Job 6:5

Complaints Reflect Suffering

6:5 “Does the wild donkey ¹  bray ²  when it is near grass? ³ 

Or ⁴  does the ox low near its fodder? ⁵ 

Job 16:4

16:4 I also could speak ⁶  like you,

if ⁷  you were in my place;

I could pile up ⁸  words against you

and I could shake my head at you. ⁹ 

Psalms 123:3-4

123:3 Show us favor, O Lord, show us favor!

For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some. ¹⁰ 

123:4 We have had our fill ¹¹ 

of the taunts of the self-assured,

of the contempt of the proud.

Amos 6:1-6

The Party is over for the Rich

6:1 Woe ¹²  to those who live in ease in Zion, ¹³ 

to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.

They think of themselves as ¹⁴  the elite class of the best nation.

The family ¹⁵  of Israel looks to them for leadership. ¹⁶ 

6:2 They say to the people: ¹⁷ 

“Journey over to Calneh and look at it!

Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! ¹⁸ 

Then go down to Gath of the Philistines!

Are they superior to our two ¹⁹  kingdoms?

Is their territory larger than yours?” ²⁰ 

6:3 You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, ²¹ 

but you establish a reign of violence. ²² 

6:4 They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, ²³ 

and sprawl out on their couches.

They eat lambs from the flock,

and calves from the middle of the pen.

6:5 They sing ²⁴  to the tune of ²⁵  stringed instruments; ²⁶ 

like David they invent ²⁷  musical instruments.

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ²⁸ 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ²⁹ 

Yet they are not concerned over ³⁰  the ruin ³¹  of Joseph.

Luke 12:19

12:19 And I will say to myself, ³²  “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’

Luke 16:19-20

The Rich Man and Lazarus

16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple ³³  and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously ³⁴  every day. 16:20 But at his gate lay ³⁵  a poor man named Lazarus ³⁶  whose body was covered with sores, ³⁷ 

[6:5]  ¹ tn There have been suggestions to identify this animal as something other than a wild donkey, but the traditional interpretation has been confirmed (see P. Humbert, “En marge du dictionnaire hébraïque,” ZAW 62 [1950]: 199-207).

[6:5]  ² tn The verb נָהַק (nahaq, “bray”) occurs in Arabic and Aramaic and only in Job 30:7 in Hebrew, where it refers to unfortunate people in the wilderness who utter cries like the hungry wild donkey.

[6:5]  ³ sn In this brief section Job indicates that it would be wiser to seek the reason for the crying than to complain of the cry. The wild donkey will bray when it finds no food (see Jer 14:6).

[6:5]  ⁴ tn The construction forms a double question (אִם...הֲ, ha…’im) but not to express mutually exclusive questions in this instance. Instead, it is used to repeat the same question in different words (see GKC 475 §150.h).

[6:5]  ⁵ tc The LXX captures the meaning of the verse, but renders it in a more expansive way.

[16:4]  ⁶ tn For the use of the cohortative in the apodosis of conditional sentences, see GKC 322 §109.f.

[16:4]  ⁷ tn The conjunction לוּ (lu) is used to introduce the optative, a condition that is incapable of fulfillment (see GKC 494-95 §159.l).

[16:4]  ⁸ tn This verb אַחְבִּירָה (’akhbirah) is usually connected to חָבַר (khavar, “to bind”). There are several suggestions for this word. J. J. Finkelstein proposed a second root, a homonym, meaning “to make a sound,” and so here “to harangue” (“Hebrew habar and Semitic HBR,” JBL 75 [1956]: 328-31; see also O. Loretz, “HBR in Job 16:4,” CBQ 23 [1961]: 293-94, who renders it “I could make noisy speeches”). Other suggestions have been for new meanings based on cognate studies, such as “to make beautiful” (i.e., make polished speeches).

[16:4]  ⁹ sn The action is a sign of mockery (see Ps 22:7[8]; Isa 37:22; Matt 27:39).

[123:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for greatly we are filled [with] humiliation.”

[123:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “greatly our soul is full to it.”

[6:1]  ¹² tn On the Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy; “ah, woe”) as a term of mourning, see the notes in 5:16, 18.

[6:1]  ¹³ sn Zion is a reference to Jerusalem.

[6:1]  ¹⁴ tn The words “They think of themselves as” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the term נְקֻבֵי (nÿquvey; “distinguished ones, elite”) is in apposition to the substantival participles in the first line.

[6:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[6:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “comes to them.”

[6:2]  ¹⁷ tn The words “They say to the people” are interpretive and supplied in the translation for clarification. The translation understands v. 2 as the boastful words, which the leaders (described in v. 1) spoke to those who came to them (v. 1b). Some interpret v. 2 differently, understanding the words as directed to the leaders by the prophet. Verse 2b would then be translated: “Are you (i.e., Israel and Judah) better than these kingdoms (i.e., Calneh, etc.)? Is your border larger than their border?” (This reading requires an emendation of the Hebrew text toward the end of the verse.) In this case the verse is a reminder to Judah/Israel that they are not superior to other nations, which have already fallen victim to military conquest. Consequently Judah/Israel should not expect to escape the same fate. Following this line of interpretation, some take v. 2 as a later addition since the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser III conquered Calneh, Hamath, and Gath after the time of Amos’ ministry. However, this conclusion is not necessary since the kingdoms mentioned here had suffered military setbacks prior to Amos’ time as well. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 201-4.

[6:2]  ¹⁸ tn Or “Great Hamath” (cf. NIV); or “Hamath the great” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the word “rabbah” means “great” in Hebrew.

[6:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to these,” referring to Judah and Israel (see v. 1a).

[6:2]  ²⁰ tn Both rhetorical questions in this verse expect the answer “no.” If these words do come from the leaders, then this verse underscores their self-delusion of power (compare 6:13). The prophet had no such mistaken sense of national grandeur (7:2, 5).

[6:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “those who push away a day of disaster.”

[6:3]  ²² tn Heb “you bring near a seat of violence.” The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שֶׁבֶת (shevet, “seat, sitting”) is unclear in this context. The translation assumes that it refers to a throne from which violence (in the person of the oppressive leaders) reigns. Another option is that the expression refers not to the leaders’ oppressive rule, but to the coming judgment when violence will overtake the nation in the person of enemy invaders.

[6:4]  ²³ tn Heb “beds of ivory.”

[6:5]  ²⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּרַט (parat), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. Some translate “strum,” “pluck,” or “improvise.”

[6:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “upon the mouth of,” that is, “according to.”

[6:5]  ²⁶ sn The stringed instruments mentioned here are probably harps (cf. NIV, NRSV) or lutes (cf. NEB).

[6:5]  ²⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew phrase חָשְׁבוּ לָהֶם (khoshvu lahem) is uncertain. Various options include: (1) “they think their musical instruments are like David’s”; (2) “they consider themselves musicians like David”; (3) “they esteem musical instruments highly like David”; (4) “they improvise [new songs] for themselves [on] instruments like David”; (5) “they invent musical instruments like David.” However, the most commonly accepted interpretation is that given in the translation (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 206-7).

[6:6]  ²⁸ sn Perhaps some religious rite is in view, or the size of the bowls is emphasized (i.e., bowls as large as sacrificial bowls).

[6:6]  ²⁹ tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ³⁰ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ³¹ sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.

[12:19]  ³² tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.

[16:19]  ³³ sn Purple describes a fine, expensive dye used on luxurious clothing, and by metonymy, refers to clothing colored with that dye. It pictures someone of great wealth.

[16:19]  ³⁴ tn Or “celebrated with ostentation” (L&N 88.255), that is, with showing off. Here was the original conspicuous consumer.

[16:20]  ³⁵ tn The passive verb ἐβέβλητο (ebeblhto) does not indicate how Lazarus got there. Cf. BDAG 163 s.v. βάλλω 1.b, “he lay before the door”; Josephus, Ant. 9.10.2 (9.209).

[16:20]  ³⁶ sn This is the one time in all the gospels that a figure in a parable is mentioned by name. It will become important later in the account.

[16:20]  ³⁷ tn Or “was covered with ulcers.” The words “whose body” are implied in the context (L&N 23.180).