Leviticus 25:8

Regulations for the Jubilee Year of Release

25:8 “‘You must count off ¹  seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, ²  and the days of the seven weeks of years will amount to forty-nine years. ³ 

Numbers 14:34

14:34 According to the number of the days you have investigated this land, forty days – one day for a year – you will suffer for ⁴  your iniquities, forty years, and you will know what it means to thwart me. ⁵ 

Ezekiel 4:6

4:6 “When you have completed these days, then lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah 40 days ⁶  – I have assigned one day for each year.

[25:8]  ¹ tn Heb “And you shall count off for yourself.”

[25:8]  ² tn Heb “seven years seven times.”

[25:8]  ³ tn Heb “and they shall be for you, the days of the seven Sabbaths of years, forty-nine years.”

[14:34]  ⁴ tn Heb “you shall bear.”

[14:34]  ⁵ tn The phrase refers to the consequences of open hostility to God, or perhaps abandonment of God. The noun תְּנוּאָה (tÿnu’ah) occurs in Job 33:10 (perhaps). The related verb occurs in Num 30:6 HT (30:5 ET) and 32:7 with the sense of “disallow, discourage.” The sense of the expression adopted in this translation comes from the meticulous study of R. Loewe, “Divine Frustration Exegetically Frustrated,” Words and Meanings, 137-58.

[4:6]  ⁶ sn The number 40 may refer in general to the period of Judah’s exile using the number of years Israel was punished in the wilderness. In this case, however, one would need to translate, “you will bear the punishment of the house of Judah.”