Numbers 4:15

4:15 “When Aaron and his sons have finished ¹  covering ²  the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is ready to journey, then ³  the Kohathites will come to carry them; ⁴  but they must not touch ⁵  any ⁶  holy thing, or they will die. ⁷  These are the responsibilities ⁸  of the Kohathites with the tent of meeting.

Numbers 4:24

4:24 This is the service of the families of Gershonites, as they serve ⁹  and carry it.

Numbers 4:31

4:31 This is what they are responsible to carry as their entire service in the tent of meeting: the frames ¹⁰  of the tabernacle, its crossbars, its posts, its sockets,

Isaiah 11:2-4

11:2 The Lord’s spirit will rest on him ¹¹  –

a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, ¹² 

a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, ¹³ 

a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. ¹⁴ 

11:3 He will take delight in obeying the Lord. ¹⁵ 

He will not judge by mere appearances, ¹⁶ 

or make decisions on the basis of hearsay. ¹⁷ 

11:4 He will treat the poor fairly, ¹⁸ 

and make right decisions ¹⁹  for the downtrodden of the earth. ²⁰ 

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, ²¹ 

and order the wicked to be executed. ²² 

Isaiah 42:1-7

The Lord Commissions His Special Servant

42:1 ²³ “Here is my servant whom I support,

my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.

I have placed my spirit on him;

he will make just decrees ²⁴  for the nations. ²⁵ 

42:2 He will not cry out or shout;

he will not publicize himself in the streets. ²⁶ 

42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,

a dim wick he will not extinguish; ²⁷ 

he will faithfully make just decrees. ²⁸ 

42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed ²⁹ 

before establishing justice on the earth;

the coastlands ³⁰  will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” ³¹ 

42:5 This is what the true God, ³²  the Lord, says –

the one who created the sky and stretched it out,

the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, ³³ 

the one who gives breath to the people on it,

and life to those who live on it: ³⁴ 

42:6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; ³⁵ 

I take hold of your hand.

I protect you ³⁶  and make you a covenant mediator for people, ³⁷ 

and a light ³⁸  to the nations, ³⁹ 

42:7 to open blind eyes, ⁴⁰ 

to release prisoners ⁴¹  from dungeons,

those who live in darkness from prisons.

Isaiah 49:1-8

Ideal Israel Delivers the Exiles

49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! ⁴² 

Pay attention, you people who live far away!

The Lord summoned me from birth; ⁴³ 

he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. ⁴⁴ 

49:2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,

he hid me in the hollow of his hand;

he made me like a sharpened ⁴⁵  arrow,

he hid me in his quiver. ⁴⁶ 

49:3 He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.” ⁴⁷ 

49:4 But I thought, ⁴⁸  “I have worked in vain;

I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.” ⁴⁹ 

But the Lord will vindicate me;

my God will reward me. ⁵⁰ 

49:5 So now the Lord says,

the one who formed me from birth ⁵¹  to be his servant –

he did this ⁵²  to restore Jacob to himself,

so that Israel might be gathered to him;

and I will be honored ⁵³  in the Lord’s sight,

for my God is my source of strength ⁵⁴  –

49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant ⁵⁵  of Israel? ⁵⁶ 

I will make you a light to the nations, ⁵⁷ 

so you can bring ⁵⁸  my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

49:7 This is what the Lord,

the protector ⁵⁹  of Israel, their Holy One, ⁶⁰  says

to the one who is despised ⁶¹  and rejected ⁶²  by nations, ⁶³ 

a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see and rise in respect, ⁶⁴ 

princes will bow down,

because of the faithful Lord,

the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”

49:8 This is what the Lord says:

“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;

in the day of deliverance I will help you;

I will protect you ⁶⁵  and make you a covenant mediator for people, ⁶⁶ 

to rebuild ⁶⁷  the land ⁶⁸ 

and to reassign the desolate property.

Romans 12:4-8

12:4 For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, 12:5 so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. 12:6 And we have different gifts ⁶⁹  according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. 12:7 If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; 12:8 if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.

[4:15]  ¹ tn The verb form is the Piel perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it continues the future sequence, but in this verse forms a subordinate clause to the parallel sequential verb to follow.

[4:15]  ² tn The Piel infinitive construct with the preposition serves as the direct object of the preceding verbal form, answering the question of what it was that they finished.

[4:15]  ³ tn Heb “after this.”

[4:15]  ⁴ tn The form is the Qal infinitive construct from נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift, carry”); here it indicates the purpose clause after the verb “come.”

[4:15]  ⁵ tn The imperfect tense may be given the nuance of negated instruction (“they are not to”) or negated obligation (“they must not”).

[4:15]  ⁶ tn Here the article expresses the generic idea of any holy thing (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §92).

[4:15]  ⁷ tn The verb is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, following the imperfect tense warning against touching the holy thing. The form shows the consequence of touching the holy thing, and so could be translated “or they will die” or “lest they die.” The first is stronger.

[4:15]  ⁸ tn The word מַשָּׂא (massa’) is normally rendered “burden,” especially in prophetic literature. It indicates the load that one must carry, whether an oracle, or here the physical responsibility.

[4:24]  ⁹ tn The two forms are the infinitive construct and then the noun: “to serve and for the burden.” They are to serve and they are to take the responsibility. The infinitive is explaining the verb.

[4:31]  ¹⁰ sn More recent studies have concluded that these “boards” were made of two long uprights joined by cross-bars (like a ladder). They were frames rather than boards, meaning that the structure under the tent was not a solid building. It also meant that the “boards” would have been lighter to carry.

[11:2]  ¹¹ sn Like David (1 Sam 16:13), this king will be energized by the Lord’s spirit.

[11:2]  ¹² tn Heb “a spirit of wisdom and understanding.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of wisdom he will possess. His wisdom will enable him to make just legal decisions (v. 3). A very similar phrase occurs in Eph 1:17.

[11:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “a spirit of counsel [or “strategy”] and strength.” The construction is a hendiadys; the point is that he will have the strength/ability to execute the plans/strategies he devises. This ability will enable him to suppress oppressors and implement just policies (v. 4).

[11:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.” “Knowledge” is used here in its covenantal sense and refers to a recognition of God’s authority and a willingness to submit to it. See Jer 22:16. “Fear” here refers to a healthy respect for God’s authority which produces obedience. Taken together the two terms emphasize the single quality of loyalty to the Lord. This loyalty guarantees that he will make just legal decisions and implement just policies (vv. 4-5).

[11:3]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and his smelling is in the fear of the Lord.” In Amos 5:21 the Hiphil of רוּחַ (ruakh, “smell”) carries the nuance of “smell with delight, get pleasure from.” There the Lord declares that he does not “smell with delight” (i.e., get pleasure from) Israel’s religious assemblies, which probably stand by metonymy for the incense offered during these festivals. In Isa 11:3 there is no sacrificial context to suggest such a use, but it is possible that “the fear of the Lord” is likened to incense. This coming king will get the same kind of delight from obeying (fearing) the Lord, as a deity does in the incense offered by worshipers. Some regard such an explanation as strained in this context, and prefer to omit this line from the text as a virtual dittograph of the preceding statement.

[11:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “by what appears to his eyes”; KJV “after the sight of his eyes”; NIV “by what he sees with his eyes.”

[11:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “by what is heard by his ears”; NRSV “by what his ears hear.”

[11:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “with justice” (so NAB) or “with righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[11:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “make decisions with rectitude”; cf. ASV, NRSV “and decide with equity.”

[11:4]  ²⁰ tn Or “land” (NAB, NCV, CEV). It is uncertain if the passage is picturing universal dominion or focusing on the king’s rule over his covenant people. The reference to God’s “holy mountain” in v. 9 and the description of renewed Israelite conquests in v. 14 suggest the latter, though v. 10 seems to refer to a universal kingdom (see 2:2-4).

[11:4]  ²¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he will strike the earth with the scepter of his mouth.” Some have suggested that in this context אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) as an object of judgment seems too broad in scope. The parallelism is tighter if one emends the word to ץ(י)עָרִ (’arits, “potentate, tyrant”). The phrase “scepter of his mouth” refers to the royal (note “scepter”) decrees that he proclaims with his mouth. Because these decrees will have authority and power (see v. 2) behind them, they can be described as “striking” the tyrants down. Nevertheless, the MT reading may not need emending. Isaiah refers to the entire “earth” as the object of God’s judgment in several places without specifying the wicked as the object of the judgment (Isa 24:17-21; 26:9, 21; 28:22; cf. 13:11).

[11:4]  ²² tn Heb “and by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.” The “breath of his lips” refers to his speech, specifically in this context his official decrees that the wicked oppressors be eliminated from his realm. See the preceding note.

[42:1]  ²³ sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.

[42:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[42:1]  ²⁵ sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.

[42:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”

[42:3]  ²⁷ sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.

[42:3]  ²⁸ tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[42:4]  ²⁹ tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.

[42:4]  ³⁰ tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”

[42:4]  ³¹ tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).

[42:5]  ³² tn Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.

[42:5]  ³³ tn Heb “and its offspring” (so NASB); NIV “all that comes out of it.”

[42:5]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (NAB, NASB, and NRSV all similar).

[42:6]  ³⁵ tn Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at 41:2.

[42:6]  ³⁶ tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).

[42:6]  ³⁷ tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.

[42:6]  ³⁸ sn Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4-6.

[42:6]  ³⁹ tn Or “the Gentiles” (so KJV, ASV, NIV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.

[42:7]  ⁴⁰ sn This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.

[42:7]  ⁴¹ sn This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.

[49:1]  ⁴² tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”

[49:1]  ⁴³ tn Heb “called me from the womb.”

[49:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”

[49:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Or perhaps, “polished” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NASB “a select arrow.”

[49:2]  ⁴⁶ sn The figurative language emphasizes the servant’s importance as the Lord’s effective instrument. The servant’s mouth, which stands metonymically for his words, is compared to a sharp sword because he will be an effective spokesman on God’s behalf (see 50:4). The Lord holds his hand on the servant, ready to draw and use him at the appropriate time. The servant is like a sharpened arrow reserved in a quiver for just the right moment.

[49:3]  ⁴⁷ sn This verse identifies the servant as Israel. This seems to refer to the exiled nation (cf. 41:8-9; 44:1-2, 21; 45:4; 48:20), but in vv. 5-6 this servant says he has been commissioned to reconcile Israel to God, so he must be distinct from the exiled nation. This servant is an ideal “Israel” who, like Moses of old, mediates a covenant for the nation (see v. 8), leads them out of bondage (v. 9a), and carries out God’s original plan for Israel by positively impacting the pagan nations (see v. 6b). By living according to God’s law, Israel was to be a model of God’s standards of justice to the surrounding nations (Deut 4:6-8). The sinful nation failed, but the servant, the ideal “Israel,” will succeed by establishing justice throughout the earth.

[49:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “said” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “I replied.”

[49:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “for nothing and emptiness.” Synonyms are combined to emphasize the common idea.

[49:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “But my justice is with the Lord, and my reward [or “wage”] with my God.”

[49:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:5]  ⁵² tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.

[49:5]  ⁵³ tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”

[49:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.

[49:6]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”

[49:6]  ⁵⁶ sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.

[49:6]  ⁵⁷ tn See the note at 42:6.

[49:6]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”

[49:7]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:7]  ⁶⁰ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[49:7]  ⁶¹ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the MT tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsa^a reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:294) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”

[49:7]  ⁶² tn MT’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”

[49:7]  ⁶³ tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).

[49:7]  ⁶⁴ tn For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.

[49:8]  ⁶⁵ tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).

[49:8]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (’am, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.

[49:8]  ⁶⁷ tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”

[49:8]  ⁶⁸ tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.

[12:6]  ⁶⁹ tn This word comes from the same root as “grace” in the following clause; it means “things graciously given,” “grace-gifts.”