Isaiah 1:18

1:18 ¹ Come, let’s consider your options,” ²  says the Lord.

“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,

you can become ³  white like snow;

though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,

you can become ⁴  white like wool. ⁵ 

Isaiah 43:24-25

43:24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds; ⁶ 

you did not present to me ⁷  the fat of your sacrifices.

Yet you burdened me with your sins;

you made me weary with your evil deeds. ⁸ 

43:25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;

your sins I do not remember.

Isaiah 48:8-11

48:8 You did not hear,

you do not know,

you were not told beforehand. ⁹ 

For I know that you are very deceitful; ¹⁰ 

you were labeled ¹¹  a rebel from birth.

48:9 For the sake of my reputation ¹²  I hold back my anger;

for the sake of my prestige ¹³  I restrain myself from destroying you. ¹⁴ 

48:10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver;

I have purified you ¹⁵  in the furnace of misery.

48:11 For my sake alone ¹⁶  I will act,

for how can I allow my name to be defiled? ¹⁷ 

I will not share my glory with anyone else! ¹⁸ 

Jeremiah 31:18-20

31:18 I have indeed ¹⁹  heard the people of Israel ²⁰  say mournfully,

‘We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. ²¹ 

You disciplined us and we learned from it. ²² 

Let us come back to you and we will do so, ²³ 

for you are the Lord our God.

31:19 For after we turned away from you we repented.

After we came to our senses ²⁴  we beat our breasts in sorrow. ²⁵ 

We are ashamed and humiliated

because of the disgraceful things we did previously.’ ²⁶ 

31:20 Indeed, the people of Israel are my dear children.

They are the children I take delight in. ²⁷ 

For even though I must often rebuke them,

I still remember them with fondness.

So I am deeply moved with pity for them ²⁸ 

and will surely have compassion on them.

I, the Lord, affirm it! ²⁹ 

Ezekiel 16:60-63

16:60 Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a lasting ³⁰  covenant with you. 16:61 Then you will remember your conduct, and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. 16:62 I will establish my covenant with you, and then you will know that I am the Lord. 16:63 Then you will remember, be ashamed, and remain silent ³¹  when I make atonement for all you have done, ³²  declares the sovereign Lord.’”

Ezekiel 36:22-38

36:22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake that I am about to act, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation ³³  which you profaned among the nations where you went. 36:23 I will magnify ³⁴  my great name that has been profaned among the nations, that you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the sovereign Lord, when I magnify myself among you in their sight.

36:24 “‘I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries; then I will bring you to your land. 36:25 I will sprinkle you with pure water ³⁵  and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all your idols. 36:26 I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone ³⁶  from your body and give you a heart of flesh. ³⁷  36:27 I will put my Spirit within you; ³⁸  I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes ³⁹  and carefully observe my regulations. ⁴⁰  36:28 Then you will live in the land I gave to your fathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. ⁴¹  36:29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and multiply it; I will not bring a famine on you. 36:30 I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the produce of the fields, so that you will never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 36:31 Then you will remember your evil behavior ⁴²  and your deeds which were not good; you will loathe yourselves on account of your sins and your abominable deeds. 36:32 Understand that ⁴³  it is not for your sake I am about to act, declares the sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and embarrassed by your behavior, O house of Israel.

36:33 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: In the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will populate the cities and the ruins will be rebuilt. 36:34 The desolate land will be plowed, instead of being desolate in the sight of everyone who passes by. 36:35 They will say, “This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; the ruined, desolate, and destroyed cities are now fortified and inhabited.” 36:36 Then the nations which remain around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken – and I will do it!’

36:37 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: I will allow the house of Israel to ask me to do this for them: ⁴⁴  I will multiply their people like sheep. ⁴⁵  36:38 Like the sheep for offerings, like the sheep of Jerusalem ⁴⁶  during her appointed feasts, so will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Luke 15:20

15:20 So ⁴⁷  he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home ⁴⁸  his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; ⁴⁹  he ran and hugged ⁵⁰  his son ⁵¹  and kissed him.

Romans 5:20

5:20 Now the law came in ⁵²  so that the transgression ⁵³  may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more,

[1:18]  ¹ sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).

[1:18]  ² tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.

[1:18]  ³ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ⁴ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.

[43:24]  ⁶ tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”

[43:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.”

[43:24]  ⁸ sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5, 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.

[48:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “beforehand your ear did not open.”

[48:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “deceiving, you deceive.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[48:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “called” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[48:9]  ¹² tn Heb “for the sake of my name” (so NAB, NASB); NLT “for my own sake.”

[48:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “and my praise.” לְמַעַן (lÿma’an, “for the sake of”) is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[48:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I restrain [myself] concerning you not to cut you off.”

[48:10]  ¹⁵ tc The Hebrew text has בְּחַרְתִּיךָ (bÿkhartikha, “I have chosen you”), but the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a reads correctly בחנתיכה (“I have tested you”). The metallurgical background of the imagery suggests that purification through testing is the idea.

[48:11]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew text repeats לְמַעֲנִי (lÿma’ani, “for my sake”) for emphasis.

[48:11]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “for how can it be defiled?” The subject of the verb is probably “name” (v. 9).

[48:11]  ¹⁸ sn See 42:8.

[31:18]  ¹⁹ tn The use of “indeed” is intended to reflect the infinitive absolute which precedes the verb for emphasis (see IBHS 585-86 §35.3.1f).

[31:18]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Ephraim.” See the study note on 31:9. The more familiar term is used, the term “people” added to it, and plural pronouns used throughout the verse to aid in understanding.

[31:18]  ²¹ tn Heb “like an untrained calf.” The metaphor is that of a calf who has never been broken to bear the yoke (cf. Hos 4:16; 10:11).

[31:18]  ²² tn The verb here is from the same root as the preceding and is probably an example of the “tolerative Niphal,” i.e., “I let myself be disciplined/I responded to it.” See IBHS 389-90 §23.4g and note the translation of some of the examples there, especially Isa 19:22; 65:1.

[31:18]  ²³ tn Heb “Bring me back in order that I may come back.” For the use of the plural pronouns see the marginal note at the beginning of the verse. The verb “bring back” and “come back” are from the same root in two different verbal stems and in the context express the idea of spiritual repentance and restoration of relationship not physical return to the land. (See BDB 999 s.v. שׁוּב Hiph.2.a for the first verb and 997 s.v. Qal.6.c for the second.) For the use of the cohortative to express purpose after the imperative see GKC 320 §108.d or IBHS 575 §34.5.2b.

[31:19]  ²⁴ tn For this meaning of the verb see HAL 374 s.v. יָדַע Nif 5 or W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 129. REB translates “Now that I am submissive” relating the verb to a second root meaning “be submissive.” (See HALOT 375 s.v. II יָדַע and J. Barr, Comparative Philology and the Text of the Old Testament, 19-21, for evidence for this verb. Other passages cited with this nuance are Judg 8:16; Prov 10:9; Job 20:20.)

[31:19]  ²⁵ tn Heb “I struck my thigh.” This was a gesture of grief and anguish (cf. Ezek 21:12 [21:17 HT]). The modern equivalent is “to beat the breast.”

[31:19]  ²⁶ tn Heb “because I bear the reproach of my youth.” For the plural referents see the note at the beginning of v. 18.

[31:20]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Is Ephraim a dear son to me or a child of delight?” For the substitution of Israel for Ephraim and the plural pronouns for the singular see the note on v. 18. According to BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.c the question is rhetorical having the force of an impassioned affirmation. See 1 Sam 2:27; Job 41:9 (41:1 HT) for parallel usage.

[31:20]  ²⁸ tn Heb “my stomach churns for him.” The parallelism shows that this refers to pity or compassion.

[31:20]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[16:60]  ³⁰ tn Or “eternal.”

[16:63]  ³¹ tn Heb “and your mouth will not be open any longer.”

[16:63]  ³² tn Heb “when I make atonement for you for all which you have done.”

[36:22]  ³³ sn In Ezek 20:22 God refrained from punishment for the sake of his holy name. Here God’s reputation is the basis for Israel’s restoration.

[36:23]  ³⁴ tn Or “sanctify,” Heb “make holy.”

[36:25]  ³⁵ sn The Lord here uses a metaphor from the realm of ritual purification. For the use of water in ritual cleansing, see Exod 30:19-20; Lev 14:51; Num 19:18; Heb 10:22.

[36:26]  ³⁶ sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is stubborn and unresponsive (see 1 Sam 25:37). In Rabbinic literature a “stone” was associated with an evil inclination (b. Sukkah 52a).

[36:26]  ³⁷ sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is responsive and obedient to God.

[36:27]  ³⁸ tn Or “in the midst of you.” The word “you” is plural.

[36:27]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and I will do that which in my statutes you will walk.” The awkward syntax (verb “to do, act” + accusative sign + relative clause + prepositional phrase + second person verb) is unique, though Eccl 3:14 contains a similar construction. In the last line of that verse we read that “God acts so that (relative pronoun) they fear before him.” However, unlike Ezek 36:27, the statement has no accusative sign before the relative pronoun.

[36:27]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and my laws you will guard and you will do them.” Jer 31:31-34 is parallel to this passage.

[36:28]  ⁴¹ sn This promise reflects the ancient covenantal ideal (see Exod 6:7).

[36:31]  ⁴² tn Heb “ways.”

[36:32]  ⁴³ tn Heb “Let it be known.”

[36:37]  ⁴⁴ tn The Niphal verb may have a tolerative function here, “Again (for) this I will allow myself to be sought by the house of Israel to act for them.” Or it may be reflexive: “I will reveal myself to the house of Israel by doing this also.”

[36:37]  ⁴⁵ sn Heb “I will multiply them like sheep, human(s).”

[36:38]  ⁴⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:20]  ⁴⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the son’s decision to return home. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

[15:20]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “a long way off from [home].” The word “home” is implied (L&N 85.16).

[15:20]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “felt great affection for him,” “felt great pity for him.”

[15:20]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “he fell on his neck,” an idiom for showing special affection for someone by throwing one’s arms around them. The picture is of the father hanging on the son’s neck in welcome.

[15:20]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the son) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:20]  ⁵² tn Grk “slipped in.”

[5:20]  ⁵³ tn Or “trespass.”