Genesis 20:7

20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ¹  he is a prophet ²  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ³  But if you don’t give her back, ⁴  know that you will surely die ⁵  along with all who belong to you.”

Genesis 20:17

20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.

Exodus 32:10-14

32:10 So now, leave me alone ⁶  so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

32:11 But Moses sought the favor ⁷  of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 32:12 Why ⁸  should the Egyptians say, ⁹  ‘For evil ¹⁰  he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy ¹¹  them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger, and relent ¹²  of this evil against your people. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants ¹³  like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about ¹⁴  I will give to your descendants, ¹⁵  and they will inherit it forever.’” 32:14 Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.

Exodus 32:31-32

32:31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, ¹⁶  and they have made for themselves gods of gold. 32:32 But now, if you will forgive their sin…, ¹⁷  but if not, wipe me out ¹⁸  from your book that you have written.” ¹⁹ 

Exodus 34:9

34:9 and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord ²⁰  go among us, for we ²¹  are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

Numbers 12:13

12:13 Then Moses cried to the Lord, “Heal her now, O God.” ²² 

Numbers 14:11-21

The Punishment from God

14:11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise ²³  me, and how long will they not believe ²⁴  in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them? 14:12 I will strike them with the pestilence, ²⁵  and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!”

14:13 Moses said to the Lord, “When the Egyptians hear ²⁶  it – for you brought up this people by your power from among them – 14:14 then they will tell it to the inhabitants ²⁷  of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, ²⁸  that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night. 14:15 If you kill ²⁹  this entire people at once, ³⁰  then the nations that have heard of your fame will say, 14:16 ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.’ 14:17 So now, let the power of my Lord ³¹  be great, just as you have said, 14:18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, ³²  forgiving iniquity and transgression, ³³  but by no means clearing ³⁴  the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’ ³⁵  14:19 Please forgive ³⁶  the iniquity of this people according to your great loyal love, ³⁷  just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.”

14:20 Then the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked. ³⁸  14:21 But truly, as I live, ³⁹  all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 9:18-20

9:18 Then I again fell down before the Lord for forty days and nights; I ate and drank nothing because of all the sin you had committed, doing such evil before the Lord as to enrage him. 9:19 For I was terrified at the Lord’s intense anger ⁴⁰  that threatened to destroy you. But he ⁴¹  listened to me this time as well. 9:20 The Lord was also angry enough at Aaron to kill him, but at that time I prayed for him ⁴²  too.

Deuteronomy 9:2

9:2 They include the Anakites, ⁴³  a numerous ⁴⁴  and tall people whom you know about and of whom it is said, “Who is able to resist the Anakites?”

Deuteronomy 30:18-20

30:18 I declare to you this very day that you will certainly ⁴⁵  perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. ⁴⁶  30:19 Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live! 30:20 I also call on you ⁴⁷  to love the Lord your God, to obey him and be loyal to him, for he gives you life and enables you to live continually ⁴⁸  in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Job 42:7-9

VII. The Epilogue (42:7-17)

42:7 After the Lord had spoken these things to Job, he ⁴⁹  said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is stirred up ⁵⁰  against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right, ⁵¹  as my servant Job has. 42:8 So now take ⁵²  seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will intercede ⁵³  for you, and I will respect him, ⁵⁴  so that I do not deal with you ⁵⁵  according to your folly, ⁵⁶  because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has.” ⁵⁷ 

42:9 So they went, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and did just as the Lord had told them; and the Lord had respect for Job. ⁵⁸ 

Psalms 106:23

106:23 He threatened ⁵⁹  to destroy them,

but ⁶⁰  Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him ⁶¹ 

and turned back his destructive anger. ⁶² 

Ezekiel 22:30

22:30 “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. ⁶³ 

Amos 7:1-3

Symbolic Visions of Judgment

7:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw ⁶⁴  him making locusts just as the crops planted late ⁶⁵  were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest. ⁶⁶ ) 7:2 When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said,

“Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel! ⁶⁷ 

How can Jacob survive? ⁶⁸ 

He is too weak!” ⁶⁹ 

7:3 The Lord decided not to do this. ⁷⁰  “It will not happen,” the Lord said.

James 5:14-15

5:14 Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint ⁷¹  him with oil in the name of the Lord. 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up – and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ⁷² 

[20:7]  ¹ tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

[20:7]  ² sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

[20:7]  ³ tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

[20:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

[20:7]  ⁵ tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

[32:10]  ⁶ tn The imperative, from the word “to rest” (נוּחַ, nuakh), has the sense of “leave me alone, let me be.” It is a directive for Moses not to intercede for the people. B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 567) reflects the Jewish interpretation that there is a profound paradox in God’s words. He vows the severest punishment but then suddenly conditions it on Moses’ agreement. “Let me alone that I may consume them” is the statement, but the effect is that he has left the door open for intercession. He allows himself to be persuaded – that is what a mediator is for. God could have slammed the door (as when Moses wanted to go into the promised land). Moreover, by alluding to the promise to Abraham God gave Moses the strongest reason to intercede.

[32:11]  ⁷ tn S. R. Driver (Exodus, 351) draws on Arabic to show that the meaning of this verb (חָלָה, khalah) was properly “make sweet the face” or “stroke the face”; so here “to entreat, seek to conciliate.” In this prayer, Driver adds, Moses urges four motives for mercy: 1) Israel is Yahweh’s people, 2) Israel’s deliverance has demanded great power, 3) the Egyptians would mock if the people now perished, and 4) the oath God made to the fathers.

[32:12]  ⁸ tn The question is rhetorical; it really forms an affirmation that is used here as a reason for the request (see GKC 474 §150.e).

[32:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “speak, saying.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[32:12]  ¹⁰ tn The word “evil” means any kind of life-threatening or fatal calamity. “Evil” is that which hinders life, interrupts life, causes pain to life, or destroys it. The Egyptians would conclude that such a God would have no good intent in taking his people to the desert if now he destroyed them.

[32:12]  ¹¹ tn The form is a Piel infinitive construct from כָּלָה (kalah, “to complete, finish”) but in this stem, “bring to an end, destroy.” As a purpose infinitive this expresses what the Egyptians would have thought of God’s motive.

[32:12]  ¹² tn The verb “repent, relent” when used of God is certainly an anthropomorphism. It expresses the deep pain that one would have over a situation. Earlier God repented that he had made humans (Gen 6:6). Here Moses is asking God to repent/relent over the judgment he was about to bring, meaning that he should be moved by such compassion that there would be no judgment like that. J. P. Hyatt observes that the Bible uses so many anthropomorphisms because the Israelites conceived of God as a dynamic and living person in a vital relationship with people, responding to their needs and attitudes and actions (Exodus [NCBC], 307). See H. V. D. Parunak, “A Semantic Survey of NHM,” Bib 56 (1975): 512-32.

[32:13]  ¹³ tn Heb “your seed.”

[32:13]  ¹⁴ tn “about” has been supplied.

[32:13]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “seed.”

[32:31]  ¹⁶ tn As before, the cognate accusative is used; it would literally be “this people has sinned a great sin.”

[32:32]  ¹⁷ tn The apodosis is not expressed; it would be understood as “good.” It is not stated because of the intensity of the expression (the figure is aposiopesis, a sudden silence). It is also possible to take this first clause as a desire and not a conditional clause, rendering it “Oh that you would forgive!”

[32:32]  ¹⁸ tn The word “wipe” is a figure of speech indicating “remove me” (meaning he wants to die). The translation “blot” is traditional, but not very satisfactory, since it does not convey complete removal.

[32:32]  ¹⁹ sn The book that is referred to here should not be interpreted as the NT “book of life” which is portrayed (figuratively) as a register of all the names of the saints who are redeemed and will inherit eternal life. Here it refers to the names of those who are living and serving in this life, whose names, it was imagined, were on the roster in the heavenly courts as belonging to the chosen. Moses would rather die than live if these people are not forgiven (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 356).

[34:9]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” two times here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[34:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “it is.” Hebrew uses the third person masculine singular pronoun here in agreement with the noun “people.”

[12:13]  ²² tc Some scholars emend אֵל (’el, “God”) to עַל(’al, “no”). The effect of this change may be seen in the NAB: “‘Please, not this! Pray, heal her!’”

[14:11]  ²³ tn The verb נָאַץ (na’ats) means “to condemn, spurn” (BDB 610 s.v.). Coats suggests that in some contexts the word means actual rejection or renunciation (Rebellion in the Wilderness, 146, 7). This would include the idea of distaste.

[14:11]  ²⁴ tn The verb “to believe” (root אָמַן, ’aman) has the basic idea of support, dependability for the root. The Hiphil has a declarative sense, namely, to consider something reliable or dependable and to act on it. The people did not trust what the Lord said.

[14:12]  ²⁵ tc The Greek version has “death.”

[14:13]  ²⁶ tn The construction is unusual in that we have here a perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive with no verb before it to establish the time sequence. The context requires that this be taken as a vav (ו) consecutive. It actually forms the protasis for the next verse, and would best be rendered “when…then they will say.”

[14:14]  ²⁷ tn The singular participle is to be taken here as a collective, representing all the inhabitants of the land.

[14:14]  ²⁸ tn “Face to face” is literally “eye to eye.” It only occurs elsewhere in Isa 52:8. This expresses the closest communication possible.

[14:15]  ²⁹ tn The verb is the Hiphil perfect of מוּת (mut), וְהֵמַתָּה (vÿhemattah). The vav (ו) consecutive makes this also a future time sequence verb, but again in a conditional clause.

[14:15]  ³⁰ tn Heb “as one man.”

[14:17]  ³¹ tc The form in the text is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay), the word that is usually used in place of the tetragrammaton. It is the plural form with the pronominal suffix, and so must refer to God.

[14:18]  ³² tn The expression is רַב־חֶסֶד (rav khesed) means “much of loyal love,” or “faithful love.” Some have it “totally faithful,” but that omits the aspect of his love.

[14:18]  ³³ tn Or “rebellion.”

[14:18]  ³⁴ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the verbal activity of the imperfect tense, which here serves as a habitual imperfect. Negated it states what God does not do; and the infinitive makes that certain.

[14:18]  ³⁵ sn The Decalogue adds “to those who hate me.” The point of the line is that the effects of sin, if not the sinful traits themselves, are passed on to the next generation.

[14:19]  ³⁶ tn The verb סְלַח־נָא (selakh-na’), the imperative form, means “forgive” (see Ps 130:4), “pardon,” “excuse.” The imperative is of course a prayer, a desire, and not a command.

[14:19]  ³⁷ tn The construct unit is “the greatness of your loyal love.” This is the genitive of specification, the first word being the modifier.

[14:20]  ³⁸ tn Heb “forgiven according to your word.” The direct object, “them,” is implied.

[14:21]  ³⁹ sn This is the oath formula, but in the Pentateuch it occurs here and in v. 28.

[9:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “the anger and the wrath.” Although many English versions translate as two terms, this construction is a hendiadys which serves to intensify the emotion (cf. NAB, TEV “fierce anger”).

[9:19]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 9:3.

[9:20]  ⁴² tn Heb “Aaron.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid redundancy.

[9:2]  ⁴³ sn Anakites. See note on this term in Deut 1:28.

[9:2]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “great and tall.” Many English versions understand this to refer to physical size or strength rather than numbers (cf. “strong,” NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT).

[30:18]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “certainly.”

[30:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “to go there to possess it.”

[30:20]  ⁴⁷ tn The words “I also call on you” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20 are one long sentence, which the translation divides into two.

[30:20]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “he is your life and the length of your days to live.”

[42:7]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the Lord.” The title has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:7]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “is kindled.”

[42:7]  ⁵¹ tn The form נְכוֹנָה (nÿkhonah) is from כּוּן (kun, “to be firm; to be fixed; to be established”). Here it means “the right thing” or “truth.” The Akkadian word kenu (from כּוּן, kun) connotes justice and truth.

[42:8]  ⁵² tn The imperatives in this verse are plural, so all three had to do this together.

[42:8]  ⁵³ tn The verb “pray” is the Hitpael from the root פָּלַל (palal). That root has the main idea of arbitration; so in this stem it means “to seek arbitration [for oneself],” or “to pray,” or “to intercede.”

[42:8]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “I will lift up his face,” meaning, “I will regard him.”

[42:8]  ⁵⁵ tn This clause is a result clause, using the negated infinitive construct.

[42:8]  ⁵⁶ tn The word “folly” can also be taken in the sense of “disgrace.” If the latter is chosen, the word serves as the direct object. If the former, then it is an adverbial accusative.

[42:8]  ⁵⁷ sn The difference between what they said and what Job said, therefore, has to do with truth. Job was honest, spoke the truth, poured out his complaints, but never blasphemed God. For his words God said he told the truth. He did so with incomplete understanding, and with all the impatience and frustration one might expect. Now the friends, however, did not tell what was right about God. They were not honest; rather, they were self-righteous and condescending. They were saying what they thought should be said, but it was wrong.

[42:9]  ⁵⁸ tn The expression “had respect for Job” means God answered his prayer.

[106:23]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he said.”

[106:23]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”

[106:23]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”

[106:23]  ⁶² tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”

[22:30]  ⁶³ tn Heb “I did not find.”

[7:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “behold” or “look.”

[7:1]  ⁶⁵ sn The crops planted late (consisting of vegetables) were planted in late January-early March and sprouted in conjunction with the spring rains of March-April. For a discussion of the ancient Israelite agricultural calendar, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 31-44.

[7:1]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “the mowings of the king.”

[7:2]  ⁶⁷ tn “Israel” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[7:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “stand” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[7:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “small.”

[7:3]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “changed his mind about this.”

[5:14]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “anointing.”

[5:15]  ⁷² tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”