Genesis 49:26

49:26 The blessings of your father are greater

than ¹  the blessings of the eternal mountains ² 

or the desirable things of the age-old hills.

They will be on the head of Joseph

and on the brow of the prince of his brothers. ³ 

Habakkuk 3:6

3:6 He takes his battle position ⁴  and shakes ⁵  the earth;

with a mere look he frightens ⁶  the nations.

The ancient mountains disintegrate; ⁷ 

the primeval hills are flattened.

He travels on the ancient roads. ⁸ 

James 5:7

Patience in Suffering

5:7 So be patient, brothers and sisters, ⁹  until the Lord’s return. ¹⁰  Think of how the farmer waits ¹¹  for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient ¹²  for it until it receives the early and late rains.

[49:26]  ¹ tn Heb “have prevailed over.”

[49:26]  ² tn One could interpret the phrase הוֹרַי (horay) to mean “my progenitors” (literally, “the ones who conceived me”), but the masculine form argues against this. It is better to emend the text to הַרֲרֵי (harare, “mountains of”) because it forms a better parallel with the next clause. In this case the final yod (י) on the form is a construct plural marker, not a pronominal suffix.

[49:26]  ³ tn For further discussion of this passage, see I. Sonne, “Genesis 49:24-26,” JBL 65 (1946): 303-6.

[3:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “he stands.”

[3:6]  ⁵ tn This verb has been traditionally understood as “measure” (from מוּד, mud), but the immediately following context (vv. 6b-7) favors the meaning “shake” from מָוד (mavd; see HALOT 555 s.v.).

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “makes [the nations] jump [in fear].”

[3:6]  ⁷ tn Or “crumbled,” broke into pieces.”

[3:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “ancient ways [or, “doings”] are his.” The meaning of this line is unclear. Traditionally it has been translated, “his ways are eternal.” However, in this context (see vv. 3, 7) it is more likely that the line speaks of the Lord taking the same route as in the days of Moses and Deborah (see Deut 33:2; Judg 5:4). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 154.

[5:7]  ⁹ tn Grk “brothers”; this phrase occurs again three times in the paragraph. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[5:7]  ¹⁰ tn Or “advent”; or “coming” (also in v. 8).

[5:7]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Behold! The farmer waits.”

[5:7]  ¹² tn Grk “being patient.”