Discovery BoxIsaiah 34:1-17
Context34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!
Pay attention, you people!
The earth and everything it contains must listen,
the world and everything that lives in it. 1
34:2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations
and furious with all their armies.
He will annihilate them and slaughter them.
34:3 Their slain will be left unburied, 2
their corpses will stink; 3
the hills will soak up their blood. 4
34:4 All the stars in the sky will fade away, 5
the sky will roll up like a scroll;
all its stars will wither,
like a leaf withers and falls from a vine
or a fig withers and falls from a tree. 6
34:5 He says, 7 “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. 8
Look, it now descends on Edom, 9
on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”
34:6 The Lord’s sword is dripping with blood,
it is covered 10 with fat;
it drips 11 with the blood of young rams and goats
and is covered 12 with the fat of rams’ kidneys.
For the Lord is holding a sacrifice 13 in Bozrah, 14
a bloody 15 slaughter in the land of Edom.
34:7 Wild oxen will be slaughtered 16 along with them,
as well as strong bulls. 17
Their land is drenched with blood,
their soil is covered with fat.
34:8 For the Lord has planned a day of revenge, 18
a time when he will repay Edom for her hostility toward Zion. 19
34:9 Edom’s 20 streams will be turned into pitch
and her soil into brimstone;
her land will become burning pitch.
34:10 Night and day it will burn; 21
its smoke will ascend continually.
Generation after generation it will be a wasteland
and no one will ever pass through it again.
34:11 Owls and wild animals 22 will live there, 23
all kinds of wild birds 24 will settle in it.
The Lord 25 will stretch out over her
the measuring line of ruin
and the plumb line 26 of destruction. 27
34:12 Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom
and all her officials will disappear. 28
34:13 Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns;
thickets and weeds will grow 29 in her fortified cities.
Jackals will settle there;
ostriches will live there. 30
34:14 Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; 31
wild goats will bleat to one another. 32
Yes, nocturnal animals 33 will rest there
and make for themselves a nest. 34
34:15 Owls 35 will make nests and lay eggs 36 there;
they will hatch them and protect them. 37
Yes, hawks 38 will gather there,
each with its mate.
34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! 39
Not one of these creatures will be missing, 40
none will lack a mate. 41
For the Lord has issued the decree, 42
and his own spirit gathers them. 43
34:17 He assigns them their allotment; 44
he measures out their assigned place. 45
They will live there 46 permanently;
they will settle in it through successive generations.
Isaiah 63:1-6
Context63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, 47
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? 48
Who 49 is this one wearing royal attire, 50
who marches confidently 51 because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!” 52
63:2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? 53
63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on them 54 in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stained 55 all my clothes.
63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived. 56
63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support. 57
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on. 58
63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,
I made them drunk 59 in my rage,
I splashed their blood on the ground.” 60
Jeremiah 49:17
Context49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror.
All who pass by it will be filled with horror;
they will hiss out their scorn
because of all the disasters that have happened to it. 61
Lamentations 4:21
Contextש (Sin/Shin)
4:21 Rejoice and be glad for now, 62 O people of Edom, 63
who reside in the land of Uz.
But the cup of judgment 64 will pass 65 to you also;
you will get drunk and take off your clothes.
Ezekiel 25:1-17
Context25:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 25:2 “Son of man, turn toward 66 the Ammonites 67 and prophesy against them. 25:3 Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the sovereign Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says: You said “Aha!” about my sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile. 25:4 So take note, 68 I am about to make you slaves of 69 the tribes 70 of the east. They will make camps among you and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 25:5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon 71 a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 25:6 For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced with intense scorn 72 over the land of Israel, 25:7 take note, I have stretched out my hand against you, and I will hand you over as plunder 73 to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands. I will destroy you; then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
25:8 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Moab 74 and Seir say, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations.” 25:9 So look, I am about to open up Moab’s flank, 75 eliminating the cities, 76 including its frontier cities, 77 the beauty of the land – Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim. 25:10 I will hand it over, 78 along with the Ammonites, 79 to the tribes 80 of the east, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. 25:11 I will execute judgments against Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
25:12 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Edom 81 has taken vengeance against the house of Judah; they have made themselves fully culpable 82 by taking vengeance 83 on them. 84 25:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom, and I will kill the people and animals within her, 85 and I will make her desolate; from Teman to Dedan they will die 86 by the sword. 25:14 I will exact my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will carry out in Edom my anger and rage; they will experience 87 my vengeance, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
25:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘The Philistines 88 have exacted merciless revenge, 89 showing intense scorn 90 in their effort to destroy Judah 91 with unrelenting hostility. 92 25:16 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note, I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines. I will kill 93 the Cherethites 94 and destroy those who remain on the seacoast. 25:17 I will exact great vengeance upon them with angry rebukes. 95 Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I exact my vengeance upon them.’”
Ezekiel 35:1-15
Context35:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 35:2 “Son of man, turn toward 96 Mount Seir, 97 and prophesy against it. 35:3 Say to it, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Look, I am against you, Mount Seir;
I will stretch out my hand against you
and turn you into a desolate ruin.
35:4 I will lay waste your cities;
and you will become desolate.
Then you will know that I am the Lord!
35:5 “‘You have shown unrelenting hostility and poured the people of Israel onto the blades of a sword 98 at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment. 35:6 Therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will subject you to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. 35:7 I will turn Mount Seir into a desolate ruin; 99 I will cut off 100 from it the one who passes through or returns. 35:8 I will fill its mountains with its dead; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines, those killed by the sword will fall. 35:9 I will turn you into a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
35:10 “‘You said, “These two nations, these two lands 101 will be mine, and we will possess them,” 102 – although the Lord was there – 35:11 therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will deal with you according to your anger, and according to your envy, by which you acted spitefully against them. I will reveal myself to them when I judge you. 35:12 Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all the insults you spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are desolate, they have been given to us for food.” 35:13 You exalted yourselves against me with your speech 103 and hurled many insults against me 104 – I have heard them all! 35:14 This is what the sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will turn you into a desolation. 35:15 As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I deal with you – you will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all of Edom – all of it! Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Amos 1:11-12
Context1:11 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Edom has committed three crimes 105 –
make that four! 106 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 107
He chased his brother 108 with a sword;
he wiped out his allies. 109
In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; 110
in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 111
1:12 So I will set Teman 112 on fire;
fire 113 will consume Bozrah’s 114 fortresses.”
Obadiah 1:1
Context1:1 The vision 115 that Obadiah 116 saw. 117
The Lord God 118 says this concerning 119 Edom: 120
We have heard a report from the Lord.
An envoy was sent among the nations, saying, 121
“Arise! Let us make war against Edom!” 122
Obadiah 1:10-14
Context1:10 “Because 123 you violently slaughtered 124 your relatives, 125 the people of Jacob, 126
shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed 127 forever.
1:11 You stood aloof 128 while strangers took his army 129 captive,
and foreigners advanced to his gates. 130
When they cast lots 131 over Jerusalem, 132
you behaved as though you were in league 133 with them.
1:12 You should not 134 have gloated 135 when your relatives 136 suffered calamity. 137
You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed. 138
You should not have boasted 139 when they suffered adversity. 140
1:13 You should not have entered the city 141 of my people when they experienced distress. 142
You should not have joined 143 in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress. 144
You should not have looted 145 their wealth when they endured distress. 146
1:14 You should not have stood at the fork in the road 147 to slaughter 148 those trying to escape. 149
You should not have captured their refugees when they suffered adversity. 150
Malachi 1:3-4
Context1:3 and rejected Esau. 151 I turned Esau’s 152 mountains into a deserted wasteland 153 and gave his territory 154 to the wild jackals.”
1:4 Edom 155 says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord who rules over all 156 responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as 157 the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased.
[34:1] 1 tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”
[34:3] 2 tn Heb “will be cast aside”; NASB, NIV “thrown out.”
[34:3] 3 tn Heb “[as for] their corpses, their stench will arise.”
[34:3] 4 tn Heb “hills will dissolve from their blood.”
[34:4] 5 tc Heb “and all the host of heaven will rot.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa inserts “and the valleys will be split open,” but this reading may be influenced by Mic 1:4. On the other hand, the statement, if original, could have been omitted by homoioarcton, a scribe’s eye jumping from the conjunction prefixed to “the valleys” to the conjunction prefixed to the verb “rot.”
[34:4] 6 tn Heb “like the withering of a leaf from a vine, and like the withering from a fig tree.”
[34:5] 7 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
[34:5] 8 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] my sword is drenched in the heavens.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has תראה (“[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]”), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV “My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens.”
[34:5] 9 sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
[34:6] 10 tn The verb is a rare Hotpaal passive form. See GKC 150 §54.h.
[34:6] 11 tn The words “it drips” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 12 tn The words “and is covered” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:6] 13 tn Heb “for there is a sacrifice to the Lord.”
[34:6] 14 sn The Lord’s judgment of Edom is compared to a bloody sacrificial scene.
[34:6] 15 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[34:7] 16 tn Heb “will go down”; NAB “shall be struck down.”
[34:7] 17 tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.
[34:8] 18 tn Heb “for a day of vengeance [is] for the Lord.”
[34:8] 19 tn Heb “a year of repayment for the strife of Zion.” The translation assumes that רִיב (riv) refers to Edom’s hostility toward Zion. Another option is to understand רִיב (riv) as referring to the Lord’s taking up Zion’s cause. In this case one might translate, “a time when he will repay Edom and vindicate Zion.”
[34:9] 20 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Edom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:10] 21 tn Heb “it will not be extinguished.”
[34:11] 22 tn קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (cf. Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). קִפּוֹד (qippod) may also refer to a type of bird (NAB “hoot owl”; NIV “screech owl”; TEV “ravens”), but some have suggested a rodent may be in view (cf. NCV “small animals”; ASV “porcupine”; NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”).
[34:11] 23 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV).
[34:11] 24 tn The Hebrew text has יַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב (yanshof vÿ’orev). Both the יַנְשׁוֹף (“owl”; see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16) and עֹרֵב (“raven”; Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) were types of wild birds.
[34:11] 25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:11] 26 tn Heb “stones,” i.e., the stones used in a plumb bob.
[34:11] 27 sn The metaphor in v. 11b emphasizes that God has carefully planned Edom’s demise.
[34:12] 28 tn Heb “will be nothing”; NCV, TEV, NLT “will all be gone.”
[34:13] 29 tn The words “will grow” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:13] 30 tc Heb “and she will be a settlement for wild dogs, a dwelling place for ostriches.” The translation assumes an emendation of חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass”) to חָצֵר (khatser, “settlement”). One of the Qumran scrolls of Isaiah (1QIsaa) supports this emendation (cf. HALOT 344 s.v. II חָצִיר)
[34:14] 31 tn Heb “will meet” (so NIV); NLT “will mingle there.”
[34:14] 32 tn Heb “and a goat will call to its neighbor.”
[34:14] 33 tn The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon. Cf. NRSV “Lilith.”
[34:14] 34 tn Heb “and will find for themselves a resting place.”
[34:15] 35 tn Hebrew קִפּוֹז (qippoz) occurs only here; the precise meaning of the word is uncertain.
[34:15] 36 tn For this proposed meaning for Hebrew מָלַט (malat), see HALOT 589 s.v. I מלט.
[34:15] 37 tn Heb “and brood [over them] in her shadow.”
[34:15] 38 tn The precise meaning of דַּיָּה (dayyah) is uncertain, though the term appears to refer to some type of bird of prey, perhaps a vulture.
[34:16] 39 tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”
[34:16] 40 tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:16] 41 tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”
[34:16] 42 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and a few medieval
[34:16] 43 tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 44 tn Heb “and he causes the lot to fall for them.” Once again the pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).
[34:17] 45 tn Heb “and his hand divides for them with a measuring line.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) now switches to masculine plural, referring to all the animals and birds mentioned in vv. 11-15, some of which were identified with masculine nouns. This signals closure for this portion of the speech, which began in v. 11. The following couplet (v. 17b) forms an inclusio with v. 11a through verbal repetition.
[34:17] 46 tn Heb “will possess it” (so NIV); NCV “they will own that land forever.”
[63:1] 47 sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
[63:1] 48 tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
[63:1] 49 tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
[63:1] 50 tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”
[63:1] 51 tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).
[63:1] 52 tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
[63:2] 53 tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
[63:3] 54 sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
[63:3] 55 tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
[63:4] 56 tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
[63:5] 57 sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
[63:5] 58 tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”
[63:6] 59 sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.
[63:6] 60 tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).
[49:17] 61 sn This verse is very similar to Jer 19:8 where the same judgment is pronounced on Jerusalem. For the meaning of some of the terms here (“hiss out their scorn” and “all the disasters that have happened to it”) see the notes on that verse.
[4:21] 62 tn The phrase “for now” is added in the translation to highlight the implied contrast between the present joy of the Gentiles (4:21a) and their future judgment (4:21b).
[4:21] 63 tn Heb “O Daughter of Edom.”
[4:21] 64 tn Heb “the cup.” Judgment is often depicted as a cup of wine that God forces a person to drink, causing him to lose consciousness, red wine drooling out of his mouth – resembling corpses lying on the ground as a result of the actual onslaught of the
[4:21] 65 tn The imperfect verb “will pass” may also be a jussive, continuing the element of request, “let the cup pass…”
[25:2] 66 tn Heb “set your face toward.”
[25:2] 67 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon.” Ammon was located to the east of Israel.
[25:4] 68 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates being aware of or taking notice of something and has been translated here with a verb (so also throughout the chapter).
[25:4] 69 tn Heb “Look I am about to give you for a possession to.”
[25:5] 71 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon.”
[25:6] 72 tn Heb “with all your scorn in (the) soul.”
[25:7] 73 tc The translation here follows the marginal reading (Qere) of the Hebrew text. The consonantal text (Kethib) is meaningless.
[25:8] 74 sn Moab was located immediately south of Ammon.
[25:9] 76 tn Heb “from the cities.” The verb “eliminating” has been added in the translation to reflect the privative use of the preposition (see BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b).
[25:9] 77 tn Heb “from its cities, from its end.”
[25:10] 78 tn Heb “I will give it for a possession.”
[25:10] 79 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon” (twice in this verse).
[25:12] 81 sn Edom was located south of Moab.
[25:12] 82 tn Heb “and they have become guilty, becoming guilty.” The infinitive absolute following the finite verb makes the statement emphatic and draws attention to the degree of guilt incurred by Edom due to its actions.
[25:12] 83 tn Heb “and they have taken vengeance.”
[25:12] 84 sn Edom apparently in some way assisted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6
[25:13] 85 tn Heb “and I will cut off from her man and beast.”
[25:15] 88 sn The Philistines inhabited the coastal plain by the Mediterranean Sea, west of Judah.
[25:15] 89 tn Heb “have acted with vengeance and taken vengeance with vengeance.” The repetition emphasizes the degree of vengeance which they exhibited, presumably toward Judah.
[25:15] 90 tn Heb “with scorn in (the) soul.”
[25:15] 91 tn The object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but has been clarified as “Judah” in the translation.
[25:15] 92 tn Heb “to destroy (with) perpetual hostility.” Joel 3:4-8 also speaks of the Philistines taking advantage of the fall of Judah.
[25:16] 93 tn In Hebrew the verb “and I will cut off” sounds like its object, “the Cherethites,” and draws attention to the statement.
[25:16] 94 sn This is a name for the Philistines, many of whom migrated to Palestine from Crete.
[25:17] 95 tn Heb “with acts of punishment of anger.”
[35:2] 96 tn Heb “set your face against.”
[35:2] 97 sn Mount Seir is to be identified with Edom (Ezek 35:15), home of Esau’s descendants (Gen 25:21-30).
[35:5] 98 tn Or “gave over…to the power of the sword.” This phrase also occurs in Jer 18:21 and Ps 63:10.
[35:7] 99 tc The translation reads with some manuscripts לְשִׁמְמָה וּמְשַׁמָּה (lÿshimmah umÿshammah, “desolate ruin”) as in verse 3 and often in Ezekiel. The majority reading reverses the first mem (מ) with the shin (שׁ) resulting in the repetition of the word desolate: לְשִׁמְמָה וּשְׁמָמָה (lÿshimmah ushÿmamah).
[35:10] 101 sn The reference is to Israel and Judah.
[35:13] 103 tn Heb “your mouth.”
[35:13] 104 tn Heb “and you multiplied against me your words.” The Hebrew verb occurs only here and in Prov 27:6, where it refers to the “excessive” kisses of an enemy. The basic idea of the verb appears to be “to be abundant.” Here it occurs in the causative (Hiphil) stem.
[1:11] 105 tn Traditionally, “transgressions” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) or “sins” (NIV). For an explanation of the atrocities outlined in this oracle as treaty violations of God’s mandate to Noah in Gen 9:5-7, see the note on the word “violations” in 1:3.
[1:11] 106 tn Heb “Because of three violations of Edom, even because of four.”
[1:11] 107 tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.
[1:11] 108 sn It is likely that “brother” refers here to a treaty partner (see the note on the word “brotherhood” in 1:9). However, it is possible, if Israel is in view, that Edom’s ancient blood relationship to God’s people is alluded to here. Cf. NCV, NLT “their relatives, the Israelites.”
[1:11] 109 tn Or “He stifled his compassion.” The Hebrew term רָחֲמָיו (rakhamayv) is better understood here (parallel to “brother/treaty partner”) as a reference to “allies” which Edom betrayed. An Aramaic cognate is attested (see DNWSI 2:1069-70). See M. Fishbane, “The Treaty Background of Amos 1:11 and Related Matters,” JBL 89 (1970): 313-18; idem, “Critical Note: Additional Remarks on rh£myw (Amos 1:11),” JBL 91 (1972): 391-93; and M. Barré, “Amos 1:11 reconsidered,” CBQ 47 (1985) 420-27. Some argue that the clause is best translated as “and destroyed his womenfolk.” רַחַם (rakham) means “womb”; the plural here would be a metonymy for “women” and could establish a parallel with the atrocity of 1:13. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 64-65.
[1:11] 110 tn Heb “his anger tore continually.” The Hebrew verb טָרַף (taraf, “tear apart”) is often used of an animal tearing apart its prey. The word picture here is that of a vicious predator’s feeding frenzy.
[1:11] 111 tn Traditionally, “he kept his fury continually.” The Hebrew term שְׁמָרָה (shÿmarah) could be taken as a Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix (with mappiq omitted), “he kept it” (NASB, NKJV, NRSV). It is also possible in light of the parallelism that שָׁמַר (shamar) is a rare homonym cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to rage; to be furious.” Repointing the verb as שָׁמְרָה (shamÿrah, third person feminine singular), one could translate literally, “his fury raged continually” (NIV, NJPS).
[1:12] 112 sn Teman was an important region (or perhaps city) in Edom.
[1:12] 113 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the fire mentioned in the previous line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:12] 114 sn Bozrah was a city located in northern Edom.
[1:1] 115 sn The date of the book of Obadiah is very difficult to determine. Since there is no direct indication of chronological setting clearly suggested by the book itself, and since the historical identity of the author is uncertain as well, a possible date for the book can be arrived at only on the basis of internal evidence. When did the hostile actions of Edom against Judah that are described in this book take place? Many nineteenth-century scholars linked the events of the book to a historical note found in 2 Kgs 8:20 (cf. 2 Chr 21:16-17): “In [Jehoram’s] days Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah and established a king over themselves.” If this is the backdrop against which Obadiah should be read, it would suggest a ninth-century
[1:1] 116 sn The name Obadiah in Hebrew means “servant of the
[1:1] 117 tn Heb “the vision of Obadiah” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “This is the prophecy of Obadiah.”
[1:1] 118 tn Heb “Lord
[1:1] 119 tn The Hebrew preposition לְ (lÿ) is better translated here “concerning” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, NLT) or “about” (so NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV) Edom rather than “to” Edom, although much of the book does speak directly to Edom.
[1:1] 120 sn The name Edom derives from a Hebrew root that means “red.” Edom was located to the south of the Dead Sea in an area with numerous rocky crags that provided ideal military advantages for protection. Much of the sandstone of this area has a reddish color. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob (Gen 25:19-26).
[1:1] 121 tn Although the word “saying” is not in the Hebrew text, it has been supplied in the translation because what follows seems to be the content of the envoy’s message. Cf. ASV, NASB, NCV, all of which supply “saying”; NIV, NLT “to say.”
[1:1] 122 tn Heb “Arise, and let us arise against her in battle!” The term “Edom” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation to specify the otherwise ambiguous referent of the term “her.”
[1:10] 123 tn Heb “from.” The preposition is used here with a causal sense.
[1:10] 124 tn Heb “because of the slaughter and because of the violence.” These two expressions form a hendiadys meaning “because of the violent slaughter.” Traditional understanding connects the first phrase “because of the slaughter” with the end of v. 9 (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT). It is preferable, however, to regard it as parallel to the reference to violence at the beginning of v. 11. Both the parallel linguistic structure of the two phrases and the metrical structure of the verse favor connecting this phrase with the beginning of v. 10 (cf. NRSV, TEV).
[1:10] 125 tn Heb “the violence of your brother.” The genitive construction is to be understood as an objective genitive. The meaning is not that Jacob has perpetrated violence (= subjective genitive), but that violence has been committed against him (= objective genitive).
[1:10] 126 tn Heb “your brother Jacob” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “your relatives, the Israelites.”
[1:10] 127 tn Heb “be cut off” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).
[1:11] 128 tn Heb “in the day of your standing”; NAB “On the day when you stood by.”
[1:11] 129 tn Or perhaps, “wealth” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). The Hebrew word is somewhat ambiguous here. This word also appears in v. 13, where it clearly refers to wealth.
[1:11] 130 tc The present translation follows the Qere which reads the plural (“gates”) rather than the singular.
[1:11] 131 sn Casting lots seems to be a way of deciding who would gain control over material possessions and enslaved peoples following a military victory.
[1:11] 132 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:11] 133 tn Heb “like one from them”; NASB “You too were as one of them.”
[1:12] 134 tn In vv. 12-14 there are eight prohibitions which summarize the nature of the Lord’s complaint against Edom. Each prohibition alludes to something that Edom did to Judah that should not have been done by one “brother” to another. It is because of these violations that the Lord has initiated judgment against Edom. In the Hebrew text these prohibitions are expressed by אַל (’al, “not”) plus the jussive form of the verb, which is common in negative commands of immediate urgency. Such constructions would normally have the sense of prohibiting something either not yet begun (i.e., “do not start to …”) or something already in process at the time of speaking (i.e., “stop…”). Here, however, it seems more likely that the prohibitions refer to a situation in past rather than future time (i.e., “you should not have …”). If so, the verbs are being used in a rhetorical fashion, as though the prophet were vividly projecting himself back into the events that he is describing and urging the Edomites not to do what in fact they have already done.
[1:12] 135 tn The Hebrew expression “to look upon” often has the sense of “to feast the eyes upon” or “to gloat over” (cf. v. 13).
[1:12] 136 tn Heb “your brother” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “your brother Israel.”
[1:12] 137 tn Heb “in the day of your brother, in the day of his calamity.” This expression is probably a hendiadys meaning, “in the day of your brother’s calamity.” The Hebrew word נָכְרוֹ (nokhro, “his calamity”)_is probably a word-play on נָכְרִים (nokherim, “foreigners”) in v. 11.
[1:12] 138 tn Heb “in the day of their destruction” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); NAB, NRSV “on the day of their ruin.”
[1:12] 139 tn Or “boasted with your mouth.” The Hebrew text includes the phrase “with your mouth,” which is redundant in English and has been left untranslated.
[1:12] 140 tn Heb “in the day of adversity”; NASB “in the day of their distress.”
[1:13] 141 tn Heb “the gate.” The term “gate” here functions as a synecdoche for the city as a whole, which the Edomites plundered.
[1:13] 142 tn Heb “in the day of their distress.” The phrase is used three times in this verse; the Hebrew word translated “distress” (אֵידָם, ’edam) is a wordplay on the name Edom. For stylistic reasons and to avoid monotony, in the present translation this phrase is rendered: “when they experienced distress,” “when they suffered distress,” and “when they endured distress.”
[1:13] 143 tn Heb “you, also you.”
[1:13] 144 tn Heb “in the day of his distress.” In this and the following phrase at the end of v. 13 the suffix is 3rd person masculine singular. As collective singulars both occurrences have been translated as plurals (“they suffered distress…endured distress” rather than “he suffered distress…endured distress”).
[1:13] 145 tc In the MT the verb is feminine plural, but the antecedent is unclear. The Hebrew phrase תִּשְׁלַחְנָה (tishlakhnah) here should probably be emended to read תִּשְׁלַח יָד (tishlakh yad), although yad (“hand”) is not absolutely essential to this idiom.
[1:13] 146 tn See the note on the phrase “suffered distress” in the previous line.
[1:14] 147 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word פֶּרֶק (pereq; here translated “fork in the road”) is uncertain. The word is found in the Hebrew Bible only here and in Nah 3:1, where it means “plunder.” In the present context it seems to refer to a strategic intersection or fork in a road where bands of Edomites apprehended Israelites who were fleeing from the attack on Jerusalem. Cf. NAB, NIV, NLT “crossroads”; NRSV “crossings.”
[1:14] 148 tn Heb “to cut off” (so KJV, NRSV); NASB, NIV “to cut down.”
[1:14] 149 tn Heb “his fugitives”; NAB, CEV “refugees.”
[1:14] 150 tn Heb “in the day of distress” (so KJV, ASV).
[1:3] 151 tn Heb “and I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated.” The context indicates this is technical covenant vocabulary in which “love” and “hate” are synonymous with “choose” and “reject” respectively (see Deut 7:8; Jer 31:3; Hos 3:1; 9:15; 11:1).
[1:3] 152 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:3] 153 tn Heb “I set his mountains as a desolation.”
[1:3] 154 tn Or “inheritance” (so NIV, NLT).
[1:4] 155 sn Edom, a “brother” nation to Israel, became almost paradigmatic of hostility toward Israel and God (see Num 20:14-21; Deut 2:8; Jer 49:7-22; Ezek 25:12-14; Amos 1:11-12; Obad 10-12).
[1:4] 156 sn The epithet
[1:4] 157 tn Heb “and they will call them.” The third person plural subject is indefinite; one could translate, “and people will call them.”
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