Discovery BoxGenesis 49:10
Context49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, 1
until he comes to whom it belongs; 2
the nations will obey him. 3
Psalms 2:4-12
Context2:4 The one enthroned 4 in heaven laughs in disgust; 5
the Lord taunts 6 them.
2:5 Then he angrily speaks to them
and terrifies them in his rage, 7 saying, 8
2:6 “I myself 9 have installed 10 my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
2:7 The king says, 11 “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: 12
‘You are my son! 13 This very day I have become your father!
2:8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, 14
the ends of the earth as your personal property.
2:9 You will break them 15 with an iron scepter; 16
you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” 17
2:10 So now, you kings, do what is wise; 18
you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! 19
2:11 Serve 20 the Lord in fear!
Repent in terror! 21
Otherwise he 23 will be angry, 24
and you will die because of your behavior, 25
when his anger quickly ignites. 26
How blessed 27 are all who take shelter in him! 28
Psalms 22:27-28
Context22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 29
Let all the nations 30 worship you! 31
and rules over the nations.
Psalms 72:8-10
Context72:8 May he rule 33 from sea to sea, 34
and from the Euphrates River 35 to the ends of the earth!
72:9 Before him the coastlands 36 will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust. 37
72:10 The kings of Tarshish 38 and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba 39 and Seba 40 will bring tribute.
Psalms 72:17
ContextMay his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! 42
May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! 43
May all nations consider him to be favored by God! 44
Isaiah 42:1-4
Context42:1 45 “Here is my servant whom I support,
my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.
I have placed my spirit on him;
he will make just decrees 46 for the nations. 47
42:2 He will not cry out or shout;
he will not publicize himself in the streets. 48
42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,
a dim wick he will not extinguish; 49
he will faithfully make just decrees. 50
42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed 51
before establishing justice on the earth;
the coastlands 52 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 53
Isaiah 49:6
Context49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnant 54 of Israel? 55
I will make you a light to the nations, 56
so you can bring 57 my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
Daniel 2:44
Context2:44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.
Daniel 7:14
Context7:14 To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving 58 him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away. 59
His kingdom will not be destroyed. 60
Micah 4:1-3
Context4:1 In the future 61 the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; 62
it will be more prominent than other hills. 63
People will stream to it.
4:2 Many nations will come, saying,
“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple 64 of Jacob’s God,
so he can teach us his commands 65
and we can live by his laws.” 66
For Zion will be the source of instruction;
the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. 67
4:3 He will arbitrate 68 between many peoples
and settle disputes between many 69 distant nations. 70
They will beat their swords into plowshares, 71
and their spears into pruning hooks. 72
Nations will not use weapons 73 against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
Micah 5:4
Context5:4 He will assume his post 74 and shepherd the people 75 by the Lord’s strength,
by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. 76
They will live securely, 77 for at that time he will be honored 78
even in the distant regions of 79 the earth.
[49:10] 1 tn Or perhaps “from his descendants,” taking the expression “from between his feet” as a euphemism referring to the genitals. In this case the phrase refers by metonymy to those who come forth from his genitals, i.e., his descendants.
[49:10] 2 tn The Hebrew form שִׁילֹה (shiloh) is a major interpretive problem. There are at least four major options (with many variations and less likely alternatives): (1) Some prefer to leave the text as it is, reading “Shiloh” and understanding it as the place where the ark rested for a while in the time of the Judges. (2) By repointing the text others arrive at the translation “until the [or “his”] ruler comes,” a reference to a Davidic ruler or the Messiah. (3) Another possibility that does not require emendation of the consonantal text, but only repointing, is “until tribute is brought to him” (so NEB, JPS, NRSV), which has the advantage of providing good parallelism with the following line, “the nations will obey him.” (4) The interpretation followed in the present translation, “to whom it [belongs]” (so RSV, NIV, REB), is based on the ancient versions. Again, this would refer to the Davidic dynasty or, ultimately, to the Messiah.
[49:10] 3 tn “and to him [will be] the obedience of the nations.” For discussion of this verse see J. Blenkinsopp, “The Oracle of Judah and the Messianic Entry,” JBL 80 (1961): 55-64; and E. M. Good, “The ‘Blessing’ on Judah,” JBL 82 (1963): 427-32.
[2:4] 4 tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).
[2:4] 5 tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
[2:4] 6 tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”
[2:5] 7 sn And terrifies them in his rage. This line focuses on the effect that God’s angry response (see previous line) has on the rebellious kings.
[2:5] 8 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification to indicate that the speaker is the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV).
[2:6] 9 tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”
[2:6] 10 tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”
[2:7] 11 tn The words “the king says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The speaker is the Lord’s chosen king.
[2:7] 12 tn Or “I will relate the decree. The
[2:7] 13 sn ‘You are my son!’ The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 89:26-27). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
[2:8] 14 sn I will give you the nations. The
[2:9] 15 tc The LXX reads “you will shepherd them.” This reading, quoted in the Greek text of the NT in Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15, assumes a different vocalization of the consonantal Hebrew text and understands the verb as רָעָה (ra’ah, “to shepherd”) rather than רָעָע (ra’a’, “to break”). But the presence of נָפַץ (nafats, “to smash”) in the next line strongly favors the MT vocalization.
[2:9] 16 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁבֶט (shevet) can refer to a “staff” or “rod,” but here it probably refers to the Davidic king’s royal scepter, symbolizing his sovereignty.
[2:9] 17 sn Like a potter’s jar. Before the Davidic king’s awesome power, the rebellious nations are like fragile pottery.
[2:10] 18 sn The speaker here is either the psalmist or the Davidic king, who now addresses the rebellious kings.
[2:10] 19 tn The Niphal has here a tolerative nuance; the kings are urged to submit themselves to the advice being offered.
[2:11] 20 tn The Hebrew verb translated “serve” refers here to submitting to the Lord’s sovereignty as expressed through the rule of the Davidic king. Such “service” would involve maintaining allegiance to the Davidic king by paying tribute on a regular basis.
[2:11] 21 tn Traditionally, “rejoice with trembling” (KJV). The verb גִּיל (gil) normally means “rejoice,” but this meaning does not fit well here in conjunction with “in trembling.” Some try to understand “trembling” (and the parallel יִרְאָה, yir’ah, “fear”) in the sense of “reverential awe” and then take the verbs “serve” and “rejoice” in the sense of “worship” (cf. NASB). But רְעָדָה (rÿ’adah, “trembling”) and its related terms consistently refer to utter terror and fear (see Exod 15:15; Job 4:14; Pss 48:6; 55:5; 104:32; Isa 33:14; Dan 10:11) or at least great emotional distress (Ezra 10:9). It seems more likely here that גִּיל carries its polarized meaning “mourn, lament,” as in Hos 10:5. “Mourn, lament” would then be metonymic in this context for “repent” (referring to one’s rebellious ways). On the meaning of the verb in Hos 10:5, see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea (AB), 556-57.
[2:12] 22 tn Traditionally, “kiss the son” (KJV). But בַּר (bar) is the Aramaic word for “son,” not the Hebrew. For this reason many regard the reading as suspect. Some propose emendations of vv. 11b-12a. One of the more popular proposals is to read בִּרְעָדָה נַשְּׁקוּ לְרַגְלָיו (bir’adah nashÿqu lÿraslayv, “in trembling kiss his feet”). It makes better sense to understand בַּר (bar) as an adjective meaning “pure” (see Pss 24:4; 73:1 and BDB 141 s.v. בַּר 3) functioning here in an adverbial sense. If read this way, then the syntactical structure of exhortation (imperative followed by adverbial modifier) corresponds to the two preceding lines (see v. 11). The verb נָשַׁק (nashaq, “kiss”) refers metonymically to showing homage (see 1 Sam 10:1; Hos 13:2). The exhortation in v. 12a advocates a genuine expression of allegiance and warns against insincerity. When swearing allegiance, vassal kings would sometimes do so insincerely, with the intent of rebelling when the time was right. The so-called “Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon” also warn against such an attitude. In this treaty the vassal is told: “If you, as you stand on the soil where this oath [is sworn], swear the oath with your words and lips [only], do not swear with your entire heart, do not transmit it to your sons who will live after this treaty, if you take this curse upon yourselves but do not plan to keep the treaty of Esarhaddon…may your sons and grandsons because of this fear in the future” (see J. B. Pritchard, ed., The Ancient Near East, 2:62).
[2:12] 23 tn Throughout the translation of this verse the third person masculine pronouns refer to the
[2:12] 24 tn The implied subject of the verb is the
[2:12] 25 tn Heb “and you will perish [in the] way.” The Hebrew word דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) here refers to their rebellious behavior (not to a pathway, as often understood). It functions syntactically as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb “perish.”
[2:12] 26 tn Or “burns.” The
[2:12] 27 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[2:12] 28 sn Who take shelter in him. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[22:27] 29 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 30 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 31 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 32 tn Heb “for to the
[72:8] 33 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
[72:8] 34 sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.
[72:8] 35 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
[72:9] 36 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
[72:9] 37 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.
[72:10] 38 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.
[72:10] 39 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
[72:10] 40 sn Seba was located in Africa.
[72:17] 41 tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.
[72:17] 42 tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yÿnayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.
[72:17] 43 tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the
[72:17] 44 tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).
[42:1] 45 sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.
[42:1] 46 tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).
[42:1] 47 sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
[42:2] 48 tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
[42:3] 49 sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
[42:3] 50 tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[42:4] 51 tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
[42:4] 52 tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”
[42:4] 53 tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).
[49:6] 54 tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”
[49:6] 55 sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.
[49:6] 56 tn See the note at 42:6.
[49:6] 57 tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”
[7:14] 58 tn Some take “serving” here in the sense of “worshiping.”
[7:14] 59 tn Aram “is an eternal authority which will not pass away.”
[7:14] 60 tn Aram “is one which will not be destroyed.”
[4:1] 61 tn Heb “at the end of days.”
[4:1] 62 tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”
[4:1] 63 tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”
[4:2] 66 tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”
[4:2] 67 tn Heb “instruction [or, “law”] will go out from Zion, and the word of the
[4:3] 69 tn Or “mighty” (NASB); KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “strong”; TEV “among the great powers.”
[4:3] 70 tn Heb “[for many nations] to a distance.”
[4:3] 71 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
[4:3] 72 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
[4:3] 73 tn Heb “take up the sword.”
[5:4] 74 tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”
[5:4] 75 tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[5:4] 76 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the
[5:4] 77 tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).
