Ezekiel 28:24

28:24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers ¹  or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. ²  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 28:26

28:26 They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely ³  when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”

Ezekiel 29:6

29:6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord

because they were a reed staff ⁴  for the house of Israel;

Ezekiel 29:9

29:9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Because he said, “The Nile is mine and I made it,”

Ezekiel 29:16

29:16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. ⁵  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’”

Psalms 58:11

58:11 Then ⁶  observers ⁷  will say,

“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! ⁸ 

Yes indeed, there is a God who judges ⁹  in the earth!”

[28:24]  ¹ sn Similar language is used in reference to Israel’s adversaries in Num 33:55; Josh 23:13.

[28:24]  ² tn Heb “and there will not be for the house of Israel a brier that pricks and a thorn that inflicts pain from all the ones who surround them, the ones who scorn them.”

[28:26]  ³ sn This promise was given in Lev 25:18-19.

[29:6]  ⁴ sn Compare Isa 36:6.

[29:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”

[58:11]  ⁶ tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.

[58:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.

[58:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”

[58:11]  ⁹ tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.