Job 31:13

31:13 “If I have disregarded the right of my male servants

or my female servants

when they disputed ¹  with me,

Proverbs 9:9

9:9 Give instruction ²  to a wise person, ³  and he will become wiser still;

teach ⁴  a righteous person and he will add to his ⁵  learning.

Proverbs 25:11-12

25:11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver, ⁶ 

so is a word skillfully spoken. ⁷ 

25:12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, ⁸ 

so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens. ⁹ 

Ezekiel 47:1-9

Water from the Temple

47:1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple. I noticed ¹⁰  that water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, from south of the altar. 47:2 He led me out by way of the north gate and brought me around the outside of the outer gate that faces toward the east; I noticed ¹¹  that the water was trickling out from the south side.

47:3 When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured 1,750 feet, ¹²  and then he led me through water, which was ankle deep. 47:4 Again he measured 1,750 feet and led me through the water, which was now knee deep. Once more he measured 1,750 feet and led me through the water, which was waist deep. 47:5 Again he measured 1,750 feet and it was a river I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. 47:6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 47:7 When I had returned, I noticed ¹³  a vast number of trees on the banks of the river, on both sides. 47:8 He said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and flow down into the Arabah; when they enter the Dead Sea, ¹⁴  where the sea is stagnant, ¹⁵  the waters become fresh. ¹⁶  47:9 Every living creature which swarms where the river ¹⁷  flows will live; there will be many fish, for these waters flow there. It will become fresh ¹⁸  and everything will live where the river flows.

Zechariah 13:1

The Refinement of Judah

13:1 “In that day there will be a fountain opened up for the dynasty ¹⁹  of David and the people of Jerusalem ²⁰  to cleanse them from sin and impurity. ²¹ 

Zechariah 14:8

14:8 Moreover, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, ²²  half of them to the eastern sea ²³  and half of them to the western sea; ²⁴  it will happen both in summer and in winter.

[31:13]  ¹ tn This construction is an adverbial clause using the temporal preposition, the infinitive from רִיב (riv, “contend”), and the suffix which is the subjective genitive.

[9:9]  ² tn The noun “instruction” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation.

[9:9]  ³ sn The parallelism shows what Proverbs will repeatedly stress, that the wise person is the righteous person.

[9:9]  ⁴ tn The Hiphil verb normally means “to cause to know, make known”; but here the context suggests “to teach” (so many English versions).

[9:9]  ⁵ tn The term “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of smoothness and clarity.

[25:11]  ⁶ sn The verse uses emblematic parallelism, stating the simile in the first part and the point in the second. The meaning of the simile is not entirely clear, but it does speak of beauty, value, and artistry. The “apples of gold” (possibly citrons, quinces, oranges, or apricots) may refer to carvings of fruit in gold on columns.

[25:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “on its wheels.” This expression means “aptly, fittingly.” The point is obviously about the immense value and memorable beauty of words used skillfully (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 148). Noting the meaning of the term and the dual form of the word, W. McKane suggests that the expression is metaphorical for the balancing halves of a Hebrew parallel wisdom saying: “The stichos is a wheel, and the sentence consisting of two wheels is a ‘well-turned’ expression” (Proverbs [OTL], 584). The line then would be describing a balanced, well-turned saying, a proverb; it is skillfully constructed, beautifully written, and of lasting value.

[25:12]  ⁸ sn This saying is another example of emblematic parallelism; the first half is the simile, and the second half makes the point from it: A wise rebuke that is properly received is of lasting value. The rebuke in the ear of an obedient student is like ornaments of fine jewelry.

[25:12]  ⁹ tn The “ear of the listener” refers to the obedient disciple, the one who complies with the reproof he hears. Cf. KJV, ASV, NAB “an obedient ear.”

[47:1]  ¹⁰ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[47:2]  ¹¹ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[47:3]  ¹² tn Heb “one thousand cubits” (i.e., 525 meters); this phrase occurs three times in the next two verses.

[47:7]  ¹³ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[47:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the sea,” referring to the Dead Sea. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “to the sea, those which are brought out.” The reading makes no sense. The text is best emended to read “filthy” (i.e., stagnant). See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:273.

[47:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the waters become healed.”

[47:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “two rivers,” perhaps under the influence of Zech 14:8. The translation follows the LXX and other ancient versions in reading the singular, which is demanded by the context (see vv. 5-7, 9b, 12).

[47:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “will be healed.”

[13:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “house” (so NIV, NRSV), referring to dynastic descendants.

[13:1]  ²⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[13:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “for sin and for impurity.” The purpose implied here has been stated explicitly in the translation for clarity.

[14:8]  ²² sn Living waters will flow out from Jerusalem. Ezekiel sees this same phenomenon in conjunction with the inauguration of the messianic age (Ezek 47; cf. Rev 22:1-5; also John 7:38).

[14:8]  ²³ sn The eastern sea is a reference to the Dead Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[14:8]  ²⁴ sn The western sea is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).