Genesis 24:1--32:32
Context24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 1 and the Lord had blessed him 2 in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one 3 in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 4 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise 5 by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire 6 a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives 7 to find 8 a wife for my son Isaac.”
24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me 9 to this land? Must I then 10 take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6 “Be careful 11 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 12 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 13 promised me with a solemn oath, 14 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 15 before you so that you may find 16 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 17 you will be free 18 from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. 19
24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. 20 He journeyed 21 to the region of Aram Naharaim 22 and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well 23 outside the city. It was evening, 24 the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. 25 Be faithful 26 to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 27 and the daughters of the people 28 who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ 29 In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 30
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 31 with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 32 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 33 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 34 ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering 35 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 36 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 37 her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine 38 if the Lord had made his journey successful 39 or not.
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 40 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 41 and gave them to her. 42 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 43 “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 44 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 45 “and room for you 46 to spend the night.”
24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love 47 for my master! The Lord has led me 48 to the house 49 of my master’s relatives!” 50
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 51 these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) 52 Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring 53 and heard his sister Rebekah say, 54 “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing 55 by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, 56 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 57 Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 58 the house and a place for the camels?”
24:32 So Abraham’s servant 59 went to the house and unloaded 60 the camels. Straw and feed were given 61 to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 62 24:33 When food was served, 63 he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” 64 “Tell us,” Laban said. 65
24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. 66 The Lord 67 has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him 68 when she was old, 69 and my master 70 has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find 71 a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go 72 with me?’ 73 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, 74 will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath 75 if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, 76 may events unfold as follows: 77 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 78 When 79 the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, 80 along came Rebekah 81 with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ 82 I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter 83 of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” 84
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. 85 Our wishes are of no concern. 86 24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become 87 the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” 88
24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he 89 brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. 90
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” 91 24:55 But Rebekah’s 92 brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord 93 has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return 94 to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” 95 24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want 96 to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: 97
“Our sister, may you become the mother 98 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 99 of their enemies.”
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 100 the man. So Abraham’s servant 101 took Rebekah and left.
24:62 Now 102 Isaac came from 103 Beer Lahai Roi, 104 for 105 he was living in the Negev. 106 24:63 He 107 went out to relax 108 in the field in the early evening. 109 Then he looked up 110 and saw that 111 there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up 112 and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked 113 Abraham’s servant, 114 “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. 115 So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 116 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 117 as his wife and loved her. 118 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 119
25:1 Abraham had taken 120 another 121 wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. 122 The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants 123 of Keturah.
25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines 124 and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. 125
25:7 Abraham lived a total of 126 175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. 127 He joined his ancestors. 128 25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah 129 near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. 130 There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed 131 his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. 132
25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, 133 whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.
25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: 134 Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes 135 according to their clans.
25:17 Ishmael lived a total of 136 137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. 137 25:18 His descendants 138 settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next 139 to Egypt all the way 140 to Asshur. 141 They settled 142 away from all their relatives. 143
25:19 This is the account of Isaac, 144 the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, 145 the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 146
25:21 Isaac prayed to 147 the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled 148 inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” 149 So she asked the Lord, 150 25:23 and the Lord said to her,
“Two nations 151 are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from within you.
One people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, 152 there were 153 twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish 154 all over, 155 like a hairy 156 garment, so they named him Esau. 157 25:26 When his brother came out with 158 his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. 159 Isaac was sixty years old 160 when they were born.
25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled 161 hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. 162 25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, 163 but Rebekah loved 164 Jacob.
25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, 165 and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed 166 me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called 167 Edom.) 168
25:31 But Jacob replied, “First 169 sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” 170 25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” 171 So Esau 172 swore an oath to him and sold his birthright 173 to Jacob.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. 174 So Esau despised his birthright. 175
26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred 176 in the days of Abraham. 177 Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; 178 settle down in the land that I will point out to you. 179 26:3 Stay 180 in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, 181 for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, 182 and I will fulfill 183 the solemn promise I made 184 to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them 185 all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. 186 26:5 All this will come to pass 187 because Abraham obeyed me 188 and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 189 26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” 190 He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, 191 “The men of this place will kill me to get 192 Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”
26:8 After Isaac 193 had been there a long time, 194 Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed 195 Isaac caressing 196 his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really 197 your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” 198
26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? 199 One of the men 200 might easily have had sexual relations with 201 your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches 202 this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” 203
26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, 204 because the Lord blessed him. 205 26:13 The man became wealthy. 206 His influence continued to grow 207 until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had 208 so many sheep 209 and cattle 210 and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous 211 of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up 212 all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.
26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, 213 for you have become much more powerful 214 than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. 215 26:18 Isaac reopened 216 the wells that had been dug 217 back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up 218 after Abraham died. Isaac 219 gave these wells 220 the same names his father had given them. 221
26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing 222 water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled 223 with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac 224 named the well 225 Esek 226 because they argued with him about it. 227 26:21 His servants 228 dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it 229 Sitnah. 230 26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac 231 named it 232 Rehoboth, 233 saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”
26:23 From there Isaac 234 went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped 235 the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. 236
26:26 Now Abimelech had come 237 to him from Gerar along with 238 Ahuzzah his friend 239 and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me 240 and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see 241 that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be 242 a pact between us 243 – between us 244 and you. Allow us to make 245 a treaty with you 26:29 so that 246 you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed 247 you, but have always treated you well 248 before sending you away 249 in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” 250
26:30 So Isaac 251 held a feast for them and they celebrated. 252 26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. 253 Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. 254
26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. 255 26:33 So he named it Shibah; 256 that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba 257 to this day.
26:34 When 258 Esau was forty years old, 259 he married 260 Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. 261
27:1 When 262 Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, 263 he called his older 264 son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau 265 replied. 27:2 Isaac 266 said, “Since 267 I am so old, I could die at any time. 268 27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game 269 for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then 270 I will eat it so that I may bless you 271 before I die.”
27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. 272 When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, 273 27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat 274 it and bless you 275 in the presence of the Lord 276 before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do 277 exactly what I tell you! 278 27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare 279 them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take 280 it to your father. Thus he will eat it 281 and 282 bless you before he dies.”
27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! 283 27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him 284 and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, 285 my son! Just obey me! 286 Go and get them for me!”
27:14 So he went and got the goats 287 and brought them to his mother. She 288 prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats 289 on his hands 290 and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed 291 the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.
27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac 292 replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” 293 27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up 294 and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” 295 27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world 296 did you find it so quickly, 297 my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” 298 he replied. 299 27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, 300 my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” 301 27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. 302 27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob 303 replied. 27:25 Isaac 304 said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. 305 Then I will bless you.” 306 So Jacob 307 brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac 308 drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob 309 went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent 310 of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,
“Yes, 311 my son smells
like the scent of an open field
which the Lord has blessed.
27:28 May God give you
the dew of the sky 312
and the richness 313 of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
27:29 May peoples serve you
and nations bow down to you.
You will be 314 lord 315 over your brothers,
and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. 316
May those who curse you be cursed,
and those who bless you be blessed.”
27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left 317 his father’s 318 presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. 319 27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau 320 said to him, “My father, get up 321 and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” 322 27:32 His father Isaac asked, 323 “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” 324 he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently 325 and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. 326 He will indeed be blessed!”
27:34 When Esau heard 327 his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. 328 He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac 329 replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away 330 your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! 331 He has tripped me up 332 two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”
27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” 333 Then Esau wept loudly. 334
27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,
“Indeed, 335 your home will be
away from the richness 336 of the earth,
and away from the dew of the sky above.
27:40 You will live by your sword
but you will serve your brother.
When you grow restless,
you will tear off his yoke
from your neck.” 337
27:41 So Esau hated 338 Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. 339 Esau said privately, 340 “The time 341 of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill 342 my brother Jacob!”
27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, 343 she quickly summoned 344 her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. 345 27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. 346 Run away immediately 347 to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while 348 until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there 349 until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. 350 Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 351
27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed 352 because of these daughters of Heth. 353 If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” 354
28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! 355 28:2 Leave immediately 356 for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God 357 bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! 358 Then you will become 359 a large nation. 360 28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham 361 so that you may possess the land 362 God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” 363 28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. 364 As he blessed him, 365 Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” 366 28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized 367 that the Canaanite women 368 were displeasing to 369 his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married 370 Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.
28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place 371 where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. 372 He took one of the stones 373 and placed it near his head. 374 Then he fell asleep 375 in that place 28:12 and had a dream. 376 He saw 377 a stairway 378 erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. 379 I will give you and your descendants the ground 380 you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, 381 and you will spread out 382 to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 383 using your name and that of your descendants. 384 28:15 I am with you! 385 I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”
28:16 Then Jacob woke up 386 and thought, 387 “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”
28:18 Early 388 in the morning Jacob 389 took the stone he had placed near his head 390 and set it up as a sacred stone. 391 Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, 392 although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food 393 to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, 394 then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone 395 that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely 396 give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” 397
29:1 So Jacob moved on 398 and came to the land of the eastern people. 399 29:2 He saw 400 in the field a well with 401 three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now 402 a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds 403 would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.
29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson 404 of Nahor?” “We know him,” 405 they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” 406 Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. 407 Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob 408 said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, 409 it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” 410 29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water 411 the sheep.”
29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. 412 29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, 413 and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he 414 went over 415 and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. 416 29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. 417 29:12 When Jacob explained 418 to Rachel that he was a relative of her father 419 and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob 420 told Laban how he was related to him. 421 29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” 422 So Jacob 423 stayed with him for a month. 424
29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work 425 for me for nothing because you are my relative? 426 Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; 427 the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, 428 but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) 429 29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with 430 Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. 431 Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. 432 But they seemed like only a few days to him 433 because his love for her was so great. 434
29:21 Finally Jacob said 435 to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. 436 I want to have marital relations with her.” 437 29:22 So Laban invited all the people 438 of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah 439 to Jacob, 440 and Jacob 441 had marital relations with her. 442 29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 443
29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! 444 So Jacob 445 said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! 446 Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked 447 me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” 448 Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage 449 before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. 450 Then we will give you the younger one 451 too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” 452
29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. 453 When Jacob 454 completed Leah’s bridal week, 455 Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 456 29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 457 29:30 Jacob 458 had marital relations 459 with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban 460 for seven more years. 461
29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, 462 he enabled her to become pregnant 463 while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant 464 and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, 465 for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. 466 Surely my husband will love me now.”
29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, 467 he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. 468
29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, 469 because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. 470
29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. 471 Then she stopped having children.
30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she 472 became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children 473 or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious 474 with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” 475 30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with 476 her so that she can bear 477 children 478 for me 479 and I can have a family through her.” 480
30:4 So Rachel 481 gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with 482 her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant 483 and gave Jacob a son. 484 30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer 485 and given me a son.” That is why 486 she named him Dan. 487
30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. 488 30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” 489 So she named him Naphtali. 490
30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave 491 her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. 492 30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” 493 So she named him Gad. 494
30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. 495 30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, 496 for women 497 will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. 498
30:14 At the time 499 of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants 500 in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, 501 “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” 502 Rachel said, “he may sleep 503 with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep 504 with me because I have paid for your services 505 with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations 506 with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention 507 to Leah; she became pregnant 508 and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. 509 30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward 510 because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” 511 So she named him Issachar. 512
30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. 513 30:20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 514
30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
30:22 Then God took note of 515 Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. 516 30:23 She became pregnant 517 and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” 518 30:24 She named him Joseph, 519 saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”
30:25 After Rachel had given birth 520 to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send 521 me on my way so that I can go 522 home to my own country. 523 30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. 524 Then I’ll depart, 525 because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” 526
30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, 527 for I have learned by divination 528 that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” 529
30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, 530 “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. 531 30:30 Indeed, 532 you had little before I arrived, 533 but now your possessions have increased many times over. 534 The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. 535 But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” 536
30:31 So Laban asked, 537 “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” 538 Jacob replied, 539 “but if you agree to this one condition, 540 I will continue to care for 541 your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among 542 all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, 543 and the spotted or speckled goats. 544 These animals will be my wages. 545 30:33 My integrity will testify for me 546 later on. 547 When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, 548 if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” 549 30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” 550
30:35 So that day Laban 551 removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care 552 of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, 553 while 554 Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. 555 30:39 When the sheep mated 556 in front of the branches, they 557 gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face 558 the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, 559 Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. 560 So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban 561 and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob 562 became extremely prosperous. He owned 563 large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.
31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 564 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 565 at our father’s expense!” 566 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 567
31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 568 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 569 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah 570 to come to the field 571 where his flocks were. 572 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, 573 but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, 574 31:7 but your father has humiliated 575 me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, 576 ‘The speckled animals 577 will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
31:10 “Once 578 during breeding season I saw 579 in a dream that the male goats mating with 580 the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe 581 that all the male goats mating with 582 the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, 583 where you anointed 584 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 585 Now leave this land immediately 586 and return to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 587 in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted 588 the money paid for us! 589 31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”
31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. 590 31:18 He took 591 away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. 592
31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, 593 Rachel stole the household idols 594 that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived 595 Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 596 31:21 He left 597 with all he owned. He quickly crossed 598 the Euphrates River 599 and headed for 600 the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 601 31:23 So he took his relatives 602 with him and pursued Jacob 603 for seven days. 604 He caught up with 605 him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, 606 “Be careful 607 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” 608
31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. 609 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me 610 and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! 611 31:27 Why did you run away secretly 612 and deceive me? 613 Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? 614 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren 615 good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have 616 the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful 617 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ 618 31:30 Now I understand that 619 you have gone away 620 because you longed desperately 621 for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” 622
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 623 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 624 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 625 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 626 In the presence of our relatives 627 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 628 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 629
31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. 630 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 631 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 632 and sat on them.) 633 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 634 31:35 Rachel 635 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 636 my lord. I cannot stand up 637 in your presence because I am having my period.” 638 So he searched thoroughly, 639 but did not find the idols.
31:36 Jacob became angry 640 and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. 641 “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? 642 31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? 643 Set it here before my relatives and yours, 644 and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! 645
31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. 646 You always made me pay for every missing animal, 647 whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat 648 during the day and by piercing cold 649 at night, and I went without sleep. 650 31:41 This was my lot 651 for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave 652 for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears 653 – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, 654 and he rebuked you last night.”
31:43 Laban replied 655 to Jacob, “These women 656 are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, 657 and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today 658 or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, 659 you and I, and it will be 660 proof that we have made peace.” 661
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he 662 said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. 663 They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, 664 but Jacob called it Galeed. 665
31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement 666 today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah 667 because he said, “May the Lord watch 668 between us 669 when we are out of sight of one another. 670 31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize 671 that God is witness to your actions.” 672
31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. 673 31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. 674 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, 675 the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. 676 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice 677 on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. 678 They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
31:55 (32:1) 679 Early in the morning Laban kissed 680 his grandchildren 681 and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. 682
32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God 683 met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, 684 “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. 685
32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead 686 to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region 687 of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant 688 Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent 689 this message 690 to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” 691 he thought, 692 “then the other camp will be able to escape.” 693
32:9 Then Jacob prayed, 694 “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said 695 to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ 696 32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love 697 you have shown 698 your servant. With only my walking stick 699 I crossed the Jordan, 700 but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, 701 I pray, from the hand 702 of my brother Esau, 703 for I am afraid he will come 704 and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. 705 32:12 But you 706 said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper 707 and will make 708 your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” 709
32:13 Jacob 710 stayed there that night. Then he sent 711 as a gift 712 to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to 713 his servants, who divided them into herds. 714 He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, 715 “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? 716 Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ 717 32:18 then you must say, 718 ‘They belong 719 to your servant Jacob. 720 They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. 721 In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” 722
32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 723 32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” 724 Jacob thought, 725 “I will first appease him 726 by sending a gift ahead of me. 727 After that I will meet him. 728 Perhaps he will accept me.” 729 32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him 730 while he spent that night in the camp. 731
32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took 732 his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons 733 and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 734 32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. 735 32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man 736 wrestled 737 with him until daybreak. 738 32:25 When the man 739 saw that he could not defeat Jacob, 740 he struck 741 the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
32:26 Then the man 742 said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” 743 “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, 744 “unless you bless me.” 745 32:27 The man asked him, 746 “What is your name?” 747 He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, 748 “but Israel, 749 because you have fought 750 with God and with men and have prevailed.”
32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” 751 “Why 752 do you ask my name?” the man replied. 753 Then he blessed 754 Jacob 755 there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, 756 explaining, 757 “Certainly 758 I have seen God face to face 759 and have survived.” 760
32:31 The sun rose 761 over him as he crossed over Penuel, 762 but 763 he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day 764 the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck 765 the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.
Genesis 35:1-15
Context35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once 766 to Bethel 767 and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 768 35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. 769 Purify yourselves and change your clothes. 770 35:3 Let us go up at once 771 to Bethel. Then I will make 772 an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress 773 and has been with me wherever I went.” 774
35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession 775 and the rings that were in their ears. 776 Jacob buried them 777 under the oak 778 near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. 779 The surrounding cities were afraid of God, 780 and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) 781 in the land of Canaan. 782 35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel 783 because there God had revealed himself 784 to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, 785 Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named 786 Oak of Weeping.) 787
35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him. 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him Israel. 788 35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. 789 Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! 790 35:12 The land I gave 791 to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants 792 I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place 793 where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. 794 He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. 795 35:15 Jacob named the place 796 where God spoke with him Bethel. 797
Isaiah 13:1--21:17
Context13:1 798 This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: 799
13:2 800 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; 801
I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, 802
my boasting, arrogant ones. 803
13:4 804 There is a loud noise on the mountains –
it sounds like a large army! 805
There is great commotion among the kingdoms 806 –
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. 807
It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment, 808
coming to destroy the whole earth. 809
13:6 Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment 810 is near;
it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. 811
13:7 For this reason all hands hang limp, 812
every human heart loses its courage. 813
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. 814
13:9 Look, the Lord’s day of judgment 815 is coming;
it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, 816
and annihilating its sinners.
13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations
no longer give out their light; 819
the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,
and the moon does not shine. 820
13:11 821 I will punish the world for its evil, 822
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. 823
13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,
and people more scarce 824 than gold from Ophir.
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 825
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 826
because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,
in the day he vents his raging anger. 827
13:14 Like a frightened gazelle 828
or a sheep with no shepherd,
each will turn toward home, 829
each will run to his homeland.
13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;
everyone who is seized 830 will die 831 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; 832
they are not concerned about silver,
nor are they interested in gold. 833
13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; 834
they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, 835
they will not 836 look with pity on children.
13:19 Babylon, the most admired 837 of kingdoms,
the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, 838
will be destroyed by God
just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. 839
13:20 No one will live there again;
no one will ever reside there again. 840
No bedouin 841 will camp 842 there,
no shepherds will rest their flocks 843 there.
13:21 Wild animals will rest there,
the ruined 844 houses will be full of hyenas. 845
Ostriches will live there,
wild goats will skip among the ruins. 846
13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,
jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. 847
Her time is almost up, 848
her days will not be prolonged. 849
14:1 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; 850 he will again choose Israel as his special people 851 and restore 852 them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family 853 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. 854 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, 855 and from the hard labor which you were made to perform, 14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: 856
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 857 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 858 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 859
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 860
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 861
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 862
‘Since you fell asleep, 863
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 864
14:9 Sheol 865 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 866 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 867
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 868
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 869 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 870
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 871
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 872
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 873 of the nations! 874
14:13 You said to yourself, 875
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 876
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 877
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 878 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 879
14:15 But you were brought down 880 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 881
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 882
“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 883 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 884
14:18 885 As for all the kings of the nations,
all of them 886 lie down in splendor, 887
each in his own tomb. 888
14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave
like a shoot that is thrown away. 889
You lie among 890 the slain,
among those who have been slashed by the sword,
among those headed for 891 the stones of the pit, 892
as if you were a mangled corpse. 893
14:20 You will not be buried with them, 894
because you destroyed your land
and killed your people.
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again.
14:21 Prepare to execute 895 his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed. 896
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.” 897
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, 898
including the offspring she produces,” 899
says the Lord.
14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals 900
and covered with pools of stagnant water.
I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” 901
says the Lord who commands armies.
14:24 902 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 903 in my land,
I will trample them 904 underfoot on my hills.
Their yoke will be removed from my people,
the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. 905
14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” 906
14:27 Indeed, 907 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? 908
14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, 909 this message was revealed: 910
14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken! 911
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder. 912
14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; 913
the needy will rest securely.
But I will kill your root by famine;
it will put to death all your survivors. 914
14:31 Wail, O city gate!
Cry out, O city!
Melt with fear, 915 all you Philistines!
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,
and there are no stragglers in its ranks. 916
14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? 917
Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;
the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.
15:1 Here is a message about Moab:
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Ar of Moab is destroyed!
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Kir of Moab is destroyed!
15:2 They went up to the temple, 918
the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. 919
Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, 920 Moab wails.
Every head is shaved bare,
every beard is trimmed off. 921
15:3 In their streets they wear sackcloth;
on their roofs and in their town squares
all of them wail,
they fall down weeping.
15:4 The people of 922 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,
their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.
For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;
their courage wavers. 923
15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, 924
and for the fugitives 925 stretched out 926 as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.
For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;
they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim. 927
15:6 For the waters of Nimrim are gone; 928
the grass is dried up,
the vegetation has disappeared,
and there are no plants.
15:7 For this reason what they have made and stored up,
they carry over the Stream of the Poplars.
15:8 Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;
their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim. 929
15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon 930 are full of blood!
Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. 931
A lion will attack 932 the Moabite fugitives
and the people left in the land.
16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, 933
from Sela in the desert 934
to the hill of Daughter Zion.
16:2 At the fords of the Arnon 935
the Moabite women are like a bird
that flies about when forced from its nest. 936
16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! 937
Provide some shade in the middle of the day! 938
Hide the fugitives! Do not betray 939 the one who tries to escape!
16:4 Please let the Moabite fugitives live 940 among you.
Hide them 941 from the destroyer!”
Certainly 942 the one who applies pressure will cease, 943
the destroyer will come to an end,
those who trample will disappear 944 from the earth.
16:5 Then a trustworthy king will be established;
he will rule in a reliable manner,
this one from David’s family. 945
He will be sure to make just decisions
and will be experienced in executing justice. 946
16:6 We have heard about Moab’s pride,
their great arrogance,
their boasting, pride, and excess. 947
But their boastful claims are empty! 948
16:7 So Moab wails over its demise 949 –
they all wail!
Completely devastated, they moan
about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. 950
16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,
as well as the vines of Sibmah.
The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,
which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;
their shoots spread out and cross the sea.
16:9 So I weep along with Jazer 951
over the vines of Sibmah.
I will saturate you 952 with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,
for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly
over your fruit and crops. 953
16:10 Joy and happiness disappear from the orchards,
and in the vineyards no one rejoices or shouts;
no one treads out juice in the wine vats 954 –
I have brought the joyful shouts to an end. 955
16:11 So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, 956
my inner being sighs 957 for Kir Hareseth. 958
16:12 When the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places, 959
and enter their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective! 960
16:13 This is the message the Lord previously announced about Moab. 16:14 Now the Lord makes this announcement: “Within exactly three years 961 Moab’s splendor will disappear, along with all her many people; there will be just a few, insignificant survivors left.” 962
17:1 Here is a message about Damascus:
“Look, Damascus is no longer a city,
it is a heap of ruins!
17:2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned. 963
They will be used for herds,
which will lie down there in peace. 964
17:3 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,
and Damascus will lose its kingdom. 965
The survivors in Syria
will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished, 967
and he will become skin and bones. 968
17:5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,
and his hand gleans the ear of grain.
It will be like one gathering the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
17:6 There will be some left behind,
like when an olive tree is beaten –
two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,”
says the Lord God of Israel.
17:7 At that time 969 men will trust in their creator; 970
they will depend on 971 the Holy One of Israel. 972
17:8 They will no longer trust in 973 the altars their hands made,
or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made. 974
17:9 At that time 975 their fortified cities will be
like the abandoned summits of the Amorites, 976
which they abandoned because of the Israelites;
there will be desolation.
17:10 For you ignore 977 the God who rescues you;
you pay no attention to your strong protector. 978
So this is what happens:
You cultivate beautiful plants
and plant exotic vines. 979
17:11 The day you begin cultivating, you do what you can to make it grow; 980
the morning you begin planting, you do what you can to make it sprout.
Yet the harvest will disappear 981 in the day of disease
and incurable pain.
17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, 982
those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. 983
The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, 984
those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. 985
17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, 986
when he shouts at 987 them, they will flee to a distant land,
driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,
or like dead thistles 988 before a strong gale.
17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; 989
by morning they vanish. 990
This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,
the destiny of those who try to loot us! 991
18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, 992
the one beyond the rivers of Cush,
18:2 that sends messengers by sea,
who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.
Go, you swift messengers,
to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people, 993
to a people that are feared far and wide, 994
to a nation strong and victorious, 995
whose land rivers divide. 996
18:3 All you who live in the world,
who reside on the earth,
you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;
you will hear a trumpet being blown.
18:4 For this is what the Lord has told me:
“I will wait 997 and watch from my place,
like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, 998
like a cloud of mist 999 in the heat 1000 of harvest.” 1001
18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,
and the ripening fruit appears, 1002
he will cut off the unproductive shoots 1003 with pruning knives;
he will prune the tendrils. 1004
18:6 They will all be left 1005 for the birds of the hills
and the wild animals; 1006
the birds will eat them during the summer,
and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.
18:7 At that time
tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies,
by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,
a people that are feared far and wide,
a nation strong and victorious,
whose land rivers divide. 1007
The tribute 1008 will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion. 1009
19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud
and approaches Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him;
the Egyptians lose their courage. 1010
19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, 1011
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms. 1012
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 1013
and I will confuse their strategy. 1014
They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,
from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. 1015
19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master, 1016 the Lord who commands armies.
19:5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty. 1017
19:6 The canals 1018 will stink; 1019
the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;
the bulrushes and reeds will decay,
19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. 1020
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 1021
19:8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all those who cast a fishhook into the river,
and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve. 1022
19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale. 1023
19:10 Those who make cloth 1024 will be demoralized; 1025
all the hired workers will be depressed. 1026
19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 1027
Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.
How dare you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the sages,
one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” 1028
19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? 1029
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.
19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis 1030 are misled;
the rulers 1031 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; 1032
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 1033
19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk. 1034
19:16 At that time 1035 the Egyptians 1036 will be like women. 1037 They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. 1038 19:17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them. 1039
19:18 At that time five cities 1040 in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. 1041 19:19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar 1042 dedicated to the Lord at its border. 19:20 It 1043 will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of 1044 the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender 1045 who will rescue them. 19:21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they 1046 will acknowledge the Lord’s authority 1047 at that time. 1048 They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 19:22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord and he will listen to their prayers 1049 and heal them.
19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 1050 19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing 1051 in the earth. 1052 19:25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, 1053 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, 1054 Israel!”
20:1 The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. 1055 20:2 At that time the Lord announced through 1056 Isaiah son of Amoz: “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.” He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments 1057 and barefoot. 20:3 Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, 20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. 1058 20:5 Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. 1059 20:6 At that time 1060 those who live on this coast 1061 will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”
21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 1062
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 1063
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
21:2 I have received a distressing message: 1064
“The deceiver deceives,
the destroyer destroys.
Attack, you Elamites!
Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning!” 1065
21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; 1066
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed 1067 by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
21:4 My heart palpitates, 1068
I shake in fear; 1069
the twilight I desired
has brought me terror.
21:5 Arrange the table,
lay out 1070 the carpet,
eat and drink! 1071
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields! 1072
21:6 For this is what the sovereign master 1073 has told me:
“Go, post a guard!
He must report what he sees.
21:7 When he sees chariots,
teams of horses, 1074
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
he must be alert,
very alert.”
21:8 Then the guard 1075 cries out:
“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, 1076
I stand all day long;
at my post
I am stationed every night.
21:9 Look what’s coming!
A charioteer,
a team of horses.” 1077
When questioned, he replies, 1078
“Babylon has fallen, fallen!
All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, 1079
what I have heard
from the Lord who commands armies,
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: 1080
Someone calls to me from Seir, 1081
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?” 1082
21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 1083
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 1084
21:13 Here is a message about Arabia:
In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,
you Dedanite caravans.
21:14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.
You who live in the land of Tema,
bring some food for the fugitives.
21:15 For they flee from the swords –
from the drawn sword
and from the battle-ready bow
and from the severity of the battle.
21:16 For this is what the sovereign master 1085 has told me: “Within exactly one year 1086 all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 21:17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” 1087 Indeed, 1088 the Lord God of Israel has spoken.
Jeremiah 46:1--51:64
Context46:1 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah about the nations. 1090
46:2 He spoke about Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was encamped along the Euphrates River at Carchemish. Now this was the army that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling 1091 over Judah. 1092
46:3 “Fall into ranks with your shields ready! 1093
Prepare to march into battle!
46:4 Harness the horses to the chariots!
Mount your horses!
Put on your helmets and take your positions!
Sharpen you spears!
Put on your armor!
46:5 What do I see?” 1094 says the Lord. 1095
“The soldiers 1096 are terrified.
They are retreating.
They have been defeated.
They are overcome with terror; 1097
they desert quickly
without looking back.
46:6 But even the swiftest cannot get away.
Even the strongest cannot escape. 1098
There in the north by the Euphrates River
they stumble and fall in defeat. 1099
46:7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like its streams 1100 turbulent at flood stage?
46:8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
like its streams turbulent at flood stage.
Egypt says, ‘I will arise and cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people who inhabit them.’
46:9 Go ahead and 1101 charge into battle, you horsemen!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!
Let the soldiers march out into battle,
those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields,
and those from Lydia 1102 who are armed with the bow. 1103
46:10 But that day belongs to the Lord God who rules over all. 1104
It is the day when he will pay back his enemies. 1105
His sword will devour them until its appetite is satisfied!
It will drink their blood until it is full! 1106
For the Lord God who rules over all 1107 will offer them up as a sacrifice
in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.
46:11 Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment, 1108
you dear poor people of Egypt. 1109
But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use; 1110
there will be no healing for you.
46:12 The nations will hear of your devastating defeat. 1111
your cries of distress will echo throughout the earth.
In the panic of their flight one soldier will trip over another
and both of them will fall down defeated.” 1112
46:13 The Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack the land of Egypt. 1113
46:14 “Make an announcement throughout Egypt.
Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. 1114
‘Take your positions and prepare to do battle.
For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.’ 1115
46:15 Why will your soldiers 1116 be defeated? 1117
They will not stand because I, the Lord, will thrust 1118 them down.
46:16 I will make many stumble. 1119
They will fall over one another in their hurry to flee. 1120
They will say, ‘Get up!
Let’s go back to our own people.
Let’s go back to our homelands
because the enemy is coming to destroy us.’ 1121
46:17 There at home they will say, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is just a big noise! 1122
He has let the most opportune moment pass by.’ 1123
46:18 I the King, whose name is the Lord who rules over all, 1124 swear this:
I swear as surely as I live that 1125 a conqueror is coming.
He will be as imposing as Mount Tabor is among the mountains,
as Mount Carmel is against the backdrop of the sea. 1126
46:19 Pack your bags for exile,
you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt. 1127
For Memphis will be laid waste.
It will lie in ruins 1128 and be uninhabited.
46:20 Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.
But northern armies will attack her like swarms of stinging flies. 1129
46:21 Even her mercenaries 1130
will prove to be like pampered, 1131 well-fed calves.
For they too will turn and run away.
They will not stand their ground
when 1132 the time for them to be destroyed comes,
the time for them to be punished.
46:22 Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake, 1133
as the enemy comes marching up in force.
They will come against her with axes
as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees.
46:23 The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest.
But I, the Lord, affirm 1134 that the enemy will cut them down.
For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts.
They will be too numerous to count. 1135
46:24 Poor dear Egypt 1136 will be put to shame.
She will be handed over to the people from the north.”
46:25 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 1137 says, “I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes. 1138 I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him. 1139 46:26 I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the Lord, affirm it!” 1140
46:27 1141 “You descendants of Jacob, my servants, 1142 do not be afraid;
do not be terrified, people of Israel.
For I will rescue you and your descendants
from the faraway lands where you are captives. 1143
The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.
They will be secure and no one will terrify them.
46:28 I, the Lord, tell 1144 you not to be afraid,
you descendants of Jacob, my servant,
for I am with you.
Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure.
I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.” 1145
47:1 The Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah 1146 about the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. 1147
47:2 “Look! Enemies are gathering in the north like water rising in a river. 1148
They will be like an overflowing stream.
They will overwhelm the whole country and everything in it like a flood.
They will overwhelm the cities and their inhabitants.
People will cry out in alarm.
Everyone living in the country will cry out in pain.
47:3 Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies’ horses,
the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels.
They will not turn back to save their children
because they will be paralyzed with fear. 1149
47:4 For the time has come
to destroy all the Philistines.
The time has come to destroy all the help
that remains for Tyre 1150 and Sidon. 1151
For I, the Lord, will 1152 destroy the Philistines,
that remnant that came from the island of Crete. 1153
47:5 The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning.
The people of Ashkelon will be struck dumb.
How long will you gash yourselves to show your sorrow, 1154
you who remain of Philistia’s power? 1155
47:6 How long will you cry out, 1156 ‘Oh, sword of the Lord,
how long will it be before you stop killing? 1157
Go back into your sheath!
Stay there and rest!’ 1158
when I, the Lord, have 1160 given it orders?
I have ordered it to attack
the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast. 1161
48:1 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 1162 spoke about Moab. 1163
“Sure to be judged is Nebo! Indeed, 1164 it will be destroyed!
Kiriathaim 1165 will suffer disgrace. It will be captured!
Its fortress 1166 will suffer disgrace. It will be torn down! 1167
48:2 People will not praise Moab any more.
The enemy will capture Heshbon 1168 and plot 1169 how to destroy Moab, 1170
saying, ‘Come, let’s put an end to that nation!’
City of Madmen, you will also be destroyed. 1171
A destructive army will march against you. 1172
48:3 Cries of anguish will arise in Horonaim,
‘Oh, the ruin and great destruction!’
48:4 “Moab will be crushed.
Her children will cry out in distress. 1173
48:5 Indeed they will climb the slopes of Luhith,
weeping continually as they go. 1174
For on the road down to Horonaim
they will hear the cries of distress over the destruction. 1175
48:6 They will hear, ‘Run! Save yourselves!
Even if you must be like a lonely shrub in the desert!’ 1176
48:7 “Moab, you trust in the things you do and in your riches.
So you too will be conquered.
Your god Chemosh 1177 will go into exile 1178
along with his priests and his officials.
48:8 The destroyer will come against every town.
Not one town will escape.
The towns in the valley will be destroyed.
The cities on the high plain will be laid waste. 1179
I, the Lord, have spoken! 1180
48:9 Set up a gravestone for Moab,
for it will certainly be laid in ruins! 1181
Its cities will be laid waste
and become uninhabited.”
48:10 A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!
A curse on anyone who keeps from carrying out his destruction! 1182
48:11 “From its earliest days Moab has lived undisturbed.
It has never been taken into exile.
Its people are like wine allowed to settle undisturbed on its dregs,
never poured out from one jar to another.
They are like wine which tastes like it always did,
whose aroma has remained unchanged. 1183
48:12 But the time is coming when I will send
men against Moab who will empty it out.
They will empty the towns of their people,
then will lay those towns in ruins. 1184
I, the Lord, affirm it! 1185
48:13 The people of Moab will be disappointed by their god Chemosh.
They will be as disappointed as the people of Israel were
when they put their trust in the calf god at Bethel. 1186
48:14 How can you men of Moab say, ‘We are heroes,
men who are mighty in battle?’
48:15 Moab will be destroyed. Its towns will be invaded.
Its finest young men will be slaughtered. 1187
I, the King, the Lord who rules over all, 1188 affirm it! 1189
48:16 Moab’s destruction is at hand.
Disaster will come on it quickly.
48:17 Mourn for that nation, all you nations living around it,
all of you nations that know of its fame. 1190
Mourn and say, ‘Alas, its powerful influence has been broken!
Its glory and power have been done away!’ 1191
48:18 Come down from your place of honor;
sit on the dry ground, 1192 you who live in Dibon. 1193
For the one who will destroy Moab will attack you;
he will destroy your fortifications.
48:19 You who live in Aroer, 1194
stand by the road and watch.
Question the man who is fleeing and the woman who is escaping.
Ask them, ‘What has happened?’
48:20 They will answer, ‘Moab is disgraced, for it has fallen!
Wail and cry out in mourning!
Announce along the Arnon River
that Moab has been destroyed.’
48:21 “Judgment will come on the cities on the high plain: 1195 on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath, 48:22 on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim, 48:23 on Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, and Beth Meon, 48:24 on Kerioth and Bozrah. It will come on all the towns of Moab, both far and near. 48:25 Moab’s might will be crushed. Its power will be broken. 1196 I, the Lord, affirm it! 1197
48:26 “Moab has vaunted itself against me.
So make him drunk with the wine of my wrath 1198
until he splashes 1199 around in his own vomit,
until others treat him as a laughingstock.
48:27 For did not you people of Moab laugh at the people of Israel?
Did you think that they were nothing but thieves, 1200
that you shook your head in contempt 1201
every time you talked about them? 1202
48:28 Leave your towns, you inhabitants of Moab.
Go and live in the cliffs.
Be like a dove that makes its nest
high on the sides of a ravine. 1203
48:29 I have heard how proud the people of Moab are,
I know how haughty they are.
I have heard how arrogant, proud, and haughty they are,
what a high opinion they have of themselves. 1204
48:30 I, the Lord, affirm that 1205 I know how arrogant they are.
But their pride is ill-founded.
Their boastings will prove to be false. 1206
48:31 So I will weep with sorrow for Moab.
I will cry out in sadness for all of Moab.
I will moan 1207 for the people of Kir Heres.
48:32 I will weep for the grapevines of Sibmah
just like the town of Jazer weeps over them. 1208
Their branches once spread as far as the Dead Sea. 1209
They reached as far as the town of Jazer. 1210
The destroyer will ravage
her fig, date, 1211 and grape crops.
48:33 Joy and gladness will disappear
from the fruitful land of Moab. 1212
I will stop the flow of wine from the winepresses.
No one will stomp on the grapes there and shout for joy. 1213
The shouts there will be shouts of soldiers,
not the shouts of those making wine. 1214
48:34 Cries of anguish raised from Heshbon and Elealeh
will be sounded as far as Jahaz. 1215
They will be sounded from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah.
For even the waters of Nimrim will be dried up.
48:35 I will put an end in Moab
to those who make offerings at her places of worship. 1216
I will put an end to those who sacrifice to other gods.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 1217
48:36 So my heart moans for Moab
like a flute playing a funeral song.
Yes, like a flute playing a funeral song,
my heart moans for the people of Kir Heres.
For the wealth they have gained will perish.
48:37 For all of them will shave their heads in mourning.
They will all cut off their beards to show their sorrow.
They will all make gashes in their hands.
They will all put on sackcloth. 1218
48:38 On all the housetops in Moab
and in all its public squares
there will be nothing but mourning.
For I will break Moab like an unwanted jar.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 1219
48:39 Oh, how shattered Moab will be!
Oh, how her people will wail!
Oh, how she will turn away 1220 in shame!
Moab will become an object of ridicule,
a terrifying sight to all the nations that surround her.”
48:40 For the Lord says,
“Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings
a nation will swoop down on Moab. 1221
48:41 Her towns 1222 will be captured.
Her fortresses will be taken.
At that time the soldiers of Moab will be frightened
like a woman in labor. 1223
48:42 Moab will be destroyed and no longer be a nation, 1224
because she has vaunted herself against the Lord.
48:43 Terror, pits, and traps 1225 are in store
for the people who live in Moab. 1226
I, the Lord, affirm it! 1227
48:44 Anyone who flees at the sound of terror
will fall into a pit.
Anyone who climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a trap. 1228
For the time is coming
when I will punish the people of Moab. 1229
I, the Lord, affirm it! 1230
48:45 In the shadows of the walls of Heshbon
those trying to escape will stand helpless.
For a fire will burst forth from Heshbon.
Flames will shoot out from the former territory of Sihon.
They will burn the foreheads of the people of Moab,
the skulls of those war-loving people. 1231
48:46 Moab, you are doomed! 1232
You people who worship Chemosh will be destroyed.
Your sons will be taken away captive.
Your daughters will be carried away into exile. 1233
48:47 Yet in days to come
I will reverse Moab’s ill fortune.” 1234
says the Lord. 1235
The judgment against Moab ends here.
49:1 The Lord spoke about the Ammonites. 1236
“Do you think there are not any people of the nation of Israel remaining?
Do you think there are not any of them remaining to reinherit their land?
Is that why you people who worship the god Milcom 1237
have taken possession of the territory of Gad and live in his cities? 1238
49:2 Because you did that,
I, the Lord, affirm that 1239 a time is coming
when I will make Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon,
hear the sound of the battle cry.
It will become a mound covered with ruins. 1240
Its villages will be burned to the ground. 1241
Then Israel will take back its land
from those who took their land from them.
I, the Lord, affirm it! 1242
49:3 Wail, you people in Heshbon, because Ai in Ammon is destroyed.
Cry out in anguish, you people in the villages surrounding 1243 Rabbah.
Put on sackcloth and cry out in mourning.
Run about covered with gashes. 1244
For your god Milcom will go into exile
along with his priests and officials. 1245
49:4 Why do you brag about your great power?
Your power is ebbing away, 1246 you rebellious people of Ammon, 1247
who trust in your riches and say,
‘Who would dare to attack us?’
49:5 I will bring terror on you from every side,”
says the Lord God who rules over all. 1248
“You will be scattered in every direction. 1249
No one will gather the fugitives back together.
49:6 Yet in days to come
I will reverse Ammon’s ill fortune.” 1250
says the Lord. 1251
49:7 The Lord who rules over all 1252 spoke about Edom. 1253
“Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman? 1254
Can Edom’s counselors not give her any good advice? 1255
Has all of their wisdom turned bad? 1256
49:8 Turn and flee! Take up refuge in remote places, 1257
you people who live in Dedan. 1258
For I will bring disaster on the descendants of Esau.
I have decided it is time for me to punish them. 1259
49:9 If grape pickers came to pick your grapes,
would they not leave a few grapes behind? 1260
If robbers came at night,
would they not pillage only what they needed? 1261
49:10 But I will strip everything away from Esau’s descendants.
I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide.
Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed.
Not one of them will be left!
49:11 Leave your orphans behind and I will keep them alive.
Your widows too can depend on me.” 1262
49:12 For the Lord says, “If even those who did not deserve to drink from the cup of my wrath must drink from it, do you think you will go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must certainly drink from the cup of my wrath. 1263 49:13 For I solemnly swear,” 1264 says the Lord, “that Bozrah 1265 will become a pile of ruins. It will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example to be used in curses. 1266 All the towns around it will lie in ruins forever.”
49:14 I said, 1267 “I have heard a message from the Lord.
A messenger has been sent among the nations to say,
‘Gather your armies and march out against her!
Prepare to do battle with her!’” 1268
49:15 The Lord says to Edom, 1269
“I will certainly make you small among nations.
I will make you despised by all humankind.
49:16 The terror you inspire in others 1270
and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you.
You may make your home in the clefts of the rocks;
you may occupy the highest places in the hills. 1271
But even if you made your home where the eagles nest,
I would bring you down from there,”
says the Lord.
49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror.
All who pass by it will be filled with horror;
they will hiss out their scorn
because of all the disasters that have happened to it. 1272
49:18 Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah
and the towns that were around them.
No one will live there.
No human being will settle in it,”
says the Lord.
49:19 “A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan 1273
scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it. 1274
So too I will chase the Edomites off their land. 1275
Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose. 1276
For there is no one like me, and there is no one who can call me to account. 1277
There is no 1278 ruler 1279 who can stand up against me.
49:20 So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Edom,
what I intend to do to 1280 the people who live in Teman. 1281
Their little ones will be dragged off.
I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done. 1282
49:21 The people of the earth will quake when they hear of their downfall. 1283
Their cries of anguish will be heard all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba. 1284
49:22 Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings,
a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah.
At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful
as a woman in labor.” 1285
49:23 The Lord spoke 1286 about Damascus. 1287
“The people of Hamath and Arpad 1288 will be dismayed
because they have heard bad news.
Their courage will melt away because of worry.
Their hearts will not be able to rest. 1289
49:24 The people of Damascus will lose heart and turn to flee.
Panic will grip them.
Pain and anguish will seize them
like a woman in labor.
49:25 How deserted will that once-famous city 1290 be,
that city that was once filled with 1291 joy! 1292
49:26 For her young men will fall in her city squares.
All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,”
says the Lord who rules over all. 1293
49:27 “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;
it will burn up the palaces of Ben Hadad.” 1294
49:28 The Lord spoke about Kedar 1295 and the kingdoms of Hazor 1296 that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered.
“Army of Babylon, 1297 go and attack Kedar.
Lay waste those who live in the eastern desert. 1298
49:29 Their tents and their flocks will be taken away.
Their tent curtains, equipment, and camels will be carried off.
People will shout 1299 to them,
‘Terror is all around you!’” 1300
49:30 The Lord says, 1301 “Flee quickly, you who live in Hazor. 1302
Take up refuge in remote places. 1303
For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has laid out plans to attack you.
He has formed his strategy on how to defeat you.” 1304
49:31 The Lord says, 1305 “Army of Babylon, 1306 go and attack
a nation that lives in peace and security.
They have no gates or walls to protect them. 1307
They live all alone.
49:32 Their camels will be taken as plunder.
Their vast herds will be taken as spoil.
I will scatter to the four winds
those desert peoples who cut their hair short at the temples. 1308
I will bring disaster against them
from every direction,” says the Lord. 1309
49:33 “Hazor will become a permanent wasteland,
a place where only jackals live. 1310
No one will live there.
No human being will settle in it.” 1311
49:34 Early in the reign 1312 of King Zedekiah of Judah, the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Elam. 1313
49:35 The Lord who rules over all said,
“I will kill all the archers of Elam,
who are the chief source of her military might. 1314
49:36 I will cause enemies to blow through Elam from every direction
like the winds blowing in from the four quarters of heaven.
I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds.
There will not be any nation where the refugees of Elam will not go. 1315
49:37 I will make the people of Elam terrified of their enemies,
who are seeking to kill them.
I will vent my fierce anger
and bring disaster upon them,” 1316 says the Lord. 1317
“I will send armies chasing after them 1318
until I have completely destroyed them.
49:38 I will establish my sovereignty over Elam. 1319
I will destroy their king and their leaders,” 1320 says the Lord. 1321
49:39 “Yet in days to come
I will reverse Elam’s ill fortune.” 1322
says the Lord. 1323
50:1 The Lord spoke concerning Babylon and the land of Babylonia 1324 through the prophet Jeremiah. 1325
50:2 “Announce 1326 the news among the nations! Proclaim it!
Signal for people to pay attention! 1327
Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:
‘Babylon will be captured.
Bel 1328 will be put to shame.
Marduk will be dismayed.
Babylon’s idols will be put to shame.
Her disgusting images 1329 will be dismayed. 1330
50:3 For a nation from the north 1331 will attack Babylon.
It will lay her land waste.
People and animals will flee out of it.
No one will inhabit it.’
50:4 “When that time comes,” says the Lord, 1332
“the people of Israel and Judah will return to the land together.
They will come back with tears of repentance
as they seek the Lord their God. 1333
50:5 They will ask the way to Zion;
they will turn their faces toward it.
They will come 1334 and bind themselves to the Lord
in a lasting covenant that will never be forgotten. 1335
50:6 “My people have been lost sheep.
Their shepherds 1336 have allow them to go astray.
They have wandered around in the mountains.
They have roamed from one mountain and hill to another. 1337
They have forgotten their resting place.
50:7 All who encountered them devoured them.
Their enemies who did this said, ‘We are not liable for punishment!
For those people have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. 1338
They have sinned against the Lord in whom their ancestors 1339 trusted.’ 1340
50:8 “People of Judah, 1341 get out of Babylon quickly!
Leave the land of Babylonia! 1342
Be the first to depart! 1343
Be like the male goats that lead the herd.
50:9 For I will rouse into action and bring against Babylon
a host of mighty nations 1344 from the land of the north.
They will set up their battle lines against her.
They will come from the north and capture her. 1345
Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier 1346
who does not return from the battle empty-handed. 1347
50:10 Babylonia 1348 will be plundered.
Those who plunder it will take all they want,”
says the Lord. 1349
50:11 “People of Babylonia, 1350 you plundered my people. 1351
That made you happy and glad.
You frolic about like calves in a pasture. 1352
Your joyous sounds are like the neighs of a stallion. 1353
50:12 But Babylonia will be put to great shame.
The land where you were born 1354 will be disgraced.
Indeed, 1355 Babylonia will become the least important of all nations.
It will become a dry and barren desert.
50:13 After I vent my wrath on it Babylon will be uninhabited. 1356
It will be totally desolate.
All who pass by will be filled with horror and will hiss out their scorn
because of all the disasters that have happened to it. 1357
50:14 “Take up your battle positions all around Babylon,
all you soldiers who are armed with bows. 1358
Shoot 1359 all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back! 1360
For she has sinned against the Lord.
50:15 Shout the battle cry from all around the city.
She will throw up her hands in surrender. 1361
Her towers 1362 will fall.
Her walls will be torn down.
Because I, the Lord, am wreaking revenge, 1363
take out your vengeance on her!
Do to her as she has done!
50:16 Kill all the farmers who sow the seed in the land of Babylon.
Kill all those who wield the sickle at harvest time. 1364
Let all the foreigners return to their own people.
Let them hurry back to their own lands
to escape destruction by that enemy army. 1365
50:17 “The people of Israel are like scattered sheep
which lions have chased away.
First the king of Assyria devoured them. 1366
Now last of all King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed their bones. 1367
50:18 So I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say: 1368
‘I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
just as I punished the king of Assyria.
50:19 But I will restore the flock of Israel to their own pasture.
They will graze on Mount Carmel and the land of Bashan.
They will eat until they are full 1369
on the hills of Ephraim and the land of Gilead. 1370
50:20 When that time comes,
no guilt will be found in Israel.
No sin will be found in Judah. 1371
For I will forgive those of them I have allowed to survive. 1372
I, the Lord, affirm it!’” 1373
“Attack 1375 the land of Merathaim
and the people who live in Pekod! 1376
Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them! 1377
Do just as I have commanded you! 1378
50:22 The noise of battle can be heard in the land of Babylonia. 1379
There is the sound of great destruction.
50:23 Babylon hammered the whole world to pieces.
But see how that ‘hammer’ has been broken and shattered! 1380
See what an object of horror
Babylon has become among the nations!
50:24 I set a trap for you, Babylon;
you were caught before you knew it.
You fought against me.
So you were found and captured. 1381
50:25 I have opened up the place where my weapons are stored. 1382
I have brought out the weapons for carrying out my wrath. 1383
For I, the Lord God who rules over all, 1384
have work to carry out in the land of Babylonia. 1385
50:26 Come from far away and attack Babylonia! 1386
Open up the places where she stores her grain!
Pile her up in ruins! 1387 Destroy her completely! 1388
Do not leave anyone alive! 1389
50:27 Kill all her soldiers! 1390
Let them be slaughtered! 1391
They are doomed, 1392 for their day of reckoning 1393 has come,
the time for them to be punished.”
50:28 Listen! Fugitives and refugees are coming from the land of Babylon.
They are coming to Zion to declare there
how the Lord our God is getting revenge,
getting revenge for what they have done to his temple. 1394
50:29 “Call for archers 1395 to come against Babylon!
Summon against her all who draw the bow!
Set up camp all around the city!
Do not allow anyone to escape!
Pay her back for what she has done.
Do to her what she has done to others.
For she has proudly defied me, 1396
the Holy One of Israel. 1397
50:30 So her young men will fall in her city squares.
All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,”
says the Lord. 1398
50:31 “Listen! I am opposed to you, you proud city,” 1399
says the Lord God who rules over all. 1400
“Indeed, 1401 your day of reckoning 1402 has come,
the time when I will punish you. 1403
50:32 You will stumble and fall, you proud city;
no one will help you get up.
I will set fire to your towns;
it will burn up everything that surrounds you.” 1404
50:33 The Lord who rules over all 1405 says,
“The people of Israel are oppressed.
So too are the people of Judah. 1406
All those who took them captive are holding them prisoners.
They refuse to set them free.
50:34 But the one who will rescue them 1407 is strong.
He is known as the Lord who rules over all. 1408
He will strongly 1409 champion their cause.
As a result 1410 he will bring peace and rest to the earth,
but trouble and turmoil 1411 to the people who inhabit Babylonia. 1412
50:35 “Destructive forces will come against the Babylonians,” 1413 says the Lord. 1414
“They will come against the people who inhabit Babylonia,
against her leaders and her men of wisdom.
50:36 Destructive forces will come against her false prophets; 1415
they will be shown to be fools! 1416
Destructive forces will come against her soldiers;
they will be filled with terror! 1417
50:37 Destructive forces will come against her horses and her 1418 chariots.
Destructive forces will come against all the foreign troops within her; 1419
they will be as frightened as women! 1420
Destructive forces will come against her treasures;
they will be taken away as plunder!
50:38 A drought will come upon her land;
her rivers and canals will be dried up. 1421
All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. 1422
Her people act like madmen because of 1423 those idols they fear. 1424
50:39 Therefore desert creatures and jackals will live there.
Ostriches 1425 will dwell in it too. 1426
But no people will ever live there again.
No one will dwell there for all time to come. 1427
50:40 I will destroy Babylonia just like I did
Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns.
No one will live there. 1428
No human being will settle in it,”
says the Lord. 1429
50:41 “Look! An army is about to come from the north.
A mighty nation and many kings 1430 are stirring into action
in faraway parts of the earth.
50:42 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride forth on their horses.
Lined up in formation like men going into battle,
they are coming against you, fair Babylon! 1431
50:43 The king of Babylon will become paralyzed with fear 1432
when he hears news of their coming. 1433
Anguish will grip him,
agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby. 1434
50:44 “A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan
scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it.
So too I will chase the Babylonians off of their land.
Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose.
For there is no one like me.
There is no one who can call me to account.
There is no ruler that can stand up against me.
50:45 So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Babylon,
what I intend to do to the people who inhabit the land of Babylonia. 1435
Their little ones will be dragged off.
I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done.
50:46 The people of the earth will quake when they hear Babylon has been captured.
Her cries of anguish will be heard by the other nations.” 1436
51:1 The Lord says,
“I will cause a destructive wind 1437 to blow
against 1438 Babylon and the people who inhabit Babylonia. 1439
51:2 I will send people to winnow Babylonia like a wind blowing away chaff. 1440
They will winnow her and strip her land bare. 1441
This will happen when 1442 they come against her from every direction,
when it is time to destroy her. 1443
51:3 Do not give her archers time to string their bows
or to put on their coats of armor. 1444
Do not spare any of her young men.
Completely destroy 1445 her whole army.
51:4 Let them fall 1446 slain in the land of Babylonia, 1447
mortally wounded in the streets of her cities. 1448
51:5 “For Israel and Judah will not be forsaken 1449
by their God, the Lord who rules over all. 1450
For the land of Babylonia is 1451 full of guilt
against the Holy One of Israel. 1452
51:6 Get out of Babylonia quickly, you foreign people. 1453
Flee to save your lives.
Do not let yourselves be killed because of her sins.
For it is time for the Lord to wreak his revenge.
He will pay Babylonia 1454 back for what she has done. 1455
51:7 Babylonia had been a gold cup in the Lord’s hand.
She had made the whole world drunk.
The nations had drunk from the wine of her wrath. 1456
So they have all gone mad. 1457
51:8 But suddenly Babylonia will fall and be destroyed. 1458
Cry out in mourning over it!
Get medicine for her wounds!
Perhaps she can be healed!
51:9 Foreigners living there will say, 1459
‘We tried to heal her, but she could not be healed.
Let’s leave Babylonia 1460 and each go back to his own country.
For judgment on her will be vast in its proportions.
It will be like it is piled up to heaven, stacked up into the clouds.’ 1461
51:10 The exiles from Judah will say, 1462
‘The Lord has brought about a great deliverance for us! 1463
Come on, let’s go and proclaim in Zion
what the Lord our God has done!’
51:11 “Sharpen 1464 your arrows!
Fill your quivers! 1465
The Lord will arouse a spirit of hostility in 1466 the kings of Media. 1467
For he intends to destroy Babylonia.
For that is how the Lord will get his revenge –
how he will get his revenge for the Babylonians’ destruction of his temple. 1468
51:12 Give the signal to attack Babylon’s wall! 1469
Bring more guards! 1470
Post them all around the city! 1471
Put men in ambush! 1472
For the Lord will do what he has planned.
He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon. 1473
51:13 “You who live along the rivers of Babylon, 1474
the time of your end has come.
You who are rich in plundered treasure,
it is time for your lives to be cut off. 1475
51:14 The Lord who rules over all 1476 has solemnly sworn, 1477
‘I will fill your land with enemy soldiers.
They will swarm over it like locusts. 1478
They will raise up shouts of victory over it.’
51:15 He is the one who 1479 by his power made the earth.
He is the one who by his wisdom fixed the world in place,
by his understanding he spread out the heavens.
51:16 When his voice thunders, the waters in the heavens roar.
He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.
He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.
He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.
51:17 All idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant.
Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.
For the image he forges is merely a sham.
There is no breath in any of those idols.
51:18 They are worthless, objects to be ridiculed.
When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.
51:19 The Lord, who is the portion of the descendants of Jacob, is not like them.
For he is the one who created everything,
including the people of Israel whom he claims as his own. 1480
He is known as the Lord who rules over all. 1481
51:20 “Babylon, 1482 you are my war club, 1483
my weapon for battle.
I used you to smash nations. 1484
I used you to destroy kingdoms.
51:21 I used you to smash horses and their riders. 1485
I used you to smash chariots and their drivers.
51:22 I used you to smash men and women.
I used you to smash old men and young men.
I used you to smash young men and young women.
51:23 I used you to smash shepherds and their flocks.
I used you to smash farmers and their teams of oxen.
I used you to smash governors and leaders.” 1486
51:24 “But I will repay Babylon
and all who live in Babylonia
for all the wicked things they did in Zion
right before the eyes of you Judeans,” 1487
says the Lord. 1488
51:25 The Lord says, 1489 “Beware! I am opposed to you, Babylon! 1490
You are like a destructive mountain that destroys all the earth.
I will unleash my power against you; 1491
I will roll you off the cliffs and make you like a burned-out mountain. 1492
51:26 No one will use any of your stones as a cornerstone.
No one will use any of them in the foundation of his house.
For you will lie desolate forever,” 1493
says the Lord. 1494
51:27 “Raise up battle flags throughout the lands.
Sound the trumpets calling the nations to do battle.
Prepare the nations to do battle against Babylonia. 1495
Call for these kingdoms to attack her:
Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. 1496
Appoint a commander to lead the attack. 1497
Send horses 1498 against her like a swarm of locusts. 1499
51:28 Prepare the nations to do battle against her. 1500
Prepare the kings of the Medes.
Prepare their governors and all their leaders. 1501
Prepare all the countries they rule to do battle against her. 1502
51:29 The earth will tremble and writhe in agony. 1503
For the Lord will carry out his plan.
He plans to make the land of Babylonia 1504
a wasteland where no one lives. 1505
51:30 The soldiers of Babylonia will stop fighting.
They will remain in their fortified cities.
They will lose their strength to do battle. 1506
They will be as frightened as women. 1507
The houses in her cities will be set on fire.
The gates of her cities will be broken down. 1508
51:31 One runner after another will come to the king of Babylon.
One messenger after another will come bringing news. 1509
They will bring news to the king of Babylon
that his whole city has been captured. 1510
51:32 They will report that the fords have been captured,
the reed marshes have been burned,
the soldiers are terrified. 1511
51:33 For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says,
‘Fair Babylon 1512 will be like a threshing floor
which has been trampled flat for harvest.
The time for her to be cut down and harvested
will come very soon.’ 1513
51:34 “King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
devoured me and drove my people out.
Like a monster from the deep he swallowed me.
He filled his belly with my riches.
He made me an empty dish.
He completely cleaned me out.” 1514
51:35 The person who lives in Zion says,
“May Babylon pay for the violence done to me and to my relatives.”
Jerusalem says,
“May those living in Babylonia pay for the bloodshed of my people.” 1515
51:36 Therefore the Lord says,
“I will stand up for your cause.
I will pay the Babylonians back for what they have done to you. 1516
I will dry up their sea.
I will make their springs run dry. 1517
51:37 Babylon will become a heap of ruins.
Jackals will make their home there. 1518
It will become an object of horror and of hissing scorn,
a place where no one lives. 1519
51:38 The Babylonians are all like lions roaring for prey.
They are like lion cubs growling for something to eat. 1520
51:39 When their appetites are all stirred up, 1521
I will set out a banquet for them.
I will make them drunk
so that they will pass out, 1522
they will fall asleep forever,
they will never wake up,” 1523
says the Lord. 1524
51:40 “I will lead them off to be slaughtered
like lambs, rams, and male goats.” 1525
51:41 “See how Babylon 1526 has been captured!
See how the pride of the whole earth has been taken!
See what an object of horror
Babylon has become among the nations! 1527
51:42 The sea has swept over Babylon.
She has been covered by a multitude 1528 of its waves. 1529
51:43 The towns of Babylonia have become heaps of ruins.
She has become a dry and barren desert.
No one lives in those towns any more.
No one even passes through them. 1530
51:44 I will punish the god Bel in Babylon.
I will make him spit out what he has swallowed.
The nations will not come streaming to him any longer.
Indeed, the walls of Babylon will fall.” 1531
51:45 “Get out of Babylon, my people!
Flee to save your lives
from the fierce anger of the Lord! 1532
51:46 Do not lose your courage or become afraid
because of the reports that are heard in the land.
For a report will come in one year.
Another report will follow it in the next.
There will be violence in the land
with ruler fighting against ruler.”
51:47 “So the time will certainly come 1533
when I will punish the idols of Babylon.
Her whole land will be put to shame.
All her mortally wounded will collapse in her midst. 1534
51:48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
will sing for joy over Babylon.
For destroyers from the north will attack it,”
says the Lord. 1535
because of the Israelites she has killed, 1537
just as the earth’s mortally wounded fell
because of Babylon. 1538
51:50 You who have escaped the sword, 1539
go, do not delay. 1540
Remember the Lord in a faraway land.
Think about Jerusalem. 1541
51:51 ‘We 1542 are ashamed because we have been insulted. 1543
Our faces show our disgrace. 1544
For foreigners have invaded
the holy rooms 1545 in the Lord’s temple.’
51:52 Yes, but the time will certainly come,” 1546 says the Lord, 1547
“when I will punish her idols.
Throughout her land the mortally wounded will groan.
51:53 Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky 1548
and fortifies her elevated stronghold, 1549
I will send destroyers against her,” 1550
says the Lord. 1551
51:54 Cries of anguish will come from Babylon,
the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians.
51:55 For the Lord is ready to destroy Babylon,
and put an end to her loud noise.
Their waves 1552 will roar like turbulent 1553 waters.
They will make a deafening noise. 1554
51:56 For a destroyer is attacking Babylon. 1555
Her warriors will be captured;
their bows will be broken. 1556
For the Lord is a God who punishes; 1557
he pays back in full. 1558
51:57 “I will make her officials and wise men drunk,
along with her governors, leaders, 1559 and warriors.
They will fall asleep forever and never wake up,” 1560
says the King whose name is the Lord who rules over all. 1561
51:58 This is what the Lord who rules over all 1562 says,
“Babylon’s thick wall 1563 will be completely demolished. 1564
Her high gates will be set on fire.
The peoples strive for what does not satisfy. 1565
The nations grow weary trying to get what will be destroyed.” 1566
51:59 This is the order Jeremiah the prophet gave to Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went to King Zedekiah of Judah in Babylon during the fourth year of his reign. 1567 (Seraiah was a quartermaster.) 1568 51:60 Jeremiah recorded 1569 on one scroll all the judgments 1570 that would come upon Babylon – all these prophecies 1571 written about Babylon. 51:61 Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you arrive in Babylon, make sure 1572 you read aloud all these prophecies. 1573 51:62 Then say, ‘O Lord, you have announced that you will destroy this place so that no people or animals live in it any longer. Certainly it will lie desolate forever!’ 51:63 When you finish reading this scroll aloud, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River. 1574 51:64 Then say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the judgments 1575 I am ready to bring upon her; they will grow faint.’”
The prophecies of Jeremiah end here. 1576
Zechariah 1:15
Context1:15 But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. 1577 I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.
[24:1] 2 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[24:2] 3 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
[24:2] 4 sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.
[24:3] 5 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.
[24:3] 6 tn Heb “because you must not take.”
[24:4] 7 tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”
[24:5] 9 tn Heb “to go after me.”
[24:5] 10 tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.
[24:6] 11 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
[24:6] 12 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:7] 13 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
[24:7] 14 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
[24:7] 15 tn Or “his messenger.”
[24:7] 16 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
[24:8] 17 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
[24:8] 18 sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.
[24:9] 19 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
[24:10] 20 tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.
[24:10] 21 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
[24:10] 22 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:11] 23 tn Heb “well of water.”
[24:11] 24 tn Heb “at the time of evening.”
[24:12] 25 tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).
[24:12] 26 tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”
[24:13] 27 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:14] 29 sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.
[24:14] 30 tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”
[24:15] 31 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.
[24:15] 32 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:16] 33 tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.
[24:17] 34 tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:18] 35 tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”
[24:19] 36 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:20] 37 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
[24:21] 39 tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).
[24:22] 40 sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).
[24:22] 41 sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).
[24:22] 42 tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:23] 43 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:24] 44 tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 45 tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:25] 46 tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:27] 47 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
[24:27] 48 tn Heb “As for me – in the way the
[24:27] 49 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
[24:28] 51 tn Heb “according to.”
[24:29] 52 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.
[24:30] 53 tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[24:30] 54 tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”
[24:30] 55 tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.
[24:31] 56 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:31] 57 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the
[24:31] 58 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.
[24:32] 59 tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:32] 60 tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).
[24:32] 61 tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.
[24:32] 62 tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
[24:33] 63 tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”
[24:33] 65 tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”
[24:35] 66 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.
[24:35] 67 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the
[24:36] 68 tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:36] 69 tn Heb “after her old age.”
[24:36] 70 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:38] 71 tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”
[24:39] 72 tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.
[24:40] 74 tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the
[24:41] 75 tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).
[24:42] 76 tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”
[24:42] 77 tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[24:43] 78 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:43] 79 tn Heb “and it will be.”
[24:45] 80 tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.
[24:45] 81 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.
[24:47] 82 tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:48] 83 tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).
[24:49] 84 tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.
[24:50] 85 tn Heb “From the
[24:50] 86 tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.
[24:51] 87 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:51] 88 tn Heb “as the
[24:53] 89 tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:54] 90 tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”
[24:54] 91 tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”
[24:55] 92 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:56] 93 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.
[24:56] 94 tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:57] 95 tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”
[24:58] 96 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
[24:60] 97 tn Heb “and said to her.”
[24:60] 98 tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”
[24:60] 99 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.
[24:61] 100 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
[24:61] 101 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:62] 102 tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.
[24:62] 103 tn Heb “from the way of.”
[24:62] 104 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.
[24:62] 105 tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.
[24:62] 106 tn Or “the South [country].”
[24:63] 107 tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:63] 108 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).
[24:63] 109 tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”
[24:63] 110 tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.
[24:63] 111 tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.
[24:64] 112 tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”
[24:65] 113 tn Heb “and she said to.”
[24:65] 114 tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:65] 115 tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 116 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
[24:67] 117 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 118 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
[24:67] 119 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
[25:1] 121 tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”
[25:3] 122 sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.
[25:6] 124 tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”
[25:6] 125 tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”
[25:7] 126 tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.
[25:8] 127 tn Heb “old and full.”
[25:8] 128 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
[25:9] 129 sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).
[25:10] 130 tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.
[25:11] 131 sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).
[25:11] 132 sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.
[25:12] 133 sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).
[25:13] 134 tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”
[25:16] 135 tn Or “tribal chieftains.”
[25:17] 136 tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”
[25:17] 137 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
[25:18] 138 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:18] 139 tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.
[25:18] 140 tn Heb “as you go.”
[25:18] 141 sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.
[25:18] 143 tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.
[25:19] 144 sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.
[25:20] 145 tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”
[25:20] 146 sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.
[25:21] 147 tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the
[25:22] 148 tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.
[25:22] 149 tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.
[25:22] 150 sn Asked the
[25:23] 151 sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.
[25:24] 152 tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”
[25:24] 153 tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.
[25:25] 154 sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.
[25:25] 155 tn Heb “all of him.”
[25:25] 156 sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.
[25:25] 157 tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.
[25:26] 158 tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.
[25:26] 159 tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.
[25:26] 160 tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”
[25:27] 162 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”
[25:28] 163 tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.
[25:28] 164 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.
[25:29] 165 sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).
[25:30] 166 tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.
[25:30] 167 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.
[25:30] 168 sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”
[25:32] 170 tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”
[25:33] 171 tn Heb “Swear to me today.”
[25:33] 172 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:33] 173 sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.
[25:34] 174 sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.
[25:34] 175 sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.
[26:1] 176 tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”
[26:1] 177 sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.
[26:2] 178 sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.
[26:2] 179 tn Heb “say to you.”
[26:3] 180 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.
[26:3] 181 tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.
[26:3] 182 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[26:3] 183 tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.
[26:3] 184 tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”
[26:4] 185 tn Heb “your descendants.”
[26:4] 186 tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to 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. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
[26:5] 187 tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[26:5] 188 tn Heb “listened to my voice.”
[26:5] 189 sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.
[26:7] 190 sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.
[26:7] 191 tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.
[26:7] 192 tn Heb “kill me on account of.”
[26:8] 193 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:8] 194 tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”
[26:8] 195 tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.
[26:9] 197 tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.
[26:9] 198 tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).
[26:10] 199 tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
[26:10] 201 tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”
[26:11] 202 tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.
[26:11] 203 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.
[26:12] 204 tn Heb “a hundredfold.”
[26:12] 205 tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.
[26:13] 206 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.
[26:13] 207 tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.
[26:14] 208 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
[26:14] 209 tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
[26:14] 210 tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
[26:14] 211 tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
[26:15] 212 tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
[26:16] 213 tn Heb “Go away from us.”
[26:16] 214 sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).
[26:17] 215 tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”
[26:18] 216 tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”
[26:18] 217 tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.
[26:18] 218 tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.
[26:18] 219 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:18] 220 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:18] 221 tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”
[26:19] 222 tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).
[26:20] 223 tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
[26:20] 224 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:20] 225 tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”
[26:20] 226 sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
[26:20] 227 tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[26:21] 228 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:21] 229 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:21] 230 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
[26:22] 231 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:22] 232 tn Heb “and he called its name.”
[26:22] 233 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
[26:23] 234 tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:25] 235 tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the
[26:25] 236 tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”
[26:26] 237 tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”
[26:26] 239 tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.
[26:27] 240 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.
[26:28] 241 tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.
[26:28] 242 tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[26:28] 243 tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.
[26:28] 244 tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).
[26:28] 245 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”
[26:29] 246 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
[26:29] 248 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
[26:29] 249 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
[26:29] 250 tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
[26:30] 251 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:30] 252 tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”
[26:31] 253 tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”
[26:31] 254 tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”
[26:32] 255 tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[26:33] 256 sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.
[26:33] 257 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.
[26:34] 258 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.
[26:34] 259 tn Heb “the son of forty years.”
[26:34] 260 tn Heb “took as a wife.”
[26:35] 261 tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”
[27:1] 262 tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.
[27:1] 263 tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”
[27:1] 264 tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).
[27:1] 265 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:2] 266 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:2] 267 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.
[27:2] 268 tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”
[27:3] 269 tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).
[27:4] 270 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:4] 271 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.
[27:5] 272 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.
[27:5] 273 tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.
[27:7] 274 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:7] 275 tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.
[27:7] 276 tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the
[27:8] 277 tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”
[27:8] 278 tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”
[27:9] 279 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:10] 280 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.
[27:10] 281 tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.
[27:10] 282 tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[27:11] 283 tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:12] 284 tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”
[27:13] 285 tn Heb “upon me your curse.”
[27:13] 286 tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”
[27:14] 287 tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:14] 288 tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:16] 289 tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.
[27:16] 290 tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”
[27:17] 291 tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”
[27:18] 292 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:18] 293 sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.
[27:19] 294 tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.
[27:19] 295 tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.
[27:20] 296 tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”
[27:20] 297 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
[27:20] 298 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
[27:20] 299 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
[27:21] 300 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:21] 301 tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.
[27:23] 302 tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:24] 303 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:25] 304 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:25] 305 tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[27:25] 306 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.
[27:25] 307 tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:25] 308 tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:27] 309 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:27] 310 tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:28] 312 tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”
[27:28] 313 tn Heb “and from the fatness.”
[27:29] 314 tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.
[27:29] 315 tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”
[27:29] 316 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[27:30] 317 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.
[27:30] 318 tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was
[27:30] 319 tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”
[27:31] 320 tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.
[27:31] 321 tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).
[27:31] 322 tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”
[27:32] 324 tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.
[27:33] 325 tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.
[27:33] 326 tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”
[27:34] 327 tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.
[27:34] 328 tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”
[27:35] 329 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:35] 330 tn Or “took”; “received.”
[27:36] 331 tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.
[27:36] 332 sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”
[27:38] 333 tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:38] 334 tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”
[27:39] 336 tn Heb “from the fatness.”
[27:40] 337 sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.
[27:41] 338 tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.
[27:41] 339 tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”
[27:41] 340 tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.
[27:41] 342 tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.
[27:42] 343 tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”
[27:42] 344 tn Heb “she sent and called for.”
[27:42] 345 tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.
[27:43] 346 tn Heb “listen to my voice.”
[27:43] 347 tn Heb “arise, flee.”
[27:44] 348 tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.
[27:45] 349 tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:45] 350 tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.
[27:45] 351 tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.
[27:46] 352 tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).
[27:46] 353 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
[27:46] 354 tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”
[28:1] 355 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
[28:2] 356 tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.
[28:3] 357 tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
[28:3] 358 tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.
[28:3] 359 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”
[28:3] 360 tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”
[28:4] 361 tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.
[28:4] 362 tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[28:4] 363 tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.
[28:6] 364 tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”
[28:6] 365 tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.
[28:6] 366 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
[28:8] 368 tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”
[28:8] 369 tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”
[28:9] 370 tn Heb “took for a wife.”
[28:11] 371 tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.
[28:11] 372 tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”
[28:11] 373 tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).
[28:11] 374 tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.
[28:11] 375 tn Heb “lay down.”
[28:12] 376 tn Heb “and dreamed.”
[28:12] 377 tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the
[28:12] 378 tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.
[28:13] 379 tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.
[28:13] 380 tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.
[28:14] 381 tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.
[28:14] 382 tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.
[28:14] 383 tn Theoretically the Niphal stem 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 Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other 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 upon) themselves/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 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[28:14] 384 tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”
[28:15] 385 tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).
[28:16] 386 tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[28:18] 388 tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”
[28:18] 389 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[28:18] 390 tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.
[28:18] 391 tn Heb “standing stone.”
[28:19] 392 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).
[28:20] 393 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
[28:21] 394 tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”
[28:22] 395 tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.
[28:22] 396 tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.
[28:22] 397 tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.
[29:1] 398 tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.
[29:1] 399 tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”
[29:2] 400 tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.
[29:2] 401 tn Heb “and look, there.”
[29:2] 402 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.
[29:3] 403 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:5] 405 tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.
[29:6] 406 tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”
[29:7] 408 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:7] 409 tn Heb “the day is great.”
[29:7] 410 tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.
[29:8] 411 tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.
[29:9] 412 tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”
[29:10] 413 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).
[29:10] 414 tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:10] 415 tn Heb “drew near, approached.”
[29:10] 416 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).
[29:11] 417 tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.
[29:12] 418 tn Heb “declared.”
[29:12] 419 tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”
[29:13] 420 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:13] 421 tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).
[29:14] 422 tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).
[29:14] 423 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:14] 424 tn Heb “a month of days.”
[29:15] 425 tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.
[29:15] 426 tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
[29:16] 427 tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.
[29:17] 428 tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.
[29:17] 429 tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”
[29:18] 430 tn Heb “Jacob loved.”
[29:19] 431 tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”
[29:20] 432 tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”
[29:20] 433 sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.
[29:20] 434 tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[29:21] 435 tn Heb “and Jacob said.”
[29:21] 436 tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”
[29:21] 437 tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).
[29:23] 439 tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”
[29:23] 440 tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:23] 441 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:23] 442 tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.
[29:24] 443 tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.
[29:25] 444 tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
[29:25] 445 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:25] 446 tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”
[29:25] 447 sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.
[29:26] 448 tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:26] 449 tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[29:27] 450 tn Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity.
[29:27] 451 tn Heb “this other one.”
[29:27] 452 tn Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.”
[29:28] 453 tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:28] 454 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:28] 455 tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.
[29:28] 456 tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:29] 457 tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”
[29:30] 458 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:30] 459 tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.
[29:30] 460 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:30] 461 tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”
[29:31] 462 tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.
[29:31] 463 tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”
[29:32] 464 tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).
[29:32] 465 sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”
[29:32] 466 tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”
[29:33] 467 tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.
[29:33] 468 sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the
[29:34] 469 tn Heb “will be joined to me.”
[29:34] 470 sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.
[29:35] 471 sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.
[30:1] 472 tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:2] 474 tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”
[30:2] 475 tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”
[30:3] 476 tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:3] 477 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.
[30:3] 478 tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:3] 479 tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.
[30:3] 480 tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).
[30:4] 481 tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:4] 482 tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:5] 483 tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).
[30:5] 484 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:6] 485 tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.
[30:6] 487 sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.
[30:7] 488 tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:8] 489 tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.
[30:8] 490 sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”
[30:9] 491 tn Heb “she took her servant Zilpah and gave her.” The verbs “took” and “gave” are treated as a hendiadys in the translation: “she gave.”
[30:10] 492 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:11] 493 tc The statement in the Kethib (consonantal text) appears to mean literally “with good fortune,” if one takes the initial בְּ (bet) as a preposition indicating accompaniment. The Qere (marginal reading) means “good fortune has arrived.”
[30:11] 494 sn The name Gad (גָּד, gad) means “good fortune.” The name reflects Leah’s feeling that good fortune has come her way, as expressed in her statement recorded earlier in the verse.
[30:12] 495 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:13] 496 tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”
[30:13] 497 tn Heb “daughters.”
[30:13] 498 sn The name Asher (אָשֶׁר, ’asher) apparently means “happy one.” The name plays on the words used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. Both the Hebrew noun and verb translated “happy” and “call me happy,” respectively, are derived from the same root as the name Asher.
[30:14] 499 tn Heb “during the days.”
[30:14] 500 sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.
[30:15] 501 tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:15] 502 tn Heb “therefore.”
[30:15] 503 tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.
[30:16] 504 tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.
[30:16] 505 tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.
[30:16] 506 tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.
[30:17] 507 tn Heb “listened to.”
[30:17] 508 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).
[30:17] 509 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:18] 510 tn Heb “God has given my reward.”
[30:18] 511 tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).
[30:18] 512 sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.
[30:19] 513 tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:20] 514 sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.
[30:22] 515 tn Heb “remembered.”
[30:22] 516 tn Heb “and God listened to her and opened up her womb.” Since “God” is the subject of the previous clause, the noun has been replaced by the pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons
[30:23] 517 tn Or “conceived.”
[30:23] 518 tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.
[30:24] 519 sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.
[30:25] 520 tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.
[30:25] 521 tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.
[30:25] 522 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:25] 523 tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”
[30:26] 524 tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.
[30:26] 525 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:26] 526 tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”
[30:27] 527 tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[30:27] 528 tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the
[30:28] 529 tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”
[30:29] 530 tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:29] 531 tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”
[30:30] 533 tn Heb “before me.”
[30:30] 534 tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”
[30:30] 535 tn Heb “at my foot.”
[30:30] 536 tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”
[30:31] 537 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:31] 538 tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.
[30:31] 539 tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:31] 540 tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”
[30:31] 541 tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”
[30:32] 542 tn Heb “pass through.”
[30:32] 543 tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”
[30:32] 544 tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”
[30:32] 545 tn Heb “and it will be my wage.” The referent collective singular pronoun (“it) has been specified as “these animals” in the translation for clarity.
[30:33] 546 tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”
[30:33] 547 tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”
[30:33] 548 tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”
[30:33] 549 tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”
[30:34] 550 tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’” On the asseverative use of the particle לוּ (lu) here, see HALOT 521 s.v. לוּ.
[30:35] 551 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:35] 552 tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”
[30:36] 553 tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”
[30:36] 554 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.
[30:38] 555 sn He put the branches in front of the flocks…when they came to drink. It was generally believed that placing such “visual aids” before the animals as they were mating, it was possible to influence the appearance of their offspring. E. A. Speiser notes that “Jacob finds a way to outwit his father-in-law, through prenatal conditioning of the flock by visual aids – in conformance with universal folk beliefs” (Genesis [AB], 238). Nevertheless, in spite of Jacob’s efforts at animal husbandry, he still attributes the resulting success to God (see 31:5).
[30:39] 556 tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.
[30:39] 557 tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:40] 558 tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”
[30:41] 559 tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”
[30:42] 560 tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.
[30:42] 561 tn Heb “were for Laban.”
[30:43] 562 tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[30:43] 563 tn Heb “and there were to him.”
[31:1] 564 tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”
[31:1] 565 sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).
[31:1] 566 tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”
[31:2] 567 tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.
[31:3] 568 tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
[31:3] 569 sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the
[31:4] 570 tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.
[31:4] 571 tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[31:4] 572 tn Heb “to his flock.”
[31:5] 573 tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”
[31:6] 574 tn Heb “with all my strength.”
[31:7] 575 tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).
[31:8] 576 tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.
[31:8] 577 tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.
[31:10] 578 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”
[31:10] 579 tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”
[31:10] 580 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
[31:12] 581 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
[31:12] 582 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
[31:13] 583 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[31:13] 584 sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the
[31:13] 585 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
[31:13] 586 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
[31:14] 587 tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”
[31:15] 588 tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.
[31:15] 589 tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.
[31:17] 590 tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”
[31:18] 591 tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.
[31:18] 592 tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”
[31:19] 593 tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.
[31:19] 594 tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.
[31:20] 595 tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.
[31:20] 596 tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.
[31:21] 597 tn Heb “and he fled.”
[31:21] 598 tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.
[31:21] 599 tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:21] 600 tn Heb “he set his face.”
[31:22] 601 tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”
[31:23] 602 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[31:23] 603 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:23] 604 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
[31:23] 605 tn Heb “drew close to.”
[31:24] 606 tn Heb “said to him.”
[31:24] 607 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
[31:24] 608 tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.
[31:25] 609 tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.
[31:26] 610 tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).
[31:26] 611 tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”
[31:27] 612 tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”
[31:27] 613 tn Heb “and steal me.”
[31:27] 614 tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”
[31:28] 615 tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:29] 616 tn Heb “there is to my hand.”
[31:29] 617 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
[31:29] 618 tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.
[31:30] 619 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[31:30] 620 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
[31:30] 621 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
[31:30] 622 sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.
[31:31] 623 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:31] 624 tn Heb “for I said.”
[31:31] 625 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
[31:32] 626 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
[31:32] 627 tn Heb “brothers.”
[31:32] 628 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
[31:32] 629 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.
[31:33] 630 tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:33] 631 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
[31:34] 632 tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”
[31:34] 633 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.
[31:34] 634 tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:35] 635 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:35] 636 tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.
[31:35] 637 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
[31:35] 638 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
[31:35] 639 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
[31:36] 640 tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.
[31:36] 641 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.
[31:36] 642 tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).
[31:37] 643 tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”
[31:37] 644 tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
[31:37] 645 tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”
[31:39] 646 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.
[31:39] 647 tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.
[31:40] 648 tn Or “by drought.”
[31:40] 649 tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.
[31:40] 650 tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”
[31:41] 651 tn Heb “this to me.”
[31:41] 652 tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”
[31:42] 653 tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.
[31:42] 654 tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”
[31:43] 655 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[31:43] 656 tn Heb “daughters.”
[31:43] 657 tn Heb “children.”
[31:43] 658 tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”
[31:44] 659 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[31:44] 660 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”
[31:44] 661 tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”
[31:46] 662 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:46] 663 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
[31:47] 664 sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
[31:47] 665 sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.
[31:48] 666 tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”
[31:49] 667 tn Heb “and Mizpah.”
[31:49] 668 sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the
[31:49] 669 tn Heb “between me and you.”
[31:49] 670 tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”
[31:50] 672 tn Heb “between me and you.”
[31:51] 673 tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:52] 674 tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”
[31:53] 675 tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.
[31:53] 676 tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.
[31:54] 677 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
[31:54] 678 tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.
[31:55] 679 sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[31:55] 680 tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”
[31:55] 681 tn Heb “his sons.”
[31:55] 682 tn Heb “to his place.”
[32:1] 683 sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.
[32:2] 684 tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”
[32:2] 685 sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.
[32:3] 686 tn Heb “before him.”
[32:4] 688 sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.
[32:5] 689 tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.
[32:5] 690 tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:8] 691 tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”
[32:8] 692 tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:8] 693 tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.
[32:9] 695 tn Heb “the one who said.”
[32:9] 696 tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.
[32:10] 697 tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).
[32:10] 698 tn Heb “you have done with.”
[32:10] 699 tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.
[32:10] 700 tn Heb “this Jordan.”
[32:11] 701 tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.
[32:11] 702 tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”
[32:11] 703 tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”
[32:11] 704 tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”
[32:11] 705 sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.
[32:12] 706 tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
[32:12] 707 tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.
[32:12] 708 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.
[32:12] 709 tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.
[32:13] 710 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:13] 711 tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.
[32:13] 712 sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).
[32:16] 713 tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”
[32:16] 714 tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.
[32:17] 715 tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.
[32:17] 716 tn Heb “to whom are you?”
[32:17] 717 tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”
[32:18] 718 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.
[32:18] 719 tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:18] 720 tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”
[32:18] 721 tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”
[32:18] 722 tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:19] 723 tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”
[32:20] 724 tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”
[32:20] 725 tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”
[32:20] 726 tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.
[32:20] 727 tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”
[32:20] 728 tn Heb “I will see his face.”
[32:20] 729 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.
[32:21] 730 tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”
[32:21] 731 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.
[32:22] 732 tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.
[32:22] 733 tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).
[32:22] 734 sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.
[32:23] 735 tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”
[32:24] 736 sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.
[32:24] 737 sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.
[32:24] 738 tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”
[32:25] 739 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 740 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 741 tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.
[32:26] 742 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:26] 743 tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”
[32:26] 744 tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:26] 745 sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.
[32:27] 746 tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:27] 747 sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the
[32:28] 748 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:28] 749 sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the
[32:28] 750 sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).
[32:29] 751 sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.
[32:29] 752 tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.
[32:29] 753 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:29] 754 tn The verb here means that the
[32:29] 755 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:30] 756 sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.
[32:30] 757 tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:30] 759 sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.
[32:30] 760 tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”
[32:31] 762 sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).
[32:31] 763 tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.
[32:32] 764 sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.
[32:32] 765 tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.
[35:1] 766 tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
[35:1] 767 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[35:1] 768 sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).
[35:2] 769 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
[35:2] 770 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the
[35:3] 771 tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.
[35:3] 772 tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.
[35:3] 773 tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.
[35:3] 774 tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).
[35:4] 775 tn Heb “in their hand.”
[35:4] 776 sn On the basis of a comparison with Gen 34 and Num 31, G. J. Wenham argues that the foreign gods and the rings could have been part of the plunder that came from the destruction of Shechem (Genesis [WBC], 2:324).
[35:4] 777 sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.
[35:5] 779 tn Heb “and they journeyed.”
[35:5] 780 tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).
[35:6] 781 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[35:6] 782 tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”
[35:7] 783 sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”
[35:7] 784 tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.
[35:8] 785 sn Deborah. This woman had been Rebekah’s nurse, but later attached herself to Jacob. She must have been about one hundred and eighty years old when she died.
[35:8] 786 tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.
[35:8] 787 tn Or “Allon Bacuth,” if one transliterates the Hebrew name (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). An oak tree was revered in the ancient world and often designated as a shrine or landmark. This one was named for the weeping (mourning) occasioned by the death of Deborah.
[35:10] 788 tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[35:11] 789 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
[35:11] 790 tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”
[35:12] 791 tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the
[35:12] 792 tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”
[35:13] 793 tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”
[35:14] 794 tn Heb “and Jacob set up a sacred pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a sacred pillar of stone” (see the notes on the term “sacred stone” in Gen 28:18). This passage stands parallel to Gen 28:18-19, where Jacob set up a sacred stone, poured oil on it, and called the place Bethel. Some commentators see these as two traditions referring to the same event, but it is more likely that Jacob reconsecrated the place in fulfillment of the vow he had made here earlier. In support of this is the fact that the present narrative alludes to and is built on the previous one.
[35:14] 795 tn The verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “to pour out, to make libations,” and the noun נֶסֶךְ (nesekh) is a “drink-offering,” usually of wine or of blood. The verb יָצַק (yatsaq) means “to pour out,” often of anointing oil, but of other elements as well.
[35:15] 796 sn Called the name of the place. In view of the previous naming of Bethel in Gen 28:19, here Jacob was confirming or affirming the name through an official ritual marking the fulfillment of the vow. This place now did become Bethel, the house of God.
[35:15] 797 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.
[13:1] 798 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] 799 tn Heb “The message [traditionally, “burden”] [about] Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.”
[13:2] 800 sn The Lord is speaking here (see v. 3).
[13:3] 801 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] 802 tn Heb “my warriors with respect to my anger.”
[13:3] 803 tn Heb “the boasting ones of my pride”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV “my proudly exulting ones.”
[13:4] 804 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] 805 tn Heb “a sound, a roar [is] on the mountains, like many people.”
[13:4] 806 tn Heb “a sound, tumult of kingdoms.”
[13:5] 807 tn Heb “from the end of the sky.”
[13:5] 808 tn Or “anger”; cf. KJV, ASV “the weapons of his indignation.”
[13:5] 809 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] 810 tn Heb “the day of the Lord” (so KJV, NAB).
[13:6] 811 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] 812 tn Heb “drop”; KJV “be faint”; ASV “be feeble”; NAB “fall helpless.”
[13:7] 813 tn Heb “melts” (so NAB).
[13:8] 814 tn Heb “their faces are faces of flames.” Their faces are flushed with fear and embarrassment.
[13:9] 815 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”
[13:9] 816 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] 817 tn Heb “making desolate.”
[13:9] 818 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT).
[13:10] 819 tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”
[13:10] 820 tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”
[13:11] 821 sn The Lord is definitely speaking (again?) at this point. See the note at v. 4.
[13:11] 822 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] 823 tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; cf. NASB, NIV “the ruthless.”
[13:12] 824 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] 825 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[13:13] 826 tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).
[13:13] 827 tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”
[13:14] 828 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] 829 tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).
[13:15] 830 tn Heb “carried off,” i.e., grabbed from the fleeing crowd. See HALOT 764 s.v. ספה.
[13:15] 831 tn Heb “will fall” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NLT “will be run through with a sword.”
[13:17] 832 tn Heb “against them”; NLT “against Babylon.”
[13:17] 833 sn They cannot be bought off, for they have a lust for bloodshed.
[13:18] 834 tn Heb “and bows cut to bits young men.” “Bows” stands by metonymy for arrows.
[13:18] 835 tn Heb “the fruit of the womb.”
[13:18] 836 tn Heb “their eye does not.” Here “eye” is a metonymy for the whole person.
[13:19] 837 tn Or “most beautiful” (NCV, TEV).
[13:19] 838 tn Heb “the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans.”
[13:19] 839 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] 840 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] 841 tn Or “Arab” (NAB, NASB, NIV); cf. CEV, NLT “nomads.”
[13:20] 842 tn יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See GKC 186 §68.k.
[13:20] 843 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] 844 tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:21] 845 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] 846 tn Heb “will skip there.”
[13:22] 847 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] 848 tn Heb “near to come is her time.”
[13:22] 849 sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689
[14:1] 850 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] 851 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:1] 852 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
[14:2] 854 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] 855 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] 856 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
[14:4] 857 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] 858 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] 859 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] 860 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] 861 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:8] 862 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] 863 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
[14:8] 864 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
[14:9] 865 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
[14:9] 866 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] 867 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] 868 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] 869 tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”
[14:11] 870 tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:11] 871 tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
[14:12] 872 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] 873 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] 874 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] 875 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
[14:13] 876 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
[14:13] 877 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
[14:14] 878 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] 879 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] 880 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] 881 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] 882 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] 883 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] 884 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] 885 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] 886 tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
[14:18] 887 sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.
[14:18] 888 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] 889 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] 890 tn Heb “are clothed with.”
[14:19] 891 tn Heb “those going down to.”
[14:19] 892 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] 893 tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.
[14:20] 894 tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).
[14:21] 895 tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”
[14:21] 896 tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
[14:21] 897 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] 898 tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).
[14:22] 899 tn Heb “descendant and child.”
[14:23] 900 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] 901 tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
[14:24] 902 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] 903 tn Heb “to break Assyria.”
[14:25] 904 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] 905 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] 906 tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
[14:27] 907 tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:27] 908 tn Heb “His hand is outstretched and who will turn it back?”
[14:28] 909 sn Perhaps 715
[14:28] 910 tn Heb “this oracle came.”
[14:29] 911 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] 912 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] 913 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] 914 tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).
[14:31] 915 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] 916 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] 917 sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face – surrender and oppression, or battle and death.
[15:2] 919 tn Heb “even Dibon [to] the high places to weep.” The verb “went up” does double duty in the parallel structure.
[15:2] 920 tn Heb “over [or “for”] Nebo and over [or “for”] Medeba.”
[15:2] 921 sn Shaving the head and beard were outward signs of mourning and grief.
[15:4] 922 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[15:4] 923 tc The Hebrew text has, “For this reason the soldiers of Moab shout, his inner being quivers for him.” To achieve tighter parallelism, some emend the first line, changing חֲלֻצֵי (khalutse, “soldiers”) to חַלְצֵי (khaltse, “loins”) and יָרִיעוּ (yari’u, “they shout,” from רוּעַ, rua’) to יָרְעוּ (yor’u, “they quiver”), a verb from יָרַע (yara’), which also appears in the next line. One can then translate v. 4b as “For this reason the insides of the Moabites quiver, their whole body shakes” (cf. NAB, NRSV).
[15:5] 924 tn Heb “for Moab.” For rhetorical purposes the speaker (the Lord?, see v. 9) plays the role of a mourner.
[15:5] 925 tn The vocalization of the Hebrew text suggests “the bars of her gates,” but the form should be repointed to yield, “her fugitives.” See HALOT 156-57 s.v. בָּרִחַ, and BDB 138 s.v. בָּרִיהַ.
[15:5] 926 tn The words “are stretched out” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:5] 927 tn Heb “For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping they go up it; for [on] the road to Horonaim an outcry over shattering they raise up.”
[15:6] 928 tn Heb “are waste places”; cf. NRSV “are a desolation.”
[15:8] 929 tn Heb “to Eglaim [is] her wailing, and [to] Beer Elim [is] her wailing.”
[15:9] 930 tc The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa reads “Dibon” instead of “Dimon” in this verse.
[15:9] 931 tn Heb “Indeed I will place on Dimon added things.” Apparently the Lord is speaking.
[15:9] 932 tn The words “will attack” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[16:1] 933 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “Send [a plural imperatival form is used] a ram [to] the ruler of the land.” The term כַּר (kar, “ram”) should be emended to the plural כָּרִים (karim). The singular form in the text is probably the result of haplography; note that the next word begins with a mem (מ).
[16:1] 934 tn The Hebrew text has “toward [across?] the desert.”
[16:2] 935 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[16:2] 936 tn Heb “like a bird fleeing, thrust away [from] a nest, the daughters of Moab are [at] the fords of Arnon.”
[16:3] 937 sn It is unclear who is being addressed in this verse. Perhaps the prophet, playing the role of a panic stricken Moabite refugee, requests the leaders of Judah (the imperatives are plural) to take pity on the fugitives.
[16:3] 938 tn Heb “Make your shade like night in the midst of noonday.” “Shade” here symbolizes shelter, while the heat of noonday represents the intense suffering of the Moabites. By comparing the desired shade to night, the speaker visualizes a huge dark shadow cast by a large tree that would provide relief from the sun’s heat.
[16:3] 939 tn Heb “disclose, uncover.”
[16:4] 940 tn That is, “live as resident foreigners.”
[16:4] 941 tn Heb “Be a hiding place for them.”
[16:4] 942 tn The present translation understands כִּי (ki) as asseverative, but one could take it as explanatory (“for,” KJV, NASB) or temporal (“when,” NAB, NRSV). In the latter case, v. 4b would be logically connected to v. 5.
[16:4] 943 tn A perfect verbal form is used here and in the next two lines for rhetorical effect; the demise of the oppressor(s) is described as if it had already occurred.
[16:4] 944 tc The Hebrew text has, “they will be finished, the one who tramples, from the earth.” The plural verb form תַּמּוּ, (tammu, “disappear”) could be emended to agree with the singular subject רֹמֵס (romes, “the one who tramples”) or the participle can be emended to a plural (רֹמֵסִם, romesim) to agree with the verb. The translation assumes the latter. Haplography of mem (ם) seems likely; note that the word after רֹמֵס begins with a mem.
[16:5] 945 tn Heb “and a throne will be established in faithfulness, and he will sit on it in reliability, in the tent of David.”
[16:5] 946 tn Heb “one who judges and seeks justice, and one experienced in fairness.” Many understand מְהִר (mÿhir) to mean “quick, prompt” (see BDB 555 s.v. מָהִיר), but HALOT 552 s.v. מָהִיר offers the meaning “skillful, experienced,” and translates the phrase in v. 5 “zealous for what is right.”
[16:6] 947 tn עֶבְרָה (’evrah) often means “anger, fury,” but here it appears to refer to boastful outbursts or excessive claims. See HALOT 782 s.v. עֶבְרָה.
[16:6] 948 tn Heb “not so his boasting.”
[16:7] 949 tn Heb “So Moab wails for Moab.”
[16:7] 950 tn The Hebrew text has, “for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you [masculine plural] moan, surely destroyed.” The “raisin cakes” could have cultic significance (see Hos 3:1), but the next verse focuses on agricultural disaster, so here the raisin cakes are mentioned as an example of the fine foods that are no longer available (see 2 Sam 6:19; Song 2:5) because the vines have been destroyed by the invader (see v. 8). Some prefer to take אֲשִׁישֵׁי (’ashishe, “raisin cakes of”) as “men of” (see HALOT 95 s.v. *אָשִׁישׁ; cf. NIV). The verb form תֶהְגּוּ (tehgu, “you moan”) is probably the result of dittography (note that the preceding word ends in tav [ת]) and should be emended to הגו (a perfect, third plural form), “they moan.”
[16:9] 951 tn Heb “So I weep with the weeping of Jazer.” Once more the speaker (the Lord? – see v. 10b) plays the role of a mourner (see 15:5).
[16:9] 952 tc The form אֲרַיָּוֶךְ (’arayyavekh) should be emended to אֲרַוָּיֶךְ (’aravvayekh; the vav [ו] and yod [י] have been accidentally transposed) from רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated”).
[16:9] 953 tn Heb “for over your fruit and over your harvest shouting has fallen.” The translation assumes that the shouting is that of the conqueror (Jer 51:14). Another possibility is that the shouting is that of the harvesters (see v. 10b, as well as Jer 25:30), in which case one might translate, “for the joyful shouting over the fruit and crops has fallen silent.”
[16:10] 954 tn Heb “wine in the vats the treader does not tread.”
[16:10] 955 sn The Lord appears to be the speaker here. See 15:9.
[16:11] 956 tn Heb “so my intestines sigh for Moab like a harp.” The word מֵעַי (me’ay, “intestines”) is used here of the seat of the emotions. English idiom requires the word “heart.” The point of the comparison to a harp is not entirely clear. Perhaps his sighs of mourning resemble a harp in sound, or his constant sighing is like the repetitive strumming of a harp.
[16:11] 957 tn The verb is supplied in the translation; “sighs” in the preceding line does double duty in the parallel structure.
[16:11] 958 tn Heb “Kir Heres” (so ASV, NRSV, TEV, CEV), a variant name for “Kir Hareseth” (see v. 7).
[16:12] 959 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[16:12] 960 tn Heb “when he appears, when he grows tired, Moab on the high places, and enters his temple to pray, he will not prevail.” It is possible that “when he grows tired” is an explanatory gloss for the preceding “when he appears.”
[16:14] 961 tn Heb “in three years, like the years of a hired worker.” The three years must be reckoned exactly, just as a hired worker would carefully keep track of the time he had agreed to work for an employer in exchange for a predetermined wage.
[16:14] 962 tn Heb “and the splendor of Moab will be disgraced with all the great multitude, and a small little remnant will not be strong.”
[17:2] 963 tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר, and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (’azuvot ’arayha ’adey ’ad, “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.
[17:2] 964 tn Heb “and they lie down and there is no one scaring [them].”
[17:3] 965 tn Heb “and kingship from Damascus”; cf. NASB “And sovereignty from Damascus.”
[17:4] 966 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
[17:4] 967 tn Heb “will be tiny.”
[17:4] 968 tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”
[17:7] 969 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB, NIV); KJV “At that day.”
[17:7] 970 tn Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”
[17:7] 971 tn Heb “his eyes will look toward.”
[17:7] 972 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
[17:8] 973 tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”
[17:8] 974 tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”
[17:9] 975 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[17:9] 976 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר (hakhoresh vÿha’amir, “the wooded height and the top one”) to חֹרֵשֵׁי הָאֱמֹרִי (khoreshe ha’emori, “[like the abandonment] of the wooded heights of the Amorites”).
[17:10] 977 tn Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[17:10] 978 tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”
[17:10] 979 tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר (zar) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.
[17:11] 980 tn Heb “in the day of your planting you [?].” The precise meaning of the verb תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי (tÿsagsegi) is unclear. It is sometimes derived from שׂוּג/סוּג (sug, “to fence in”; see BDB 691 s.v. II סוּג). In this case one could translate “you build a protective fence.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one derives the form from שָׂגָא/שָׂגָה (saga’/sagah, “to grow”); see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:351, n. 4. For this verb, see BDB 960 s.v. שָׂגָא.
[17:11] 981 tc The Hebrew text has, “a heap of harvest.” However, better sense is achieved if נֵד (ned, “heap”) is emended to a verb. Options include נַד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד [nadad, “flee, depart”]), נָדַד (Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד), נֹדֵד (noded, Qal active participle from נָדַד), and נָד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular, or participle masculine singular, from נוּד [nud, “wander, flutter”]). See BDB 626 s.v. נוּד and HALOT 672 s.v. I נדד. One could translate literally: “[the harvest] departs,” or “[the harvest] flies away.”
[17:12] 982 tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[17:12] 983 tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”
[17:12] 984 tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.
[17:12] 985 tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”
[17:13] 986 tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”
[17:13] 987 tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.
[17:13] 988 tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”
[17:14] 989 tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”
[17:14] 990 tn Heb “before morning he is not.”
[17:14] 991 tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”
[18:1] 992 tn Heb “Woe [to] the land of buzzing wings.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[18:2] 993 tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ (mÿmushakh) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ, and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ. מוֹרָט (morat) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט (marat), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט, and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
[18:2] 994 tn Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”
[18:2] 995 tn Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. The expression קַו־קָו (qav-qav) is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB 876 II קַו). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13, understand the form as gibberish (literally, “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. The form מְבוּסָה (mÿvusah) appears to be derived from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”), so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that subdues others. See BDB 101 s.v. בּוּס and HALOT 541 s.v. מְבוּסָה. These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
[18:2] 996 tn The precise meaning of the verb בָּזָא (baza’), which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB 102 s.v. suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; HALOT 117 s.v., citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggests “wash away.”
[18:4] 997 tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”
[18:4] 998 tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.
[18:4] 999 tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”
[18:4] 1000 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[18:4] 1001 sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.
[18:5] 1002 tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”
[18:5] 1003 tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.
[18:5] 1004 tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”
[18:6] 1005 tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).
[18:6] 1006 tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).
[18:7] 1007 tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.
[18:7] 1008 tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.
[18:7] 1009 tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”
[19:1] 1010 tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
[19:2] 1011 tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).
[19:2] 1012 tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.
[19:3] 1013 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
[19:3] 1014 tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
[19:3] 1015 tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.
[19:4] 1016 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:5] 1017 tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
[19:6] 1018 tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”
[19:6] 1019 tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.
[19:7] 1020 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
[19:7] 1021 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
[19:8] 1022 tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”
[19:9] 1023 tn BDB 301 s.v. חוֹרִי suggests the meaning “white stuff” for חוֹרִי (khori); the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חָוֵרוּ (khaveru), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר, (khur, “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.
[19:10] 1024 tn Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ (shatoteha) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ (shÿtiteha) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.
[19:10] 1025 tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
[19:10] 1026 tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”
[19:11] 1027 tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
[19:11] 1028 tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.
[19:12] 1029 tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.
[19:13] 1030 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
[19:13] 1031 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
[19:14] 1032 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
[19:14] 1033 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
[19:15] 1034 tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.
[19:16] 1035 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
[19:16] 1036 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
[19:16] 1037 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
[19:16] 1038 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
[19:17] 1039 tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt, everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] which he is planning against him.”
[19:18] 1040 sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.
[19:18] 1041 tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (’ir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and some medieval Hebrew
[19:19] 1042 tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.
[19:20] 1043 tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.
[19:20] 1044 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] in the land of Egypt.”
[19:20] 1045 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
[19:21] 1046 tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.
[19:21] 1047 tn Heb “will know the Lord.”
[19:21] 1048 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV), likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.
[19:22] 1049 tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
[19:23] 1050 tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (’et) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.
[19:24] 1051 tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).
[19:24] 1052 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).
[19:25] 1053 tn Heb “which the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.
[19:25] 1054 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
[20:1] 1055 tn Heb “In the year the commanding general came to Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it.”
[20:2] 1056 tn Heb “spoke by the hand of.”
[20:2] 1057 tn The word used here (עָרוֹם, ’arom) sometimes means “naked,” but here it appears to mean simply “lightly dressed,” i.e., stripped to one’s undergarments. See HALOT 883 s.v. עָרוֹם. The term also occurs in vv. 3, 4.
[20:4] 1058 tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”
[20:5] 1059 tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”
[20:6] 1060 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
[20:6] 1061 sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia (cf. TEV).
[21:1] 1062 sn The phrase is quite cryptic, at least to the modern reader. Verse 9 seems to indicate that this message pertains to Babylon. Southern Mesopotamia was known as the Sealand in ancient times, because of its proximity to the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the reference to Babylon as a “desert” foreshadows the destruction that would overtake the city, making it like a desolate desert.
[21:1] 1063 tn Or “in the Negev” (NASB).
[21:2] 1064 tn Heb “a severe revelation has been related to me.”
[21:2] 1065 sn This is often interpreted to mean “all the groaning” that Babylon has caused others.
[21:3] 1066 tn Heb “my waist is filled with shaking [or “anguish”].”
[21:3] 1067 tn Or perhaps, “bent over [in pain]”; cf. NRSV “I am bowed down.”
[21:4] 1068 tn Heb “wanders,” perhaps here, “is confused.”
[21:4] 1069 tn Heb “shuddering terrifies me.”
[21:5] 1070 tn The precise meaning of the verb in this line is debated. Some prefer to derive the form from the homonymic צָפֹה (tsafoh, “keep watch”) and translate “post a guard” (cf. KJV “watch in the watchtower”; ASV “set the watch”).
[21:5] 1071 tn The verbal forms in the first three lines are infinitives absolute, which are functioning here as finite verbs. It is uncertain if the forms should have an imperatival or indicative/descriptive force here.
[21:5] 1072 sn Smearing the shields with oil would make them more flexible and effective in battle. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:394.
[21:6] 1073 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:7] 1074 tn Or “a pair of horsemen.”
[21:8] 1075 tn The Hebrew text has, “the lion,” but this makes little sense here. אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”) is probably a corruption of an original הָרֹאֶה (haro’eh, “the one who sees”), i.e., the guard mentioned previously in v. 6.
[21:8] 1076 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). Some translations take this to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV), while others take it to refer to the guard’s human master (“my lord”; cf. NIV, NLT).
[21:9] 1077 tn Or “[with] teams of horses,” or perhaps, “with a pair of horsemen.”
[21:9] 1078 tn Heb “and he answered and said” (so KJV, ASV).
[21:10] 1079 tn Heb “My trampled one, and the son of the threshing floor.”
[21:11] 1080 tn The noun דּוּמָה (dumah) means “silence,” but here it is a proper name, probably referring to a site in northern Arabia or to the nation of Edom. See BDB 189 s.v. II דּוּמָה. If Dumah was an area in northern Arabia, it would be of interest to the Edomites because of its strategic position on trade routes which they used. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:398.
[21:11] 1081 sn Seir is another name for Edom. See BDB 973 s.v. שֵׂעִיר.
[21:11] 1082 sn The “night” probably here symbolizes distress and difficult times. See BDB 539 s.v. לַיְלָה.
[21:12] 1083 sn Dumah will experience some relief, but it will be short-lived as night returns.
[21:12] 1084 sn The point of the watchman’s final instructions (“if you want to ask, ask; come again”) is unclear. Perhaps they are included to add realism to the dramatic portrayal. The watchman sends the questioner away with the words, “Feel free to come back and ask again.”
[21:16] 1085 tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[21:16] 1086 tn Heb “in still a year, like the years of a hired worker.” See the note at 16:14.
[21:17] 1087 tn Heb “and the remnant of the number of the bow, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few.”
[21:17] 1088 tn Or “for” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[46:1] 1089 sn Jeremiah was called to be a prophet not only to Judah and Jerusalem but to the nations (1:5, 10). The prophecies or oracles that are collected here in Jer 46-51 are found after 25:13a in the Greek version where they are also found in a different order and with several textual differences. The issue of which represents the original placement is part of the broader issue of the editorial or redactional history of the book of Jeremiah which went through several editions, two of which are referred to in Jer 36, i.e., the two scrolls written in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (605
[46:1] 1090 tn Heb “That which came [as] the word of the
[46:2] 1091 sn The fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign proved very significant in the prophecies of Jeremiah. It was in that same year that he issued the prophecies against the foreign nations recorded in Jer 25 (and probably the prophecies recorded here in Jer 46-51) and that he had Baruch record and read to the people gathered in the temple all the prophecies he had uttered against Judah and Jerusalem up to that point in the hopes that they would repent and the nation would be spared. The fourth year of Jehoiakim (605
[46:2] 1092 tn Heb “Concerning Egypt: Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was beside the Euphrates River at Carchemish which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah.” The sentence has been broken up, restructured, and introductory words supplied in the translation to make the sentences better conform with contemporary English style. The dating formula is placed in brackets because the passage is prophetic about the battle, but the bracketed words were superscription or introduction and thus were added after the outcome was known.
[46:3] 1093 tn This is often translated “prepare your shields, both small and large.” However, the idea of “prepare” is misleading because the Hebrew word here (עָרַךְ, ’arakh) refers in various senses to arranging or setting things in order, such as altars in a row, dishes on a table, soldiers in ranks. Here it refers to the soldiers lining up in rank with ranks of soldiers holding at the ready the long oval or rectangular “shield” (צִנָּה [tsinnah]; cf. BDB 857 s.v. III צִנָּה) which protected the whole body and the smaller round “buckler” (מָגֵן, magen) which only protected the torso (the relative size of these two kinds of shields can be seen from the weight of each in 1 Kgs 10:16-17). These were to be arranged in solid ranks to advance into battle. It would be pedantic and misleading to translate here “Fall into ranks with your large and small shields at the ready” because that might suggest that soldiers had more than one kind. It is uncertain who is issuing the commands here. TEV adds “The Egyptian officers shout,” which is the interpretation of J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 688).
[46:5] 1094 tn Heb “Why do I see?” The rendering is that of J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 685, 88) and J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 301; TEV; NIV). The question is not asking for information but is expressing surprise or wonder (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 951).
[46:5] 1095 tn Heb “oracle of the
[46:5] 1096 tn Heb “Their soldiers.” These words are actually at the midpoint of the stanza as the subject of the third of the five verbs. However, as G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 291) note, this is the subject of all five verbs “are terrified,” “are retreating,” “have been defeated,” “have run away,” and “have not looked back.” The subject is put at the front to avoid an unidentified “they.”
[46:5] 1097 tn Heb “terror is all around.”
[46:6] 1098 tn The translation assumes that the adjectives with the article are functioning as superlatives in this context (cf. GKC 431 §133.g). It also assumes that אַל (’al) with the jussive is expressing here an emphatic negative rather than a negative wish (cf. GKC 317 §107.p and compare the usage in Ps 50:3).
[46:6] 1099 tn Heb “they stumble and fall.” However, the verbs here are used of a fatal fall, of a violent death in battle (see BDB 657 s.v. נָפַל Qal.2.a), and a literal translation might not be understood by some readers.
[46:7] 1100 tn The word translated “streams” here refers to the streams of the Nile (cf. Exod 7:19; 8:1) for parallel usage.
[46:9] 1101 tn The words “Go ahead and” are not in the text but are intended to suggest the ironical nature of the commands here. The
[46:9] 1102 sn The peoples that are referred to here are all known to have been mercenaries in the army of Egypt (see Nah 3:9; Ezek 30:5). The place names in Hebrew are actually Cush, Put, and Lud. “Cush” has already been identified in Jer 13:23 as the region along the Nile south of Egypt most commonly referred to as Ethiopia. The identification of “Put” and “Lud” are both debated though it is generally felt that Put was a part of Libya and Lud is to be identified with Lydia in Asia Minor. For further discussion see M. J. Mellink, “Lud, Ludim” IDB 3:178, and T. O. Lambdin, “Put,” IDB 3:971.
[46:9] 1103 tn Heb “who grasp and bend the bow.”
[46:10] 1104 tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” See the study note at 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title for God.
[46:10] 1105 sn Most commentators think that this is a reference to the
[46:10] 1106 tn Or more paraphrastically, “he will kill them/ until he has exacted full vengeance”; Heb “The sword will eat and be sated; it will drink its fill of their blood.”
[46:10] 1107 tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” See the study note at 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title for God.
[46:11] 1108 tn Heb “balm.” See 8:22 and the notes on this phrase there.
[46:11] 1109 sn Heb “Virgin Daughter of Egypt.” See the study note on Jer 14:17 for the significance of the use of this figure. The use of the figure here perhaps refers to the fact that Egypt’s geographical isolation allowed her safety and protection that a virgin living at home would enjoy under her father’s protection (so F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 379). By her involvement in the politics of Palestine she had forfeited that safety and protection and was now suffering for it.
[46:11] 1110 tn Heb “In vain you multiply [= make use of many] medicines.”
[46:12] 1111 tn Heb “of your shame.” The “shame,” however, applies to the devastating defeat they will suffer.
[46:12] 1112 tn The words “In the panic of their flight” and “defeated” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to give clarity to the metaphor for the average reader. The verbs in this verse are all in the tense that emphasizes that the action is viewed as already having been accomplished (i.e., the Hebrew prophetic perfect). This is consistent with the vav consecutive perfects in v. 10 which look to the future.
[46:13] 1113 tn Heb “The word which the
[46:14] 1114 tn Heb “Declare in Egypt and announce in Migdol and announce in Noph [= Memphis] and in Tahpanhes.” The sentence has been restructured to reflect the fact that the first command is a general one, followed by announcements in specific (representative?) cities.
[46:14] 1115 tn Heb “For the sword devours those who surround you.” The “sword” is again figurative of destructive forces. Here it is a reference to the forces of Nebuchadnezzar which have already destroyed the Egyptian forces at Carchemish and have made victorious forays into the Philistine plain.
[46:15] 1116 tn The word translated “soldiers” (אַבִּירִים, ’abbirim) is not the Hebrew word that has been used of soldiers elsewhere in these oracles (גִּבּוֹרִים, gibborim). It is an adjective used as a noun that can apply to animals, i.e., of a bull (Ps 50:13) or a stallion (Judg 5:22). Moreover, the form is masculine plural and the verbs are singular. Hence, many modern commentaries and English versions follow the redivision of the first line presupposed by the Greek version, “Apis has fled” (נָס חַף, nas khaf) and see this as a reference to the bull god of Memphis. However, the noun is used of soldiers in Lam 1:15 and the plural could be the distributive plural, i.e., each and every one (cf. GKC 464 §145.l and compare usage in Gen 27:29).
[46:15] 1117 tn The Hebrew word used here only occurs here (in the Niphal) and in Prov 28:3 (in the Qal) where it refers to a rain that beats down grain. That idea would fit nicely with the idea of the soldiers being beaten down, or defeated. It is possible that the rarity of this verb (versus the common verb נוּס, nus, “flee”) and the ready identification of Apis with the bull calf (אַבִּיר, ’abbir) has led to the reading of the Greek text (so C. von Orelli, Jeremiah, 327). The verbs in this verse and the following are in the perfect tense but should be understood as prophetic perfects since the text is dealing with what will happen when Nebuchadnezzar comes into Egypt. The text of vv. 18-24 shows a greater mixture with some perfects and some imperfects, sometimes even within the same verse (e.g., v. 22).
[46:15] 1118 tn Heb “the
[46:16] 1119 tn Heb “he multiplied the one stumbling.” For the first person reference see the preceding translator’s note.
[46:16] 1120 tc The words “in their hurry to flee” are not in the text but appear to be necessary to clarify the point that the stumbling and falling here is not the same as that in vv. 6, 12 where they occur in the context of defeat and destruction. Reference here appears to be to the mercenary soldiers who in their hurried flight to escape stumble over one another and fall. This is fairly clear from the literal translation “he multiplies the stumbling one. Also [= and] a man falls against a man and they say [probably = “saying”; an epexegetical use of the vav (ו) consecutive (IBHS 551 §33.2.2a, and see Exod 2:10 as a parallel)] ‘Get up! Let’s go…’” A reference to the flight of the mercenaries is also seen in v. 21. Many of the modern commentaries and a few of the modern English versions follow the Greek text and read vv. 15a-16 very differently. The Greek reads “Why has Apis fled from you? Your choice calf [i.e., Apis] has not remained. For the Lord has paralyzed him. And your multitudes have fainted and fallen; and each one said to his neighbor…” (reading רֻבְּךָ כָּשַׁל גַּם־נָפַל וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ instead of כּוֹשֵׁל הִרְבָּה גַּם־נָפַל אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ). One would expect אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ (’ish ’el-re’ehu) to go with וַיֹּאמְרוּ (vayyo’mÿru) because it is idiomatic in this expression (cf., e.g., Gen 11:3; Judg 6:29). However, אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ (’ish ’el-re’ehu) is also found with singular verbs as here in Exod 22:9; 33:11; 1 Sam 10:11. There is no doubt that the Hebrew text is the more difficult and thus probably original. The reading of the Greek version is not supported by any other text or version and looks like an attempt to smooth out a somewhat awkward Hebrew original.
[46:16] 1121 tn Heb “to our native lands from before the sword of the oppressor.” The compound preposition “from before” is regularly used in a causal sense (see BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֶה 6.a, b, c). The “sword” is again interpreted as a figure for the destructive power of an enemy army.
[46:17] 1122 tn Heb “is a noise.” The addition of “just a big” is contextually motivated and is supplied in the translation to suggest the idea of sarcasm. The reference is probably to his boast in v. 8.
[46:17] 1123 tn Heb “he has let the appointed time pass him by.” It is unclear what is meant by the reference to “appointed time” other than the fact that Pharaoh has missed his opportunity to do what he claimed to be able to do. The Greek text is again different here. It reads “Call the name of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt Saon esbeie moed,” reading קִרְאוּ שֵׁם (qir’u shem) for קָרְאוּ שָׁם (qor’u) and transliterating the last line.
[46:18] 1124 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.
[46:18] 1125 tn Heb “As I live, oracle of the King, whose….” The indirect quote has been chosen to create a smoother English sentence and avoid embedding a quote within a quote.
[46:18] 1126 tn Heb “Like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea he will come.” The addition of “conqueror” and “imposing” are implicit from the context and from the metaphor. They have been supplied in the translation to give the reader some idea of the meaning of the verse.
[46:19] 1127 tn Heb “inhabitants of daughter Egypt.” Like the phrase “daughter Zion,” “daughter Egypt” is a poetic personification of the land, here perhaps to stress the idea of defenselessness.
[46:19] 1128 tn For the verb here see HALOT 675 s.v. II נָצָה Nif and compare the usage in Jer 4:7; 9:11 and 2 Kgs 19:25. BDB derives the verb from יָצַת (so BDB 428 s.v. יָצַת Niph meaning “kindle, burn”) but still give it the meaning “desolate” here and in 2:15 and 9:11.
[46:20] 1129 tn Heb “Egypt is a beautiful heifer. A gadfly from the north will come against her.”
The metaphors have been turned into similes for the sake of clarity. The exact meaning of the word translated “stinging fly” is uncertain due to the fact that it occurs nowhere else in Hebrew literature. For a discussion of the meaning of the word which probably refers to the “gadfly,” which bites and annoys livestock, see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:331, who also suggests, probably correctly, that the word is a collective referring to swarms of such insects (cf. the singular אַרְבֶּה [’arbeh] in v. 23 which always refers to swarms of locusts). The translation presupposes the emendation of the second בָּא (ba’) to בָּהּ (bah) with a number of Hebrew
[46:21] 1130 tn Heb “her hirelings in her midst.”
[46:21] 1131 tn The word “pampered” is not in the text. It is supplied in the translation to explain the probable meaning of the simile. The mercenaries were well cared for like stall-fed calves, but in the face of the danger they will prove no help because they will turn and run away without standing their ground. Some see the point of the simile to be that they too are fattened for slaughter. However, the next two lines do not fit that interpretation too well.
[46:21] 1132 tn The temporal use of the particle כִּי (ki; BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 2.a) seems more appropriate to the context than the causal use.
[46:22] 1133 tn Or “Egypt will rustle away like a snake”; Heb “her sound goes like the snake,” or “her sound [is] like the snake [when] it goes.” The meaning of the simile is debated. Some see a reference to the impotent hiss of a fleeing serpent (F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 382), others the sound of a serpent stealthily crawling away when it is disturbed (H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 297-98). The translation follows the former interpretation because of the irony involved.
[46:23] 1134 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[46:23] 1135 tn The precise meaning of this verse is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads: “They [those who enter in great force] will cut down her forest, oracle of the
[46:24] 1136 tn Heb “Daughter Egypt.” See the translator’s note on v. 19.
[46:25] 1137 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.
[46:25] 1138 tn Heb “Amon of No.”
[46:25] 1139 tc Heb “Behold I will punish Amon of No and Pharaoh and Egypt and its gods and its kings and Pharaoh and all who trust in him.” There appears to be a copyist slip involving a double writing of וְעַל־פַּרְעֹה (vÿ’al-par’oh). The present translation has followed the suggestion of BHS and deleted the first one since the second is necessary for the syntactical connection, “Pharaoh and all who trust in him.”
[46:26] 1140 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[46:27] 1141 sn Jer 46:27-28 are virtually the same as 30:10-11. The verses are more closely related to that context than to this. But the presence of a note of future hope for the Egyptians may have led to a note of encouragement also to the Judeans who were under threat of judgment at the same time (cf. the study notes on 46:2, 13 and 25:1-2 for the possible relative dating of these prophecies).
[46:27] 1142 tn Heb “And/But you do not be afraid, my servant Jacob.” Here and elsewhere in the verse the terms Jacob and Israel are poetic for the people of Israel descended from the patriarch Jacob. The terms have been supplied throughout with plural referents for greater clarity.
[46:27] 1143 tn Heb “For I will rescue you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity.”
[46:28] 1144 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[46:28] 1145 tn The translation “entirely unpunished” is intended to reflect the emphatic construction of the infinitive absolute before the finite verb.
[47:1] 1146 tn Heb “That which came [as] the word of the
[47:1] 1147 sn The precise dating of this prophecy is uncertain. Several proposals have been suggested, the most likely of which is that the prophecy was delivered in 609
[47:2] 1148 tn Heb “Behold! Waters are rising from the north.” The metaphor of enemy armies compared to overflowing water is seen also in Isa 8:8-9 (Assyria) and 46:7-8 (Egypt). Here it refers to the foe from the north (Jer 1:14; 4:6; etc) which is specifically identified with Babylon in Jer 25. The metaphor has been turned into a simile in the translation to help the average reader identify that a figure is involved and to hint at the referent.
[47:3] 1149 tn Heb “From the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, from the rattling of his chariots at the rumbling of their wheels, fathers will not turn to their children from sinking of hands.” According to BDB 952 s.v. רִפָּיוֹן the “sinking of the hands” is figurative of helplessness caused by terror. A very similar figure is seen with a related expression in Isa 35:3-4. The sentence has been restructured to put the subject up front and to suggest through shorter sentences more in keeping with contemporary English style the same causal connections. The figures have been interpreted for the sake of clarity for the average reader.
[47:4] 1150 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[47:4] 1151 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[47:4] 1152 tn Heb “For the
[47:4] 1153 sn All the help that remains for Tyre and Sidon and that remnant that came from the island of Crete appear to be two qualifying phrases that refer to the Philistines, the last with regard to their origin and the first with regard to the fact that they were allies that Tyre and Sidon depended on. “Crete” is literally “Caphtor” which is generally identified with the island of Crete. The Philistines had come from there (Amos 9:7) in the wave of migration from the Aegean Islands during the twelfth and eleventh century and had settled on the Philistine plain after having been repulsed from trying to enter Egypt.
[47:5] 1154 sn Shaving one’s head and gashing one’s body were customs to show mourning or sadness for the dead (cf. Deut 14:1; Mic 1:16; Ezek 27:31; Jer 16:6; 48:37).
[47:5] 1155 tn Or “you who are left alive on the Philistine plain.” Or “you who remain of the Anakim.” The translation follows the suggestion of several of the modern commentaries that the word עֵמֶק (’emeq) means “strength” or “power” here (see J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 698; J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 310; and see also HALOT 803 s.v. II עֵמֶק). It is a rare homonym of the word that normally means “valley” that seems to be an inappropriate designation of the Philistine plain. Many of the modern English versions and commentaries follow the Greek version which reads here “remnant of the Anakim” (עֲנָקִים [’anaqim] instead of עִמְקָם [’imqam], a confusion of basically one letter). This emendation is followed by both BDB 771 s.v. עֵמֶק and KBL 716 s.v. עֵמֶק. The Anakim were generally associated with the southern region around Hebron but an enclave of them was known to have settled in Gaza, Gath, and Ekron, three of the Philistine cities (cf. Josh 11:22). However, the fact that this judgment is directed against the Philistines not the Anakim and that this homonym apparently appears also in Jer 49:4 makes the reading of “power” more likely here.
[47:6] 1156 tn The words “How long will you cry out” are not in the text but some such introduction seems necessary because the rest of the speech assumes a personal subject.
[47:6] 1157 tn Heb “before you are quiet/at rest.”
[47:6] 1158 sn The passage is highly figurative. The sword of the
[47:7] 1159 tn The reading here follows the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions. The Hebrew text reads “how can you rest” as a continuation of the second person in v. 6.
[47:7] 1160 tn Heb “When the
[47:7] 1161 tn Heb “Against Ashkelon and the sea coast, there he has appointed it.” For the switch to the first person see the preceding translator’s note. “There” is poetical and redundant and the idea of “attacking” is implicit in “against.”
[48:1] 1162 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For this title see 7:3 and the study note on 2:19.
[48:1] 1163 sn Moab was a country east of the Dead Sea whose boundaries varied greatly over time. Basically, it was the tableland between the Arnon River about halfway up the Dead Sea and the Zered River which is roughly at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. When the Israelites entered Palestine they were forbidden to take any of the Moabite territory but they did capture the kingdom of Sihon north of the Arnon which Sihon had taken from Moab. Several of the towns mentioned in the oracles of judgment against Moab here are in this territory north of the Arnon and were assigned to Reuben and Gad. Several are mentioned on the famous Moabite Stone which details how Mesha king of Moab recovered from Israel many of these cities during the reign of Joram (852-841
[48:1] 1164 tn Heb “Woe to Nebo for it is destroyed.” For the use of the Hebrew particle “Woe” (הוֹי, hoy) see the translator’s note on 22:13. The translation has taken this form because the phrase “Woe to” probably does not convey the proper meaning or significance to the modern reader. The verbs again are in the tense (Hebrew prophetic perfect) that views the action as if it were as good as done. The particle כִּי (ki) probably is causal but the asseverative works better in the modified translation.
[48:1] 1165 sn Nebo and Kiriathaim were both north of the Arnon and were assigned to Reuben (Num 32:3, Josh 13:19). They are both mentioned on the Moabite Stone as having been recovered from Israel.
[48:1] 1166 tn Or “Misgab.” The translation here follows the majority of commentaries and English versions. Only REB sees this as a place name, “Misgab,” which is otherwise unknown. The constant use of this word to refer to a fortress, the presence of the article on the front of it, and the lack of any reference to a place of this name anywhere else argues against it being a place name. However, the fact that the verbs that accompany it are feminine while the noun for “fortress” is masculine causes some pause.
[48:1] 1167 tn For the meaning of the verb here see BDB 369 s.v. חָתַת Qal.1 and compare usage in Isa 7:8; 30:31.
[48:2] 1168 sn Heshbon was originally a Moabite city but was captured by Sihon king of Og and made his capital (Num 21:26-30). It was captured from Sihon and originally assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Num 32:37; Josh 13:17). Later it was made a Levitical city and was assigned to the tribe of Gad (Josh 21:39). It formed the northern limits of Moab. It was located about eighteen miles east of the northern tip of the Dead Sea.
[48:2] 1169 sn There is a wordplay in Hebrew on the word “Heshbon” and the word “plot” (חָשְׁבוּ, khoshvu).
[48:2] 1170 tn Heb “In Heshbon they plot evil against her [i.e., Moab].” The “they” is undefined, but it would scarcely be Moabites living in Heshbon. Hence TEV and CEV are probably correct in seeing a reference to the enemy which would imply the conquest of this city which lay on the northern border of Moab.
[48:2] 1171 tn The meaning of this line is somewhat uncertain. The translation here follows all the modern English versions and commentaries in reading the place name “Madmen” even though the place is otherwise unknown and the Greek, Syriac, and Latin version all read this word as an emphasizing infinitive absolute of the following verb “will be destroyed,” i.e. דָּמוֹם יִדֹּמּוּ (damom yiddommu). Some see this word as a variant of the name Dimon in Isa 15:9 which in turn is a playful variant of the place name Dibon. There is once again a wordplay on the word “Madmen” and “will be destroyed”: מַדְמֵן (madmen) and יִדֹּמּוּ (yiddommu). For the meaning of the verb = “perish” or “be destroyed” see Jer 8:14; Ps 31:18.
[48:2] 1172 tn Heb “A sword will follow after you.” The sword is again figurative of destructive forces, here the army of the Babylonians.
[48:4] 1173 tc The reading here follows the Qere צְעִירֶיהָ (tsÿ’ireha) which is the same noun found in Jer 14:3 in the sense of “servants.” Here it refers to the young ones, i.e., the children (cf. the use of the adjective BDB 859 s.v. I צָעִיר 2 and see Gen 43:33). Many of the modern commentaries and a few of the modern English versions follow the Greek version and read “their cry is heard as far as Zoar” (reading צֹעֲרָה, tso’arah; see, for example, J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 699, n. 4, and BDB 858 s.v. צֹעַר). However, that leaves the verb with an indefinite subject (the verb is active 3rd plural not passive) not otherwise identified in the preceding context. Many of the modern English versions such as NRSV, NJPS, NIV retain the Hebrew as the present translation has done. In this case the masculine plural noun furnishes a logical subject for the verb.
[48:5] 1174 tn Or “Indeed her fugitives will…” It is unclear what the subject of the verbs are in this verse. The verb in the first two lines “climb” (יַעֲלֶה, ya’aleh) is third masculine singular and the verb in the second two lines “will hear” (שָׁמֵעוּ, shame’u) is third common plural. The causal particles at the beginning of the two halves of the verse suggest some connection with the preceding, so the translation assumes that the children are still the subject. In this case the singular verb would be a case of the distributive singular already referred to in the translator’s note on 46:15. The parallel passage in Isa 15:5 refers to the “fugitives” (בְּרִיחֶהָ, bÿrikheha) with the same singular verb as here and that may be the implied subject here.
[48:5] 1175 tn Heb “the distresses of the cry of destruction.” Many commentaries want to leave out the word “distresses” because it is missing from the Greek version and the parallel passage in Isa 15:5. However, it is in all the Hebrew
[48:6] 1176 tc The meaning of this line is uncertain. The translation follows one reading of the Hebrew text. The Greek version reads “Be like a wild donkey in the desert!” There are three points of debate in this line: the syntax of the verb form “be” (תִהְיֶינָה, tihyenah) and the text and meaning of the word translated “shrub” in the Hebrew text. This word only occurs with this meaning here and in Jer 17:6. A related word occurs in Ps 102:17 (102:18 HT). Elsewhere this spelling refers to the place name Aroer which was a place in Moab on the edge of the Arnon River. Most commentators do not feel that a reference to that place is appropriate here because it was not in the desert. The Greek version reads “like a wild donkey” (reading כְּעָרוֹד [kÿ’arod] in place of כַּעֲרוֹעֵר [ka’aro’er]). That would make an appropriate simile here because the wild donkey enjoys its freedom and is hard to capture. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 312) explain the simile of the “shrub” as referring to the marginal and rudimentary existence of a displaced person. That may not be as optimistic as the reference to the wild donkey but it does give an appropriate meaning. The third feminine plural has been explained as the singular noun + suffix = “yourselves” (נַפְשְׁכֶם, nafshÿkhem) used as a collective (so S. R. Driver, Jeremiah, 368, with cross reference to GKC 462-63 §145.c). J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 314, n. e-e) follows a suggestion of D. N. Freedman in seeing the form (תִהְיֶינָה, tihyenah) as a mistake for the 2nd masculine plural plus energic (תִהְיוּן, tihyun). Given the number of other textual corruptions in this passage, this is possible. The resultant meaning in either case is the same.
[48:7] 1177 sn Chemosh was the national god of Moab (see also Numb 21:29). Child sacrifice appears to have been a part of his worship (2 Kgs 3:27). Solomon built a high place in Jerusalem for him (1 Kgs 11:7), and he appears to have been worshiped in Israel until Josiah tore that high place down (2 Kgs 23:13).
[48:7] 1178 sn The practice of carrying off the gods of captive nations has already been mentioned in the study note on 43:12. See also Isa 46:1-2 noted there.
[48:8] 1179 tn Heb “The valley will be destroyed and the tableland be laid waste.” However, in the context this surely refers to the towns and not to the valley and the tableland itself.
[48:8] 1180 tn Heb “which/for/as the
[48:9] 1181 tn Or “Scatter salt over Moab for it will certainly be laid in ruins.” The meaning of these two lines is very uncertain. The Hebrew of these two lines presents several difficulties. It reads תְּנוּ־צִיץ לְמוֹאָב נָצֹא תֵּצֵא (tÿnu-tsits lÿmo’av natso’ tetse’). Of the five words two are extremely problematic and the meaning of the second affects also the meaning of the last word which normally means “go out.” The word צִיץ (tsits) regularly refers to a blossom or flower or the diadem on the front of Aaron’s mitre. BDB 851 s.v. II צִיץ gives a nuance “wings (coll)” based on the interpretation of Abu Walid and some medieval Jewish interpreters who related it to an Aramaic root. But BDB says that meaning is dubious and refers to the Greek which reads σημεῖα (shmeia, “sign” or “sign post”). Along with KBL 802 s.v. I צִיץ and HALOT 959 s.v. II צִיץ, BDB suggests that the Greek presupposes the word צִיּוּן (tsiyyun) which refers to a road marker (Jer 31:21) or a gravestone (2 Kgs 23:17). That is the meaning followed here. Several modern commentaries and English versions have followed a proposal by W. Moran that the word is related to a Ugaritic word meaning salt (cf., e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 320). However, HALOT 959 s.v. II צִיץ questions the validity of this on philological grounds saying that the meaning of salt does not really fit the Ugaritic either. The present translation follows the suggestions of the lexicons here and reads the word as though the Greek supported the meaning “gravestone.” The other difficulty is with the word נָצֹא (natso’), which looks like a Qal infinitive absolute of an otherwise unattested root which BDB s.v. נָצָא says is defined in Gesenius’ Thesaurus as “fly.” However, see the meaning and the construction of an infinitive absolute of one root with that of another as highly improbable. Hence, most modern lexicons either emend the forms to read נָצֹה תִּצֶּה (natsoh titseh) from the root נָצָה (natsah) meaning “to fall into ruins” (so KBL 629 s.v. נָצָה Qal, and see among others J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 700, n. 10, who notes that final א [aleph] and final ה [hey] are often confused; see the discussion and examples in GKC 216-17 §75.nn-rr). This is the option that this translation as well as a number of modern ones have taken. A second option is to see נָצֹא (natso’) as an error for יָצֹא (yatso’) and read the text in the sense of “she will certainly surrender,” a meaning that the verb יָצָא (yatsa’) has in 1 Sam 11:3; Isa 36:6. The best discussion of this option as well as a discussion on the problem of reading צִיץ (tsits) as salt is found in G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 313-14.
[48:10] 1182 tn Heb “who withholds his sword from bloodshed.” This verse is an editorial aside (or apostrophe) addressed to the Babylonian destroyers to be diligent in carrying out the work of the
[48:11] 1183 tn Heb “Therefore his taste remains in him and his aroma is not changed.” The metaphor is changed into a simile in an attempt to help the reader understand the figure in the context.
[48:12] 1184 tn Heb “Therefore, behold the days are coming, oracle of Yahweh, when I will send against him decanters [those who pour from one vessel to another] and they will decant him [pour him out] and they will empty his vessels and break their jars in pieces.” The verse continues the metaphor from the preceding verse where Moab/the people of Moab are like wine left undisturbed in a jar, i.e., in their native land. In this verse the picture is that of the decanter emptying the wine from the vessels and then breaking the jars. The wine represents the people and the vessels the cities and towns where the people lived. The verse speaks of the exile of the people and the devastation of the land. The metaphor has been interpreted so it conveys meaning to the average reader.
[48:12] 1185 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[48:13] 1186 tn Heb “Moab will be ashamed because of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed because of Bethel, their [source of] confidence.” The “shame” is, of course, the disappointment, disillusionment because of the lack of help from these gods in which they trusted (for this nuance of the verb see BDB 101 s.v. בּוֹשׁ Qal.2 and compare usage in Jer 2:13; Isa 20:5). Because of the parallelism, some see the reference to Bethel to be a reference to a West Semitic god worshiped by the people of Israel (see J. P. Hyatt, “Bethel [Deity],” IDB 1:390 for the arguments). However, there is no evidence in the OT that such a god was worshiped in Israel, and there is legitimate evidence that northern Israel placed its confidence in the calf god that Jeroboam set up in Bethel (cf. 1 Kgs 12:28-32; Hos 10:5; 8:5-6; Amos 7:10-17).
[48:15] 1187 tn Heb “will go down to the slaughter.”
[48:15] 1188 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of the translation and meaning of this title see the study note on 2:19.
[48:15] 1189 tn Heb “Oracle of the King whose name is Yahweh of armies.” The first person form has again been adopted because the
[48:17] 1190 tn For the use of the word “name” (שֵׁם, shem) to “fame” or “repute” see BDB 1028 s.v. שֵׁם 2.b and compare the usage in Ezek 16:14; 2 Chr 26:15.
[48:17] 1191 tn Heb “How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod.” “How” introduces a lament which is here rendered by “Alas.” The staff and rod refer to the support that Moab gave to others not to the fact that she ruled over others which was never the case. According to BDB 739 s.v. עוֹז 1 the “strong staff” is figurative of political power.
[48:18] 1192 tn Heb “sit in thirst.” The abstract “thirst” is put for the concrete, i.e., thirsty or parched ground (cf. Deut 8:19; Isa 35:7; Ps 107:33) for the concrete. There is no need to emend to “filth” (צֹאָה [tso’ah] for צָמָא [tsama’]) as is sometimes suggested.
[48:18] 1193 tn Heb “inhabitant of Daughter Dibon.” “Daughter” is used here as often in Jeremiah for the personification of a city, a country, or its inhabitants. The word “inhabitant” is to be understood as a collective as also in v. 19.
[48:19] 1194 sn Aroer is probably the Aroer that was located a few miles south and west of Dibon on the edge of the Arnon River. It had earlier been the southern border of Sihon, king of Heshbon, and had been allotted to the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:16). However, this whole territory had earlier been taken over by the Arameans (2 Kgs 10:33), later by the Assyrians, and at this time was in the hands of the Moabites.
[48:21] 1195 sn See the study note on Jer 48:8 for reference to this tableland or high plain that lay between the Arnon and Heshbon.
[48:25] 1196 tn Heb “The horn of Moab will be cut off. His arm will be broken.” “Horn” and “arm” are both symbols of strength (see BDB 902 s.v. קֶרֶן 2 [and compare usage in Lam 2:3] and BDB 284 s.v. זְרוֹעַ 2 [and compare usage in 1 Sam 2:31]). The figures have been interpreted for the sake of clarity.
[48:25] 1197 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[48:26] 1198 tn Heb “Make him drunk because he has magnified himself against the
[48:26] 1199 tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. It is usually used of clapping the hands or the thigh in helpless anger or disgust. Hence J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 321) paraphrases “shall vomit helplessly.” HALOT 722 s.v. II סָפַק relates this to an Aramaic word and see a homonym meaning “vomit” or “spew out.” The translation is that of BDB 706 s.v. סָפַק Qal.3, “splash (fall with a splash),” from the same root that refers to slapping or clapping the thigh.
[48:27] 1200 tn Heb “were they caught among thieves?”
[48:27] 1201 tn Heb “that you shook yourself.” But see the same verb in 18:16 in the active voice with the object “head” in a very similar context of contempt or derision.
[48:27] 1202 tc The reading here presupposes the emendation of דְבָרֶיךָ (dÿvarekha, “your words”) to דַבֶּרְךָ (dabberkha, “your speaking”), suggested by BHS (cf. fn c) on the basis of one of the Greek versions (Symmachus). For the idiom cf. BDB 191 s.v. דַּי 2.c.α.
[48:28] 1203 tn Heb “in the sides of the mouth of a pit/chasm.” The translation follows the suggestion of J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 321. The point of the simile is inaccessibility.
[48:29] 1204 tn Heb “We have heard of the pride of Moab – [he is] exceedingly proud – of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his haughtiness, and the loftiness of his heart.” These words are essentially all synonyms, three of them coming from the same Hebrew root (גָּאָה, ga’ah) and one of the words being used twice (גָּאוֹן). Since the first person singular is used in the next verse, the present translation considers the “we” of this verse to refer to the plural of majesty or the plural referring to the divine council in such passages as Gen 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isa 6:8 and has translated in the singular to avoid possible confusion of who the “we” are. Most understand the reference to be to Jeremiah and his fellow Judeans.
[48:30] 1205 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[48:30] 1206 tn The meaning of this verse is somewhat uncertain: Heb “I know, oracle of the
[48:31] 1207 tc The translation is based on the emendation of the Hebrew third masculine singular (יֶהְגֶּה, yehggeh) to the first singular (אֶהְגֶּה, ’ehgeh). This emendation is assumed by almost all of the modern English versions and commentaries even though the textual evidence for it is weak (only one Hebrew
[48:32] 1208 tc Or “I will weep for the grapevines of Sibmah more than I will weep over the town of Jazer.” The translation here assumes that there has been a graphic confusion of מ (mem) with כְּ (kaf) or בְּ (bet). The parallel passage in Isa 16:9 has the preposition בְּ and the Greek version presupposes a comparative idea “as with.” Many of the modern English versions render the passage with the comparative מִן (min) as in the alternate translation, but it is unclear what the force of the comparison would be here. The verse is actually in the second person, an apostrophe or direct address to the grapevine(s) of Sibmah. However, the translation has retained the third person throughout because such sudden shifts in person are uncommon in contemporary English literature and retaining the third person is smoother. The Hebrew text reads: “From/With the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Your tendrils crossed over the sea. They reached unto the sea of Jazer. Upon your summer fruit and your vintage [grape harvest] the destroyer has fallen.”
[48:32] 1209 tn Heb “crossed over to the Sea.”
[48:32] 1210 tn Or “reached the sea of Jazer.” The Sea is generally taken to be a reference to the Dead Sea. The translation presupposes that the word “sea” is to be omitted before “Jazer.” The word is missing from two Hebrew
[48:32] 1211 tn Heb “her summer fruit.” See the translator’s note on 40:10 for the rendering here. According to BDB 657 s.v. נָפַל Qal.4.a, the verb means to “fall upon” or “attack” but in the context it is probably metonymical for attack and destroy.
[48:33] 1212 tn Heb “from the garden land, even from the land of Moab.” Comparison with the parallel passage in Isa 16:10 and the translation of the Greek text here (which has only “the land of Moab”) suggest that the second phrase is appositional to the first.
[48:33] 1213 tn Heb “no one will tread [the grapes] with shout of joy.”
[48:33] 1214 tn Heb “shouts will not be shouts.” The text has been expanded contextually to explain that the shouts of those treading grapes in winepresses will come to an end (v. 33a-d) and be replaced by the shouts of the soldiers who trample down the vineyards (v. 32e-f). Compare 25:30 and 51:41 for the idea.
[48:34] 1215 tn The meaning of this verse is very uncertain. The ambiguity of the syntax and the apparent elliptical nature of this text makes the meaning of this verse uncertain. The Hebrew text reads: “From the cry of Heshbon unto Elealeh unto Jahaz they utter their voice from Zoar unto Horonaim Eglath Shelishiyah.” The translation and interpretation here are based on interpreting the elliptical syntax here by the parallel passage in Isaiah 15:4-6 where cries of anguish rise from Heshbon and Elealeh which are heard all the way to Jahaz. The people flee southward arriving at Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah where they voice the news of the destruction in the north. Hence, the present translation interprets the phrase “from the cry of Heshbon unto Elealeh” to be parallel to “Heshbon and Elealeh cry out” and take the preposition “from” with the verb “they utter their voice,” i.e., with the cry of Heshbon and Elealeh. The impersonal “they raise their voice” is then treated as a passive and made the subject of the whole verse. There is some debate about the identification of the waters of Nimrim. They may refer to the waters of the Wadi Nimrim which enters the Jordan about eight miles north of the Dead Sea or those of the Wadi en-Numeirah which flows into the southern tip of the Dead Sea from about ten miles south. Most commentators take the reference to be the latter because of association with Zoar. However, if the passage is talking about the destruction in the north which is reported in the south by the fleeing refugees, the reference is probably to the Wadi Nimrim in the north.
[48:35] 1216 tn Heb “high place[s].” For the meaning and significance of this term see the study note on 7:31.
[48:35] 1217 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[48:37] 1218 tn Heb “upon every loin [there is] sackcloth.” The word “all” is restored here before “loin” with a number of Hebrew
[48:38] 1219 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[48:39] 1220 tn Heb “turn her back.”
[48:40] 1221 tn Heb “Behold! Like an eagle he will swoop and will spread his wings against Moab.” The sentence has been reordered in English to give a better logical flow and the unidentified “he” has been identified as “a nation.” The nation is, of course, Babylon, but it is nowhere identified so the referent has been left ambiguous.
[48:41] 1222 tn Parallelism argues that the word קְרִיּוֹת (qÿriyyot) be understood as the otherwise unattested feminine plural of the noun קִרְיָה (qiryah, “city”) rather than the place name Kerioth mentioned in v. 24 (cf. HALOT 1065 s.v. קִרְיָה). Both this noun and the parallel term “fortresses” are plural but are found with feminine singular verbs, being treated either as collectives or distributive plurals (cf. GKC 462-63 §145.c or 464 §145.l).
[48:41] 1223 tn Heb “The heart of the soldiers of Moab will be like the heart of a woman in labor.”
[48:42] 1224 tn Heb “Moab will be destroyed from [being] a people.”
[48:43] 1225 sn There is an extended use of assonance here and in the parallel passage in Isa 24:17. The Hebrew text reads פַּחַד וָפַחַת וָפָח (pakhad vafakhat vafakh). The assonance is intended to underscore the extensive trouble that is in store for them.
[48:43] 1226 tn Heb “are upon you, inhabitant of Moab.” This is another example of the rapid switch in person or direct address (apostrophe) in the midst of a third person description or prediction which the present translation typically keeps in the third person for smoother English style.
[48:43] 1227 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[48:44] 1228 sn Jer 48:43-44a are in the main the same as Isa 24:17-18 which shows that the judgment was somewhat proverbial. For a very similar kind of argumentation see Amos 5:19; judgment is unavoidable.
[48:44] 1229 tn Heb “For I will bring upon her, even upon Moab, the year of her punishment.”
[48:44] 1230 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[48:45] 1231 tn Or “of those noisy boasters.” Or “They will burn up the frontiers of Moab. They will burn up the mountain heights of those war-loving people.” The meaning of this verse is not entirely certain because of the highly figurative nature of the last two lines. The Hebrew text has been translated somewhat literally here. The Hebrew text reads: “In the shadow of Heshbon those fleeing stand without strength. For a fire goes forth from Heshbon, a flame from the midst of Sihon. And it devours the forehead of Moab and the skull of the sons of noise.” The meaning of the first part is fairly clear because v. 2 has already spoken of the conquest of Heshbon and a plot formed there to conquer the rest of the nation. The fire going forth from Heshbon would hence refer here to the conflagrations of war spreading from Heshbon to the rest of the country. The reference to the “midst of Sihon” is to be understood metonymically as a reference for the ruler to what he once ruled (cf. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 583). The last two lines must refer to more than the fugitives who stopped at Heshbon for protection because it refers to the forehead of Moab (a personification of the whole land or nation). It is unclear, however, why reference is made to the foreheads and skulls of the Moabites, other than the fact that this verse seems to be a readaptation or reuse of Num 24:17 where the verb used with them is “smite” which fits nicely in the sense of martial destruction. Translated rather literally, it appears here to refer to the destruction by the fires of war of the Moabites, the part (forehead and skulls) put for the whole. TEV sees a reference here to the “frontiers” and “mountain heights” of Moab and this would work nicely for “foreheads” which is elsewhere used of the corner or border of a land in Neh 9:22. The word “crown” or “skull” might be a picturesque metaphor for the mountain heights of a land, but the word is never used elsewhere in such a figurative way. TEV (and CEV) which follows it might be correct here but there is no way to validate it. The meaning “war-loving people” for the phrase “sons of noise” is based on the suggestion of BDB 981 s.v. שָׁאוֹן 1 which relates the phrase to the dominant use for שָׁאוֹן (sha’on) and is adopted also by TEV, CEV, and C. von Orelli, Jeremiah, 341. REB “braggarts” and NIV “noisy boasters” seem to base the nuance on the usage of שָׁאוֹן (sha’on) in Jer 46:17 where Pharaoh is referred to as an empty noise and the reference to Moab’s arrogance and boasting in 48:29.
[48:46] 1232 tn Heb “Woe to you, Moab.” For the usage of this expression see 4:13, 31; 13:17 and the translator’s note on 4:13 and 10:19.
[48:46] 1233 tn Heb “Your sons will be taken away into captivity, your daughters into exile.”
[48:47] 1234 tn See 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.
[48:47] 1235 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:1] 1236 sn Ammonites. Ammon was a small kingdom to the north and east of Moab which was in constant conflict with the Transjordanian tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh over territorial rights to the lands north and south of the Jabbok River. Ammon mainly centered on the city of Rabbah which is modern Amman. According to Judg 11:13 the Ammonites claimed the land between the Jabbok and the Arnon but this was land taken from them by Sihon and Og and land that the Israelites captured from the latter two kings. The Ammonites attempted to expand into the territory of Israel in the Transjordan in the time of Jephthah (Judg 10-11) and the time of Saul (1 Sam 11). Apparently when Tiglath Pileser carried away the Israelite tribes in Transjordan in 733
[49:1] 1237 tc The reading here and in v. 3 follows the reading of the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13. The Hebrew reads “Malcom” both here, in v. 3, and Zeph 1:5. This god is to be identified with the god known elsewhere as Molech (cf. 1 Kgs 11:7).
[49:1] 1238 tn Heb “Does not Israel have any sons? Does not he have any heir [or “heirs” as a collective]? Why [then] has Malcom taken possession of Gad and [why] do his [Malcom’s] people live in his [Gad’s] land?” A literal translation here will not produce any meaning without major commentary. Hence the meaning that is generally agreed on is reflected in an admittedly paraphrastic translation. The reference is to the fact that the Ammonites had taken possession of the cities that had been deserted when the Assyrians carried off the Transjordanian tribes in 733
[49:2] 1239 tn Heb “oracle of the
[49:2] 1240 tn Heb “a desolate tel.” For the explanation of what a “tel” is see the study note on 30:18.
[49:2] 1241 tn Heb “Its daughters will be burned with fire.” For the use of the word “daughters” to refer to the villages surrounding a larger city see BDB 123 s.v. I בַּת 4 and compare the usage in Judg 1:27.
[49:2] 1242 tn Heb “says the
[49:3] 1243 tn Or “you women of Rabbah”; Heb “daughters of Rabbah.” It is difficult to tell whether the word “daughters” is used here in the same sense that it has in v. 2 (see the translator’s note there) or in the literal sense of “daughters.” The former has been preferred because the cities themselves (e.g., Heshbon) are called to wail in the earlier part of the verse and the term “daughters” has been used in the previous verse of the surrounding villages.
[49:3] 1244 tc Or “Run back and forth inside the walls of your towns.” Or “slash yourselves with gashes.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads “run back and forth among the walls.” The word “run back and forth” is generally taken as a Hitpolel of a verb that means to “go about” in the Qal and to “go back and forth” in the Polel (cf. BDB 1002 s.v. I שׁוּט). The noun that follows in the Hebrew means “wall, hedge” and is quite commonly modified by the noun צֹאן (tso’n, “sheep”) referring to sheepfolds (cf., e.g., Num 32:36; 1 Sam 24:3). But the phrase “run back and forth among the sheepfolds” yields little meaning here. In Ps 89:40 (89:41 HT) the word “wall” is used in parallelism with fortified cities and refers to the walls of the city. That is the sense that is assumed in one of the alternate translations with the words “of your towns” being supplied in the translation for clarification. However, that figure is a little odd in a context which speaks of mourning rites. Hence, some emend the word “walls” (גְּדֵרוֹת, gÿderot) to “gashes” (גְּדֻדוֹת, gÿdudot), a word that has occurred in a similar context in Jer 48:37. That would involve only the common confusion of ר and ד. That is the reading adopted here and fits the context nicely. NRSV appears to go one step further and read the verb as a Hitpolel from a root that is otherwise used only as a noun to mean “whip” or “scourge.” NRSV reads “slash yourselves with whips” which also makes excellent sense in the context but is not supported by any parallel use of the verb.
[49:3] 1245 sn Compare Jer 48:7 and the study note there.
[49:4] 1246 tn Or “Why do you brag about your valleys, about the fruitfulness of your valleys.” The meaning of the first two lines of this verse are uncertain primarily due to the ambiguity of the expression זָב עִמְקֵךְ (zav ’imqekh). The form זָב (zav) is either a Qal perfect or Qal participle of a verb meaning flow. It is common in the expression “a land flowing with milk and honey” and is also common to refer to the seminal discharge or discharge of blood which makes a man or woman unclean. BDB 264 s.v. זוּב Qal.2 sees it as an abbreviation of the idea of “flowing with milk and honey” and sees it as referring to the fertility of Ammon’s valley. However, there are no other examples of such an ellipsis. Several of the modern English versions and commentaries have taken the word עֵמֶק (’emeq) not as a reference to a valley but to the homonym cited in the note on 47:5 and see the reference here to the flowing away of Ammon’s strength. That interpretation is followed here. Instead of explaining the plural ending on עֲמָקִים (’amaqim) as being an enclitic ם (mem) as others who follow this interpretation (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 325), the present translation understands the plural as a plural of amplification (cf. GKC 397-98 §124.e and compare the noun “might” in Isa 40:26).
[49:4] 1247 tn Heb “apostate daughter.” This same term is applied to Israel in Jer 31:22 but seems inappropriate here to Ammon because she had never been loyal to the
[49:5] 1248 tn Heb “The Lord Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of the rendering here and of the significance of this title see the study note on 2:19.
[49:5] 1249 tn Heb “You will be scattered each man [straight] before him.”
[49:6] 1250 tn See Jer 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.
[49:6] 1251 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:7] 1252 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for this title.
[49:7] 1253 sn Edom was a kingdom to the south and east of Judah. Its borders varied over time but basically Edom lay in the hundred mile strip between the Gulf of Aqaba on the south and the Zered River on the north. It straddled the Arabah leading down from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, having as its northern neighbors both Judah and Moab. A long history of hostility existed between Israel and Edom, making Edom one of the favorite objects of the prophets’ oracles of judgment (cf., e.g., Isa 21:11-12; 34:5-15; 63:1-6; Amos 1:11-12; Ezek 25:12-14; 35:1-15; Obad 1-16). Not much is known about Edom at this time other than the fact that they participated in the discussions regarding rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in 594
[49:7] 1254 sn Teman was the name of one of Esau’s descendants, the name of an Edomite clan and the name of the district where they lived (Gen 36:11, 15, 34). Like the name Bozrah, it is used poetically for all of Edom (Jer 49:20; Ezek 25:13).
[49:7] 1255 tn Heb “Has counsel perished from men of understanding?”
[49:7] 1256 tn The meaning of this last word is based on the definition given in KBL 668 s.v. II סָרַח Nif and HALOT 726 s.v. II סָרַח Nif, which give the nuance “to be [or become] corrupt” rather than that of BDB 710 s.v. סָרַח Niph who give the nuance “let loose (i.e., to be dismissed; to be gone)” from a verb that is elsewhere used of the overhanging of a curtains or a cliff.
[49:8] 1257 tn Heb “make deep to dwell.” The meaning of this phrase is debated. Some take it as a reference for the Dedanites who were not native to Edom to go down from the heights of Edom and go back home (so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 330). The majority of commentaries, however, take it as a reference to the Dedanites disassociating themselves from the Edomites and finding remote hiding places to live in (so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 718). For the options see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:375.
[49:8] 1258 sn Dedan. The Dedanites were an Arabian tribe who lived to the southeast of Edom. They are warned here to disassociate themselves from Edom because Edom is about to suffer disaster.
[49:8] 1259 tn Heb “For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him, the time when I will punish him.” Esau was the progenitor of the tribes and nation of Edom (cf. Gen 36:1, 8, 9, 19).
[49:9] 1260 tn The translation of this verse is generally based on the parallels in Obad 5. There the second line has a ה interrogative in front of it. The question can still be assumed because questions can be asked in Hebrew without a formal marker (cf. GKC 473 §150.a and BDB 519 s.v. לֹא 1.a[e] and compare usage in 2 Kgs 5:26).
[49:9] 1261 tn The tense and nuance of the verb translated “pillage” are both different than the verb in Obad 5. There the verb is the imperfect of גָּנַב (ganav, “to steal”). Here the verb is the perfect of a verb which means to “ruin” or “spoil.” The English versions and commentaries, however, almost all render the verb here in much the same way as in Obad 5. The nuance must mean they only “ruin, destroy” (by stealing) only as much as they need (Heb “their sufficiency”), and the verb is used as metonymical substitute, effect for cause. The perfect must be some kind of a future perfect; “would they not have destroyed only…” The negative question is carried over by ellipsis from the preceding lines.
[49:11] 1262 tn Or “Their children and relatives will all be destroyed. And none of their neighbors will say, ‘Leave your orphans with me and I’ll keep them alive. Your widows can trust in me.’” This latter interpretation is based on a reading in a couple of the Greek versions (Symmachus and Lucian) and is accepted by a number of the modern commentaries, (J. Bright, J. A. Thompson, W. L. Holladay, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers). However, the majority of modern English versions do not follow it and lacking any other Hebrew or versional evidence it is probable that this is an interpretation to explain the mitigation of what appears as a prophecy of utter annihilation. There have been other cases in Jeremiah where a universal affirmation (either positive or negative) has been modified in the verses that follow. The verb in the second line תִּבְטָחוּ (tivtakhu) is highly unusual; it is a second masculine plural form with a feminine plural subject. The form is explained in GKC 127-28 §47.k and 160-61 §60.a, n. 1 as a pausal substitution for the normal form תִּבְטַחְנָה (tivtakhnah) and a similar form in Ezek 37:7 cited as a parallel.
[49:12] 1263 tn The words “of my wrath” after “cup” in the first line and “from the cup of my wrath” in the last line are not in the text but are implicit in the metaphor. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[49:13] 1264 tn Heb “I swear by myself.” See 22:5 and the study note there.
[49:13] 1265 sn Bozrah appears to have been the chief city in Edom, its capital city (see its parallelism with Edom in Isa 34:6; 63:1; Jer 49:22). The reference to “its towns” (translated here “all the towns around it”) could then be a reference to all the towns in Edom. It was located about twenty-five miles southeast of the southern end of the Dead Sea apparently in the district of Teman (see the parallelism in Amos 1:12).
[49:13] 1266 tn See the study note on 24:9 for the rendering of this term.
[49:14] 1267 tn The words “I said” are not in the text but it is generally agreed that the words that follow are Jeremiah’s. These words are supplied in the translation to make clear that the speaker has shifted from the
[49:14] 1268 tn Heb “Rise up for battle.” The idea “against her” is implicit from the context and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[49:15] 1269 tn The words “The
[49:16] 1270 tn The meaning of this Hebrew word (תִּפְלֶצֶת, tifletset) is uncertain because it occurs only here. However, it is related to a verb root that refers to the shaking of the pillars (of the earth) in Job 9:6 and a noun (מִפְלֶצֶת, mifletset) that refers to “horror” or “shuddering” used in Job 21:6; Isa 21:4; Ezek 7:18; Ps 55:6. This is the nuance that is accepted by BDB, KBL, HAL and a majority of the modern English versions. The suffix is an objective genitive. The fact that the following verb is masculine singular suggests that the text here (הִשִּׁיא אֹתָךְ, hishi’ ’otakh) is in error for הִשִּׁיאָתָךְ (hishi’atakh; so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 327, n. 16.a).
[49:16] 1271 tn The Hebrew text of the first four lines reads: “Your terror [= the terror you inspire] has deceived you, [and] the arrogance of your heart, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the heights of the hill.” The sentence is broken up and restructured to better conform with English style.
[49:17] 1272 sn This verse is very similar to Jer 19:8 where the same judgment is pronounced on Jerusalem. For the meaning of some of the terms here (“hiss out their scorn” and “all the disasters that have happened to it”) see the notes on that verse.
[49:19] 1273 tn See the study note on Jer 12:5 for the rendering of this term.
[49:19] 1274 tn “The pasture-ground on the everflowing river” according to KBL 42 s.v. I אֵיתָן 1. The “everflowing river” refers to the Jordan.
[49:19] 1275 tn Heb “Behold, like a lion comes up from the thicket of the Jordan into the pastureland of everflowing water so [reading כֵּן (ken) for כִּי (ki); or “indeed” (reading כִּי as an asseverative particle with J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 719, n. 6)] I will suddenly chase him [Edom] from upon it [the land].” The sentence has been restructured to better conform with contemporary English style and the significance of the simile drawn from the comparison has been spelled out for the sake of clarity. The form אַרְגִּיעָה (’argi’ah) is functioning here as an adverbial modifier in a verbal hendiadys (cf. GKC 386 §120.g).
[49:19] 1276 tn For the use of the interrogative מִי (mi) in the sense of “whoever” and functioning like an adjective see BDB 567 s.v. מִי g and compare the usage in Prov 9:4, 16.
[49:19] 1277 tn For the meaning of this verb in the sense of “arraign” or “call before the bar of justice” compare Job 9:19 and see BDB 417 s.v. יָעַד Hiph.
[49:19] 1278 tn The interrogative מִי (mi) is rendered “there is no one” in each of the last three occurrences in this verse because it is used in a rhetorical question that expects the answer “no one” or “none” and is according to BDB 566 s.v. מִי f(c) equivalent to a rhetorical negative.
[49:19] 1279 tn The word “shepherd” (רֹעֶה, ro’eh) has been used often in the book of Jeremiah to refer metaphorically to the ruler or leader (cf. BDB 945 s.v. I רָעָה Qal.1.d(2) and compare usage, e.g., in Jer 2:8; 23:1).
[49:20] 1280 tn Heb “Therefore listen to the plan of the
[49:20] 1281 sn Teman here appears to be a poetic equivalent for Edom, a common figure of speech in Hebrew poetry where the part is put for the whole. “The people of Teman” is thus equivalent to all the people of Edom.
[49:20] 1282 tn Heb “They will surely drag them off, namely the young ones of the flock. He will devastate their habitation [or their sheepfold] on account of them.” The figure of the lion among the flock of sheep appears to be carried on here where the people are referred to as a flock and their homeland is referred to as a sheepfold. It is hard, however, to carry the figure over here into the translation, so the figures have been interpreted instead. Both of these last two sentences are introduced by a formula that indicates a strong affirmative oath (i.e., they are introduced by אִם לֹא [’im lo’; cf. BDB 50 s.v. אִם 1.b(2)]). The subject of the verb “they will drag them off” is the indefinite third plural which may be taken as a passive in English (cf. GKC 460 §144.g). The subject of the last line is the
[49:21] 1283 tn Heb “The earth will quake when at the sound of their downfall.” However, as in many other places “earth” stands here metonymically for the inhabitants or people of the earth (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 578-79, and compare usage in 2 Sam 15:23; Ps 66:4).
[49:21] 1284 tn Heb “the Red Sea,” of which the Gulf of Aqaba formed the northeastern arm. The land of Edom once reached this far according to 1 Kgs 9:26.
[49:22] 1285 sn Compare Jer 48:40-41 for a similar prophecy about Moab. The parallelism here suggests that Bozrah, like Teman in v. 20, is a poetic equivalent for Edom.
[49:23] 1286 tn The words “The
[49:23] 1287 sn Damascus is a city in Syria, located below the eastern slopes of the Anti-lebanon Mountains. It was the capital of the Aramean state that was in constant hostility with Israel from the time of David until its destruction by the Assyrians in 732
[49:23] 1288 tn Heb “Hamath and Arpad.” There is no word for people in the text. The cities are being personified. However, since it is really the people who are involved and it is clearer for the modern reader, the present translation supplies the words “people of” both here and in v. 24. The verbs in vv. 23-25 are all to be interpreted as prophetic perfects, the tense of the Hebrew verb that views an action as though it were as good as done. The verbs are clearly future in vv. 26-27 which begin with a “therefore.”
[49:23] 1289 tc The meaning of this verse is very uncertain. The Hebrew text apparently reads “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed. They melt away because they have heard bad news. Anxiety is in the sea; it [the sea] cannot be quiet.” Many commentaries and English versions redivide the verse and read “like the sea” for “in the sea” (כַּיָּם [kayyam] for בַּיָּם [bayyam]) and read the feminine singular noun דְּאָגָה (dÿ’agam) as though it were the third masculine plural verb דָּאֲגוּ (da’agu): “They are troubled like the sea.” The translation follows the emendation proposed in BHS and accepted by a number of commentaries (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 333; J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 723, n. 1). That emendation involves reading נָמֹג לִבָּם מִדְּאָגָה (namog libbam middÿ’agah) instead of נָמֹגוּ בַּיָּם דְּאָגָה (namogu bayyam dÿ’agah). The translation also involves a double reading of “heart,” for the sake of English style, once in the sense of courage (BDB 525 s.v. לֵב 10) because that is the nuance that best fits “melts” in the English idiom and once in the more general sense of hearts as the seat of fear, anxiety, worry. The double translation is a concession to English style.
[49:25] 1290 tn Heb “city of praise.”
[49:25] 1291 tn Heb “city of joy.”
[49:25] 1292 tc Or “Why has that famous city not been abandoned, that city I once took delight in?” The translation follows the majority of modern commentaries in understanding לֹא (lo’, “not”) before “abandoned” as a misunderstanding of the emphatic ל (lamed; so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 723, n. 3, and J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 333, n. c; see also IBHS 211-12 §11.2.10i and HALOT 485-86 s.v. II לְ for the phenomenon). The particle is missing from the Vulgate. The translation also follows the versions in omitting the suffix on the word “joy” that is found in the Hebrew text (see BHS note b for a listing of the versions). This gives a better connection with the preceding and the following verse than the alternate translation.
[49:26] 1293 tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of armies.” For this title for God see the study note on 2:19.
[49:27] 1294 sn Ben-Hadad was a common name borne by a number of the kings of Damascus, e.g., one during the time of Asa around 900
[49:28] 1295 sn Kedar appears to refer to an Arabic tribe of nomads descended from Ishmael (Gen 25:13). They are associated here with the people who live in the eastern desert (Heb “the children of the east”; בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם, bÿne-qedem). In Isa 21:16 they are associated with the Temanites and the Dedanites, Arabic tribes in the north Arabian desert. They were sheep breeders (Isa 60:7) who lived in tents (Ps 120:5) and unwalled villages (Isa 42:11). According to Assyrian records they clashed with Assyria from the time of Shalmaneser in 850 until the time of Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal in the late seventh century. According to the Babylonian Chronicles, Nebuchadnezzar defeated them in 599
[49:28] 1296 sn Hazor. Nothing is know about this Hazor other than what is said here in vv. 28, 30, 33. They appear to also be nomadic tent dwellers who had a loose association with the Kedarites.
[49:28] 1297 tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the Hebrew text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[49:28] 1298 sn Heb “the children of the east.” Nothing much is known about them other than their association with the Midianites and Amalekites in their attack on Israel in the time of Gideon (Judg 6:3, 33) and the fact that God would let tribes from the eastern desert capture Moab and Ammon in the future (Ezek 25:4, 10). Midian and Amalek were consider to be located in the region in north Arabia east of Ezion Geber. That would put them in the same general locality as the region of Kedar. The parallelism here suggests that they are the same as the people of Kedar. The words here are apparently addressed to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar.
[49:29] 1299 tn Or “Let their tents…be taken….Let their tent…be carried…. Let people shout….”
[49:29] 1300 sn This expression is a favorite theme in the book of Jeremiah. It describes the terrors of war awaiting the people of Judah and Jerusalem (6:25), the Egyptians at Carchemish (46:5), and here the Kedarites.
[49:30] 1301 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:30] 1302 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
[49:30] 1303 tn Heb “Make deep to dwell.” See Jer 49:8 and the translator’s note there. The use of this same phrase here argues against the alternative there of going down from a height and going back home.
[49:30] 1304 tn Heb “has counseled a counsel against you, has planned a plan against you.”
[49:31] 1305 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:31] 1306 tn The words “Army of Babylon” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[49:31] 1307 tn Heb “no gates and no bar,” i.e., “that lives securely without gates or bars.” The phrase is used by the figure of species for genus (synecdoche) to refer to the fact that they have no defenses, i.e., no walls, gates, or bars on the gates. The figure has been interpreted in the translation for the benefit of the average reader.
[49:32] 1308 tn See the translator’s note at Jer 9:26 and compare the usage in 9:26 and 25:23.
[49:32] 1309 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:33] 1310 sn Compare Jer 9:11.
[49:33] 1311 sn Compare Jer 49:18 and 50:40 where the same thing is said about Edom and Babylon.
[49:34] 1312 tn Or “In the beginning of the reign.” For a discussion of the usage of the terms here see the translator’s note on 28:1. If this refers to the accession year the dating would be 598/97
[49:34] 1313 tn Heb “That which came [as] the word of the
[49:35] 1314 tn Heb “I will break the bow of Elam, the chief source of their might.” The phrase does not mean that God will break literal bows or that he will destroy their weapons (synecdoche of species for genus) or their military power (so Hos 1:5). Because of the parallelism, the “bow” here stands for the archers who wield the bow, and were the strongest force (or chief contingent) in their military.
[49:36] 1315 tn Or more simply, “I will bring enemies against Elam from every direction. / And I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. // There won’t be any nation / where the refugees of Elam will not go.” Or more literally, “I will bring the four winds against Elam / from the four quarters of heaven. / I will scatter….” However, the winds are not to be understood literally here. God isn’t going to “blow the Elamites” out of Elam with natural forces. The winds must figuratively represent enemy forces that God will use to drive them out. Translating literally would be misleading at this point.
[49:37] 1316 tn Heb “I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger.”
[49:37] 1317 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:37] 1318 tn Heb “I will send the sword after them.”
[49:38] 1319 tn Or “I will sit in judgment over Elam”; Heb “I will set up my throne in Elam.” Commentators are divided over whether this refers to a king sitting in judgment over his captured enemies or whether it refers to formally establishing his rule over the country. Those who argue for the former idea point to the supposed parallels in 1:15 (which the present translation understands not to refer to this but to setting up siege) and 43:8-13. The parallelism in the verse here, however, argues that it refers to the
[49:38] 1320 tn Heb “I will destroy king and leaders from there.”
[49:38] 1321 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:39] 1322 tn See Jer 29:14; 30:3 and the translator’s note on 29:14 for the idiom used here.
[49:39] 1323 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:1] 1324 tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.
[50:1] 1325 tn Heb “The word which the
[50:2] 1326 tn The verbs are masculine plural. Jeremiah is calling on other unnamed messengers to spread the news.
[50:2] 1327 tn Heb “Raise a signal flag.”
[50:2] 1328 sn Bel was originally the name or title applied to the Sumerian storm god. During the height of Babylon’s power it became a title that was applied to Marduk who was Babylon’s chief deity. As a title it means “Lord.” Here it is a poetical parallel reference to Marduk mentioned in the next line.
[50:2] 1329 tn The Hebrew word used here (גִּלּוּלִים, gillulim) is always used as a disdainful reference to idols. It is generally thought to have originally referred to “dung pellets” (cf. KBL 183 s.v. גִלּוּלִים). It is only one of several terms used in this way, such as “worthless things” (אַלִילִים, ’alilim), “vanities,” or “empty winds” (הֲבָלִים, havalim).
[50:2] 1330 tn The verbs here are all in the tense that views the actions as though they were already done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The verbs in the next verse are a mixture of prophetic perfects and imperfects which announce future actions.
[50:3] 1331 sn A nation from the north refers to Medo-Persia which at the time of the conquest of Babylon in 539
[50:4] 1332 tn Heb “oracle of the
[50:4] 1333 tn Heb “and the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together. They shall go, weeping as they go, and they will seek the
[50:5] 1334 tc The translation here assumes that the Hebrew בֹּאוּ (bo’u; a Qal imperative masculine plural) should be read בָּאוּ (ba’u; a Qal perfect third plural). This reading is presupposed by the Greek version of Aquila, the Latin version, and the Targum (see BHS note a, which mistakenly assumes that the form must be imperfect).
[50:5] 1335 sn See Jer 32:40 and the study note there for the nature of this lasting agreement.
[50:6] 1336 sn The shepherds are the priests, prophets, and leaders who have led Israel into idolatry (2:8).
[50:6] 1337 sn The allusion here, if it is not merely a part of the metaphor of the wandering sheep, is to the worship of the false gods on the high hills (2:20, 3:2).
[50:7] 1338 tn This same Hebrew phrase “the habitation of righteousness” is found in Jer 31:23 in relation to Jerusalem in the future as “the place where righteousness dwells.” Here, however, it refers to the same entity as “their resting place” in v. 6 and means “true pasture.” For the meaning of “pasture” for the word נָוֶה (naveh) see 2 Sam 7:8 and especially Isa 65:10 where it is parallel with “resting place” for the flocks. For the meaning of “true” for צֶדֶק (tsedeq) see BDB 841 s.v. צֶדֶק 1. For the interpretation adopted here see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 365. The same basic interpretation is reflected in NRSV, NJPS, and God’s Word.
[50:7] 1340 sn These two verses appear to be a poetical summary of the argument of Jer 2 where the nation is accused of abandoning its loyalty to God and worshiping idols. Whereas those who tried to devour Israel were liable for punishment when Israel was loyal to God (2:3), the enemies of Israel who destroyed them (i.e., the Babylonians [but also the Assyrians], 50:17) argue that they are not liable for punishment because the Israelites have sinned against the
[50:8] 1341 tn The words “People of Judah” are not in the Hebrew text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the subject of the address.
[50:8] 1342 tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.
[50:8] 1343 tn The words “Be the first to leave” are not in the text but spell out the significance of the simile that follows. They have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[50:9] 1344 sn Some of these are named in Jer 51:27-28.
[50:9] 1345 tn Heb “She will be captured from there (i.e., from the north).”
[50:9] 1346 tc Read Heb ַָמשְׂכִּיל (moskil) with a number of Hebrew
[50:9] 1347 tn Or more freely, “Their arrows will be as successful at hitting their mark // as a skilled soldier always returns from battle with plunder.”
[50:10] 1348 tn Heb “The land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.
[50:10] 1349 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:11] 1350 tn The words “People of Babylonia” are not in the text but they are implicit in the reference in the next verse to “your mother” which refers to the city and the land as the mother of its people. These words have been supplied in the translation to identify the referent of “you” and have been added for clarity.
[50:11] 1351 tn Or “my land.” The word can refer to either the land (Jer 2:7, 16:8) or the nation/people (Jer 12:7, 8, 9).
[50:11] 1352 tc Reading כְּעֶגְלֵי דֶשֶׁא (kÿ’egle deshe’) or כְּעֵגֶל בַּדֶּשֶׁא (kÿ’egel baddeshe’) as presupposed by the Greek and Latin versions (cf. BHS note d-d) in place of the reading in the Hebrew text כְּעֶגְלָה דָשָׁה (kÿ’eglah dashah, “like a heifer treading out the grain”) which does not fit the verb (פּוּשׁ [push] = “spring about” [BDB 807 s.v. I פּוּשׁ] or “paw the ground” [KBL 756 s.v. פּוּשׁ] and compare Mal 3:20 for usage). This variant reading is also accepted by J. Bright, J. A. Thompson, F. B. Huey, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers.
[50:11] 1353 tn Heb “Though you rejoice, though you exult, you who have plundered my heritage, though you frolic like calves in a pasture and neigh like stallions, your mother…” The particle כִּי (ki) introduces a concessive protasis according to BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c(a). Many interpret the particle as introducing the grounds for the next verse, i.e., “because…” The translation here will reflect the concessive by beginning the next verse with “But.” The long protasis has been broken up and restructured to better conform with contemporary English style.
[50:12] 1354 tn Heb “Your mother will be utterly shamed, the one who gave you birth…” The word “mother” and the parallel term “the one who gave you birth” are used metaphorically for the land of Babylonia. For the figure compare the usage in Isa 50:1 (Judah) and Hos 2:2, 5 (2:4, 7 HT) and see BDB 52 s.v. אֵם 2 and 408 s.v. יָלַד Qal.2.c.
[50:12] 1355 tn Heb “Behold.” For the use of this particle see the translator’s note on 1:6.
[50:13] 1356 tn Heb “From [or Because of] the wrath of the
[50:13] 1357 sn Compare Jer 49:17 and the study note there and see also the study notes on 18:16 and 19:8.
[50:14] 1358 tn Heb “all you who draw the bow.”
[50:14] 1359 tc The verb here should probably be read as a Qal imperative יְרוּ (yÿru) from יָרָה (yarah) with a few Hebrew
[50:14] 1360 tn Heb “Shoot at her! Don’t save any arrows!”
[50:15] 1361 tn Heb “She has given her hand.” For the idiom here involving submission/surrender see BDB 680 s.v. נָתַן Qal.1.z and compare the usage in 1 Chr 29:24; 2 Chr 30:8. For a different interpretation, however, see the rather complete discussion in G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 366) who see this as a reference to making a covenant. The verb in this line and the next two lines are all Hebrew perfects and most translators and commentaries see them as past. God’s Word, however, treats them as prophetic perfects and translates them as future. This is more likely in the light of the imperatives both before and after.
[50:15] 1362 tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. The definition here follows that of HALOT 91 s.v. אָשְׁיָה, which defines it on the basis of an Akkadian word and treats it as a loanword.
[50:15] 1363 tn Heb “Because it is the
[50:16] 1364 tn Heb “Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time.” For the meaning “kill” for the root “cut off” see BDB 503 s.v. כָּרַת Qal.1.b and compare usage in Jer 11:19. The verb is common in this nuance in the Hiphil, cf. BDB 504 s.v. כָּרַת Hiph, 2.b.
[50:16] 1365 tn Heb “Because of [or out of fear of] the sword of the oppressor, let each of them turn toward his [own] people and each of them flee to his [own] country.” Compare a similar expression in 46:16 where the reference was to the flight of the mercenaries. Here it refers most likely to foreigners who are counseled to leave Babylon before they are caught up in the destruction. Many of the commentaries and English versions render the verbs as futures but they are more likely third person commands (jussives). Compare the clear commands in v. 8 followed by essentially the same motivation. The “sword of the oppressor,” of course, refers to death at the hands of soldiers wielding all kinds of weapons, chief of which has been a reference to the bow (v. 14).
[50:17] 1366 sn The king of Assyria devoured them. This refers to the devastation wrought on northern Israel by the kings of Assyria beginning in 738
[50:17] 1367 tn The verb used here only occurs this one time in the Hebrew Bible. It is a denominative from the Hebrew word for “bones” (עֶצֶם, ’etsem). BDB 1126 s.v. עֶָצַם, denom Pi, define it as “break his bones.” HALOT 822 s.v. II עָצַם Pi defines it as “gnaw on his bones.”
[50:18] 1368 tn Heb “Therefore thus says Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” The first person is again adopted because the
[50:19] 1369 tn Heb “their soul [or hunger/appetite] will be satisfied.”
[50:19] 1370 sn The metaphor of Israel as a flock of sheep (v. 17) is continued here. The places named were all in Northern Israel and in the Transjordan, lands that were lost to the Assyrians in the period 738-722
[50:20] 1371 tn Heb “In those days and at that time, oracle of the
[50:20] 1372 sn Compare Jer 31:34 and 33:8.
[50:20] 1373 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:21] 1374 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:21] 1375 sn The commands in this verse and in vv. 26-27 are directed to the armies from the north who are referred to in v. 3 as “a nation from the north” and in v. 9 as a “host of mighty nations from the land of the north.” The addressee in this section shifts from one referent to another.
[50:21] 1376 sn Merathaim…Pekod. It is generally agreed that the names of these two regions were chosen for their potential for wordplay. Merathaim probably refers to a region in southern Babylon near where the Tigris and Euphrates come together before they empty into the Persian Gulf. It was known for its briny waters. In Hebrew the word would mean “double rebellion” and would stand as an epithet for the land of Babylon as a whole. Pekod refers to an Aramean people who lived on the eastern bank of the lower Tigris River. They are mentioned often in Assyrian texts and are mentioned in Ezek 23:23 as allies of Babylon. In Hebrew the word would mean “punishment.” As an epithet for the land of Babylon it would refer to the fact that Babylon was to be punished for her double rebellion against the
[50:21] 1377 tn Heb “Smite down and completely destroy after them.” The word translated “kill” or “smite down” is a word of uncertain meaning and derivation. BDB 352 s.v. III חָרַב relates it to an Aramaic word meaning “attack, smite down.” KBL 329-30 s.v. II חָרַב sees it as a denominative from the word חֶרֶב (kherev, “sword”), a derivation which many modern commentaries accept and reflect in a translation “put to the sword.” KBL, however, gives “to smite down; to slaughter” which is roughly the equivalent of the meaning assigned to it in BDB. The word only occurs here and in v. 27 in the Qal and in 2 Kgs 3:23 in the Niphal where it means something like “attacked one another, fought with one another.” Many commentators question the validity of the word “after them” (אַחֲרֵיהֶם, ’akharehem) which occurs at the end of the line after “completely destroy.” The Targum reads “the last of them” (אַחֲרִיתָם, ’akharitam) which is graphically very close and accepted by some commentators. The present translation has chosen to represent “after them” by a paraphrase at the beginning “pursue them.”
[50:21] 1378 tn Heb “Do according to all I have commanded you.”
[50:22] 1379 tn The words “of Babylonia” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.
[50:23] 1380 tn Heb “How broken and shattered is the hammer of all the earth!” The “hammer” is a metaphor for Babylon who was God’s war club to shatter the nations and destroy kingdoms just like Assyria is represented in Isa 10:5 as a rod and a war club. Some readers, however, might not pick up on the metaphor or identify the referent, so the translation has incorporated an identification of the metaphor and the referent within it. “See how” and “See what” are an attempt to capture the nuance of the Hebrew particle אֵיךְ (’ekh) which here expresses an exclamation of satisfaction in a taunt song (cf. BDB 32 s.v. אֵיךְ 2 and compare usage in Isa 14:4, 12; Jer 50:23).
[50:24] 1381 tn Heb “You were found [or found out] and captured because you fought against the
[50:25] 1382 tn Or “I have opened up my armory.”
[50:25] 1383 tn Heb “The
[50:25] 1384 tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this rendering and the significance of this title see the study note on 2:19.
[50:25] 1385 tn The words “of Babylonia” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.
[50:26] 1386 tn Heb “Come against her from the end.” There is a great deal of debate about the meaning of “from the end” (מִקֵּץ, miqqets). Some follow the suggestion of F. Giesebrecht in BDB 892 s.v. קָצֶה 3 and emend the text to מִקָּצֶה (miqqatseh) on the basis of the presumed parallel in Jer 51:31 which is interpreted as “on all sides,” i.e., “from every quarter/side.” However, the phrase does not mean that in Jer 51:31 but is used as it is elsewhere of “from one end to another,” i.e., in its entirety (so Gen 19:4). The only real parallel here is the use of the noun קֵץ (qets) with a suffix in Isa 37:24 referring to the remotest part, hence something like from the end (of the earth), i.e., from a far away place. The referent “her” has been clarified here to refer to Babylonia in case someone might not see the connection between v. 25d and v. 26.
[50:26] 1387 tn Heb “Pile her up like heaps.” Many commentators understand the comparison to be to heaps of grain (compare usage of עֲרֵמָה (’aremah) in Hag 2:16; Neh 13:15; Ruth 3:7). However, BDB 790 s.v. עֲרֵמָה is more likely correct that this refers to heaps of ruins (compare the usage in Neh 4:2 [3:34 HT]).
[50:26] 1388 sn Compare Jer 50:21 and see the study note on 25:9.
[50:26] 1389 tn Heb “Do not let there be to her a remnant.” According to BDB 984 s.v. שְׁאֵרִית this refers to the last remnant of people, i.e., there won’t be any survivors. Compare the usage in Jer 11:23.
[50:27] 1390 tn Heb “Kill all her young bulls.” Commentators are almost universally agreed that the reference to “young bulls” is figurative here for the princes and warriors (cf. BDB 831 s.v. פַּר 2.f, which compares Isa 34:7 and Ezek 39:18). This is virtually certain because of the reference to the time coming for them to be punished; this would scarcely fit literal bulls. For the verb rendered “kill” here see the translator’s note on v. 21.
[50:27] 1391 tn Heb “Let them go down to the slaughter.”
[50:27] 1392 tn Or “How terrible it will be for them”; Heb “Woe to them.” See the study note on 22:13 and compare the usage in 23:1; 48:1.
[50:27] 1393 tn The words “of reckoning” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[50:28] 1394 tn Heb “Hark! Fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance of the
[50:29] 1395 tn For this word see BDB 914 s.v. III רַב and compare usage in Prov 26:10 and Job 16:12 and compare the usage of the verb in Gen 49:23. Based on this evidence, it is not necessary to emend the form to רֹבִים (rovim) as many commentators contend.
[50:29] 1396 tn Heb “for she has acted insolently against the
[50:29] 1397 sn The Holy One of Israel is a common title for the
[50:30] 1398 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:31] 1399 tn Heb “Behold, I am against you, proud one.” The word “city” is not in the text but it is generally agreed that the word is being used as a personification of the city which had “proudly defied” the
[50:31] 1400 tn Heb “oracle of the Lord Yahweh of armies.” For the rendering of this title and an explanation of its significance see the study note on 2:19.
[50:31] 1401 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is probably asseverative here (so J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 739, n. 13, and cf. BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 1.e for other examples). This has been a common use of this particle in the book of Jeremiah.
[50:31] 1402 tn The words “of reckoning” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[50:31] 1403 sn Compare v. 27.
[50:32] 1404 tn Heb “And the proud one will fall and there will be no one to help him up. I will start a fire in his towns and it will consume all that surround him.” The personification continues but now the stance is indirect (third person) rather than direct (second person). It is easier for the modern reader who is not accustomed to such sudden shifts if the second person is maintained. The personification of the city (or nation) as masculine is a little unusual; normally cities and nations are personified as feminine, as daughters or mothers.
[50:33] 1405 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this title see the study note on 2:19.
[50:33] 1406 tn Heb “Oppressed are the people of Israel and the people of Judah together,” i.e., both the people of Israel and Judah are oppressed. However, neither of these renderings is very poetic. The translation seeks to achieve the same meaning with better poetic expression.
[50:34] 1407 sn Heb “their redeemer.” The Hebrew term “redeemer” referred in Israelite family law to the nearest male relative who was responsible for securing the freedom of a relative who had been sold into slavery. For further discussion of this term as well as its metaphorical use to refer to God as the one who frees Israel from bondage in Egypt and from exile in Assyria and Babylonia see the study note on 31:11.
[50:34] 1408 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies is his name.” For the rendering of this title see the study note on 2:19.
[50:34] 1409 tn Or “he will certainly champion.” The infinitive absolute before the finite verb here is probably functioning to intensify the verb rather than to express the certainty of the action (cf. GKC 333 §112.n and compare usage in Gen 43:3 and 1 Sam 20:6 listed there).
[50:34] 1410 tn This appears to be another case where the particle לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) introduces a result rather than giving the purpose or goal. See the translator’s note on 25:7 for a listing of other examples in the book of Jeremiah and also the translator’s note on 27:10.
[50:34] 1411 tn Heb “he will bring rest to the earth and will cause unrest to.” The terms “rest” and “unrest” have been doubly translated to give more of the idea underlying these two concepts.
[50:34] 1412 tn This translation again reflects the problem often encountered in these prophecies where the
[50:35] 1413 tn Heb “the Chaldeans.” For explanation of the rendering see the study note on 21:4. There is no verb in this clause. Therefore it is difficult to determine whether this should be understood as a command or as a prediction. The presence of vav (ו) consecutive perfects after a similar construction in vv. 36b, d, 37c, 38a and the imperfects after “therefore” (לָכֵן, lakhen) all suggest the predictive or future nuance. However, the vav consecutive perfect could be used to carry on the nuance of command (cf. GKC 333 §112.q) but not in the sense of purpose as NRSV, NJPS render them.
[50:35] 1414 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:36] 1415 tn The meaning and the derivation of the word translated “false prophets” is uncertain. The same word appears in conjunction with the word for “diviners” in Isa 44:25 and probably also in Hos 11:6 in conjunction with the sword consuming them “because of their counsel.” BDB 95 s.v. III בַּד b sees this as a substitution of “empty talk” for “empty talkers” (the figure of metonymy) and refer to them as false prophets. KBL 108 s.v. II בַּד emends the form in both places to read בָּרִים (barim) in place of בַּדִּים (baddim) and defines the word on the basis of Akkadian to mean “soothsayer” (KBL 146 s.v. V בָּר). HALOT 105 s.v. V בַּד retains the pointing, derives it from an Amorite word found in the Mari letters, and defines it as “oracle priest.” However, G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 368) call this identification into question because the word only occurs in one letter from Mari and its meaning is uncertain there. It is hazardous to emend the text in two places, perhaps even three, in light of no textual evidence in any of the passages and to define the word on the basis of an uncertain parallel. Hence the present translation opts here for the derivation and extended definition given in BDB.
[50:36] 1416 tn This translation follows the suggestion of BDB 383 s.v. I יָאַל Niph.2. Compare the usage in Isa 19:13 and Jer 5:4.
[50:36] 1417 tn The verb here (חָתַת, khatat) could also be rendered “be destroyed” (cf. BDB 369 s.v. חָתַת Qal.1 and compare the usage in Jer 48:20, 39). However, the parallelism with “shown to be fools” argues for the more dominant usage of “be dismayed” or “be filled with terror.” The verb is found in parallelism with both בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “be ashamed, dismayed”) and יָרֵא (yare’, “be afraid”) and can refer to either emotion. Here it is more likely that they are filled with terror because of the approaching armies.
[50:37] 1418 tn Hebrew has “his” in both cases here whereas the rest of the possessive pronouns throughout vv. 35-37 are “her.” There is no explanation for this switch unless the third masculine singular refers as a distributive singular to the soldiers mentioned in the preceding verse (cf. GKC 464 §145.l). This is probably the case here, but to refer to “their horses and their chariots” in the midst of all the “her…” might create more confusion than what it is worth to be that pedantic.
[50:37] 1419 tn Or “in the country,” or “in her armies”; Heb “in her midst.”
[50:37] 1420 tn Heb “A sword against his horses and his chariots and against all the mixed company [or mixed multitude] in her midst and they will become like women.” The sentence had to be split up because it is too long and the continuation of the second half with its consequential statement would not fit together with the first half very well. Hence the subject and verb have been repeated. The Hebrew word translated “foreign troops” (עֶרֶב, ’erev) is the same word that is used in 25:20 to refer to the foreign peoples living in Egypt and in Exod 12:38 for the foreign people that accompanied Israel out of Egypt. Here the word is translated contextually to refer to foreign mercenaries, an identification that most of the commentaries and many of the modern English versions accept (see, e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 355; NRSV; NIV). The significance of the simile “they will become like women” has been spelled out for the sake of clarity.
[50:38] 1421 tc Heb “a drought against her waters and they will dry up.” Several of the commentaries and modern English versions accept the emendation proposed by BHS and read here “sword” (חֶרֶב [kherev] in place of חֹרֶב [khorev], the change of only one vowel) in keeping with the rest of the context. According to BHS this reading is supported by the Lucianic and Hexaplaric recensions of the LXX (the Greek version) and the Syriac version. In this case the drying up of the waters (of the canals) is attributed to neglect brought about by war conditions. However, it is just as likely that these versions are influenced by the repetition of the word “sword” as the Hebrew and the other versions are influenced by the concept of “drying up” of the waters to read “drought.” Hence the present translation, along with the majority of modern English versions, retains the Hebrew “drought.”
[50:38] 1422 tn Heb “for it is a land of idols.” The “for,” however, goes back to the whole context not just to the preceding prediction (cf. BDB 473-74 s.v. כִּי 1.c and compare usage in Isa 21:6 listed there).
[50:38] 1423 tc Or “Her people boast in.” This translation is based on the reading of the majority of Hebrew
[50:38] 1424 tn Heb “by the terrors.” However, as HALOT 40 s.v. אֵימָה indicates these are “images that cause terror” (a substitution of the effect for the cause). The translation of this line follows the interpretation of the majority of modern English versions and all the commentaries consulted. NIV, NCV, and God’s Word reflect a different syntax, understanding the subject to be the idols just mentioned rather than “her people” which is supplied here for the sake of clarity (the Hebrew text merely says “they.”) Following that lead, one could render “but those idols will go mad with terror.” This makes excellent sense in the context which often refers to effects (vv. 36b, d, 37c, 38b) of the war that is coming. However, that interpretation does not fit as well with the following “therefore/so,” which basically introduces a judgment or consequence after an accusation of sin.
[50:39] 1425 tn The identification of this bird has been called into question by G. R. Driver, “Birds in the Old Testament,” PEQ 87 (1955): 137-38. He refers to this bird as an owl. That identification, however, is not reflected in any of the lexicons including the most recent, which still gives “ostrich” (HALOT 402 s.v. יַעֲנָה) as does W. S. McCullough, “Ostrich,” IDB 3:611. REB, NIV, NCV, and God’s Word all identify this bird as “owl/desert owl.”
[50:39] 1426 tn Heb “Therefore desert creatures will live with jackals and ostriches will live in it.”
[50:39] 1427 tn Heb “It will never again be inhabited nor dwelt in unto generation and generation.” For the meaning of this last phrase compare the usage in Ps 100:5 and Isaiah 13:20. Since the first half of the verse has spoken of animals living there, it is necessary to add “people” and turn the passive verbs into active ones.
[50:40] 1428 tn Heb “‘Like [when] God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns,’ oracle of the
[50:40] 1429 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[50:41] 1430 sn A mighty nation and many kings is an allusion to the Medo-Persian empire and the vassal kings who provided forces for the Medo-Persian armies.
[50:42] 1431 tn Heb “daughter Babylon.” The word “daughter” is a personification of the city of Babylon and its inhabitants.
[50:43] 1432 tn Heb “his hands will drop/hang limp.” For the meaning of this idiom see the translator’s note on 6:24.
[50:43] 1433 tn Heb “The king of Babylon hears report of them and his hands hang limp.” The verbs are translated as future because the passage is prophetic and the verbs may be interpreted as prophetic perfects (the action viewed as if it were as good as done). In the parallel passage in 6:24 the verbs could be understood as present perfects because the passage could be viewed as in the present. Here it is future.
[50:43] 1434 sn Compare Jer 6:22-24 where almost the same exact words as 50:41-43 are applied to the people of Judah. The repetition of prophecies here and in the following verses emphasizes the talionic nature of God’s punishment of Babylon; as they have done to others, so it will be done to them (cf. 25:14; 50:15).
[50:45] 1435 tn The words “of Babylonia” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.
[50:46] 1436 tn Heb “among the nations.” With the exception of this phrase, the different verb in v. 46a, the absence of a suffix on the word for “land” in v. 45d, the third plural suffix instead of the third singular suffix on the verb for “chase…off of,” this passage is identical with 49:19-21 with the replacement of Babylon or the land of the Chaldeans for Edom. For the translation notes explaining the details of the translation here see the translator’s notes on 49:19-21.
[51:1] 1437 sn The destructive wind is a figurative reference to the “foreign people” who will “winnow” Babylon and drive out all the people (v. 2). This figure has already been used in 4:11-12 and in 49:36. See the study note on 4:11-12 and the translator’s notes on 22:22 and 49:36.
[51:1] 1438 tn Or “I will arouse the spirit of hostility of a destroying nation”; Heb “I will stir up against Babylon…a destroying wind [or the spirit of a destroyer].” The word רוּחַ (ruakh) can refer to either a wind (BDB 924 s.v. רוּחַ 2.a) or a spirit (BDB 925 s.v. רוּחַ 2.g). It can be construed as either a noun followed by an adjectival participle (so, “a destroying wind”) or a noun followed by another noun in the “of” relationship (a construct or genitival relationship; so, “spirit of a destroyer”). The same noun with this same verb is translated “stir up the spirit of” in 1 Chr 5:26; 2 Chr 21:16; 36:22; Hag 1:14; and most importantly in Jer 51:11 where it refers to the king of the Medes. However, the majority of the exegetical tradition (all the commentaries consulted and all the English versions except NASB and NIV) opt for the “destructive wind” primarily because of the figure of winnowing that is found in the next verse. The translation follows the main line exegetical tradition here for that same reason.
[51:1] 1439 sn Heb “the people who live in Leb-qamai.” “Leb-qamai” is a code name for “Chaldeans” formed on the principle of substituting the last letter of the alphabet for the first, the next to the last for the second, and so on. This same principle is used in referring to Babylon in 25:26 and 51:41 as “Sheshach.” See the study note on 25:26 where further details are given. There is no consensus on why the code name is used because the terms Babylon and Chaldeans (= Babylonians) have appeared regularly in this prophecy or collection of prophecies.
[51:2] 1440 tn Or “I will send foreign people against Babylonia.” The translation follows the reading of the Greek recensions of Aquila and Symmachus and the Latin version (the Vulgate). That reading is accepted by the majority of modern commentaries and several of the modern versions (e.g., NRSV, REB, NAB, and God’s Word). It fits better with the verb that follows it than the reading of the Hebrew text and the rest of the versions. The difference in the two readings is again only the difference in vocalization, the Hebrew text reading זָרִים (zarim) and the versions cited reading זֹרִים (zorim). If the Hebrew text is followed, there is a wordplay between the two words, “foreigners” and “winnow.” The words “like a wind blowing away chaff” have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the reader what “winnow” means.
[51:2] 1441 tn Or “They will strip her land bare like a wind blowing away chaff.” The alternate translation would be necessary if one were to adopt the alternate reading of the first line (the reading of the Hebrew text). The explanation of “winnow” would then be necessary in the second line. The verb translated “strip…bare” means literally “to empty out” (see BDB 132 s.v. בָּקַק Polel). It has been used in 19:7 in the Qal of “making void” Judah’s plans in a wordplay on the word for “bottle.” See the study note on 19:7 for further details.
[51:2] 1442 tn This assumes that the particle כִּי (ki) is temporal (cf. BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.a). This is the interpretation adopted also by NRSV and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 349. J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 345) and J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 747, n. 3) interpret it as asseverative or emphatic, “Truly, indeed.” Many of the modern English versions merely ignore it. Reading it as temporal makes it unnecessary to emend the following verb as Bright and Thompson do (from הָיוּ [hayu] to יִהְיוּ [yihyu]).
[51:2] 1443 tn Heb “in the day of disaster.”
[51:3] 1444 tc The text and consequent meaning of these first two lines are uncertain. Literally the Masoretic reads “against let him string let him string the one who strings his bow and against let him raise himself up in his coat of armor.” This makes absolutely no sense and the ancient versions and Hebrew
[51:3] 1445 sn For the concept underlying this word see the study note on “utterly destroy” in Jer 25:9 and compare the usage in 50:21, 26.
[51:4] 1446 tn The majority of English versions and the commentaries understand the vav (ו) consecutive + perfect as a future here “They will fall.” However, it makes better sense in the light of the commands in the previous verse to understand this as an indirect third person command (= a jussive; see GKC 333 §112.q, r) as REB and NJPS do.
[51:4] 1447 tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.
[51:4] 1448 tn The words “cities” is not in the text. The text merely says “in her streets” but the antecedent is “land” and must then refer to the streets of the cities in the land.
[51:5] 1449 tn Heb “widowed” (cf. BDB 48 s.v. אַלְמָן, an adjective occurring only here but related to the common word for “widow”). It is commonly translated as has been done here.
[51:5] 1450 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this rendering see the study note on 2:19.
[51:5] 1451 tn Or “all, though their land was…” The majority of the modern English versions understand the land here to refer to the land of Israel and Judah (the text reads “their land” and Israel and Judah are the nearest antecedents). In this case the particle כִּי (ki) is concessive (cf. BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c[b]). Many of the modern commentaries understand the referent to be the land of the Chaldeans/Babylonians. However, most of them feel that the line is connected as a causal statement to 51:2-4 and see the line as either textually or logically out of place. However, it need not be viewed as logically out of place. It is parallel to the preceding and gives a second reason why they are to be destroyed. It also forms an excellent transition to the next lines where the exiles and other foreigners are urged to flee and not get caught up in the destruction which is coming “because of her sin.” It might be helpful to note that both the adjective “widowed” and the suffix on “their God” are masculine singular, looking at Israel and Judah as one entity. The “their” then goes back not to Israel and Judah of the preceding lines but to the “them” in v. 4. This makes for a better connection with the following and understands the particle כִּי in its dominant usage not an extremely rare one (see the comment in BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c[b]). This interpretation is also reflected in RSV.
[51:5] 1452 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 50:29.
[51:6] 1453 tn The words “you foreign people” are not in the text and many think the referent is the exiles of Judah. While this is clearly the case in v. 45 the referent seems broader here where the context speaks of every man going to his own country (v. 9).
[51:6] 1455 tn Heb “paying to her a recompense [i.e., a payment in kind].”
[51:7] 1456 tn The words “of her wrath” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation to help those readers who are not familiar with the figure of the “cup of the
[51:7] 1457 tn Heb “upon the grounds of such conditions the nations have gone mad.”
[51:8] 1458 tn The verbs in this verse and the following are all in the Hebrew perfect tense, a tense that often refers to a past action or a past action with present results. However, as the translator’s notes have indicated, the prophets use this tense to view the actions as if they were as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The stance here is ideal, viewed as already accomplished.
[51:9] 1459 tn The words “Foreigners living there will say” are not in the text but are implicit from the third line. These words are generally assumed by the commentaries and are explicitly added in TEV and NCV which are attempting to clarify the text for the average reader.
[51:9] 1460 tn Heb “Leave/abandon her.” However, it is smoother in the English translation to make this verb equivalent to the cohortative that follows.
[51:9] 1461 tn This is an admittedly very paraphrastic translation that tries to make the figurative nuance of the Hebrew original understandable for the average reader. The Hebrew text reads: “For her judgment [or punishment (cf. BDB 1078 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 1.f) = ‘execution of judgment’] touches the heavens, and is lifted up as far as the clouds.” The figure of hyperbole or exaggeration is being used here to indicate the vastness of Babylon’s punishment which is the reason to escape (vv. 6, 9c). For this figure see Deut 1:28 in comparison with Num 13:28 and see also Deut 9:1. In both of the passages in Deut it refers to an exaggeration about the height of the walls of fortified cities. The figure also may be a play on Gen 11:4 where the nations gather in Babylon to build a tower that reaches to the skies. The present translation has interpreted the perfects here as prophetic because it has not happened yet or they would not be encouraging one another to leave and escape. For the idea here compare 50:16.
[51:10] 1462 tn The words “The exiles from Judah will say” are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation to clearly identify for the reader the referent of “us.”
[51:10] 1463 tn There is some difference of opinion as to the best way to render the Hebrew expression here. Literally it means “brought forth our righteousnesses.” BDB 842 s.v. צְדָקָה 7.b interprets this of the “righteous acts” of the people of Judah and compares the usage in Isa 64:6; Ezek 3:20; 18:24; 33:13. However, Judah’s acts of righteousness (or more simply, their righteousness) was scarcely revealed in their deliverance. Most of the English versions and commentaries refer to “vindication” i.e., that the
[51:11] 1464 sn The imperatives here and in v. 12 are directed to the soldiers in the armies of the kings from the north (here identified as the kings of Media [see also 50:3, 9; 51:27-28]). They have often been addressed in this prophecy as though they were a present force (see 50:14-16; 50:21 [and the study note there]; 50:26, 29; 51:3) though the passage as a whole is prophetic of the future. This gives some idea of the ideal stance that the prophets adopted when they spoke of the future as though already past (the use of the Hebrew prophetic perfect which has been referred to often in the translator’s notes).
[51:11] 1465 tn The meaning of this word is debated. The most thorough discussion of this word including etymology and usage in the OT and Qumran is in HALOT 1409-10 s.v. שֶׁלֶט, where the rendering “quiver” is accepted for all the uses of this word in the OT. For a more readily accessible discussion for English readers see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:422-23. The meaning “quiver” fits better with the verb “fill” than the meaning “shield” which is adopted in BDB 1020 s.v. שֶׁלֶט. “Quiver” is the meaning adopted also in NRSV, REB, NAB, and NJPS.
[51:11] 1466 tn Heb “The
[51:11] 1467 sn Media was a country in what is now northwestern Iran. At the time this prophecy was probably written they were the dominating force in the northern region, the most likely enemy to Babylon. By the time Babylon fell in 538
[51:11] 1468 tn Heb “For it is the vengeance of the
[51:12] 1469 tn Heb “Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon.”
[51:12] 1470 tn Heb “Strengthen the watch.”
[51:12] 1471 tn Heb “Station the guards.”
[51:12] 1472 tn Heb “Prepare ambushes.”
[51:12] 1473 tn Heb “For the
[51:13] 1474 sn Babylon was situated on the Euphrates River and was surrounded by canals (also called “rivers”).
[51:13] 1475 tn Heb “You who live upon [or beside] many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, the cubit of your cutting off.” The sentence has been restructured and paraphrased to provide clarity for the average reader. The meaning of the last phrase is debated. For a discussion of the two options see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:423. Most modern commentaries and English versions see an allusion to the figure in Isa 38:12 where the reference is to the end of life compared to a tapestry which is suddenly cut off from the loom. Hence, NRSV renders the last line as “the thread of your life is cut” and TEV renders “its thread of life is cut.” That idea is accepted also in HALOT 141 s.v. בצע Qal.1.
[51:14] 1476 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For an explanation of this rendering see the study note on 2:19.
[51:14] 1477 tn Heb “has sworn by himself.” See the study note on 22:5 for background.
[51:14] 1478 tn Heb “I will fill you with men like locusts.” The “you” refers to Babylon (Babylon is both the city and the land it ruled, Babylonia) which has been alluded to in the preceding verses under descriptive titles. The words “your land” have been used because of the way the preceding verse has been rendered, alluding to people rather than to the land or city. The allusion of “men” is, of course, to enemy soldiers and they are here compared to locusts both for their quantity and their destructiveness (see Joel 1:4). For the use of the particles כִּי אִם (ki ’im) to introduce an oath see BDB 475 s.v. כִּי אִם 2.c and compare usage in 2 Kgs 5:20; one would normally expect אִם לֹא (cf. BDB 50 s.v. אִם 1.b[2]).
[51:15] 1479 tn The participle here is intended to be connected with “
[51:19] 1480 tn Heb “For he is the former of all [things] and the tribe of his inheritance.” This is the major exception to the verbatim repetition of 10:12-16 in 51:15-19. The word “Israel” appears before “the tribe of his inheritance” in 10:16. It is also found in a number of Hebrew
[51:19] 1481 sn With the major exception discussed in the translator’s note on the preceding line vv. 15-19 are a verbatim repetition of 10:12-16 with a few minor variations in spelling. There the passage was at the end of a section in which the
[51:20] 1482 tn Or “Media.” The referent is not identified in the text; the text merely says “you are my war club.” Commentators in general identify the referent as Babylon because Babylon has been referred to as a hammer in 50:23 and Babylon is referred to in v. 25 as a “destroying mountain” (compare v. 20d). However, S. R. Driver, Jeremiah, 317, n. c maintains that v. 24 speaks against this. It does seem a little inconsistent to render the vav consecutive perfect at the beginning of v. 24 as future while rendering those in vv. 20b-23 as customary past. However, change in person from second masculine singular (vv. 20b-23) to the second masculine plural in “before your very eyes” and its position at the end of the verse after “which they did in Zion” argue that a change in address occurs there. Driver has to ignore the change in person and take “before your eyes” with the verb “repay” at the beginning to maintain the kind of consistency he seeks. The vav (ו) consecutive imperfect can be used for either the customary past (GKC 335-36 §112.dd with cross reference back to GKC 331-32 §112.e) or the future (GKC 334 §112.x). Hence the present translation has followed the majority of commentaries (and English versions like TEV, NCV, CEV, NIrV) in understanding the referent as Babylon and v. 24 being a transition to vv. 25-26 (cf., e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 356-57, and J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 756-57). If the referent is understood as Media then the verbs in vv. 20-23 should all be translated as futures. See also the translator’s note on v. 24.
[51:20] 1483 tn This Hebrew word (מַפֵּץ, mappets) only occurs here in the Hebrew Bible, but its meaning is assured from the use of the verbs that follow which are from the same root (נָפַץ, nafats) and there is a cognate noun מַפָּץ (mappats) that occurs in Ezek 9:2 in the sense of weapon of “smashing.”
[51:20] 1484 tn Heb “I smash nations with you.” This same structure is repeated throughout the series in vv. 20c-23.
[51:21] 1485 tn Heb “horse and its rider.” However, the terms are meant as generic or collective singulars (cf. GKC 395 §123.b) and are thus translated by the plural. The same thing is true of all the terms in vv. 21-23b. The terms in vv. 20c-d, 23c are plural.
[51:23] 1486 tn These two words are Akkadian loan words into Hebrew which often occur in this pairing (cf. Ezek 23:6, 12, 23; Jer 51:23, 28, 57). BDB 688 s.v. סָגָן (sagan) gives “prefect, ruler” as the basic definition for the second term but neither works very well in a modern translation because “prefect” would be unknown to most readers and “ruler” would suggest someone along the lines of a king, which these officials were not. The present translation has chosen “leaders” by default, assuming there is no other term that would be any more appropriate in light of the defects noted in “prefect” and “ruler.”
[51:24] 1487 tn Or “Media, you are my war club…I will use you to smash…leaders. So before your very eyes I will repay…for all the wicked things they did in Zion.” For explanation see the translator’s note on v. 20. The position of the phrase “before your eyes” at the end of the verse after “which they did in Zion” and the change in person from second masculine singular in vv. 20b-23 (“I used you to smite”) to second masculine plural in “before your eyes” argue that a change in referent/addressee occurs in this verse. To maintain that the referent in vv. 20-23 is Media/Cyrus requires that this position and change in person be ignored; “before your eyes” then is attached to “I will repay.” The present translation follows J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 757) and F. B. Huey (Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 423) in seeing the referent as the Judeans who had witnessed the destruction of Zion/Jerusalem. The word “Judean” has been supplied for the sake of identifying the referent for the modern reader.
[51:24] 1488 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[51:25] 1489 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[51:25] 1490 tn The word “Babylon” is not in the text but is universally understood as the referent. It is supplied in the translation here to clarify the referent for the sake of the average reader.
[51:25] 1491 tn Heb “I will reach out my hand against you.” See the translator’s note on 6:12 for explanation.
[51:25] 1492 tn Heb “I am against you, oh destroying mountain that destroys all the earth. I will reach out my hand against you and roll you down from the cliffs and make you a mountain of burning.” The interpretation adopted here follows the lines suggested by S. R. Driver, Jeremiah, 318, n. c and reflected also in BDB 977 s.v. שְׂרֵפָה. Babylon is addressed as a destructive mountain because it is being compared to a volcano. The
[51:26] 1493 tn This is a fairly literal translation of the original which reads “No one will take from you a stone for a cornerstone nor a stone for foundations.” There is no unanimity of opinion in the commentaries, many feeling that the figure of the burned mountain continues and others feeling that the figure here shifts to a burned city whose stones are so burned that they are useless to be used in building. The latter is the interpretation adopted here (see, e.g., F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 423; W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:426; NCV).
[51:26] 1494 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[51:27] 1495 tn Heb “Raise up a standard on the earth. Blow a ram’s horn among the nations. Consecrate nations against her.” According to BDB 651 s.v. נֵס 1, the raising of a standard was a signal of a war – a summons to assemble and attack (see usage in Isa 5:26; 13:2; Jer 51:12). The “blowing of the ram’s horn” was also a signal to rally behind a leader and join in an attack (see Judg 3:27; 6:34). For the meaning of “consecrate nations against her” see the study note on 6:4. The usage of this phrase goes back to the concept of holy war where soldiers had to be consecrated for battle by the offering of a sacrifice. The phrase has probably lost its ritual usage in later times and become idiomatic for making necessary preparations for war.
[51:27] 1496 sn Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz are three kingdoms who were located in the Lake Van, Lake Urmia region which are now parts of eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. They were kingdoms which had been conquered and made vassal states by the Medes in the early sixth century. The Medes were the dominant country in this region from around 590
[51:27] 1497 tn The translation of this line is uncertain because it includes a word which only occurs here and in Nah 3:17 where it is found in parallelism with a word that is only used once and whose meaning in turn is uncertain. It is probably related to the Akkadian word tupsharru which refers to a scribe (Heb “a tablet writer”). The exact function of this official is disputed. KBL 356 s.v. טִפְסָר relates it to a “recruiting officer,” a sense which is reflected in NAB. The majority of modern English versions render “commander” or “marshal” following the suggestion of BDB 381 s.v. טִפְסָר. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 351) translate “recruiter (scribe)” but explain the function on p. 371 as that of recording the plunder captured in war. The rendering here follows that of TEV and God’s Word and is the nuance suggested by the majority of modern English versions who rendered “appoint a marshal/commander against it.”
[51:27] 1498 sn This is probably a poetic or shorthand way of referring to the cavalry and chariotry where horse is put for “rider” and “driver.”
[51:27] 1499 tn Heb “Bring up horses like bristly locusts.” The meaning of the Hebrew word “bristly” (סָמָר, samar) is uncertain because the word only occurs here. It is generally related to a verb meaning “to bristle” which occurs in Job 4:15 and Ps 119:120. Exactly what is meant by “bristly” in connection with “locust” is uncertain, though most relate it to a stage of the locust in which its wings are still encased in a rough, horny casing. J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 759) adds that this is when the locust is very destructive. However, no other commentary mentions this. Therefore the present translation omits the word because it is of uncertain meaning and significance. For a fuller discussion of the way the word has been rendered see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:427.
[51:28] 1500 tn See the first translator’s note on 51:27 and compare also 6:4 and the study note there.
[51:28] 1501 tn See the translator’s note at 51:23 for the rendering of the terms here.
[51:28] 1502 tc The Hebrew text has a confusing switch of possessive pronouns in this verse: “Consecrate the nations against her, the kings of the Medes, her governors and prefects, and all the land of his dominion.” This has led to a number of different resolutions. The LXX (the Greek version) renders the word “kings” as singular and levels all the pronouns to “his,” paraphrasing the final clause and combining it with “king of the Medes” to read “and of all the earth.” The Latin Vulgate levels them all to the third masculine plural, and this is followed by the present translation as well as a number of other modern English versions (NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, NCV). The ASV and NJPS understand the feminine to refer to Media, i.e., “her governors and all her prefects” and understand the masculine in the last line to be a distributive singular referring back to the lands each of the governors and prefects ruled over. This is probably correct but since governors and prefects refer to officials appointed over provinces and vassal states it amounts to much the same interpretation that the Latin Vulgate, the present translation, and other modern English versions have given.
[51:29] 1503 sn The figure here is common in the poetic tradition of the
[51:29] 1504 tn Heb “For the plans of the
[51:29] 1505 tn The verbs in this verse and v. 30 are all in the past tense in Hebrew, in the tense that views the action as already as good as done (the Hebrew prophetic perfect). The verb in v. 31a, however, is imperfect, viewing the action as future; the perfects that follow are all dependent on that future. Verse 33 looks forward to a time when Babylon will be harvested and trampled like grain on the threshing floor and the imperatives imply a time in the future. Hence the present translation has rendered all the verbs in vv. 29-30 as future.
[51:30] 1506 tn Heb “Their strength is dry.” This is a figurative nuance of the word “dry” which BDB 677 s.v. נָשַׁת Qal.1 explain as meaning “fails.” The idea of “strength to do battle” is implicit from the context and is supplied in the translation here for clarity.
[51:30] 1507 tn Heb “They have become women.” The metaphor has been turned into a simile and the significance of the comparison drawn out for the sake of clarity. See 50:37 for the same figure.
[51:30] 1508 tn Heb “Her dwelling places have been set on fire. Her bars [i.e., the bars on the gates of her cities] have been broken.” The present translation has substituted the word “gates” for “bars” because the intent of the figure is to show that the bars of the gates have been broken giving access to the city. “Gates” makes it easier for the modern reader to understand the figure.
[51:31] 1509 tn Heb “Runner will run to meet runner and…” The intent is to portray a relay of runners carrying the news that follows on in vv. 31d-33 to the king of Babylon. The present translation attempts to spell out the significance.
[51:31] 1510 tn Heb “Runner will run to meet runner and messenger to meet messenger to report to the king of Babylon that his city has been taken in [its] entirety.” There is general agreement among the commentaries that the first two lines refer to messengers converging on the king of Babylon from every direction bringing news the sum total of which is reported in the lines that follow. For the meaning of the last phrase see BDB 892 s.v. קָצֶה 3 and compare the usage in Gen 19:4 and Isa 56:11. The sentence has been broken down and restructured to better conform with contemporary English style.
[51:32] 1511 tn The words “They will report that” have been supplied in the translation to show the linkage between this verse and the previous one. This is still a part of the report of the messengers. The meaning of the word translated “reed marshes” has seemed inappropriate to some commentators because it elsewhere refers to “pools.” However, all the commentaries consulted agree that the word here refers to the reedy marshes that surrounded Babylon. (For a fuller discussion regarding the meaning of this word and attempts to connect it with a word meaning “fortress” see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:427.)
[51:33] 1512 sn Heb “Daughter Babylon.” See the study note at 50:42 for explanation.
[51:33] 1513 tn Heb “Daughter Babylon will be [or is; there is no verb and the tense has to be supplied from the context] like a threshing floor at the time one tramples it. Yet a little while and the time of the harvest will come for her.” It is generally agreed that there are two figures here: one of leveling the threshing floor and stamping it into a smooth, hard surface and the other of the harvest where the grain is cut, taken to the threshing floor, and threshed by trampling the sheaves of grain to loosen the grain from the straw, and finally winnowed by throwing the mixture into the air (cf., e.g., J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 760). The translation has sought to convey those ideas as clearly as possible without digressing too far from the literal.
[51:34] 1514 tn This verse is extremely difficult to translate because of the shifting imagery, the confusion over the meaning of one of the verbs, and the apparent inconsistency of the pronominal suffixes here with those in the following verse which everyone agrees is connected with it. The pronominal suffixes are first common plural but the versions all read them as first common singular which the Masoretes also do in the Qere. That reading has been followed here for consistency with the next verse which identifies the speaker as the person living in Zion and the personified city of Jerusalem. The Hebrew text reads: “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon devoured me [cf. 50:7, 17] and threw me into confusion. He set me down an empty dish. He swallowed me like a monster from the deep [cf. BDB 1072 s.v. תַּנִּין 3 and compare usage in Isa 27:1; Ezek 29:3; 32:2]. He filled his belly with my dainties. He rinsed me out [cf. BDB s.v. דּוּח Hiph.2 and compare the usage in Isa 4:4].” The verb “throw into confusion” has proved troublesome because its normal meaning does not seem appropriate. Hence various proposals have been made to understand it in a different sense. The present translation has followed W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:428) in understanding the verb to mean “disperse” or “route” (see NAB). The last line has seemed out of place and has often been emended to read “he has spewed me out” (so NIV, NRSV, a reading that presupposes הִדִּיחָנִי [hiddikhani] for הֱדִיחָנִי [hedikhani]). The reading of the MT is not inappropriate if it is combined with the imagery of an empty jar and hence is retained here (see F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 425, n. 59; H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 344; NJPS). The lines have been combined to keep the imagery together.
[51:35] 1515 tn Heb “‘The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,’ says the one living in Zion. ‘My blood be upon those living in Chaldea,’ says Jerusalem.” For the usage of the genitive here in the phrase “violence done to me and my relatives” see GKC 414 §128.a (a construct governing two objects) and IBHS 303 §16.4d (an objective genitive). For the nuance of “pay” in the sense of retribution see BDB 756 s.v. עַל 7.a(b) and compare the usage in Judg 9:24. For the use of שְׁאֵר (shÿ’er) in the sense of “relatives” see BDB 985 s.v. שְׁאֵר 2 and compare NJPS. For the use of “blood” in this idiom see BDB 197 s.v. דָּם 2.k and compare the usage in 2 Sam 4:11; Ezek 3:18, 20. The lines have been reversed for better English style.
[51:36] 1516 tn Heb “I will avenge your vengeance [= I will take vengeance for you; the phrase involves a verb and a cognate accusative].” The meaning of the phrase has been spelled out in more readily understandable terms.
[51:36] 1517 tn Heb “I will dry up her [Babylon’s] sea and make her fountain dry.” “Their” has been substituted for “her” because “Babylonians” has been inserted in the previous clause and is easier to understand than the personification of Babylon = “her.”
[51:37] 1518 tn Heb “a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals.” Compare 9:11.
[51:37] 1519 tn Heb “without an inhabitant.”
[51:38] 1520 tn Heb “They [the Babylonians] all roar like lions. They growl like the cubs of lions.” For the usage of יַחְדָו (yakhdav) meaning “all” see Isa 10:8; 18:6; 41:20. The translation strives to convey in clear terms what is the generally accepted meaning of the simile (cf., e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 358, and J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 762).
[51:39] 1521 tn Heb “When they are hot.”
[51:39] 1522 tc The translation follows the suggestion of KBL 707 s.v. עָלַז and a number of modern commentaries (e.g., Bright, J. A. Thompson, and W. L. Holladay) in reading יְעֻלְּפוּ (ye’ullÿfu) for יַעֲלֹזוּ (ya’alozu) in the sense of “swoon away” or “grow faint” (see KBL 710 s.v. עָלַף Pual). That appears to be the verb that the LXX (the Greek version) was reading when they translated καρωθῶσιν (karwqwsin, “they will be stupefied”). For parallel usage KBL cites Isa 51:20. This fits the context much better than “they will exult” in the Hebrew text.
[51:39] 1523 sn The central figure here is the figure of the cup of the
[51:39] 1524 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[51:40] 1525 tn Heb “I will bring them down like lambs to be slaughtered, like rams and he goats.”
[51:41] 1526 sn Heb “Sheshach.” For an explanation of the usage of this name for Babylon see the study note on Jer 25:26 and that on 51:1 for a similar phenomenon. Babylon is here called “the pride of the whole earth” because it was renowned for its size, its fortifications, and its beautiful buildings.
[51:41] 1527 tn Heb “How Sheshach has been captured, the pride of the whole earth has been seized! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!” For the usage of “How” here see the translator’s note on 50:23.
[51:42] 1528 tn For the meaning “multitude” here rather than “tumult” see BDB 242 s.v. הָמוֹן 3.c, where reference is made that this refers to a great throng of people under the figure of an overwhelming mass of waves. The word is used of a multitude of soldiers, or a vast army in 1 Sam 14:16; 1 Kgs 20:13, 18 (cf. BDB 242 s.v. הָמוֹן 3.a for further references).
[51:42] 1529 tn Heb “The sea has risen up over Babylon. She has been covered by the multitude of its waves.”
[51:43] 1530 tn Heb “Its towns have become a desolation, [it has become] a dry land and a desert, a land which no man passes through them [referring to “her towns”] and no son of man [= human being] passes through them.” Here the present translation has followed the suggestion of BHS and a number of the modern commentaries in deleting the second occurrence of the word “land,” in which case the words that follow are not a relative clause but independent statements. A number of modern English versions appear to ignore the third feminine plural suffixes which refer back to the cities and refer the statements that follow to the land.
[51:44] 1531 tn Heb “And I will punish Bel in Babylon…And the nations will not come streaming to him anymore. Yea, the walls of Babylon have fallen.” The verbs in the first two lines are vav consecutive perfects and the verb in the third line is an imperfect all looking at the future. That indicates that the perfect that follows and the perfects that precede are all prophetic perfects. The translation adopted seemed to be the best way to make the transition from the pasts which were adopted in conjunction with the taunting use of אֵיךְ (’ekh) in v. 41 to the futures in v. 44. For the usage of גַּם (gam) to indicate a climax, “yea” or “indeed” see BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 3. It seemed to be impossible to render the meaning of v. 44 in any comprehensible way, even in a paraphrase.
[51:45] 1532 tn Heb “Go out from her [Babylon’s] midst, my people. Save each man his life from the fierce anger of the
[51:47] 1533 tn Heb “That being so, look, days are approaching.” לָכֵן (lakhen) often introduces the effect of an action. That may be the case here, the turmoil outlined in v. 46 serving as the catalyst for the culminating divine judgment described in v. 47. Another possibility is that לָכֵן here has an asseverative force (“certainly”), as in Isa 26:14 and perhaps Jer 5:2 (see the note there). In this case the word almost has the force of “for, since,” because it presents a cause for an accompanying effect. See Judg 8:7 and the discussion of Isa 26:14 in BDB 486-87 s.v. כֵּן 3.d.
[51:47] 1534 tn Or “all her slain will fall in her midst.” In other words, her people will be overtaken by judgment and be unable to escape. The dead will lie in heaps in the very heart of the city and land.
[51:48] 1535 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[51:49] 1536 tn The infinitive construct is used here to indicate what is about to take place. See IBHS 610 §36.2.3g.
[51:49] 1537 tn Heb “the slain of Israel.” The words “because of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The preceding context makes it clear that Babylon would be judged for its atrocities against Israel (see especially 50:33-34; 51:10, 24, 35).
[51:49] 1538 tn The juxtaposition of גַם…גַם (gam...gam), often “both…and,” here indicates correspondence. See BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 4. Appropriately Babylon will fall slain just as her victims, including God’s covenant people, did.
[51:50] 1539 sn God’s exiled people are told to leave doomed Babylon (see v. 45).
[51:50] 1540 tn Heb “don’t stand.”
[51:50] 1541 tn Heb “let Jerusalem go up upon your heart.” The “heart” is often viewed as the seat of one’s mental faculties and thought life.
[51:51] 1542 sn The exiles lament the way they have been humiliated.
[51:51] 1543 tn Heb “we have heard an insult.”
[51:51] 1544 tn Heb “disgrace covers our face.”
[51:51] 1545 tn Or “holy places, sanctuaries.”
[51:52] 1546 tn Heb “that being so, look, days are approaching.” Here לָכֵן (lakhen) introduces the Lord’s response to the people’s lament (v. 51). It has the force of “yes, but” or “that may be true.” See Judg 11:8 and BDB 486-87 s.v. כֵּן 3.d.
[51:52] 1547 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[51:53] 1548 tn Or “ascends [into] heaven.” Note the use of the phrase in Deut 30:12; 2 Kgs 2:11; and Amos 9:2.
[51:53] 1549 tn Heb “and even if she fortifies her strong elevated place.”
[51:53] 1550 tn Heb “from me destroyers will go against her.”
[51:53] 1551 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[51:55] 1552 tn The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not entirely clear. It probably refers back to the “destroyers” mentioned in v. 53 as the agents of God’s judgment on Babylon.
[51:55] 1553 tn Or “mighty waters.”
[51:55] 1554 tn Heb “and the noise of their sound will be given,”
[51:56] 1555 tn Heb “for a destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon.”
[51:56] 1556 tn The Piel form (which would be intransitive here, see GKC 142 §52.k) should probably be emended to Qal.
[51:56] 1557 tn Or “God of retribution.”
[51:56] 1558 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. Another option is to translate, “he certainly pays one back.” The translation assumes that the imperfect verbal form here describes the
[51:57] 1559 sn For discussion of the terms “governors” and “leaders” see the note at Jer 51:23.
[51:57] 1560 sn See the note at Jer 51:39.
[51:57] 1561 tn For the title “Yahweh of armies” see the study note on Jer 2:19.
[51:58] 1562 sn See the note at Jer 2:19.
[51:58] 1563 tn The text has the plural “walls,” but many Hebrew
[51:58] 1564 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following finite verb. Another option is to translate, “will certainly be demolished.”
[51:58] 1565 tn Heb “for what is empty.”
[51:58] 1566 tn Heb “and the nations for fire, and they grow weary.”
[51:59] 1567 sn This would be 582
[51:59] 1568 tn Heb “an officer of rest.”
[51:60] 1570 tn Or “disaster”; or “calamity.”
[51:60] 1571 tn Heb “words” (or “things”).
[51:61] 1572 tn Heb “see [that].”
[51:61] 1573 tn Heb “words” (or “things”).
[51:63] 1574 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.
[51:64] 1575 tn Or “disaster”; or “calamity.”
[51:64] 1576 sn The final chapter of the book of Jeremiah does not mention Jeremiah or record any of his prophecies.
[1:15] 1577 tn Or “the nations that are at ease” (so ASV, NRSV). The Hebrew word in question is שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan) which has the idea of a careless, even arrogant attitude (see BDB 983 s.v. שַׁאֲנָן); cf. NAB “the complacent nations.” Here it suggests that the nations take for granted that God will never punish them just because he hasn't already done so. Thus they presume on the grace and patience of the Lord. The translation attempts to bring out this nuance rather than the more neutral renderings of TEV “nations that enjoy quiet and peace” or NLT “enjoy peace and security.”