”
[14:29] 200 sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.
[14:29] 201 tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.
[14:30] 202 tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bÿkhorey, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”).
[14:30] 203 tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).
[14:31] 204 tn Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג). The form נָמוֹג (namog) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72.v.
[14:31] 205 tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד (boded) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד (badad, “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד). מוֹעָד (mo’ad) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. *מוֹעָד), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.
[14:32] 206 sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.
[47:1] 207 tn בְּתוּלַה (bÿtulah) often refers to a virgin, but the phrase “virgin daughter” is apparently stylized (see also 23:12; 37:22). In the extended metaphor of this chapter, where Babylon is personified as a queen (vv. 5, 7), she is depicted as being both a wife and mother (vv. 8-9).
[47:1] 208 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
[47:3] 209 tn Heb “Your shame will be seen.” In this context “shame” is a euphemism referring to the genitals.
[47:3] 210 tn Heb “I will not meet a man.” The verb פָּגַע (pagah) apparently carries the nuance “meet with kindness” here (cf. 64:5, and see BDB 803 s.v. Qal.2).
[47:4] 211 tc The Hebrew text reads, “Our redeemer – the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” The ancient Greek version adds “says” before “our redeemer.” אָמַר (’amar) may have accidentally dropped from the text by virtual haplography. Note that the preceding word אָדָם (’adam) is graphically similar.
[47:5] 212 tn Heb “darkness,” which may indicate a place of hiding where a fugitive would seek shelter and protection.
[47:5] 213 tn Or “For” (NASB, NRSV).
[47:6] 214 tn Or “compassion.”
[47:6] 215 tn Heb “on the old you made very heavy your yoke.”
[47:7] 216 tn Heb “Forever I [will be] permanent queen”; NIV “the eternal queen”; CEV “queen forever.”
[47:7] 217 tn Heb “you did not set these things upon your heart [or “mind”].”
[47:7] 218 tn Heb “you did not remember its outcome”; NAB “you disregarded their outcome.”
[47:8] 219 tn Or perhaps, “voluptuous one” (NAB); NAB “you sensual one”; NLT “You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom.”
[47:8] 220 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
[47:8] 221 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.” See Zeph 2:15.
[47:8] 222 tn Heb “I will not live [as] a widow, and I will not know loss of children.”
[47:9] 223 tn Heb “loss of children and widowhood.” In the Hebrew text the phrase is in apposition to “both of these” in line 1.
[47:9] 224 tn Heb “according to their fullness, they will come upon you.”
[47:9] 225 tn For other examples of the preposition bet (בְּ) having the sense of “although, despite,” see BDB 90 s.v. III.7.
[47:9] 226 sn Reference is made to incantations and amulets, both of which were important in Mesopotamian religion. They were used to ward off danger and demons.
[47:10] 227 tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”
[47:10] 228 tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”
[47:10] 229 tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[47:10] 230 tn See the note at v. 8.
[47:11] 231 tc The Hebrew text has שַׁחְרָהּ (shakhrah), which is either a suffixed noun (“its dawning,” i.e., origin) or infinitive (“to look early for it”). Some have suggested an emendation to שַׁחֲדָהּ (shakhadah), a suffixed infinitive from שָׁחַד (shakhad, “[how] to buy it off”; see BDB 1005 s.v. שָׁחַד). This forms a nice parallel with the following couplet. The above translation is based on a different etymology of the verb in question. HALOT 1466 s.v. III שׁחר references a verbal root with these letters (שׁחד) that refers to magical activity.
[47:11] 232 tn Heb “you will not know”; NIV “you cannot foresee.”
[47:12] 233 tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”
[47:12] 234 tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.
[47:12] 235 tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”
[47:12] 236 tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”
[47:12] 237 tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.
[47:13] 238 tn Heb “you are tired because of the abundance of your advice.”
[47:13] 239 tn Heb “let them stand and rescue you – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make known by months – from those things which are coming upon you.”
[47:14] 240 tn Heb “hand,” here a metaphor for the strength or power of the flames.
[47:14] 241 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “there is no coal [for?] their food, light to sit before it.” Some emend לַחְמָם (lakhmam, “their food”) to לְחֻמָּם (lÿkhummam, “to warm them”; see HALOT 328 s.v. חמם). This statement may allude to Isa 44:16, where idolaters are depicted warming themselves over a fire made from wood, part of which was used to form idols. The fire of divine judgment will be no such campfire; its flames will devour and destroy.
[47:15] 242 tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”
[47:15] 243 tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.
[47:15] 244 tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”
[5:1] 245 sn As is clear from the extra-biblical records, it was actually Nabonidus (ca. 556-539
[5:1] 246 sn This scene of a Babylonian banquet calls to mind a similar grandiose event recorded in Esth 1:3-8. Persian kings were also renowned in the ancient Near Eastern world for their lavish banquets.
[5:1] 247 sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table.
[5:1] 248 tn Aram “the thousand.”
[5:2] 249 tn Or perhaps, “when he had tasted” (cf. NASB) in the sense of officially initiating the commencement of the banquet. The translation above seems preferable, however, given the clear evidence of inebriation in the context (cf. also CEV “he got drunk and ordered”).
[5:2] 250 tn Or “ancestor”; or “predecessor” (also in vv. 11, 13, 18). The Aramaic word translated “father” can on occasion denote these other relationships.
[5:2] 252 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:2] 253 sn Making use of sacred temple vessels for an occasion of reveling and drunkenness such as this would have been a religious affront of shocking proportions to the Jewish captives.
[5:3] 254 tc The present translation reads וְכַסְפָּא (vÿkhaspa’, “and the silver”) with Theodotion and the Vulgate. Cf. v. 2. The form was probably accidentally dropped from the Aramaic text by homoioteleuton.
[5:3] 255 tn Aram “the temple of the house of God.” The phrase seems rather awkward. The Vulgate lacks “of the house of God,” while Theodotion and the Syriac lack “the house.”
[5:5] 256 tn Aram “came forth.”
[5:5] 257 sn The mention of the lampstand in this context is of interest because it suggests that the writing was in clear view.
[5:5] 258 tn While Aramaic פַּס (pas) can mean the palm of the hand, here it seems to be the back of the hand that is intended.
[5:6] 259 tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”
[5:6] 260 tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”
[5:6] 261 tn Aram “his loins went slack.”
[5:7] 262 tn Aram “in strength.”
[5:7] 263 tn Aram “cause to enter.”
[5:7] 264 tn Aram “answered and said.”
[5:7] 265 sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world.
[5:7] 266 tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).
[5:8] 267 tc Read וּפִשְׁרֵהּ (ufishreh) with the Qere rather than וּפִשְׁרָא (ufishra’) of the Kethib.
[5:9] 268 tn Aram “his visage altered upon him.” So also in v. 10.
[5:10] 269 tn Aram “words of the king.”
[5:10] 270 tn Aram “the queen” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). In the following discourse this woman is able to recall things about Daniel that go back to the days of Nebuchadnezzar, things that Belshazzar does not seem to recollect. It is likely that she was the wife not of Belshazzar but of Nabonidus or perhaps even Nebuchadnezzar. In that case, “queen” here means “queen mother” (cf. NCV “the king’s mother”).
[5:10] 271 tn Aram “The queen.” The translation has used the pronoun “she” instead because repetition of the noun here would be redundant in terms of English style.
[5:11] 272 tn Aram “[there were] discovered to be in him.”
[5:11] 273 tn Aram “wisdom like the wisdom.” This would be redundant in terms of English style.
[5:11] 274 tc Theodotion lacks the phrase “and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods.”
[5:11] 275 tc The MT includes a redundant reference to “your father the king” at the end of v. 11. None of the attempts to explain this phrase as original are very convincing. The present translation deletes the phrase, following Theodotion and the Syriac.
[5:12] 276 tc The translation reads מִפְשַׁר (mifshar) rather than the MT מְפַשַּׁר (mÿfashar) and later in the verse reads וּמִשְׁרֵא (mishre’) rather than the MT וּמְשָׁרֵא (mÿshare’). The Masoretes have understood these Aramaic forms to be participles, but they are more likely to be vocalized as infinitives. As such, they have an epexegetical function in the syntax of their clause.
[5:12] 277 tn Aram “to loose knots.”
[5:12] 278 tn Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.”
[5:14] 279 tn Aram “there has been found in you.”
[5:15] 280 tn The Aramaic text does not have “and.” The term “astrologers” is either an appositive for “wise men” (cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV), or the construction is to be understood as asyndetic (so the translation above).
[5:16] 281 tn The Aramaic text has also the words “about you.”
[5:16] 282 tn Or perhaps “one of three rulers,” in the sense of becoming part of a triumvir. So also v. 29.
[5:18] 284 tn Or “royal greatness and majestic honor,” if the four terms are understood as a double hendiadys.
[5:19] 285 tn Aram “were trembling and fearing.” This can be treated as a hendiadys, “were trembling with fear.”
[5:19] 286 tn Aram “let live.” This Aramaic form is the aphel participle of חַיָה(khayah, “to live”). Theodotion and the Vulgate mistakenly take the form to be from מְחָא (mÿkha’, “to smite”).
[5:20] 288 sn The point of describing Nebuchadnezzar as arrogant is that he had usurped divine prerogatives, and because of his immense arrogance God had dealt decisively with him.
[5:21] 290 tn Aram “his dwelling.”
[5:22] 291 tn Or “descendant”; or “successor.”
[5:22] 292 tn Aram “your heart.”
[5:23] 294 tn Aram “in whose hand [are].”
[5:25] 295 tc The Greek version of Theodotion lacks the repetition of מְנֵא (mÿne’, cf. NAB).
[5:25] 296 tc The Aramaic word is plural. Theodotion has the singular (cf. NAB “
[5:26] 297 tn Or “word” or “event.” See HALOT 1915 s.v. מִלָּה.
[5:26] 298 tn The Aramaic term מְנֵא (mÿne’) is a noun referring to a measure of weight. The linkage here to the verb “to number” (Aram. מְנָה, mÿnah) is a case of paronomasia rather than strict etymology. So also with תְּקֵל (tÿqel) and פַרְסִין (farsin). In the latter case there is an obvious wordplay with the name “Persian.”
[5:28] 299 sn Peres (פְּרֵס) is the singular form of פַרְסִין (pharsin) in v. 25.
[5:29] 300 tn Aram “Belshazzar spoke.”
[5:30] 301 tn Aram “king of the Chaldeans.”
[5:30] 302 sn The year was 539
[5:31] 303 sn Beginning with 5:31, the verse numbers through 6:28 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Aramaic text (BHS), with 5:31 ET = 6:1 AT, 6:1 ET = 6:2 AT, 6:2 ET = 6:3 AT, 6:3 ET = 6:4 AT, etc., through 6:28 ET = 6:29 AT. Beginning with 7:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Aramaic text are again the same.
[2:16] 304 tn Heb “are filled.” The translation assumes the verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of Babylon’s coming judgment, which will reduce the majestic empire to shame and humiliation.
[2:16] 306 tc Heb “drink, even you, and show the foreskin.” Instead of הֵעָרֵל (he’arel, “show the foreskin”) one of the Dead Sea scrolls has הֵרָעֵל (hera’el, “stumble”). This reading also has support from several ancient versions and is followed by the NEB (“you too shall drink until you stagger”) and NRSV (“Drink, you yourself, and stagger”). For a defense of the Hebrew text, see P. D. Miller, Jr., Sin and Judgment in the Prophets, 63-64.
[2:16] 307 sn The Lord’s right hand represents his military power. He will force the Babylonians to experience the same humiliating defeat they inflicted on others.
[18:1] 308 tn Grk “glory”; but often in the sense of splendor, brightness, or radiance (see L&N 14.49).
[18:2] 309 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style
[18:2] 310 tn Or “It” (the subject is embedded in the verb in Greek; the verb only indicates that it is third person). Since the city has been personified as the great prostitute, the feminine pronoun was used in the translation.
[18:2] 311 tn Here BDAG 1067 s.v. φυλακή 3 states, “a place where guarding is done, prison…Of the nether world or its place of punishment (πνεῦμα 2 and 4c) 1 Pt 3:19 (BReicke, The Disobedient Spirits and Christian Baptism ’46, 116f). It is in a φ. in the latter sense that Satan will be rendered harmless during the millennium Rv 20:7. The fallen city of Babylon becomes a φυλακή haunt for all kinds of unclean spirits and birds 18:2ab.”
[18:2] 312 tc There are several problems in this verse. It seems that according to the ms evidence the first two phrases (i.e., “and a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean bird” [καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς ὀρνέου ἀκαθάρτου, kai fulakh panto" pneumato" akaqartou kai fulakh panto" orneou akaqartou]) are to be regarded as authentic, though there are some ms discrepancies. The similar beginnings (καὶ φυλακὴ παντός) and endings (ἀκαθάρτου) of each phrase would easily account for some
[18:3] 313 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[18:3] 314 tc ‡ Several
[18:3] 315 tn See the notes on the words “passion” in Rev 14:8 and “wrath” in 16:19.
[18:3] 316 tn According to BDAG 949 s.v. στρῆνος and στρηνιάω, these terms can refer either to luxury or sensuality. In the context of Rev 18, however (as L&N 88.254 indicate) the stress is on gratification of the senses by sexual immorality, so that meaning was emphasized in the translation here.
[18:4] 317 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[18:5] 318 tn On ἐκολλήθησαν (ekollhqhsan) BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.a.β states, “fig. cling to = come in close contact with (cp. Ps 21:16; 43:26 ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν. The act.=‘bring into contact’ PGM 5, 457 κολλήσας τ. λίθον τῷ ὠτίῳ) ἐκολλήθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ the sins have touched the heaven = reached the sky (two exprs. are telescoped) Rv 18:5.”
[18:5] 319 tn Or “up to the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
[18:5] 320 tn That is, remembered her sins to execute judgment on them.
[18:6] 322 tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[18:6] 323 tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”
[18:7] 324 tn “As much as” is the translation of ὅσα (Josa).
[18:7] 325 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
[18:7] 326 tn Grk “said in her heart,” an idiom for saying something to oneself.
[18:8] 327 tn Grk “For this reason, her plagues will come.”
[18:8] 328 tn Grk “death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).
[18:8] 329 tn This is the same Greek word (πένθος, penqo") translated “grief” in vv. 7-8.
[18:8] 330 tn Here “burned down” was used to translate κατακαυθήσεται (katakauqhsetai) because a city is in view.
[18:9] 331 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[18:9] 332 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
[18:9] 333 tn Grk “from the burning of her.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burns her up,” see L&N 14.63.
[18:10] 334 tn Or “judgment,” condemnation,” “punishment.” BDAG 569 s.v. κρίσις 1.a.β states, “The word oft. means judgment that goes against a person, condemnation, and the sentence that follows…ἡ κ. σου your judgment Rv 18:10.”
[18:11] 335 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[18:11] 336 tn On γόμος (gomos) BDAG 205 s.v. states, “load, freight…cargo of a ship…Ac 21:3. W. gen. of the owner Rv 18:11. W. gen. of content…γ. χρυσοῦ a cargo of gold vs. 12.”
[18:12] 337 tn Grk “and silver,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before most of these terms since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more
[18:12] 338 tn On this term BDAG 924-25 s.v. σιρικός states, “per. to silk from Ser, subst. τὸ σιρικόν silk cloth or garments w. other costly materials Rv 18:12.”
[18:12] 339 tn On the translation of κόκκινον (kokkinon) as “scarlet cloth” see L&N 6.170.
[18:12] 340 tn On the phrase πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον (pan xulon quinon) L&N 3.63 states, “pertaining to being made or consisting of citron wood (that is, from a citron tree) – ‘of citron wood.’ καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον ‘and all kinds of things made of citron wood and all kinds of objects made of ivory’ Re 18:12. The citron tree belongs to the citrus family of plants, and it produces a pale yellow fruit somewhat larger than a lemon, the rind of which is often candied. In Re 18:12, however, the focus is upon the fine quality of the wood.”
[18:13] 341 tn On the term ἄμωμον (amwmon) L&N 5.23 states, “a generic term for any kind of spice, though often a specific reference to amomum, an Indian type of spice – ‘spice, amomum.’ κιννάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον καὶ θυμιάματα ‘cinnamon and spice and incense’ Re 18:13. In most translations ἄμωμον is interpreted as spice in general.”
[18:13] 342 tn Or “myrrh,” a strong aromatic ointment often used to prepare a body for burial (L&N 6.205).
[18:13] 343 tn The Greek term λίβανος (libano") refers to the aromatic resin of a certain type of tree (L&N 6.212).
[18:13] 344 tn On σεμίδαλις (semidali") L&N 5.10 states, “a fine grade of wheat flour – ‘fine flour.’ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ σεμίδαλιν καὶ σῖτον ‘wine and oil and fine flour and wheat’ Re 18:13. In some languages ‘fine flour’ may be best expressed as ‘expensive flour.’ Such a rendering fits well the context of Re 18:13.”
[18:13] 345 tn Or “and wagons.” On the term ῥέδη (rJedh) see L&N 6.53: “a four-wheeled carriage or wagon used for travel or the transportation of loads – ‘carriage, wagon.’ The term ῥέδη occurs only in Re 18:13 in a list of products bought and sold by merchants.”
[18:13] 346 tn Grk “and bodies and souls of men.” This could be understood (1) as a hendiadys (two things mentioned = one thing meant), referring only to slave trade; (2) it could be referring to two somewhat different concepts: slavery (bodies) and the cheapness of human life – some of the items earlier in the list of merchandise were to be obtained only at great cost of human life; or (3) a somewhat related idea, that the trade is in not just physical bodies (slavery) but human souls (people whose lives are destroyed through this trade).
[18:14] 347 tn On ὀπώρα (opwra) L&N 3.34 states, “ἡ ὀπώρα σου τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ψυχῆς ‘the ripe fruit for which you longed’ Re 18:14. In this one occurrence of ὀπώρα in the NT, ‘ripe fruit’ is to be understood in a figurative sense of ‘good things.’”
[18:14] 348 tn Grk “you desired in your soul.”
[18:14] 349 tn On λιπαρός (liparo") BDAG 597 s.v. states, “luxury Rv 18:14.”
[18:14] 350 tn On τὰ λαμπρά (ta lampra) BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπρός 4 states, “splendor…in which a rich man takes delight (cp. Jos., Ant. 12, 220 δωρεὰς δοὺς λαμπράς) Rv 18:14.”
[18:14] 351 tn Verse 14 is set in parentheses because in it the city, Babylon, is addressed directly in second person.
[18:15] 352 tn Grk “the merchants [sellers] of these things.”
[18:15] 353 tn Grk “her torment, weeping.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation by supplying the words “They will” here.
[18:16] 354 tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
[18:16] 355 tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
[18:17] 356 tn On ἠρημώθη (hrhmwqh) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned – ‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
[18:17] 357 tn On κυβερνήτης (kubernhth") BDAG 574 s.v. 1 states, “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster, lit. Rv 18:17.”
[18:17] 358 tn Or perhaps, “everyone who sails as a passenger.” On πλέων (plewn) BDAG 825 s.v. πλέω states, “πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων everyone who sails to a place = seafarer, sea traveler…Rv 18:17. The vv.ll.…have led to various interpretations. Some render: everyone who sails along the coast…See EbNestle, Einführung in das Griech. NT 1909, 182; AFridrichsen, K. Hum. Vetensk.-Samf. i Upps. Årsb. ’43, 31 note ὁ ἐπίτοπον πλέων=one who sails occasionally, a passenger. – S. also IHeikel, StKr 106, ’34/’35, 317).”
[18:17] 359 tn Grk “and as many as.”
[18:18] 360 tn Here the imperfect ἔκραζον (ekrazon) has been translated ingressively.
[18:18] 361 tn Grk “from the burning of her, saying.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burned her up,” see L&N 14.63. Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
[18:19] 362 tn Grk “with weeping and mourning, saying.” Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
[18:19] 363 tn On ἡρημώθη (Jhrhmwqh) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned – ‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
[18:20] 364 tn On the phrase “pronounced judgment” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 4.b states, “The OT is the source of the expr. κρίνειν τὸ κρ. (cp. Zech 7:9; 8:16; Ezk 44:24) ἔκρινεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ κρίμα ὑμῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς God has pronounced judgment for you against her or God has pronounced on her the judgment she wished to impose on you (HHoltzmann, Hdb. 1893 ad loc.) Rv 18:20.”
[18:20] 365 tn Grk “God has judged a judgment of you of her.” Verse 20 is set in parentheses because in it the saints, etc. are addressed directly in the second person.
[18:21] 366 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[18:21] 367 tn On ὅρμημα ({ormhma) BDAG 724 s.v. states, “violent rush, onset ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλών Babylon will be thrown down with violence Rv 18:21.” L&N 68.82 refers to the suddenness of the force or violence.
[18:21] 368 sn Thrown down is a play on both the words and the action. The angel’s action with the stone illustrates the kind of sudden violent force with which the city will be overthrown.
[18:22] 369 tn The shift to a second person pronoun here corresponds to the Greek text.
[18:22] 370 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[18:22] 371 tn On this term BDAG 1001 s.v. τεχνίτης states, “craftsperson, artisan, designer…Of a silversmith Ac 19:24, 25 v.l., 38….Of a potter 2 Cl 8:2 (metaph., cp. Ath. 15:2). πᾶς τεχνίτης πάσης τέχνης Rv 18:22.”
[18:22] 372 tn This is a different Greek word (μύλος, mulos) from the one for the millstone in v. 21 (μύλινος, mulinos). See L&N 7.68.
[18:23] 373 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[18:23] 374 tn On the term φαρμακεία (farmakeia, “magic spells”) see L&N 53.100: “the use of magic, often involving drugs and the casting of spells upon people – ‘to practice magic, to cast spells upon, to engage in sorcery, magic, sorcery.’ φαρμακεία: ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘with your magic spells you deceived all the peoples (of the world)’ Re 18:23.”
[18:24] 375 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[18:24] 376 tn The shift in pronouns from second to third person corresponds to the Greek text.
[18:24] 377 tn Grk “and of all.” The phrase “along with the blood” has been repeated from the previous clause for stylistic reasons.
