Job 9:20

9:20 Although I am innocent, ¹ 

my mouth ²  would condemn me; ³ 

although I am blameless,

it would declare me perverse. ⁴ 

Psalms 64:8

64:8 Their slander will bring about their demise. ⁵ 

All who see them will shudder, ⁶ 

Matthew 12:37

12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 26:65

26:65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared, ⁷  “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now ⁸  you have heard the blasphemy!

Luke 19:22

19:22 The king ⁹  said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, ¹⁰  you wicked slave! ¹¹  So you knew, did you, that I was a severe ¹²  man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow?

[9:20]  ¹ tn The idea is the same as that expressed in v. 15, although here the imperfect verb is used and not the perfect. Once again with the concessive clause (“although I am right”) Job knows that in a legal dispute he would be confused and would end up arguing against himself.

[9:20]  ² tn Some commentators wish to change this to “his mouth,” meaning God’s response to Job’s complaints. But the MT is far more expressive, and “my mouth” fits the context in which Job is saying that even though he is innocent, if he spoke in a court setting in the presence of God he would be overwhelmed, confused, and no doubt condemn himself.

[9:20]  ³ tn The verb has the declarative sense in the Hiphil, “to declare guilty [or wicked]” or “to condemn.”

[9:20]  ⁴ tn The verb עָקַשׁ (’aqash) means “to be twisted; to be tortuous.” The Piel has a meaning “to bend; to twist” (Mic 3:9) and “to pervert” (Jer 59:8). The form here is classified as a Hiphil, with the softening of the vowel i (see GKC 147 §53.n). It would then also be a declarative use of the Hiphil.

[64:8]  ⁵ tc The MT reads literally, “and they caused him to stumble, upon them, their tongue.” Perhaps the third plural subject of the verb is indefinite with the third singular pronominal suffix on the verb being distributive (see Ps 63:10). In this case one may translate, “each one will be made to stumble.” The preposition עַל (’al) might then be taken as adversative, “against them [is] their tongue.” Many prefer to emend the text to וַיַּכְשִׁילֵמוֹ עֲלֵי לְשׁוֹנָם (vayyakhshilemo ’aley lÿshonam, “and he caused them to stumble over their tongue”). However, if this reading is original, it is difficult to see how the present reading of the MT arose. Furthermore, the preposition is not collocated with the verb כָּשַׁל (kashal) elsewhere. It is likely that the MT is corrupt, but a satisfying emendation has not yet been proposed.

[64:8]  ⁶ tn The Hitpolel verbal form is probably from the root נוּד (nud; see HALOT 678 s.v. נוד), which is attested elsewhere in the Hitpolel stem, not the root נָדַד (nadad, as proposed by BDB 622 s.v. I נָדַד), which does not occur elsewhere in this stem.

[26:65]  ⁷ tn Grk “the high priest tore his clothes, saying.”

[26:65]  ⁸ tn Grk “Behold now.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[19:22]  ⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:22]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “out of your own mouth” (an idiom).

[19:22]  ¹¹ tn Note the contrast between this slave, described as “wicked,” and the slave in v. 17, described as “good.”

[19:22]  ¹² tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”