Leviticus 25:18

25:18 You must obey my statutes and my regulations; you must be sure to keep them ¹  so that you may live securely in the land. ² 

Job 11:18-19

11:18 And you will be secure, because there is hope;

you will be protected ³ 

and will take your rest in safety.

11:19 You will lie down with ⁴  no one to make you afraid,

and many will seek your favor. ⁵ 

Psalms 46:1-7

Psalm 46 ⁶ 

For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; ⁷  a song.

46:1 God is our strong refuge; ⁸ 

he is truly our helper in times of trouble. ⁹ 

46:2 For this reason we do not fear ¹⁰  when the earth shakes, ¹¹ 

and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, ¹² 

46:3 when its waves ¹³  crash ¹⁴  and foam,

and the mountains shake ¹⁵  before the surging sea. ¹⁶  (Selah)

46:4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, ¹⁷ 

the special, holy dwelling place of ¹⁸  the sovereign One. ¹⁹ 

46:5 God lives within it, ²⁰  it cannot be moved. ²¹ 

God rescues it ²²  at the break of dawn. ²³ 

46:6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. ²⁴ 

God ²⁵  gives a shout, ²⁶  the earth dissolves. ²⁷ 

46:7 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! ²⁸ 

The God of Jacob ²⁹  is our protector! ³⁰  (Selah)

Psalms 90:1

Book 4
(Psalms 90-106)

Psalm 90 ³¹ 

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

90:1 O Lord, you have been our protector ³²  through all generations!

Psalms 91:1-14

Psalm 91 ³³ 

91:1 As for you, the one who lives ³⁴  in the shelter of the sovereign One, ³⁵ 

and resides in the protective shadow ³⁶  of the mighty king ³⁷  –

91:2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold,

my God in whom I trust –

91:3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter ³⁸ 

and from the destructive plague.

91:4 He will shelter you ³⁹  with his wings; ⁴⁰ 

you will find safety under his wings.

His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. ⁴¹ 

91:5 You need not fear the terrors of the night, ⁴² 

the arrow that flies by day,

91:6 the plague that comes in the darkness,

or the disease that comes at noon. ⁴³ 

91:7 Though a thousand may fall beside you,

and a multitude on your right side,

it ⁴⁴  will not reach you.

91:8 Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes –

you will see the wicked paid back. ⁴⁵ 

91:9 For you have taken refuge in the Lord,

my shelter, the sovereign One. ⁴⁶ 

91:10 No harm will overtake ⁴⁷  you;

no illness ⁴⁸  will come near your home. ⁴⁹ 

91:11 For he will order his angels ⁵⁰ 

to protect you in all you do. ⁵¹ 

91:12 They will lift you up in their hands,

so you will not slip and fall on a stone. ⁵² 

91:13 You will subdue ⁵³  a lion and a snake; ⁵⁴ 

you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.

91:14 The Lord says, ⁵⁵ 

“Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;

I will protect him ⁵⁶  because he is loyal to me. ⁵⁷ 

Proverbs 1:33

1:33 But the one who listens ⁵⁸  to me will live in security, ⁵⁹ 

and will be at ease ⁶⁰  from the dread of harm.

Proverbs 18:10

18:10 The name of the Lord ⁶¹  is like ⁶²  a strong tower; ⁶³ 

the righteous person runs ⁶⁴  to it and is set safely on high. ⁶⁵ 

Jeremiah 23:6

23:6 Under his rule ⁶⁶  Judah will enjoy safety ⁶⁷ 

and Israel will live in security. ⁶⁸ 

This is the name he will go by:

‘The Lord has provided us with justice.’ ⁶⁹ 

Ezekiel 34:25-28

34:25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and will rid the land of wild beasts, so that they can live securely ⁷⁰  in the wilderness and even sleep in the woods. ⁷¹  34:26 I will turn them and the regions around my hill into a blessing. I will make showers come down in their season; they will be showers that bring blessing. ⁷²  34:27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 34:28 They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid.

Matthew 23:37

Judgment on Israel

23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ⁷³  you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! ⁷⁴  How often I have longed ⁷⁵  to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but ⁷⁶  you would have none of it! ⁷⁷ 

Matthew 23:1

Seven Woes

23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,

Matthew 1:5

1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse,

[25:18]  ¹ tn Heb “And you shall keep and do them.” This appears to be a kind of verbal hendiadys, where the first verb is a modifier of the action of the second verb (see GKC 386 §120.d, although שָׁמַר [shamar, “to keep”] is not cited there; cf. Lev 20:8, etc.).

[25:18]  ² tn Heb “and you shall dwell on the land to security.”

[11:18]  ³ tn The Hebrew verb means “to dig”; but this does not provide a good meaning for the verse. A. B. Davidson offers an interpretation of “search,” suggesting that before retiring at night Job would search and find everything in order. Some offer a better solution, namely, redefining the word on the basis of Arabic hafara, “to protect” and repointing it to וְחֻפַרְתָּ (vÿkhufarta, “you will be protected”). Other attempts to make sense of the line have involved the same process, but they are less convincing (for some of the more plausible proposals, see D. J. A. Clines, Job [WBC], 257).

[11:19]  ⁴ tn The clause that reads “and there is no one making you afraid,” is functioning circumstantially here (see 5:4; 10:7).

[11:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “they will stroke your face,” a picture drawn from the domestic scene of a child stroking the face of the parent. The verb is a Piel, meaning “stroke, make soft.” It is used in the Bible of seeking favor from God (supplication); but it may on the human level also mean seeking to sway people by flattery. See further D. R. Ap-Thomas, “Notes on Some Terms Relating to Prayer,” VT 6 (1956): 225-41.

[46:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.

[46:1]  ⁷ sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.

[46:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”

[46:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.

[46:2]  ¹⁰ tn The imperfect is taken in a generalizing sense (cf. NEB) because the situation described in vv. 2-3 is understood as symbolizing typical world conditions. In this case the imperfect draws attention to the typical nature of the response. The covenant community characteristically responds with confidence, not fear. Another option is to take the situation described as purely hypothetical. In this case one might translate, “We will not fear, even though the earth should shake” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[46:2]  ¹¹ tn The Hiphil infinitival form is normally taken to mean “when [the earth] is altered,” being derived from מוּר (mur, “to change”). In this case the Hiphil would be intransitive, as in Ps 15:4. HALOT 560 s.v. II מור emends the form to a Niphal and derives it from a homonymic root מוּר attested in Arabic with the meaning “shake.”

[46:2]  ¹² tn Heb “heart of the seas.” The plural may be used for emphasis, pointing to the deepest sea. Note that the next verse uses a singular pronoun (“its waters,” “its swelling”) in referring back to the plural noun.

[46:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “its waters.”

[46:3]  ¹⁴ tn Or “roar.”

[46:3]  ¹⁵ tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the characteristic nature of the activity described.

[46:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “at its swelling.” The Hebrew word often means “pride.” If the sea is symbolic of hostile nations, then this may be a case of double entendre. The surging, swelling sea symbolizes the proud, hostile nations. On the surface the psalmist appears to be depicting a major natural catastrophe, perhaps a tidal wave. If so, then the situation would be hypothetical. However, the repetition of the verbs הָמָה (hamah, “crash; roar,” v. 3) and מוֹט (mot, “shake,” v. 2) in v. 6, where nations/kingdoms “roar” and “shake,” suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).

[46:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “A river, its channels cause the city of God to be glad.”

[46:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the holy [place] of the dwelling places of.” The adjective “holy” is used here in a substantival manner and placed in construct with the following noun (see GKC 428 §132.c). Origen’s transliterated text assumes the reading קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness; holy place”), while the LXX assumes a Piel verbal form קִדֵּשׁ (qidesh, “makes holy”) and takes the following form as “his dwelling place.” The plural form מִשְׁכְּנֵי (mishkÿney, “dwelling places of”) is probably a plural of degree, emphasizing the special character of this dwelling place. See GKC 397 §124.b. The form stands as an appositional genitive in relation to the preceding construct noun.

[46:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.

[46:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “God [is] within her.” The feminine singular pronoun refers to the city mentioned in v. 4.

[46:5]  ²¹ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “it will not be upended.” Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense. The verb מוֹט (mot), translated “upended” here, is used in v. 2 of the mountains “tumbling” into the seas and in v. 6 of nations being “upended.” By way of contrast, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is secure and immune from such turmoil and destruction.

[46:5]  ²² tn Or “helps her.” The imperfect draws attention to the generalizing character of the statement.

[46:5]  ²³ tn Heb “at the turning of morning.” (For other uses of the expression see Exod 14:27 and Judg 19:26).

[46:6]  ²⁴ tn Heb “nations roar, kingdoms shake.” The Hebrew verb הָמָה (hamah, “roar, be in uproar”) is used in v. 3 of the waves crashing, while the verb מוֹט (mot, “overthrown”) is used in v. 2 of mountains tumbling into the sea (see also v. 5, where the psalm affirms that Jerusalem “cannot be moved”). The repetition of the verbs suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).

[46:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “He.” God is the obvious referent here (see v. 5), and has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[46:6]  ²⁶ tn Heb “offers his voice.” In theophanic texts the phrase refers to God’s thunderous shout which functions as a battle cry (see Pss 18:13; 68:33).

[46:6]  ²⁷ tn Or “melts.” See Amos 9:5. The image depicts the nation’s helplessness before Jerusalem’s defender, who annihilates their armies (see vv. 8-9). The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the characteristic nature of the action described.

[46:7]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts is with us.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Ps 24:10). The military imagery is further developed in vv. 8-9.

[46:7]  ²⁹ tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

[46:7]  ³⁰ tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).

[90:1]  ³¹ sn Psalm 90. In this communal lament the worship leader affirms that the eternal God and creator of the world has always been Israel’s protector. But God also causes men, who are as transient as grass, to die, and in his fierce anger he decimates his covenant community, whose brief lives are filled with suffering and end in weakness. The community asks for wisdom, the restoration of God’s favor, a fresh revelation of his power, and his blessing upon their labors.

[90:1]  ³² tn Or “place of safety.” See Ps 71:3.

[91:1]  ³³ sn Psalm 91. In this psalm an individual (perhaps a priest) addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger (vv. 1-13). In vv. 14-16 God himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe.

[91:1]  ³⁴ tn Heb “[O] one who lives.”

[91:1]  ³⁵ tn Traditionally “the Most High.”

[91:1]  ³⁶ sn The Lord is compared here to a bird who protects its young under the shadow of its wings (see v. 4).

[91:1]  ³⁷ sn The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday; see also Ps 68:14). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the mighty king (sovereign judge) of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness.

[91:3]  ³⁸ tn The word refers specifically to a fowler (or hunter of birds).

[91:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “put a cover over you” (see Ps 5:11).

[91:4]  ⁴⁰ tc The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural should be read. The final yod (י) of the suffix, which indicates the plural, has dropped off by haplography (note the yod [י] at the beginning of the next word).

[91:4]  ⁴¹ tn Traditionally the Hebrew term סֹחֵרָה (sokherah), which occurs only here in the OT, has been understood to refer to a buckler or small shield (see BDB 695 s.v.). But HALOT 750 s.v., on the basis of evidence from the cognate languages, proposes the meaning “wall.”

[91:5]  ⁴² tn This probably alludes to a sneak attack by enemies in the darkness of night (see Song 3:8).

[91:6]  ⁴³ sn As in Deut 32:23-24, vv. 5-6 closely associate military attack and deadly disease. Perhaps the latter alludes to one of the effects of siege warfare on the population of an entrapped city, which was especially vulnerable to the outbreak of epidemics.

[91:7]  ⁴⁴ tn Apparently the deadly disease mentioned in v. 6b is the understood subject here.

[91:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “retribution on the wicked.”

[91:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “for you, the Lord, my shelter, the Most High, you have made your dwelling place.”

[91:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “confront.”

[91:10]  ⁴⁸ tn For this sense of the Hebrew term נגע see Ps 38:11.

[91:10]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “your tent.”

[91:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “for his angels he will command concerning you.”

[91:11]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “in all your ways.”

[91:12]  ⁵² tn Heb “so your foot will not strike a stone.”

[91:13]  ⁵³ tn Heb “walk upon.”

[91:13]  ⁵⁴ tn Or perhaps “cobra” (see Ps 58:4).

[91:14]  ⁵⁵ tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the words which follow are the Lord’s oracle of assurance.

[91:14]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “make him secure” (Heb “set him on high”).

[91:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “because he knows my name” (see Ps 9:10).

[1:33]  ⁵⁸ tn The participle is used substantivally here: “whoever listens” will enjoy the benefits of the instruction.

[1:33]  ⁵⁹ tn The noun בֶּטַח (betakh, “security”) functions as an adverbial accusative of manner: “in security.” The phrase refers to living in a permanent settled condition without fear of danger (e.g., Deut 33:12; Ps 16:9). It is the antithesis of the dread of disaster facing the fool and the simple.

[1:33]  ⁶⁰ tn The verb שַׁאֲנַן (sha’anan) is a Palel perfect of שָׁאַן (sha’an) which means “to be at ease; to rest securely” (BDB 983 s.v. שָׁאַן). Elsewhere it parallels the verb “to be undisturbed” (Jer 30:10), so it means “to rest undisturbed and quiet.” The reduplicated Palel stem stresses the intensity of the idea. The perfect tense functions in the so-called “prophetic perfect” sense, emphasizing the certainty of this blessing for the wise.

[18:10]  ⁶¹ sn The “name of the Lord” is a metonymy of subject. The “name” here signifies not the personal name “Yahweh,” for that would be redundant in the expression “the name of Yahweh,” but the attributes of the Lord (cf. Exod 34:5-7) – here his power to protect.

[18:10]  ⁶² tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

[18:10]  ⁶³ tn Heb “a tower of strength,” with “strength” regarded as attributive by most English versions. The metaphor “strong tower” indicates that God is a secure refuge. The figure is qualified in the second colon.

[18:10]  ⁶⁴ sn The metaphor of “running” to the Lord refers to a whole-hearted and unwavering trust in God’s protection (e.g., Isa 40:31).

[18:10]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “is high” or “is inaccessible.” This military-type expression stresses the effect of the trust – security, being out of danger (see HALOT 1305 s.v. שׂגב). Other scriptures will supply the ways that God actually protects people who trust him.

[23:6]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “In his days [= during the time he rules].”

[23:6]  ⁶⁷ tn Parallelism and context (cf. v. 4) suggest this nuance for the word often translated “be saved.” For this nuance elsewhere see Ps 119:117; Prov 28:18 for the verb (יָשַׁע [yasha’] in the Niphal); and Ps 12:6; Job 5:4, 11 for the related noun (יֶשַׁע, yesha’).

[23:6]  ⁶⁸ sn It should be noted that this brief oracle of deliverance implies the reunification of Israel and Judah under the future Davidic ruler. Jeremiah has already spoken about this reunification earlier in 3:18 and will have more to say about it in 30:3; 31:27, 31. This same ideal was espoused in the prophecies of Hosea (1:10-11 [2:1-2 HT]), Isaiah (11:1-4, 10-12), and Ezekiel (37:15-28) all of which have messianic and eschatological significance.

[23:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “his name will be called ‘The Lord our righteousness’.”

[34:25]  ⁷⁰ tn The phrase “live securely” occurs in Ezek 28:26; 38:8, 11, 14; 39:26 as an expression of freedom from fear. It is a promised blessing resulting from obedience (see Lev 26:5-6).

[34:25]  ⁷¹ sn The woods were typically considered to be places of danger (Ps 104:20-21; Jer 5:6).

[34:26]  ⁷² tn Heb “showers of blessing.” Abundant rain, which in turn produces fruit and crops (v. 27), is a covenantal blessing for obedience (Lev 26:4).

[23:37]  ⁷³ sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.

[23:37]  ⁷⁴ tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your… you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill… sent to you”).

[23:37]  ⁷⁵ sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.

[23:37]  ⁷⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[23:37]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “you were not willing.”