Discovery BoxJeremiah 18:16
Context18:16 So their land will become an object of horror. 1
People will forever hiss out their scorn over it.
All who pass that way will be filled with horror
and will shake their heads in derision. 2
Jeremiah 19:8
Context19:8 I will make this city an object of horror, a thing to be hissed at. All who pass by it will be filled with horror and will hiss out their scorn 3 because of all the disasters that have happened to it. 4
Jeremiah 25:12
Context25:12 “‘But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation 5 for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon 6 an everlasting ruin. 7 I, the Lord, affirm it! 8
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. 9
Jeremiah 51:37
Context51:37 Babylon will become a heap of ruins.
Jackals will make their home there. 10
It will become an object of horror and of hissing scorn,
a place where no one lives. 11
Job 27:23
Context27:23 It claps 12 its hands at him in derision
and hisses him away from his place. 13
Isaiah 14:4-17
Context14:4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: 14
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 15 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 16 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 17
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 18
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 19
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 20
‘Since you fell asleep, 21
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 22
14:9 Sheol 23 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 24 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 25
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 26
14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
14:11 Your splendor 27 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 28
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 29
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 30
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 31 of the nations! 32
14:13 You said to yourself, 33
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 34
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 35
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 36 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 37
14:15 But you were brought down 38 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 39
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 40
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 41 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 42
Lamentations 2:15-16
Contextס (Samek)
2:15 All who passed by on the road
clapped their hands to mock you. 43
They sneered and shook their heads
at Daughter Jerusalem.
“Ha! Is this the city they called 44
‘The perfection of beauty, 45
the source of joy of the whole earth!’?” 46
פ (Pe)
2:16 All your enemies
gloated over you. 47
They sneered and gnashed their teeth;
they said, “We have destroyed 48 her!
Ha! We have waited a long time for this day.
We have lived to see it!” 49
Habakkuk 2:6-18
Context2:6 “But all these nations will someday taunt him 50
and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: 51
‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead 52
(How long will this go on?) 53 –
he who gets rich by extortion!’ 54
2:7 Your creditors will suddenly attack; 55
those who terrify you will spring into action, 56
and they will rob you. 57
2:8 Because you robbed many countries, 58
all who are left among the nations 59 will rob you.
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, 60 and those who live in them.
2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. 61
He does this so he can build his nest way up high
and escape the clutches of disaster. 62
2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.
Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. 63
2:11 For the stones in the walls will cry out,
and the wooden rafters will answer back. 64
2:12 The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead 65 –
he who starts 66 a town by unjust deeds.
2:13 Be sure of this! The Lord who commands armies has decreed:
The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke;
their exhausting work will be for nothing. 67
2:14 For recognition of the Lord’s sovereign majesty will fill the earth
just as the waters fill up the sea. 68
2:15 “You who force your neighbor to drink wine 69 are as good as dead 70 –
you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, 71
so you can look at their genitals. 72
2:16 But you will become drunk 73 with shame, not majesty. 74
Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! 75
The cup of wine in the Lord’s right hand 76 is coming to you,
and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!
2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; 77
terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. 78
You have shed human blood
and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.
2:18 What good 79 is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? 80
What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? 81
Why would its creator place his trust in it 82
and make 83 such mute, worthless things?
Zephaniah 2:15
Context2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up 84 –
the city that was so secure. 85
She thought to herself, 86 “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” 87
What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!
Everyone who passes by her taunts her 88 and shakes his fist. 89
[18:16] 1 tn There may be a deliberate double meaning involved here. The word translated here “an object of horror” refers both to destruction (cf. 2:15; 4:17) and the horror or dismay that accompanies it (cf. 5:30; 8:21). The fact that there is no conjunction or preposition in front of the noun “hissing” that follows this suggests that the reaction is in view here, not the cause.
[18:16] 2 tn Heb “an object of lasting hissing. All who pass that way will be appalled and shake their head.”
[19:8] 3 sn See 18:16 and the study note there.
[19:8] 4 tn Heb “all its smitings.” This word has been used several times for the metaphorical “wounds” that Israel has suffered as a result of the blows from its enemies. See, e.g., 14:17. It is used in the Hebrew Bible of scourging, both literally and metaphorically (cf. Deut 25:3; Isa 10:26), and of slaughter and defeat (1 Sam 4:10; Josh 10:20). Here it refers to the results of the crushing blows at the hands of her enemies which has made her the object of scorn.
[25:12] 5 tn Heb “that nation.”
[25:12] 6 tn Heb “the land of the Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for the use of the term “Chaldeans.”
[25:12] 7 tn Heb “I will visit upon the king of Babylon and upon that nation, oracle of the
[25:12] 8 tn Heb “Oracle of the
[49:17] 9 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.
[51:37] 10 tn Heb “a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals.” Compare 9:11.
[51:37] 11 tn Heb “without an inhabitant.”
[27:23] 12 tn If the same subject is to be carried through here, it is the wind. That would make this a bold personification, perhaps suggesting the force of the wind. Others argue that it is unlikely that the wind claps its hands. They suggest taking the verb with an indefinite subject: “he claps” means “one claps. The idea is that of people rejoicing when the wicked are gone. But the parallelism is against this unless the second line is changed as well. R. Gordis (Job, 296) has “men will clap their hands…men will whistle upon him.”
[27:23] 13 tn Or “hisses at him from its place” (ESV).
[14:4] 14 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
[14:4] 15 tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) assume a dalet-resh (ד-ר) confusion and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.
[14:6] 16 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
[14:6] 17 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:6] 18 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
[14:8] 19 tn Heb “concerning you.”
[14:8] 20 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
[14:8] 21 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
[14:8] 22 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
[14:9] 23 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
[14:9] 24 tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.
[14:9] 25 tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.
[14:9] 26 tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.
[14:11] 27 tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”
[14:11] 28 tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[14:11] 29 tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
[14:12] 30 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben-shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל.
[14:12] 31 tn Some understand the verb to from חָלַשׁ (khalash, “to weaken”), but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here, meaning “to defeat.”
[14:12] 32 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gada’, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
[14:13] 33 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
[14:13] 34 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
[14:13] 35 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
[14:14] 36 tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה.
[14:14] 37 sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.
[14:15] 38 tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.
[14:15] 39 tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.
[14:16] 40 tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
[14:17] 41 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (’arayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (’areha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement a suffix and its antecedent noun.
[14:17] 42 tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.’ On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.
[2:15] 43 tn Heb “clap their hands at you.” Clapping hands at someone was an expression of malicious glee, derision and mockery (Num 24:10; Job 27:23; Lam 2:15).
[2:15] 44 tn Heb “of which they said.”
[2:15] 45 tn Heb “perfection of beauty.” The noun יֹפִי (yofi, “beauty”) functions as a genitive of respect in relation to the preceding construct noun: Jerusalem was perfect in respect to its physical beauty.
[2:15] 46 tn Heb “the joy of all the earth.” This is similar to statements found in Pss 48:2 and 50:2.
[2:16] 47 tn Heb “they have opened wide their mouth against you.”
[2:16] 48 tn Heb “We have swallowed!”
[2:16] 49 tn Heb “We have attained, we have seen!” The verbs מָצָאנוּ רָאִינוּ (matsa’nu ra’inu) form a verbal hendiadys in which the first retains its full verbal sense and the second functions as an object complement. It forms a Hebrew idiom that means something like, “We have lived to see it!” The three asyndetic 1st person common plural statements in 2:16 (“We waited, we destroyed, we saw!”) are spoken in an impassioned, staccato style reflecting the delight of the conquerors.
[2:6] 50 tn Heb “Will not these, all of them, take up a taunt against him…?” The rhetorical question assumes the response, “Yes, they will.” The present translation brings out the rhetorical force of the question by rendering it as an affirmation.
[2:6] 51 tn Heb “and a mocking song, riddles, against him? And one will say.”
[2:6] 52 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who increases [what is] not his.” The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe,” “ah”) was used in funeral laments and carries the connotation of death.
[2:6] 53 tn This question is interjected parenthetically, perhaps to express rhetorically the pain and despair felt by the Babylonians’ victims.
[2:6] 54 tn Heb “and the one who makes himself heavy [i.e., wealthy] [by] debts.” Though only appearing in the first line, the term הוֹי (hoy) is to be understood as elliptical in the second line.
[2:7] 55 tn Heb “Will not your creditors suddenly rise up?” The rhetorical question assumes the response, “Yes, they will.” The present translation brings out the rhetorical force of the question by rendering it as an affirmation.
[2:7] 56 tn Heb “[Will not] the ones who make you tremble awake?”
[2:7] 57 tn Heb “and you will become their plunder.”
[2:8] 60 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of humankind and violence against land, city.” The singular forms אֶרֶץ (’erets, “land”) and קִרְיָה (qiryah, “city”) are collective, referring to all the lands and cities terrorized by the Babylonians.
[2:9] 61 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who profits unjustly by evil unjust gain for his house.” On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.
[2:9] 62 tn Heb “to place his nest in the heights in order to escape from the hand of disaster.”
[2:10] 63 tn Heb “you planned shame for your house, cutting off many nations, and sinning [against] your life.”
[2:11] 64 sn The house mentioned in vv. 9-10 represents the Babylonian empire, which became great through imperialism. Here the materials of this “house” (the stones in the walls, the wooden rafters) are personified as witnesses who testify that the occupants have built the house through wealth stolen from others.
[2:12] 65 tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.
[2:12] 66 tn Or “establishes”; or “founds.”
[2:13] 67 tn Heb “Is it not, look, from the
[2:14] 68 tn Heb “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
[2:15] 69 tn No direct object is present after “drink” in the Hebrew text. “Wine” is implied, however, and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[2:15] 70 tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.
[2:15] 71 tc Heb “pouring out your anger and also making drunk”; or “pouring out your anger and [by] rage making drunk.” The present translation assumes that the final khet (ח) on מְסַפֵּחַ (misapeakh, “pouring”) is dittographic and that the form should actually be read מִסַּף (missaf, “from a bowl”).
[2:15] 72 tn Heb “their nakedness,” a euphemism.
[2:16] 73 tn Heb “are filled.” The translation assumes the verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of Babylon’s coming judgment, which will reduce the majestic empire to shame and humiliation.
[2:16] 75 tc Heb “drink, even you, and show the foreskin.” Instead of הֵעָרֵל (he’arel, “show the foreskin”) one of the Dead Sea scrolls has הֵרָעֵל (hera’el, “stumble”). This reading also has support from several ancient versions and is followed by the NEB (“you too shall drink until you stagger”) and NRSV (“Drink, you yourself, and stagger”). For a defense of the Hebrew text, see P. D. Miller, Jr., Sin and Judgment in the Prophets, 63-64.
[2:16] 76 sn The Lord’s right hand represents his military power. He will force the Babylonians to experience the same humiliating defeat they inflicted on others.
[2:17] 77 tn Heb “for the violence against Lebanon will cover you.”
[2:17] 78 tc The Hebrew appears to read literally, “and the violence against the animals [which] he terrified.” The verb form יְחִיתַן (yÿkhitan) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with third feminine plural suffix (the antecedent being the animals) from חָתַת (khatat, “be terrified”). The translation above follows the LXX and assumes a reading יְחִתֶּךָ (yÿkhittekha, “[the violence against the animals] will terrify you”; cf. NRSV “the destruction of the animals will terrify you”; NIV “and your destruction of animals will terrify you”). In this case the verb is a Hiphil imperfect third masculine singular with second masculine singular suffix (the antecedent being Babylon). This provides better symmetry with the preceding line, where Babylon’s violence is the subject of the verb “cover.”
[2:18] 79 tn Or “of what value.”
[2:18] 80 tn Heb “so that the one who forms it fashions it?” Here כִּי (ki) is taken as resultative after the rhetorical question. For other examples of this use, see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §450.
[2:18] 81 tn Heb “or a metal image, a teacher of lies.” The words “What good is” in the translation are supplied from the previous parallel line. “Teacher of lies” refers to the false oracles that the so-called god would deliver through a priest. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 126.
[2:18] 82 tn Heb “so that the one who forms his image trusts in it?” As earlier in the verse, כִּי (ki) is resultative.
[2:15] 84 tn Heb “this is the proud city.”
[2:15] 85 tn Heb “the one that lived securely.”
[2:15] 86 tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”
[2:15] 87 tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.”
[2:15] 88 tn Heb “hisses”; or “whistles.”
[2:15] 89 sn Hissing (or whistling) and shaking the fist were apparently ways of taunting a defeated foe or an object of derision in the culture of the time.
