Deuteronomy 31:16-17

31:16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You are about to die, ¹  and then these people will begin to prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land into which they ²  are going. They ³  will reject ⁴  me and break my covenant that I have made with them. ⁵  31:17 At that time ⁶  my anger will erupt against them ⁷  and I will abandon them and hide my face from them until they are devoured. Many disasters and distresses will overcome ⁸  them ⁹  so that they ¹⁰  will say at that time, ‘Have not these disasters ¹¹  overcome us ¹²  because our ¹³  God is not among us ¹⁴ ?’

Deuteronomy 31:29

31:29 For I know that after I die you will totally ¹⁵  corrupt yourselves and turn away from the path I have commanded you to walk. Disaster will confront you in the days to come because you will act wickedly ¹⁶  before the Lord, inciting him to anger because of your actions.” ¹⁷ 

Deuteronomy 32:15-52

Israel’s Rebellion

32:15 But Jeshurun ¹⁸  became fat and kicked,

you ¹⁹  got fat, thick, and stuffed!

Then he deserted the God who made him,

and treated the Rock who saved him with contempt.

32:16 They made him jealous with other gods, ²⁰ 

they enraged him with abhorrent idols. ²¹ 

32:17 They sacrificed to demons, not God,

to gods they had not known;

to new gods who had recently come along,

gods your ancestors ²²  had not known about.

32:18 You have forgotten ²³  the Rock who fathered you,

and put out of mind the God who gave you birth.

A Word of Judgment

32:19 But the Lord took note and despised them

because his sons and daughters enraged him.

32:20 He said, “I will reject them, ²⁴ 

I will see what will happen to them;

for they are a perverse generation,

children ²⁵  who show no loyalty.

32:21 They have made me jealous ²⁶  with false gods, ²⁷ 

enraging me with their worthless gods; ²⁸ 

so I will make them jealous with a people they do not recognize, ²⁹ 

with a nation slow to learn ³⁰  I will enrage them.

32:22 For a fire has been kindled by my anger,

and it burns to lowest Sheol; ³¹ 

it consumes the earth and its produce,

and ignites the foundations of the mountains.

32:23 I will increase their ³²  disasters,

I will use up my arrows on them.

32:24 They will be starved by famine,

eaten by plague, and bitterly stung; ³³ 

I will send the teeth of wild animals against them,

along with the poison of creatures that crawl in the dust.

32:25 The sword will make people childless outside,

and terror will do so inside;

they will destroy ³⁴  both the young man and the virgin,

the infant and the gray-haired man.

The Weakness of Other Gods

32:26 “I said, ‘I want to cut them in pieces. ³⁵ 

I want to make people forget they ever existed.

32:27 But I fear the reaction ³⁶  of their enemies,

for ³⁷  their adversaries would misunderstand

and say, “Our power is great, ³⁸ 

and the Lord has not done all this!”’

32:28 They are a nation devoid of wisdom,

and there is no understanding among them.

32:29 I wish that they were wise and could understand this,

and that they could comprehend what will happen to them.”

32:30 How can one man chase a thousand of them, ³⁹ 

and two pursue ten thousand;

unless their Rock had delivered them up, ⁴⁰ 

and the Lord had handed them over?

32:31 For our enemies’ ⁴¹  rock is not like our Rock,

as even our enemies concede.

32:32 For their vine is from the stock ⁴²  of Sodom,

and from the fields of Gomorrah. ⁴³ 

Their grapes contain venom,

their clusters of grapes are bitter.

32:33 Their wine is snakes’ poison,

the deadly venom of cobras.

32:34 “Is this not stored up with me?” says the Lord, ⁴⁴ 

“Is it not sealed up in my storehouses?

32:35 I will get revenge and pay them back

at the time their foot slips;

for the day of their disaster is near,

and the impending judgment ⁴⁵  is rushing upon them!”

32:36 The Lord will judge his people,

and will change his plans concerning ⁴⁶  his servants;

when he sees that their power has disappeared,

and that no one is left, whether confined or set free.

32:37 He will say, “Where are their gods,

the rock in whom they sought security,

32:38 who ate the best of their sacrifices,

and drank the wine of their drink offerings?

Let them rise and help you;

let them be your refuge!

The Vindication of the Lord

32:39 “See now that I, indeed I, am he!” says the Lord, ⁴⁷ 

“and there is no other god besides me.

I kill and give life,

I smash and I heal,

and none can resist ⁴⁸  my power.

32:40 For I raise up my hand to heaven,

and say, ‘As surely as I live forever,

32:41 I will sharpen my lightning-like sword,

and my hand will grasp hold of the weapon of judgment; ⁴⁹ 

I will execute vengeance on my foes,

and repay those who hate me! ⁵⁰ 

32:42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,

and my sword will devour flesh –

the blood of the slaughtered and captured,

the chief ⁵¹  of the enemy’s leaders!’”

32:43 Cry out, O nations, with his people,

for he will avenge his servants’ blood;

he will take vengeance against his enemies,

and make atonement for his land and people.

Narrative Interlude

32:44 Then Moses went with Joshua ⁵²  son of Nun and recited all the words of this song to the people. 32:45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel 32:46 he said to them, “Keep in mind all the words I am solemnly proclaiming to you today; you must command your children to observe carefully all the words of this law. 32:47 For this is no idle word for you – it is your life! By this word you will live a long time in the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”

Instructions about Moses’ Death

32:48 Then the Lord said to Moses that same day, 32:49 “Go up to this Abarim ⁵³  hill country, to Mount Nebo (which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho ⁵⁴ ) and look at the land of Canaan that I am giving to the Israelites as a possession. 32:50 You will die ⁵⁵  on the mountain that you ascend and join your deceased ancestors, ⁵⁶  just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor ⁵⁷  and joined his deceased ancestors, 32:51 for both of you ⁵⁸  rebelled against me among the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the desert of Zin when you did not show me proper respect ⁵⁹  among the Israelites. 32:52 You will see the land before you, but you will not enter the land that I am giving to the Israelites.”

Joshua 23:16

23:16 If you violate the covenantal laws of the Lord your God which he commanded you to keep, ⁶⁰  and follow, worship, and bow down to other gods, ⁶¹  the Lord will be very angry with you and you will disappear ⁶²  quickly from the good land which he gave to you.”

Jude 1:14-17

1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, ⁶³  even prophesied of them, ⁶⁴  saying, “Look! The Lord is coming ⁶⁵  with thousands and thousands ⁶⁶  of his holy ones, 1:15 to execute judgment on ⁶⁷  all, and to convict every person ⁶⁸  of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds ⁶⁹  that they have committed, ⁷⁰  and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ⁷¹  1:16 These people are grumblers and ⁷²  fault-finders who go ⁷³  wherever their desires lead them, ⁷⁴  and they give bombastic speeches, ⁷⁵  enchanting folks ⁷⁶  for their own gain. ⁷⁷ 

Exhortation to the Faithful

1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions ⁷⁸  foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷⁹ 

Jude 1:2

1:2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! ⁸⁰ 

Jude 1:14-16

1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, ⁸¹  even prophesied of them, ⁸²  saying, “Look! The Lord is coming ⁸³  with thousands and thousands ⁸⁴  of his holy ones, 1:15 to execute judgment on ⁸⁵  all, and to convict every person ⁸⁶  of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds ⁸⁷  that they have committed, ⁸⁸  and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ⁸⁹  1:16 These people are grumblers and ⁹⁰  fault-finders who go ⁹¹  wherever their desires lead them, ⁹²  and they give bombastic speeches, ⁹³  enchanting folks ⁹⁴  for their own gain. ⁹⁵ 

Nehemiah 9:26

9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. ⁹⁶  They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.

Psalms 106:35-41

106:35 They mixed in with the nations

and learned their ways. ⁹⁷ 

106:36 They worshiped ⁹⁸  their idols,

which became a snare to them. ⁹⁹ 

106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ¹⁰⁰ 

106:38 They shed innocent blood –

the blood of their sons and daughters,

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.

The land was polluted by bloodshed. ¹⁰¹ 

106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,

and unfaithful in their actions. ¹⁰² 

106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people ¹⁰³ 

and despised the people who belong to him. ¹⁰⁴ 

106:41 He handed them over to ¹⁰⁵  the nations,

and those who hated them ruled over them.

Ezekiel 23:2-16

23:2 “Son of man, there were two women who were daughters of the same mother. 23:3 They engaged in prostitution in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution. Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers ¹⁰⁶  fondled their virgin nipples there. 23:4 Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah ¹⁰⁷  the name of her younger sister. They became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. ¹⁰⁸  Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

23:5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was mine. ¹⁰⁹  She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians ¹¹⁰  – warriors ¹¹¹  23:6 clothed in blue, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 23:7 She bestowed her sexual favors on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired ¹¹²  – with all their idols. 23:8 She did not abandon the prostitution she had practiced in Egypt; for in her youth men had sex with her, fondled her virgin breasts, and ravished her. ¹¹³  23:9 Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians ¹¹⁴  for whom she lusted. 23:10 They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became notorious ¹¹⁵  among women, and they executed judgments against her.

23:11 “Her sister Oholibah watched this, ¹¹⁶  but she became more corrupt in her lust than her sister had been, and her acts of prostitution were more numerous than those of her sister. 23:12 She lusted after the Assyrians – governors and officials, warriors in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 23:13 I saw that she was defiled; both of them followed the same path. 23:14 But she increased her prostitution. She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red, ¹¹⁷  23:15 wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, the image of Babylonians ¹¹⁸  whose native land is Chaldea. 23:16 When she saw them, ¹¹⁹  she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. ¹²⁰ 

Hosea 4:1-3

The Lord’s Covenant Lawsuit against the Nation Israel

4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites! ¹²¹ 

For the Lord has a covenant lawsuit ¹²²  against the people of Israel. ¹²³ 

For there is neither faithfulness nor loyalty in the land,

nor do they acknowledge God. ¹²⁴ 

4:2 There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery.

They resort to violence and bloodshed. ¹²⁵ 

4:3 Therefore the land will mourn,

and all its inhabitants will perish. ¹²⁶ 

The wild animals, ¹²⁷  the birds of the sky,

and even the fish in the sea will perish.

Hosea 8:5-14

8:5 O Samaria, he has rejected your calf idol!

My anger burns against them!

They will not survive much longer without being punished, ¹²⁸ 

even though they are Israelites!

8:6 That idol was made by a workman – it is not God!

The calf idol of Samaria will be broken to bits.

The Fertility Cultists Will Become Infertile

8:7 They sow the wind,

and so they will reap the whirlwind!

The stalk does not have any standing grain;

it will not produce any flour.

Even if it were to yield grain,

foreigners would swallow it all up.

8:8 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations;

they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.

The Willful Donkey and the Wanton Harlot

8:9 They have gone up to Assyria,

like a wild donkey that wanders off.

Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers. ¹²⁹ 

8:10 Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, ¹³⁰ 

I will soon gather them together for judgment. ¹³¹ 

Then ¹³²  they will begin to waste away

under the oppression of a mighty king. ¹³³ 

Sacrifices Ineffective without Moral Obedience

8:11 Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings,

these have become altars for sinning!

8:12 I spelled out my law for him in great detail,

but they regard it as something totally unknown ¹³⁴  to them!

8:13 They offer up sacrificial gifts to me,

and eat the meat,

but the Lord does not accept their sacrifices. ¹³⁵ 

Soon he will remember their wrongdoing,

he will punish their sins,

and they will return to Egypt.

8:14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces,

and Judah has built many fortified cities.

But I will send fire on their cities;

it will consume their royal citadels.

[31:16]  ¹ tn Heb “lie down with your fathers” (so NASB); NRSV “ancestors.”

[31:16]  ² tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they,” which is necessary in any case in the translation because of contemporary English style. The third person singular also occurs in the Hebrew text twice more in this verse, three times in v. 17, once in v. 18, five times in v. 20, and four times in v. 21. Each time it is translated as third person plural for stylistic reasons.

[31:16]  ³ tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

[31:16]  ⁴ tn Or “abandon” (TEV, NLT).

[31:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

[31:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “on that day.” This same expression also appears later in the verse and in v. 18.

[31:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

[31:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “find,” “encounter.”

[31:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

[31:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

[31:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “evils.”

[31:17]  ¹² tn Heb “me.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “us,” which is necessary in any case in the translation because of contemporary English style.

[31:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “my.”

[31:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “me.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “us,” which is necessary in any case in the translation because of contemporary English style.

[31:29]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “totally.”

[31:29]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “do the evil.”

[31:29]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the work of your hands.”

[32:15]  ¹⁸ tn To make the continuity of the referent clear, some English versions substitute “Jacob” here (NAB, NRSV) while others replace “Jeshurun” with “Israel” (NCV, CEV, NLT) or “the Lord’s people” (TEV).

[32:15]  ¹⁹ tc The LXX reads the third person masculine singular (“he”) for the MT second person masculine singular (“you”), but such alterations are unnecessary in Hebrew poetic texts where subjects fluctuate frequently and without warning.

[32:16]  ²⁰ tc Heb “with strange (things).” The Vulgate actually supplies diis (“gods”).

[32:16]  ²¹ tn Heb “abhorrent (things)” (cf. NRSV). A number of English versions understand this as referring to “idols” (NAB, NIV, NCV, CEV), while NLT supplies “acts.”

[32:17]  ²² tn Heb “your fathers.”

[32:18]  ²³ tc The Hebrew text is corrupt here; the translation follows the suggestion offered in HALOT 1477 s.v. שׁיה. Cf. NASB, NLT “You neglected”; NIV “You deserted”; NRSV “You were unmindful of.”

[32:20]  ²⁴ tn Heb “I will hide my face from them.”

[32:20]  ²⁵ tn Heb “sons” (so NAB, NASB); TEV “unfaithful people.”

[32:21]  ²⁶ sn They have made me jealous. The “jealousy” of God is not a spirit of pettiness prompted by his insecurity, but righteous indignation caused by the disloyalty of his people to his covenant grace (see note on the word “God” in Deut 4:24). The jealousy of Israel, however (see next line), will be envy because of God’s lavish attention to another nation. This is an ironic wordplay. See H. Peels, NIDOTTE 3:938-39.

[32:21]  ²⁷ tn Heb “what is not a god,” or a “nondeity.”

[32:21]  ²⁸ tn Heb “their empty (things).” The Hebrew term used here to refer pejoratively to the false gods is הֶבֶל (hevel, “futile” or “futility”), used frequently in Ecclesiastes (e.g., Eccl 1:1, “Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher, “Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”).

[32:21]  ²⁹ tn Heb “what is not a people,” or a “nonpeople.” The “nonpeople” (לֹא־עָם, lo’-’am) referred to here are Gentiles who someday would become God’s people in the fullest sense (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:23).

[32:21]  ³⁰ tn Heb “a foolish nation” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “a nation that has no understanding”; NLT “I will provoke their fury by blessing the foolish Gentiles.”

[32:22]  ³¹ tn Or “to the lowest depths of the earth”; cf. NAB “to the depths of the nether world”; NIV “to the realm of death below”; NLT “to the depths of the grave.”

[32:23]  ³² tn Heb “upon them.”

[32:24]  ³³ tn The Hebrew term קֶטֶב (qetev) is probably metaphorical here for the sting of a disease (HALOT 1091-92 s.v.).

[32:25]  ³⁴ tn A verb is omitted here in the Hebrew text; for purposes of English style one suitable to the context is supplied.

[32:26]  ³⁵ tc The LXX reads “I said I would scatter them.” This reading is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., KJV, ASV, NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT, CEV).

[32:27]  ³⁶ tn Heb “anger.”

[32:27]  ³⁷ tn Heb “lest.”

[32:27]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Our hand is high.” Cf. NAB “Our own hand won the victory.”

[32:30]  ³⁹ tn The words “man” and “of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “sold them” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[32:31]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “their,” but the referent (enemies) is specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[32:32]  ⁴² tn Heb “vine.”

[32:32]  ⁴³ sn Sodom…Gomorrah. The term “vine” is a reference to the pagan deities which, the passage says, find their ultimate source in Sodom and Gomorrah, that is, in the soil of perversion exemplified by these places (cf. Gen 18:20; 19:4-28; Isa 1:10; 3:9; Jer 23:14; Lam 4:6; Ezek 16:44-52; Matt 10:15; 11:23-24).

[32:34]  ⁴⁴ tn Verses 34-35 appear to be a quotation of the Lord and so the introductory phrase “says the Lord” is supplied in the translation.

[32:35]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “prepared things,” “impending things.” See BDB 800 s.v. עָתִיד.

[32:36]  ⁴⁶ tn The translation understands the verb in the sense of “be grieved, relent” (cf. HALOT 689 s.v. נחם hitp 2); cf. KJV, ASV “repent himself”; NLT “will change his mind.” Another option is to translate “will show compassion to” (see BDB 637 s.v. נחם); cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV.

[32:39]  ⁴⁷ tn Verses 39-42 appear to be a quotation of the Lord and so the introductory phrase “says the Lord” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[32:39]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “deliver from” (so NRSV, NLT).

[32:41]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “judgment.” This is a metonymy, a figure of speech in which the effect (judgment) is employed as an instrument (sword, spear, or the like), the means, by which it is brought about.

[32:41]  ⁵⁰ tn The Hebrew term שָׂנֵא (sane’, “hate”) in this covenant context speaks of those who reject Yahweh’s covenant overtures, that is, who disobey its stipulations (see note on the word “rejecting” in Deut 5:9; also see Deut 7:10; 2 Chr 19:2; Ps 81:15; 139:20-21).

[32:42]  ⁵¹ tn Or “head” (the same Hebrew word can mean “head” in the sense of “leader, chieftain” or “head” in the sense of body part).

[32:44]  ⁵² tn Heb “Hoshea” (so KJV, ASV), another name for the same individual (cf. Num 13:8, 16).

[32:49]  ⁵³ sn Abarim. This refers to the high plateau region of the Transjordan, the highest elevation of which is Mount Pisgah (or Nebo; cf. Deut 34:1). See also the note on the name “Pisgah” in Deut 3:17.

[32:49]  ⁵⁴ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[32:50]  ⁵⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the forms translated “you will die…and join” are imperatives, but the actions in view cannot really be commanded. The imperative is used here in a rhetorical, emphatic manner to indicate the certainty of Moses’ death on the mountain. On the rhetorical use of the imperative see IBHS 572 §34.4c.

[32:50]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “be gathered to your people.” The same phrase occurs again later in this verse.

[32:50]  ⁵⁷ sn Mount Hor. See note on the name “Moserah” in Deut 10:6.

[32:51]  ⁵⁸ tn The use of the plural (“you”) in the Hebrew text suggests that Moses and Aaron are both in view here, since both had rebelled at some time or other, if not at Meribah Kadesh then elsewhere (cf. Num 20:24; 27:14).

[32:51]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “did not esteem me holy.” Cf. NIV “did not uphold my holiness”; NLT “failed to demonstrate my holiness.”

[23:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “when you violate the covenant of the Lord your God which he commanded you.”

[23:16]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and you walk and serve other gods and bow down to them.”

[23:16]  ⁶² tn Or “perish.”

[1:14]  ⁶³ tn Grk “the seventh from Adam.”

[1:14]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις (toutois) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).

[1:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.

[1:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “ten thousands.” The word μυριάς (muria"), from which the English myriad is derived, means “ten thousand.” In the plural it means “ten thousands.” This would mean, minimally, 20,000 (a multiple of ten thousand). At the same time, the term was often used in apocalyptic literature to represent simply a rather large number, without any attempt to be specific.

[1:15]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).

[1:15]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “soul.”

[1:15]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.

[1:15]  ⁷⁰ tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebew) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.

[1:15]  ⁷¹ sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.

[1:16]  ⁷² tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

[1:16]  ⁷³ tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

[1:16]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

[1:16]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

[1:16]  ⁷⁶ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

[1:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “to their own advantage.”

[1:17]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.

[1:17]  ⁷⁹ sn This verse parallels 2 Pet 3:2 both conceptually and in much of the verbiage. There is one important difference, however: In 2 Pet 3:2 the prophets and apostles speak; here, just the apostles speak. This makes good sense if Jude is using 2 Peter as his main source and is urging his readers to go back to the authoritative writings, both OT and now especially NT.

[1:2]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”

[1:14]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “the seventh from Adam.”

[1:14]  ⁸² tn Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις (toutois) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).

[1:14]  ⁸³ tn Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.

[1:14]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “ten thousands.” The word μυριάς (muria"), from which the English myriad is derived, means “ten thousand.” In the plural it means “ten thousands.” This would mean, minimally, 20,000 (a multiple of ten thousand). At the same time, the term was often used in apocalyptic literature to represent simply a rather large number, without any attempt to be specific.

[1:15]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).

[1:15]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “soul.”

[1:15]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.

[1:15]  ⁸⁸ tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebew) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.

[1:15]  ⁸⁹ sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.

[1:16]  ⁹⁰ tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

[1:16]  ⁹¹ tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

[1:16]  ⁹² tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

[1:16]  ⁹³ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

[1:16]  ⁹⁴ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

[1:16]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “to their own advantage.”

[9:26]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”

[106:35]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “their deeds.”

[106:36]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “served.”

[106:36]  ⁹⁹ sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.

[106:37]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.

[106:38]  ¹⁰¹ sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.

[106:39]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).

[106:40]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against his people.”

[106:40]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “his inheritance.”

[106:41]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”

[23:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn In the Hebrew text the subject is left unstated and must be supplied from the context.

[23:4]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The names Oholah and Oholibah are both derived from the word meaning “tent.” The meaning of Oholah is “her tent,” while Oholibah means “my tent is in her.”

[23:4]  ¹⁰⁸ sn In this allegory the Lord is depicted as being the husband of two wives. The OT law prohibited a man from marrying sisters (Lev 18:18), but the practice is attested in the OT (cf. Jacob). The metaphor is utilized here for illustrative purposes and does not mean that the Lord condoned such a practice or bigamy in general.

[23:5]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “while she was under me.” The expression indicates that Oholah is viewed as the Lord’s wife. See Num 5:19-20, 29.

[23:5]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “Assyria.”

[23:5]  ¹¹¹ tn The term apparently refers to Assyrian military officers; it is better construed with the description that follows. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:738.

[23:7]  ¹¹² tn Heb “lusted after.”

[23:8]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and poured out their harlotry on her.”

[23:9]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the sons of Assyria.”

[23:10]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “name.”

[23:11]  ¹¹⁶ tn The word “this” is not in the original text.

[23:14]  ¹¹⁷ tn The only other occurrence of the Hebrew term is in Jer 22:14.

[23:15]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “the sons of Babel.”

[23:16]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “at the appearance of her eyes.”

[23:16]  ¹²⁰ sn The Chaldeans were prominent tribal groups of Babylonia. The imagery is reminiscent of events in the reigns of Hezekiah (2 Kgs 20:12-15) and Jehoiakim (2 Kgs 23:34-24:1).

[4:1]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “sons of Israel” (so NASB); KJV “children of Israel”; NAB, NRSV “people of Israel.”

[4:1]  ¹²² tn The noun רִיב (riv, “dispute, lawsuit”) is used in two contexts: (1) nonlegal contexts: (a) “dispute” between individuals (e.g., Gen 13:7; Isa 58:1; Jer 15:10) or (b) “brawl; quarrel” between people (e.g., Exod 17:7; Deut 25:1); and (2) legal contexts: (a) “lawsuit; legal process” (e.g., Exod 23:3-6; Deut 19:17; 21:5; Ezek 44:24; Ps 35:23), (b) “lawsuit; legal case” (e.g., Deut 1:12; 17:8; Prov 18:17; 25:9), and (c) God’s “lawsuit” on behalf of a person or against his own people (Hos 4:1; 12:3; Mic 6:2; HALOT 1225-26 s.v. רִיב). The term in Hosea refers to a covenant lawsuit in which Yahweh the suzerain lodges a legal case against his disobedient vassal, accusing Israel and Judah of breach of covenant which will elicit the covenant curses.

[4:1]  ¹²³ tn Heb “with the inhabitants of the land” (so KJV); NAB, NASB, NRSV “against the inhabitants of the land.”

[4:1]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “there is no truthfulness nor loyalty nor knowledge of God in the land.” Here “knowledge of God” refers to recognition of his authority and obedience to his will.

[4:2]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “they break out and bloodshed touches bloodshed.” The Hebrew term פָּרַץ (parats, “to break out”) refers to violent and wicked actions (BDB 829 s.v. פָּרַץ 7; HALOT 972 s.v. פרץ 6.c). It is used elsewhere in a concrete sense to describe breaking through physical barriers. Here it is used figuratively to describe breaking moral barriers and restraints (cf. TEV “Crimes increase, and there is one murder after another”).

[4:3]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “languish” (so KJV, NRSV); NIV “waste away.”

[4:3]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “the beasts of the field” (so NAB, NIV).

[8:5]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “How long will they be able to be free from punishment?” This rhetorical question affirms that Israel will not survive much longer until God punishes it.

[8:9]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “has hired herself out to lovers”; cf. NIV “has sold herself to lovers.”

[8:10]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “they have hired themselves out to lovers”; cf. NASB “they hire allies among the nations.”

[8:10]  ¹³¹ tn The Piel stem of קָבַץ (qavats) is often used in a positive sense, meaning “to regather” a dispersed people (HALOT 1063 s.v. קבץ 3.a; BDB 868 s.v. קָבַץ 1.α). However, in Hosea 8:10 it is used in a negative sense, meaning “to assemble (people) for judgment” (e.g., Ezek 20:34; Hos 9:6; HALOT 1063 s.v. 3.e.i). Cf. JPS “I will hold them fast” (in judgment, see the parallel in 9:6).

[8:10]  ¹³² tn The vav consecutive + preterite וַיָּחֵלּוּ (vayyakhellu, Hiphil preterite 3rd person common plural from חָלַל, khalal, “to begin”]) denotes temporal subordination to the preceding clause: “then…” (so NLT); cf. TEV, CEV “Soon.”

[8:10]  ¹³³ tn Heb “a king of princes” (cf. KJV, NASB); TEV “the emperor of Assyria.”

[8:12]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “foreign” or “alien”; NASB, NRSV “as a strange thing.”

[8:13]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “does not accept them”; the referent (their sacrifices) has been specified in the translation for clarity.