Isaiah 63:1

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ¹ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ² 

Who ³  is this one wearing royal attire, ⁴ 

who marches confidently ⁵  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ⁶ 

Numbers 23:19-20

23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a human being, ⁷  that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? ⁸ 

23:20 Indeed, I have received a command ⁹  to bless;

he has blessed, ¹⁰  and I cannot reverse it. ¹¹ 

Deuteronomy 32:4

32:4 As for the Rock, ¹²  his work is perfect,

for all his ways are just.

He is a reliable God who is never unjust,

he is fair ¹³  and upright.

Psalms 9:10

9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, ¹⁴ 

for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 12:6

12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. ¹⁶ 

They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,

where it is thoroughly refined. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 19:7-10

19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect

and preserves one’s life. ¹⁸ 

The rules set down by the Lord ¹⁹  are reliable ²⁰ 

and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. ²¹ 

19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair ²² 

and make one joyful. ²³ 

The Lord’s commands ²⁴  are pure ²⁵ 

and give insight for life. ²⁶ 

19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right ²⁷ 

and endure forever. ²⁸ 

The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy

and absolutely just. ²⁹ 

19:10 They are of greater value ³⁰  than gold,

than even a great amount of pure gold;

they bring greater delight ³¹  than honey,

than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.

Psalms 111:7-8

111:7 His acts are characterized by ³²  faithfulness and justice;

all his precepts are reliable. ³³ 

111:8 They are forever firm,

and should be faithfully and properly carried out. ³⁴ 

Psalms 119:137-138

צ (Tsade)

119:137 You are just, O Lord,

and your judgments are fair.

119:138 The rules you impose are just, ³⁵ 

and absolutely reliable.

Proverbs 8:6

8:6 Listen, for I will speak excellent things, ³⁶ 

and my lips will utter ³⁷  what is right.

Proverbs 30:5

30:5 Every word of God is purified; ³⁸ 

he is like ³⁹  a shield for those who take refuge in him. ⁴⁰ 

[63:1]  ¹ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ² tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ³ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”

[23:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “son of man.”

[23:19]  ⁸ tn The verb is the Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “to cause to rise; to make stand”). The meaning here is more of the sense of fulfilling the promises made.

[23:20]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text simply has “I have received [to] bless.” The infinitive is the object of the verb, telling what he received. Balaam was not actually commanded to bless, but was given the word of blessing so that he was given a divine decree that would bless Israel.

[23:20]  ¹⁰ sn The reference is probably to the first speech, where the Lord blessed Israel. Balaam knows that there is nothing he can do to reverse what God has said.

[23:20]  ¹¹ tn The verb is the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv), meaning “to cause to return.” He cannot return God’s word to him, for it has been given, and it will be fulfilled.

[32:4]  ¹² tc The LXX reads Θεός (qeos, “God”) for the MT’s “Rock.”

[32:4]  ¹³ tn Or “just” (KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT) or “righteous” (NASB).

[9:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and the ones who know your name trust in you.” The construction vav (ו) conjunctive + imperfect at the beginning of the verse expresses another consequence of the statement made in v. 8. “To know” the Lord’s “name” means to be his follower, recognizing his authority and maintaining loyalty to him. See Ps 91:14, where “knowing” the Lord’s “name” is associated with loving him.

[9:10]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the ones who seek you.”

[12:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the words of the Lord are pure words,” i.e., untainted by falsehood or deception (in contrast to the flattery of the evildoers, v. 2).

[12:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “[like] silver purified in a furnace of [i.e., “on”] the ground, refined seven times.” The singular participle מְזֻקָּק (mÿzuqqaq, “refined”) modifies “silver.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of שִׁבְעָתָיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”), see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.

[19:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.

[19:7]  ¹⁹ tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the Lord.” The noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law.

[19:7]  ²⁰ tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.

[19:7]  ²¹ tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.

[19:8]  ²² tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.

[19:8]  ²³ tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.

[19:8]  ²⁴ tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.

[19:8]  ²⁵ tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.

[19:8]  ²⁶ tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.

[19:9]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord is clean.” The phrase “fear of the Lord” probably refers here to the law, which teaches one how to demonstrate proper reverence for the Lord. See Ps 111:10 for another possible use of the phrase in this sense.

[19:9]  ²⁸ tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”

[19:9]  ²⁹ sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.

[19:10]  ³⁰ tn Heb “more desirable.”

[19:10]  ³¹ tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).

[111:7]  ³² tn Heb “the deeds of his hands [are].”

[111:7]  ³³ tn That is, fair and for man’s good.

[111:8]  ³⁴ tn Heb “done in faithfulness and uprightness.” The passive participle probably has the force of a gerund. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 89.

[119:138]  ³⁵ tn Heb “you commanded [in] justice your rules.”

[8:6]  ³⁶ tn Heb “noble” or “princely.” Wisdom begins the first motivation by claiming to speak noble things, that is, excellent things.

[8:6]  ³⁷ tn Heb “opening of my lips” (so KJV, NASB). The noun “lips” is a metonymy of cause, with the organ of speech put for what is said.

[30:5]  ³⁸ sn The text here uses an implied comparison (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis): It compares the perfection of every word from God with some precious metal that has been refined and purified (e.g., Ps 12:6). The point is that God’s word is trustworthy; it has no defects and flaws, nothing false or misleading. The second half of the verse explains the significance of this point – it is safe to trust the Lord.

[30:5]  ³⁹ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[30:5]  ⁴⁰ sn The line uses two more figures of speech to declare that God can be trusted for security and salvation. “Shield” is a simple metaphor – God protects. “Take refuge” is another implied comparison (hypocatastasis) – God provides spiritual rest and security for those who put their trust in him.