Discovery BoxGenesis 44:1-34
Context44:1 He instructed the servant who was over his household, “Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 44:2 Then put 1 my cup – the silver cup – in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph instructed. 2
44:3 When morning came, 3 the men and their donkeys were sent off. 4 44:4 They had not gone very far from the city 5 when Joseph said 6 to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once! 7 When you overtake 8 them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 44:5 Doesn’t my master drink from this cup 9 and use it for divination? 10 You have done wrong!’” 11
44:6 When the man 12 overtook them, he spoke these words to them. 44:7 They answered him, “Why does my lord say such things? 13 Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 14 44:8 Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 44:9 If one of us has it, 15 he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves!”
44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! 16 The one who has it will become my slave, 17 but the rest of 18 you will go free.” 19 44:11 So each man quickly lowered 20 his sack to the ground and opened it. 44:12 Then the man 21 searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 44:13 They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
44:14 So Judah and his brothers 22 came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, 23 and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 44:15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? 24 Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?” 25
44:16 Judah replied, “What can we say 26 to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? 27 God has exposed the sin of your servants! 28 We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”
44:17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of 29 you may go back 30 to your father in peace.”
44:18 Then Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. 31 Please do not get angry with your servant, 32 for you are just like Pharaoh. 33 44:19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 44:20 We said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old. 34 The boy’s 35 brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, 36 and his father loves him.’
44:21 “Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see 37 him.’ 38 44:22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father 39 will die.’ 40 44:23 But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 44:24 When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
44:25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 44:26 But we replied, ‘We cannot go down there. 41 If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, 42 for we won’t be permitted to see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.’
44:27 “Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave me two sons. 43 44:28 The first disappeared 44 and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since. 44:29 If you take 45 this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair 46 in tragedy 47 to the grave.’ 48
44:30 “So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us – his very life is bound up in his son’s life. 49 44:31 When he sees the boy is not with us, 50 he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. 44:32 Indeed, 51 your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.’
44:33 “So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers. 44:34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see 52 my father’s pain.” 53
Genesis 18:31
Context18:31 Abraham 54 said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
Genesis 24:7
Context24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 55 promised me with a solemn oath, 56 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 57 before you so that you may find 58 a wife for my son from there.
Genesis 24:26
Context24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord,
Genesis 3:15
Context3:15 And I will put hostility 59 between you and the woman
and between your offspring and her offspring; 60
her offspring will attack 61 your head,
and 62 you 63 will attack her offspring’s heel.” 64
Psalms 22:1-31
ContextFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 66 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 67
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 68
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 69
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 70
22:4 In you our ancestors 71 trusted;
they trusted in you 72 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 73
22:6 But I 74 am a worm, 75 not a man; 76
people insult me and despise me. 77
22:7 All who see me taunt 78 me;
they mock me 79 and shake their heads. 80
“Commit yourself 82 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 83 rescue him!
Let the Lord 84 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 85
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 86 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 87
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 88
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 89
22:12 Many bulls 90 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 91 hem me in.
22:13 They 92 open their mouths to devour me 93
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 94
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 95
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 96 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 97 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 98
You 99 set me in the dust of death. 100
22:16 Yes, 101 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 102
22:17 I can count 103 all my bones;
my enemies 104 are gloating over me in triumph. 105
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 106 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 107 Hurry and help me! 108
22:20 Deliver me 109 from the sword!
Save 110 my life 111 from the claws 112 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 113
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 114
You have answered me! 115
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 116
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 117 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 118
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 119 of the oppressed; 120
he did not ignore him; 121
when he cried out to him, he responded. 122
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 123 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 124
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 125
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 126 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 127
Let all the nations 128 worship you! 129
22:28 For the Lord is king 130
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 131 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 132
all those who are descending into the grave 133 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 134
22:30 A whole generation 135 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 136
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 137
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 138
Psalms 69:1-36
ContextFor the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 140 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 141
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 142
I am in 143 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 144
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 145
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 146 outnumber me. 147
They make me repay what I did not steal! 148
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 149
my guilt is not hidden from you. 150
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 151
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 152 humiliation for your sake 153
and am thoroughly disgraced. 154
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 155
69:9 Certainly 156 zeal for 157 your house 158 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 159
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 160
which causes others to insult me. 161
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 162
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 163
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 164
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 165
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 166 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 167 devour me! 168
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 169
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 170 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 171
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 172
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 173
69:20 Their insults are painful 174 and make me lose heart; 175
I look 176 for sympathy, but receive none, 177
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 178 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 179
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 180
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 181
Make them shake violently! 182
69:24 Pour out your judgment 183 on them!
May your raging anger 184 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 185
69:26 For they harass 186 the one whom you discipline; 187
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 188
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 189
Do not vindicate them! 190
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 191
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 192
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 193
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 194
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 195
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 196 may you be encouraged! 197
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 198
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 199 will again live in them and possess Zion. 200
69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him 201 will live in it. 202
Isaiah 53:1-12
Context53:1 Who would have believed 203 what we 204 just heard? 205
When 206 was the Lord’s power 207 revealed through him?
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 208
like a root out of parched soil; 209
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 210
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 211
53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, 212
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him; 213
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 214
53:4 But he lifted up our illnesses,
he carried our pain; 215
even though we thought he was being punished,
attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 216
53:5 He was wounded because of 217 our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well; 218
because of his wounds we have been healed. 219
53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 220
53:7 He was treated harshly and afflicted, 221
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth. 222
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 223 –
but who even cared? 224
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 225
because of the rebellion of his own 226 people he was wounded.
53:9 They intended to bury him with criminals, 227
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, 228
because 229 he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
53:10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made, 230
he will see descendants and enjoy long life, 231
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 232
“My servant 233 will acquit many, 234
for he carried their sins. 235
53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, 236
he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, 237
because he willingly submitted 238 to death
and was numbered with the rebels,
when he lifted up the sin of many
and intervened 239 on behalf of the rebels.”
Daniel 9:26
Context9:26 Now after the sixty-two weeks,
an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. 240
As for the city and the sanctuary,
the people of the coming prince will destroy 241 them.
But his end will come speedily 242 like a flood. 243
Until the end of the war that has been decreed
there will be destruction.
Zechariah 13:7
Context13:7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,”
says the Lord who rules over all.
Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered; 244
I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.
Matthew 16:21
Context16:21 From that time on 245 Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem 246 and suffer 247 many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, 248 and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
Matthew 17:12
Context17:12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In 249 the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”
Matthew 17:22
Context17:22 When 250 they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 251
Mark 8:31
Context8:31 Then 252 Jesus 253 began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer 254 many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, 255 and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 9:31
Context9:31 for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. 256 They 257 will kill him, 258 and after three days he will rise.” 259
Mark 10:33-34
Context10:33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. 260 They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. 10:34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog 261 him severely, and kill him. Yet 262 after three days, 263 he will rise again.”
Acts 4:25-28
Context4:25 who said by the Holy Spirit through 264 your servant David our forefather, 265
‘Why do the nations 266 rage, 267
and the peoples plot foolish 268 things?
4:26 The kings of the earth stood together, 269
and the rulers assembled together,
against the Lord and against his 270 Christ.’ 271
4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against 272 your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 273 4:28 to do as much as your power 274 and your plan 275 had decided beforehand 276 would happen.
Acts 13:27-29
Context13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize 277 him, 278 and they fulfilled the sayings 279 of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning 280 him. 281 13:28 Though 282 they found 283 no basis 284 for a death sentence, 285 they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished 286 everything that was written 287 about him, they took him down 288 from the cross 289 and placed him 290 in a tomb.
Acts 13:1
Context13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: 291 Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, 292 Lucius the Cyrenian, 293 Manaen (a close friend of Herod 294 the tetrarch 295 from childhood 296 ) and Saul.
Colossians 1:4
Context1:4 since 297 we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.
Colossians 1:1
Context1:1 From Paul, 298 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
Colossians 1:11
Context1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of 299 all patience and steadfastness, joyfully
[44:2] 1 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express Joseph’s instructions.
[44:2] 2 tn Heb “and he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.”
[44:3] 3 tn Heb “the morning was light.”
[44:3] 4 tn Heb “and the men were sent off, they and their donkeys.” This clause, like the preceding one, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.
[44:4] 5 tn Heb “they left the city, they were not far,” meaning “they had not gone very far.”
[44:4] 6 tn Heb “and Joseph said.” This clause, like the first one in the verse, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.
[44:4] 7 tn Heb “arise, chase after the men.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
[44:4] 8 tn After the imperative this perfect verbal form with vav consecutive has the same nuance of instruction. In the translation it is subordinated to the verbal form that follows (also a perfect with vav consecutive): “and overtake them and say,” becomes “when you overtake them, say.”
[44:5] 9 tn Heb “Is this not what my master drinks from.” The word “cup” is not in the Hebrew text, but is obviously the referent of “this,” and so has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[44:5] 10 tn Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.
[44:5] 11 tn Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”
[44:6] 12 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[44:7] 13 tn Heb “Why does my lord speak according to these words?”
[44:7] 14 tn Heb “according to this thing.”
[44:9] 15 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found from your servants.” Here “your servants” (a deferential way of referring to the brothers themselves) has been translated by the pronoun “us” to avoid confusion with Joseph’s servants.
[44:10] 16 tn Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.
[44:10] 17 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”
[44:10] 18 tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[44:10] 19 tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.
[44:11] 20 tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.
[44:12] 21 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[44:14] 22 sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.
[44:14] 23 tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.
[44:15] 24 tn Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”
[44:15] 25 tn Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.
[44:16] 26 tn The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.
[44:16] 27 tn The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”
[44:16] 28 sn God has exposed the sin of your servants. The first three questions are rhetorical; Judah is stating that there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He therefore must conclude that they have been found guilty.
[44:17] 29 tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[44:17] 30 tn Heb “up” (reflecting directions from their point of view – “up” to Canaan; “down” to Egypt).
[44:18] 31 tn Heb “Please my lord, let your servant speak a word into the ears of my lord.”
[44:18] 32 tn Heb “and let not your anger burn against your servant.”
[44:18] 33 sn You are just like Pharaoh. Judah’s speech begins with the fear and trembling of one who stands condemned. Joseph has as much power as Pharaoh, either to condemn or to pardon. Judah will make his appeal, wording his speech in such a way as to appeal to Joseph’s compassion for the father, whom he mentions no less than fourteen times in the speech.
[44:20] 34 tn Heb “and a small boy of old age,” meaning that he was born when his father was elderly.
[44:20] 35 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the boy just mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[44:20] 36 tn Heb “he, only he, to his mother is left.”
[44:21] 37 tn The cohortative after the imperative indicates purpose here.
[44:21] 38 tn Heb “that I may set my eyes upon him.”
[44:22] 39 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the boy’s father, i.e., Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[44:22] 40 tn The last two verbs are perfect tenses with vav consecutive. The first is subordinated to the second as a conditional clause.
[44:26] 41 tn The direct object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but is implied; “there” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[44:27] 43 tn Heb “that two sons my wife bore to me.”
[44:28] 44 tn Heb “went forth from me.”
[44:29] 45 tn The construction uses a perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive to introduce the conditional clause and then another perfect verbal form with a vav consecutive to complete the sentence: “if you take…then you will bring down.”
[44:29] 46 sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble. See Gen 42:38.
[44:29] 47 tn Heb “evil/calamity.” The term is different than the one used in the otherwise identical statement recorded in v. 31 (see also 42:38).
[44:29] 48 tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.
[44:30] 49 tn Heb “his life is bound up in his life.”
[44:31] 50 tn Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”
[44:34] 52 tn The Hebrew text has “lest I see,” which expresses a negative purpose – “I cannot go up lest I see.”
[44:34] 53 tn Heb “the calamity which would find my father.”
[18:31] 54 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:7] 55 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
[24:7] 56 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
[24:7] 57 tn Or “his messenger.”
[24:7] 58 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
[3:15] 59 tn The Hebrew word translated “hostility” is derived from the root אֵיב (’ev, “to be hostile, to be an adversary [or enemy]”). The curse announces that there will be continuing hostility between the serpent and the woman. The serpent will now live in a “battle zone,” as it were.
[3:15] 60 sn The Hebrew word translated “offspring” is a collective singular. The text anticipates the ongoing struggle between human beings (the woman’s offspring) and deadly poisonous snakes (the serpent’s offspring). An ancient Jewish interpretation of the passage states: “He made the serpent, cause of the deceit, press the earth with belly and flank, having bitterly driven him out. He aroused a dire enmity between them. The one guards his head to save it, the other his heel, for death is at hand in the proximity of men and malignant poisonous snakes.” See Sib. Or. 1:59-64. For a similar interpretation see Josephus, Ant. 1.1.4 (1.50-51).
[3:15] 61 tn Heb “he will attack [or “bruise”] you [on] the head.” The singular pronoun and verb agree grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “head” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A crushing blow to the head would be potentially fatal.
[3:15] 62 tn Or “but you will…”; or “as they attack your head, you will attack their heel.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is understood as contrastive. Both clauses place the subject before the verb, a construction that is sometimes used to indicate synchronic action (see Judg 15:14).
[3:15] 63 sn You will attack her offspring’s heel. Though the conflict will actually involve the serpent’s offspring (snakes) and the woman’s offspring (human beings), v. 15b for rhetorical effect depicts the conflict as being between the serpent and the woman’s offspring, as if the serpent will outlive the woman. The statement is personalized for the sake of the addressee (the serpent) and reflects the ancient Semitic concept of corporate solidarity, which emphasizes the close relationship between a progenitor and his offspring. Note Gen 28:14, where the
[3:15] 64 tn Heb “you will attack him [on] the heel.” The verb (translated “attack”) is repeated here, a fact that is obscured by some translations (e.g., NIV “crush…strike”). The singular pronoun agrees grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “heel” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A bite on the heel from a poisonous serpent is potentially fatal.
[22:1] 65 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 66 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 67 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 68 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 69 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 70 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 72 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 73 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 74 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 75 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 76 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 77 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 78 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 79 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 80 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 81 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 82 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 83 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 84 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 85 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:9] 86 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 87 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 88 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:11] 89 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 90 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 91 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 92 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 93 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 94 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 95 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 96 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 97 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 98 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 99 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 100 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 102 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 103 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 104 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 105 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 106 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 107 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 108 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 110 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 111 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 112 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 113 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 114 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 115 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 116 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 117 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:23] 118 tn Heb “fear him.”
[22:24] 119 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 120 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 121 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 123 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 124 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 125 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 126 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 127 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 128 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 129 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 130 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 131 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 132 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 133 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 134 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 135 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 136 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 137 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 138 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[69:1] 139 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 140 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 141 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 142 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 143 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 144 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 145 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 146 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 147 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 148 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:5] 149 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 150 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 151 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 152 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 153 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 154 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 155 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 156 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 157 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 158 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 159 tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
[69:10] 160 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 161 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 162 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 163 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 164 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 165 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 166 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 167 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 168 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 169 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 170 tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[69:18] 172 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 173 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 174 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 175 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 177 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 178 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 179 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 180 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 181 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 182 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 183 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 184 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971), 17-81.
[69:25] 185 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:26] 186 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 187 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 188 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:27] 189 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 190 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 191 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] 192 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:29] 193 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 194 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 195 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 196 sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).
[69:32] 197 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 198 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 199 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 200 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:36] 201 tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[69:36] 202 sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.
[53:1] 203 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
[53:1] 204 sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
[53:1] 205 tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
[53:1] 206 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[53:1] 207 tn Heb “the arm of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the Lord as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
[53:2] 208 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
[53:2] 209 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
[53:2] 210 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:2] 211 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:3] 212 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
[53:3] 213 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
[53:3] 214 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
[53:4] 215 sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
[53:4] 216 tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
[53:5] 217 tn The preposition מִן (min) has a causal sense (translated “because of”) here and in the following clause.
[53:5] 218 tn Heb “the punishment of our peace [was] on him.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
[53:5] 219 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
[53:6] 220 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
[53:7] 221 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
[53:7] 222 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
[53:8] 223 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
[53:8] 224 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
[53:8] 225 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
[53:8] 226 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
[53:9] 227 tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
[53:9] 228 tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bÿmotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (’ashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (’ase ra’, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (sÿ’irim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (’ashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
[53:9] 229 tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (’al) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”
[53:10] 230 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.”
[53:10] 231 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
[53:11] 232 tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
[53:11] 233 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
[53:11] 234 tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.
[53:11] 235 tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
[53:12] 236 tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).
[53:12] 237 sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
[53:12] 238 tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”
[53:12] 239 tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.
[9:26] 240 sn The expression have nothing is difficult. Presumably it refers to an absence of support or assistance for the anointed one at the time of his “cutting off.” The KJV rendering “but not for himself,” apparently suggesting a vicarious death, cannot be defended.
[9:26] 241 tc Some witnesses (e.g., the Syriac) understand a passive verb and the preposition עִם (’im, “with) rather than the noun עַם (’am, “people”), thus reading “the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed with the coming prince.”
[9:26] 242 tn The words “will come speedily” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
[9:26] 243 sn Flood here is a metaphor for sudden destruction.
[13:7] 244 sn Despite the NT use of this text to speak of the scattering of the disciples following Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27), the immediate context of Zechariah suggests that unfaithful shepherds (kings) will be punished by the
[16:21] 245 tn Grk “From then.”
[16:21] 246 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[16:21] 247 sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
[16:21] 248 tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[17:12] 249 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[17:22] 250 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[17:22] 251 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is considered by some to be used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NRSV “into human hands”; TEV, CEV “to people”). However, because this can be taken as a specific reference to the group responsible for Jesus’ arrest, where it is unlikely women were present (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), the word “men” has been retained in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” earlier in the verse.
[8:31] 252 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[8:31] 253 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:31] 254 sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis, since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
[8:31] 255 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
[9:31] 256 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is considered by some to be used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NRSV, “into human hands”; CEV, “to people”). However, because this can be taken as a specific reference to the group responsible for Jesus’ arrest, where it is unlikely women were present (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), the word “men” has been retained in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” earlier in the verse.
[9:31] 257 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[9:31] 258 tn Grk “They will kill him, and being killed, after…” The redundancy in the statement has been removed in the translation.
[9:31] 259 sn They will kill him and after three days he will rise. See the note at the end of Mark 8:30 regarding the passion predictions.
[10:33] 260 tn Or “chief priests and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
[10:34] 261 tn Traditionally, “scourge him” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “The ‘verberatio’ is denoted in the passion predictions and explicitly as action by non-Israelites Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33”; the verberatio was the beating given to those condemned to death in the Roman judicial system. Here the term μαστιγόω (mastigow) has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.
[10:34] 262 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[10:34] 263 tc Most
[4:25] 264 tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).
[4:25] 265 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
[4:25] 267 sn The Greek word translated rage includes not only anger but opposition, both verbal and nonverbal. See L&N 88.185.
[4:25] 268 tn Or “futile”; traditionally, “vain.”
[4:26] 269 tn Traditionally, “The kings of the earth took their stand.”
[4:26] 270 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[4:26] 271 sn A quotation from Ps 2:1-2.
[4:27] 272 sn The application of Ps 2:1-2 is that Jews and Gentiles are opposing Jesus. The surprise of the application is that Jews are now found among the enemies of God’s plan.
[4:27] 273 sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”
[4:28] 274 tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.
[4:28] 275 tn Or “purpose,” “will.”
[4:28] 276 tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.
[13:27] 277 tn BDAG 12-13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b gives “not to know w. acc. of pers.” as the meaning here, but “recognize” is a better translation in this context because recognition of the true identity of the one they condemned is the issue. See Acts 2:22-24; 4:26-28.
[13:27] 278 tn Grk “this one.”
[13:27] 279 tn Usually φωνή (fwnh) means “voice,” but BDAG 1071-72 s.v. φωνή 2.c has “Also of sayings in scripture…Ac 13:27.”
[13:27] 280 tn The participle κρίναντες (krinante") is instrumental here.
[13:27] 281 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[13:28] 282 tn Grk “And though.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[13:28] 283 tn The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
[13:28] 284 sn No basis. Luke insists on Jesus’ innocence again and again in Luke 23:1-25.
[13:28] 285 tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.
[13:29] 286 tn Or “carried out.”
[13:29] 287 sn That is, everything that was written in OT scripture.
[13:29] 288 tn Grk “taking him down from the cross, they placed him.” The participle καθελόντες (kaqelonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[13:29] 289 tn Grk “tree,” but frequently figurative for a cross. The allusion is to Deut 21:23. See Acts 5:30; 10:39.
[13:29] 290 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[13:1] 291 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).
[13:1] 292 sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”
[13:1] 293 sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.
[13:1] 294 sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4
[13:1] 295 tn Or “the governor.”
[13:1] 296 tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”
[1:4] 297 tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).
[1:1] 298 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
[1:11] 299 tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.
