1 Samuel 18:8-9

18:8 This made Saul very angry. The statement displeased him and he thought, ¹  “They have attributed to David tens of thousands, but to me they have attributed only thousands. What does he lack, except the kingdom?” 18:9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.

Proverbs 27:4

27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming, ² 

but who can stand before jealousy? ³ 

Ecclesiastes 9:3

9:3 This is the unfortunate fact ⁴  about everything that happens on earth: ⁵ 

the same fate awaits ⁶  everyone.

In addition to this, the hearts of all people ⁷  are full of evil,

and there is folly in their hearts during their lives – then they die. ⁸ 

Jeremiah 9:3

The Lord Laments That He Has No Choice But to Judge Them

9:3 The Lord says, ⁹ 

“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.

Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. ¹⁰ 

They have become powerful in the land,

but they have not done so by honest means. ¹¹ 

Indeed, they do one evil thing after another ¹² 

and do not pay attention to me. ¹³ 

Jeremiah 9:2

9:2 (9:1) I wish I had a lodging place in the desert

where I could spend some time like a weary traveler. ¹⁴ 

Then I would desert my people

and walk away from them

because they are all unfaithful to God,

a congregation ¹⁵  of people that has been disloyal to him. ¹⁶ 

Jeremiah 3:13

3:13 However, you must confess that you have done wrong, ¹⁷ 

and that you have rebelled against the Lord your God.

You must confess ¹⁸  that you have given yourself to ¹⁹  foreign gods under every green tree,

and have not obeyed my commands,’ says the Lord.

[18:8]  ¹ tn Heb “said.” So also in vv. 11, 17.

[27:4]  ² tn Heb “fierceness of wrath and outpouring [= flood] of anger.” A number of English versions use “flood” here (e.g., NASB, NCV, NLT).

[27:4]  ³ tn The Hebrew term translated “jealousy” here probably has the negative sense of “envy” rather than the positive sense of “zeal.” It is a raging emotion (like “anger” and “wrath,” this word has nuances of heat, intensity) that defies reason at times and can be destructive like a consuming fire (e.g., 6:32-35; Song 8:6-7). The rhetorical question is intended to affirm that no one can survive a jealous rage. (Whether one is the subject who is jealous or the object of the jealousy of someone else is not so clear.)

[9:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “evil.”

[9:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:3]  ⁶ tn The term “awaits” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and stylistic reasons.

[9:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “also the heart of the sons of man.” Here “heart” is a collective singular.

[9:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “and after that [they go] to [the place of] the dead.”

[9:3]  ⁹ tn The words “The Lord says” have been moved up from the end of the verse to make clear that a change in speaker has occurred.

[9:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “They have readied [or strung] their tongue as their bow for lies.”

[9:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “but not through honesty.”

[9:3]  ¹² tn Heb “they go from evil to evil.”

[9:3]  ¹³ tn Or “do not acknowledge me”; Heb “do not know me.” But “knowing” in Hebrew thought often involves more than intellectual knowledge; it involves emotional and volitional commitment as well. For יָדַע meaning “acknowledge” see 1 Chr 28:9; Isa 29:21; Hos 2:20; Prov 3:6. This word is also found in ancient Near Eastern treaty contexts where it has the idea of a vassal king acknowledging the sovereignty of a greater king (cf. H. Huffmon, “The Treaty Background of Hebrew yada,” BASOR 181 [1966]: 31-37).

[9:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I wish I had in the desert a lodging place [inn, or place to spend the night] for travelers.”

[9:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “bunch,” but this loses the irony; the word is used for the solemn assemblies at the religious feasts.

[9:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “they are all adulterers, a congregation of unfaithful people.” However, spiritual adultery is, of course, meant, not literal adultery. So the literal translation would be misleading.

[3:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Only acknowledge your iniquity.”

[3:13]  ¹⁸ tn The words “You must confess” are repeated to convey the connection. The Hebrew text has an introductory “that” in front of the second line and a coordinative “and” in front of the next two lines.

[3:13]  ¹⁹ tc MT reads דְּרָכַיִךְ (dÿrakhayikh, “your ways”), but the BHS editors suggest דּוֹדַיִךְ (dodayikh, “your breasts”) as an example of orthographic confusion. While the proposal makes sense, it remains a conjectural emendation since it is not supported by any actual manuscripts or ancient versions.