Ezekiel 22:4

22:4 you are guilty because of the blood you shed and defiled by the idols you made. You have hastened the day of your doom; ¹  the end of your years has come. ²  Therefore I will make ³  you an object of scorn to the nations, an object to be mocked by all lands.

Leviticus 26:31-32

26:31 I will lay your cities waste ⁴  and make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will refuse to smell your soothing aromas. 26:32 I myself will make the land desolate and your enemies who live in it will be appalled.

Deuteronomy 28:37

28:37 You will become an occasion of horror, a proverb, and an object of ridicule to all the peoples to whom the Lord will drive you.

Deuteronomy 28:2

28:2 All these blessings will come to you in abundance ⁵  if you obey the Lord your God:

Deuteronomy 7:20-21

7:20 Furthermore, the Lord your God will release hornets ⁶  among them until the very last ones who hide from you ⁷  perish. 7:21 You must not tremble in their presence, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God.

Nehemiah 2:17

2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.”

Psalms 74:3-10

74:3 Hurry and look ⁸  at the permanent ruins,

and all the damage the enemy has done to the temple! ⁹ 

74:4 Your enemies roar ¹⁰  in the middle of your sanctuary; ¹¹ 

they set up their battle flags. ¹² 

74:5 They invade like lumberjacks

swinging their axes in a thick forest. ¹³ 

74:6 And now ¹⁴  they are tearing down ¹⁵  all its engravings ¹⁶ 

with axes ¹⁷  and crowbars. ¹⁸ 

74:7 They set your sanctuary on fire;

they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground. ¹⁹ 

74:8 They say to themselves, ²⁰ 

“We will oppress all of them.” ²¹ 

They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land. ²² 

74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence; ²³ 

there are no longer any prophets ²⁴ 

and we have no one to tell us how long this will last. ²⁵ 

74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?

Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?

Psalms 79:1-4

Psalm 79 ²⁶ 

A psalm of Asaph.

79:1 O God, foreigners ²⁷  have invaded your chosen land; ²⁸ 

they have polluted your holy temple

and turned Jerusalem ²⁹  into a heap of ruins.

79:2 They have given the corpses of your servants

to the birds of the sky; ³⁰ 

the flesh of your loyal followers

to the beasts of the earth.

79:3 They have made their blood flow like water

all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. ³¹ 

79:4 We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors;

those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. ³² 

Isaiah 64:10-11

64:10 Your chosen ³³  cities have become a desert;

Zion has become a desert,

Jerusalem ³⁴  is a desolate ruin.

64:11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy, ³⁵ 

the place where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire;

all our prized possessions have been destroyed. ³⁶ 

Jeremiah 19:8

19:8 I will make this city an object of horror, a thing to be hissed at. All who pass by it will be filled with horror and will hiss out their scorn ³⁷  because of all the disasters that have happened to it. ³⁸ 

Jeremiah 24:9-10

24:9 I will bring such disaster on them that all the kingdoms of the earth will be horrified. I will make them an object of reproach, a proverbial example of disaster. I will make them an object of ridicule, an example to be used in curses. ³⁹  That is how they will be remembered wherever I banish them. ⁴⁰  24:10 I will bring war, starvation, and disease ⁴¹  on them until they are completely destroyed from the land I gave them and their ancestors.’” ⁴² 

Jeremiah 42:18

42:18 For ⁴³  the Lord God of Israel who rules over all ⁴⁴  says, ‘If you go to Egypt, I will pour out my wrath on you just as I poured out my anger and wrath on the citizens of Jerusalem. ⁴⁵  You will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example of those who have been cursed and that people use in pronouncing a curse. ⁴⁶  You will never see this place again.’ ⁴⁷ 

Lamentations 1:4

ד (Dalet)

1:4 The roads to Zion ⁴⁸  mourn ⁴⁹ 

because no one ⁵⁰  travels to the festivals. ⁵¹ 

All her city gates ⁵²  are deserted; ⁵³ 

her priests groan. ⁵⁴ 

Her virgins grieve; ⁵⁵ 

she is in bitter anguish! ⁵⁶ 

Lamentations 1:8

ח (Khet)

1:8 Jerusalem committed terrible sin; ⁵⁷ 

therefore she became an object of scorn. ⁵⁸ 

All who admired ⁵⁹  her have despised her ⁶⁰ 

because they have seen her nakedness. ⁶¹ 

She groans aloud ⁶² 

and turns away in shame. ⁶³ 

Lamentations 2:15-17

ס (Samek)

2:15 All who passed by on the road

clapped their hands to mock you. ⁶⁴ 

They sneered and shook their heads

at Daughter Jerusalem.

“Ha! Is this the city they called ⁶⁵ 

‘The perfection of beauty, ⁶⁶ 

the source of joy of the whole earth!’?” ⁶⁷ 

פ (Pe)

2:16 All your enemies

gloated over you. ⁶⁸ 

They sneered and gnashed their teeth;

they said, “We have destroyed ⁶⁹  her!

Ha! We have waited a long time for this day.

We have lived to see it!” ⁷⁰ 

ע (Ayin)

2:17 The Lord has done what he planned;

he has fulfilled ⁷¹  his promise ⁷² 

that he threatened ⁷³  long ago: ⁷⁴ 

He has overthrown you without mercy ⁷⁵ 

and has enabled the enemy to gloat over you;

he has exalted your adversaries’ power. ⁷⁶ 

Lamentations 5:18

5:18 For wild animals ⁷⁷  are prowling over Mount Zion,

which lies desolate.

Micah 3:12

3:12 Therefore, because of you, ⁷⁸  Zion will be plowed up like ⁷⁹  a field,

Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,

and the Temple Mount ⁸⁰  will become a hill overgrown with brush! ⁸¹ 

[22:4]  ¹ tn Heb “you have brought near your days.” The expression “bring near your days” appears to be an adaptation of the idiom “days draw near,” which is used to indicate that an event, such as death, is imminent (see Gen 27:41; 47:29; Deut 31:14; 1 Kgs 2:1; Ezek 12:23). Here “your days” probably refers to the days of the personified city’s life, which was about to come to an end through God’s judgment.

[22:4]  ² tn Heb “and you have come to your years.” This appears to mean that she has arrived at the time when her years (i.e., life) would end, though it may mean that her years of punishment will begin. Because “day” and “time” are so closely associated in the immediate context (see 21:25, 29) some prefer to emend the text and read “you have brought near your time.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:31, as well as the translator’s note on verse 3.

[22:4]  ³ tn The Hebrew verb is a prophetic perfect, emphasizing that the action is as good as done from the speaker’s perspective.

[26:31]  ⁴ tn Heb “And I will give your cities a waste”; NLT “make your cities desolate.”

[28:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “come upon you and overtake you” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “come upon you and accompany you.”

[7:20]  ⁶ tn The meaning of the term translated “hornets” (צִרְעָה, tsir’ah) is debated. Various suggestions are “discouragement” (HALOT 1056-57 s.v.; cf. NEB, TEV, CEV “panic”; NCV “terror”) and “leprosy” (J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy [JPSTC], 360, n. 33; cf. NRSV “the pestilence”), as well as “hornet” (BDB 864 s.v.; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). The latter seems most suitable to the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “send”; cf. Exod 23:28; Josh 24:12).

[7:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “the remnant and those who hide themselves.”

[74:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “lift up your steps to,” which may mean “run, hurry.”

[74:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “everything [the] enemy has damaged in the holy place.”

[74:4]  ¹⁰ tn This verb is often used of a lion’s roar, so the psalmist may be comparing the enemy to a raging, devouring lion.

[74:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your meeting place.”

[74:4]  ¹² tn Heb “they set up their banners [as] banners.” The Hebrew noun אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) here refers to the enemy army’s battle flags and banners (see Num 2:12).

[74:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “it is known like one bringing upwards, in a thicket of wood, axes.” The Babylonian invaders destroyed the woodwork in the temple.

[74:6]  ¹⁴ tn This is the reading of the Qere (marginal reading). The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and a time.”

[74:6]  ¹⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form vividly describes the act as underway.

[74:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “its engravings together.”

[74:6]  ¹⁷ tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49-50).

[74:6]  ¹⁸ tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. An Akkadian cognate refers to a “pickaxe” (cf. NEB “hatchet and pick”; NIV “axes and hatchets”; NRSV “hatchets and hammers”).

[74:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name.”

[74:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “in their heart.”

[74:8]  ²¹ tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).

[74:8]  ²² tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”

[74:9]  ²³ tn Heb “our signs we do not see.” Because of the reference to a prophet in the next line, it is likely that the “signs” in view here include the evidence of God’s presence as typically revealed through the prophets. These could include miraculous acts performed by the prophets (see, for example, Isa 38:7-8) or object lessons which they acted out (see, for example, Isa 20:3).

[74:9]  ²⁴ tn Heb “there is not still a prophet.”

[74:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and [there is] not with us one who knows how long.”

[79:1]  ²⁶ sn Psalm 79. The author laments how the invading nations have destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem. He asks God to forgive his people and to pour out his vengeance on those who have mistreated them.

[79:1]  ²⁷ tn Or “nations.”

[79:1]  ²⁸ tn Heb “have come into your inheritance.”

[79:1]  ²⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[79:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “[as] food for the birds of the sky.”

[79:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem, and there is no one burying.”

[79:4]  ³² tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.” See Ps 44:13.

[64:10]  ³³ tn Heb “holy” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT); NIV “sacred.”

[64:10]  ³⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[64:11]  ³⁵ tn Heb “our source of pride.”

[64:11]  ³⁶ tn Or “all that we valued has become a ruin.”

[19:8]  ³⁷ sn See 18:16 and the study note there.

[19:8]  ³⁸ tn Heb “all its smitings.” This word has been used several times for the metaphorical “wounds” that Israel has suffered as a result of the blows from its enemies. See, e.g., 14:17. It is used in the Hebrew Bible of scourging, both literally and metaphorically (cf. Deut 25:3; Isa 10:26), and of slaughter and defeat (1 Sam 4:10; Josh 10:20). Here it refers to the results of the crushing blows at the hands of her enemies which has made her the object of scorn.

[24:9]  ³⁹ tn Or “an object of reproach in peoples’ proverbs…an object of ridicule in people’s curses.” The alternate translation treats the two pairs which are introduced without vavs (ו) but are joined by vavs as examples of hendiadys. This is very possible here but the chain does not contain this pairing in 25:18; 29:18.

[24:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “I will make them for a terror for disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, for a reproach and for a proverb, for a taunt and a curse in all the places which I banish them there.” The complex Hebrew sentence has been broken down into equivalent shorter sentences to conform more with contemporary English style.

[24:10]  ⁴¹ sn See Jer 14:12 and the study note there.

[24:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “fathers.”

[42:18]  ⁴³ tn Or “Indeed.”

[42:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” See the study note on 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title.

[42:18]  ⁴⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[42:18]  ⁴⁶ tn See the study note on 24:9 and the usage in 29:22 for the meaning and significance of this last phrase.

[42:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “land.” The reference is, of course, to the land of Judah.

[1:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “roads of Zion.” The noun צִיּוֹן (tsiyyon, Zion) is a genitive of direction (termination) following the construct noun, meaning “roads to Zion.”

[1:4]  ⁴⁹ tn The adjective אֲבֵּלּוֹת (’avelot, “mourning”) functions as a predicate of state.

[1:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “from lack of.” The construction מִבְּלִי (mibbÿli) is composed of the preposition מִן (min) functioning in a causal sense (BDB 580 s.v. מִן 2.f) and the adverb of negation בְּלִי (bÿli) to denote the negative cause: “from want of” or “without” (HALOT 133 s.v. בְּלִי 4; BDB 115 s.v. בְּלִי 2.c) (Num 14:16; Deut 9:28; 28:55; Eccl 3:11; Isa 5:13; Jer 2:15; 9:11; Hos 4:6; Ezek 34:5).

[1:4]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “those coming of feast.” The construct chain בָּאֵי מוֹעֵד (ba’e mo’ed) consists of (1) the substantival plural construct participle בָּאֵי (ba’e, “those who come”) and (2) the collective singular genitive of purpose מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, “for the feasts”).

[1:4]  ⁵² tc The MT reads שְׁעָרֶיהָ (shÿ’areha, “her gates”). The BHS editors suggest revocalizing the text to the participle שֹׁעֲרֶיהָ (sho’areha, “her gate-keepers”) from שֹׁעֵר (sho’er, “porter”; BDB 1045 s.v. שֹׁעֵר). The revocalization creates tight parallelism: “her gate-keepers”//“her priests,” but ruins the chiasm: (A) her gate-keepers, (B) her priests, (B’) her virgins, (A’) the city itself.

[1:4]  ⁵³ tn The verb שָׁמֵם (shamem) normally means “to be desolated; to be appalled,” but when used in reference to land, it means “deserted” (Isa 49:8; Ezek 33:28; 35:12, 15; 36:4) (BDB 1030 s.v. 1).

[1:4]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “groan” or “sigh.” The verb אָנַח (’anakh) is an expression of grief (Prov 29:2; Isa 24:7; Lam 1:4, 8; Ezek 9:4; 21:11). BDB 58 s.v. 1 suggests that it means “sigh” but HALOT 70-71 s.v. prefers “groan” here.

[1:4]  ⁵⁵ tc The MT reads נּוּגוֹת (nugot, “are grieved”), Niphal participle feminine plural from יָגָה (yagah, “to grieve”). The LXX ἀγόμεναι (agomenai) reflects נָהוּגוֹת (nahugot, “are led away”), Qal passive participle feminine plural from נָהַג (nahag, “to lead away into exile”), also reflected in Aquila and Symmachus. The MT reading is an unusual form (see translator’s note below) and best explains the origin of the LXX which is a more common root. It would be difficult to explain the origin of the MT reading if the LXX reflects the original. Therefore, the MT is probably the original reading.

[1:4]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and she is bitter to herself,” that is, “sick inside” (2 Kgs 4:27)

[1:8]  ⁵⁷ tc The MT reads חֵטְא (khet’, “sin”), but the BHS editors suggest the vocalization חָטֹא (khato’, “sin”), Qal infinitive absolute.

[1:8]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “she has become an object of head-nodding” (לְנִידָה הָיָתָה, lÿniydah hayatah). This reflects the ancient Near Eastern custom of shaking the head in scorn (e.g., Jer 18:16; Ps 44:15 [HT 14]), hence the translation “object of scorn.” There is debate whether נִידָה (nidah) means (1) “object of head-shaking” from נוּד (nud, “to shake,” BDB 626-27 s.v. נוּד); (2) “unclean thing” from נָדַה (nadah, “to be impure”); or (3) “wanderer” from נָדַד (nadad, “to wander,” BDB 622 s.v. I נָדַד). The LXX and Rashi connected it to נָדַד (nadad, “to wander”); however, several important early Greek recensions (Aquila and Symmachus) and Syriac translated it as “unclean thing.” The modern English versions are split: (1) “unclean thing” (NASB); “unclean” (NIV); (2) “a mockery” (NRSV).

[1:8]  ⁵⁹ sn The Piel participle of כָּבֵד (kaved) is infrequent and usually translated formulaically as those who honor someone. The feminine nuance may be best represented as “her admirers have despised her.”

[1:8]  ⁶⁰ tn The verb הִזִּילוּהָ (hizziluha) is generally understood as a rare form of Hiphil perfect 3rd person common plural + 3rd person feminine singular suffix from I זָלַל (zalal, “to despise”): “they despise her.” This follows the I nun (ן) pattern with daghesh (dot) in zayin (ז) rather than the expected geminate pattern הִזִילּוּהָ (hizilluha) with daghesh in lamed (ל) (GKC 178-79 §67.l).

[1:8]  ⁶¹ sn The expression have seen her nakedness is a common metaphor to describe the plunder and looting of a city by a conquering army, probably drawn on the ignominious and heinous custom of raping the women of a conquered city as well.

[1:8]  ⁶² tn Heb “groan” or “sigh.” The verb אָנַח (’anakh, appearing only in Niphal) means “sigh” (BDB 58 s.v. 1) or “groan” (HALOT 70-71 s.v.) as an expression of grief (Prov 29:2; Isa 24:7; Lam 1:4, 8; Ezek 9:4; 21:11). The word גַּם (gam) is usually a particle meaning “also,” but has been shown from Ugaritic to have the meaning “aloud.” See T. McDaniel, “Philological Studies in Lamentations, I-II,” Bib 49 (1968): 31-32.

[1:8]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and turns backward.”

[2:15]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “clap their hands at you.” Clapping hands at someone was an expression of malicious glee, derision and mockery (Num 24:10; Job 27:23; Lam 2:15).

[2:15]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “of which they said.”

[2:15]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “perfection of beauty.” The noun יֹפִי (yofi, “beauty”) functions as a genitive of respect in relation to the preceding construct noun: Jerusalem was perfect in respect to its physical beauty.

[2:15]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “the joy of all the earth.” This is similar to statements found in Pss 48:2 and 50:2.

[2:16]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “they have opened wide their mouth against you.”

[2:16]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “We have swallowed!”

[2:16]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “We have attained, we have seen!” The verbs מָצָאנוּ רָאִינוּ (matsa’nu ra’inu) form a verbal hendiadys in which the first retains its full verbal sense and the second functions as an object complement. It forms a Hebrew idiom that means something like, “We have lived to see it!” The three asyndetic 1st person common plural statements in 2:16 (“We waited, we destroyed, we saw!”) are spoken in an impassioned, staccato style reflecting the delight of the conquerors.

[2:17]  ⁷¹ tn The verb בָּצַע (batsa’) has a broad range of meanings: (1) “to cut off, break off,” (2) “to injure” a person, (3) “to gain by violence,” (4) “to finish, complete” and (5) “to accomplish, fulfill” a promise.

[2:17]  ⁷² tn Heb “His word.” When used in collocation with the verb בָּצַע (batsa’, “to fulfill,” see previous tn), the accusative noun אִמְרָה (’imrah) means “promise.”

[2:17]  ⁷³ tn Heb “commanded” or “decreed.” If a reference to prophetic oracles is understood, then “decreed” is preferable. If understood as a reference to the warnings in the covenant, then “threatened” is a preferable rendering.

[2:17]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “from days of old.”

[2:17]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “He has overthrown and has not shown mercy.” The two verbs חָרַס וְלֹא חָמָל (kharas vÿlo’ khamal) form a verbal hendiadys in which the first retains its verbal sense and the second functions adverbially: “He has overthrown you without mercy.” וְלֹא חָמָל (vÿlo’ khamal) alludes to 2:2.

[2:17]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.” The term “horn” (קֶרֶן, qeren) normally refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Israel. This term is often used figuratively as a symbol of strength, usually in reference to the military might of an army (Deut 33:17; 1 Sam 2:1, 10; 2 Sam 22:3; Pss 18:3; 75:11; 89:18, 25; 92:11; 112:9; 1 Chr 25:5; Jer 48:25; Lam 2:3; Ezek 29:21), just as warriors are sometimes figuratively described as “bulls.” To lift up the horn often means to boast and to lift up someone else’s horn is to give victory or cause to boast.

[5:18]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “jackals.” The term “jackals” is a synecdoche of species (= jackals) for general (= wild animals).

[3:12]  ⁷⁸ tn The plural pronoun refers to the leaders, priests, and prophets mentioned in the preceding verse.

[3:12]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “into” (an adverbial accusative of result).

[3:12]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “the mountain of the house” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[3:12]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “a high place of overgrowth.”