Discovery BoxProverbs 16:19
Context16:19 It is better to be lowly in spirit 1 with the afflicted
than to share the spoils 2 with the proud.
Exodus 3:11
Context3:11 Moses said 3 to God, 4 “Who am I, that I should go 5 to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
Exodus 3:1
Context3:1 Now Moses 6 was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert 7 and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. 8
Exodus 9:20-22
Context9:20 Those 9 of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their 10 servants and livestock into the houses, 9:21 but those 11 who did not take 12 the word of the Lord seriously left their servants and their cattle 13 in the field.
9:22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward the sky 14 that there may be 15 hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals, 16 and on everything that grows 17 in the field in the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 15:17
Context15:17 You will bring them in 18 and plant them in the mountain 19 of your inheritance,
in the place you made 20 for your residence, O Lord,
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.
Exodus 18:18-23
Context18:18 You will surely wear out, 21 both you and these people who are with you, for this is too 22 heavy a burden 23 for you; you are not able to do it by yourself. 18:19 Now listen to me, 24 I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, 25 and you bring 26 their disputes 27 to God; 18:20 warn 28 them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk 29 and the work they must do. 30 18:21 But you choose 31 from the people capable men, 32 God-fearing, 33 men of truth, 34 those who hate bribes, 35 and put them over the people 36 as rulers 37 of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 18:22 They will judge 38 the people under normal circumstances, 39 and every difficult case 40 they will bring to you, but every small case 41 they themselves will judge, so that 42 you may make it easier for yourself, 43 and they will bear the burden 44 with you. 18:23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, 45 then you will be able 46 to endure, 47 and all these people 48 will be able to go 49 home 50 satisfied.” 51
Exodus 18:2
Context18:2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah after he had sent her back,
Exodus 7:8-17
Context7:8 The Lord said 52 to Moses and Aaron, 53 7:9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Do 54 a miracle,’ and you say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down 55 before Pharaoh,’ it will become 56 a snake.” 7:10 When 57 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, they did so, just as the Lord had commanded them – Aaron threw 58 down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants and it became a snake. 59 7:11 Then Pharaoh also summoned wise men and sorcerers, 60 and the magicians 61 of Egypt by their secret arts 62 did the same thing. 7:12 Each man 63 threw down his staff, and the staffs became snakes. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 7:13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard, 64 and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.
7:14 65 The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; 66 he refuses to release 67 the people. 7:15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning when 68 he goes out to the water. Position yourself 69 to meet him by the edge of the Nile, 70 and take 71 in your hand the staff 72 that was turned into a snake. 7:16 Tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you to say, 73 “Release my people, that they may serve me 74 in the desert!” But until now 75 you have not listened. 76 7:17 Thus says the Lord: “By this you will know that I am the Lord: I am going to strike 77 the water of the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood. 78
Psalms 131:1
ContextA song of ascents, 80 by David.
131:1 O Lord, my heart is not proud,
nor do I have a haughty look. 81
I do not have great aspirations,
or concern myself with things that are beyond me. 82
Jeremiah 1:6-10
Context1:6 I answered, “Oh, Lord God, 83 I really 84 do not know how to speak well enough for that, 85 for I am too young.” 86 1:7 The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go 87 to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 1:8 Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you, 88 for I will be with you to protect 89 you,” says the Lord. 1:9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me. 90 1:10 Know for certain that 91 I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be 92 uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.” 93
Amos 7:12-15
Context7:12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! 94 Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living 95 and prophesy there! 7:13 Don’t prophesy at Bethel 96 any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!” 97
7:14 Amos replied 98 to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. 99 No, 100 I was a herdsman who also took care of 101 sycamore fig trees. 102 7:15 Then the Lord took me from tending 103 flocks and gave me this commission, 104 ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’
[16:19] 1 tn Heb “low of spirit”; KJV “of an humble spirit.” This expression describes the person who is humble and submissive before the
[16:19] 2 tn Heb “than to divide plunder.” The word “plunder” implies that the wealth taken by the proud was taken violently and wrongfully – spoils are usually taken in warfare. R. N. Whybray translates it with “loot” (Proverbs [CBC], 95). The proud are in rebellion against God, overbearing and oppressive. One should never share the “loot” with them.
[3:11] 3 tn Heb “And Moses said.”
[3:11] 4 sn When he was younger, Moses was confident and impulsive, but now that he is older the greatness of the task makes him unsure. The remainder of this chapter and the next chapter record the four difficulties of Moses and how the
[3:11] 5 tn The imperfect tense אֵלֵךְ (’elekh) carries the modal nuance of obligatory imperfect, i.e., “that I should go.” Moses at this point is overwhelmed with the task of representing God, and with his personal insufficiency, and so in honest humility questions the choice.
[3:1] 6 sn The vav (ו) disjunctive with the name “Moses” introduces a new and important starting point. The
[3:1] 7 tn Or “west of the desert,” taking אַחַר (’akhar, “behind”) as the opposite of עַל־פְּנֵי (’al-pÿne, “on the face of, east of”; cf. Gen 16:12; 25:18).
[3:1] 8 sn “Horeb” is another name for Mount Sinai. There is a good deal of foreshadowing in this verse, for later Moses would shepherd the people of Israel and lead them to Mount Sinai to receive the Law. See D. Skinner, “Some Major Themes of Exodus,” Mid-America Theological Journal 1 (1977): 31-42.
[9:20] 9 tn The text has “the one fearing.” The singular expression here and throughout vv. 20-21 refers to all who fit the description.
[9:20] 10 tn Heb “his” (singular).
[9:21] 11 tn The Hebrew text again has the singular.
[9:21] 12 tn Heb “put to his heart.”
[9:21] 13 tn Heb “his servants and his cattle.”
[9:22] 14 tn Or “the heavens” (also in the following verse). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
[9:22] 15 tn The jussive with the conjunction (וִיהִי, vihi) coming after the imperative provides the purpose or result.
[9:22] 16 tn Heb “on man and on beast.”
[9:22] 17 tn The noun refers primarily to cultivated grains. But here it seems to be the general heading for anything that grows from the ground, all vegetation and plant life, as opposed to what grows on trees.
[15:17] 18 tn The verb is imperfect.
[15:17] 19 sn The “mountain” and the “place” would be wherever Yahweh met with his people. It here refers to Canaan, the land promised to the patriarchs.
[15:17] 20 tn The verb is perfect tense, referring to Yahweh’s previous choice of the holy place.
[18:18] 21 tn The verb means “to fall and fade” as a leaf (Ps 1:3). In Ps 18:45 it is used figuratively of foes fading away, failing in strength and courage (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 166). Here the infinitive absolute construction heightens the meaning.
[18:18] 22 tn Gesenius lists the specialized use of the comparative min (מ) where with an adjective the thought expressed is that the quality is too difficult for the attainment of a particular aim (GKC 430 §133.c).
[18:18] 23 tn Here “a burden” has been supplied.
[18:19] 24 tn Heb “hear my voice.”
[18:19] 25 tn The line reads “Be you to the people before God.” He is to be their representative before God. This is introducing the aspect of the work that only Moses could do, what he has been doing. He is to be before God for the people, to pray for them, to appeal on their behalf. Jethro is essentially saying, I understand that you cannot delegate this to anyone else, so continue doing it (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 219-20).
[18:19] 26 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; following the imperative it will be instruction as well. Since the imperative preceding this had the idea of “continue to be” as you are, this too has that force.
[18:19] 27 tn Heb “words”; KJV, ASV “the causes”; NRSV “cases”; NLT “questions.”
[18:20] 28 tn The perfect tense with the vav (ו) continues the sequence of instruction for Moses. He alone was to be the mediator, to guide them in the religious and moral instruction.
[18:20] 29 tn The verb and its following prepositional phrase form a relative clause, modifying “the way.” The imperfect tense should be given the nuance of obligatory imperfect – it is the way they must walk.
[18:20] 30 tn This last part is parallel to the preceding: “work” is also a direct object of the verb “make known,” and the relative clause that qualifies it also uses an obligatory imperfect.
[18:21] 31 tn The construction uses the independent pronoun for emphasis, and then the imperfect tense “see” (חָזָה, khazah) – “and you will see from all….” Both in Hebrew and Ugaritic expressions of “seeing” are used in the sense of choosing (Gen 41:33). See U. Cassuto, Exodus, 220.
[18:21] 32 tn The expression is אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל (’anshe khayil, “capable men”). The attributive genitive is the word used in expressions like “mighty man of valor.” The word describes these men as respected, influential, powerful people, those looked up to by the community as leaders, and those who will have the needs of the community in mind.
[18:21] 33 tn The description “fearers of God” uses an objective genitive. It describes them as devout, worshipful, obedient servants of God.
[18:21] 34 tn The expression “men of truth” (אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת, ’anshe ’emet) indicates that these men must be seekers of truth, who know that the task of a judge is to give true judgment (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 220). The word “truth” includes the ideas of faithfulness or reliability, as well as factuality itself. It could be understood to mean “truthful men,” men whose word is reliable and true.
[18:21] 35 tn Heb “haters of bribes.” Here is another objective genitive, one that refers to unjust gain. To hate unjust gain is to reject and refuse it. Their decisions will not be swayed by greed.
[18:21] 36 tn Heb “over them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:21] 37 sn It is not clear how this structure would work in a judicial setting. The language of “captains of thousands,” etc., is used more for military ranks. There must have been more detailed instruction involved here, for each Israelite would have come under four leaders with this arrangement, and perhaps difficult cases would be sent to the next level. But since the task of these men would also involve instruction and guidance, the breakdown would be very useful. Deut 1:9, 13 suggest that the choice of these people was not simply Moses’ alone.
[18:22] 38 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive, making it equivalent to the imperfect of instruction in the preceding verse.
[18:22] 39 tn Heb “in every time,” meaning “in all normal cases” or “under normal circumstances.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
[18:22] 40 tn Heb “great thing.”
[18:22] 42 tn The vav here shows the result or the purpose of the instructions given.
[18:22] 43 tn The expression וְהָקֵל מֵעָלֶיךָ (vÿhaqel me’aleykha) means literally “and make it light off yourself.” The word plays against the word for “heavy” used earlier – since it was a heavy or burdensome task, Moses must lighten the load.
[18:22] 44 tn Here “the burden” has been supplied.
[18:23] 45 tn The form is a Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the same nuance as the preceding imperfect in the conditional clause.
[18:23] 46 tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive now appears in the apodosis of the conditional sentence – “if you do this…then you will be able.”
[18:23] 47 tn Heb “to stand.” B. Jacob (Exodus, 501) suggests that there might be a humorous side to this: “you could even do this standing up.”
[18:23] 48 tn Literally “this people.”
[18:23] 49 tn The verb is the simple imperfect, “will go,” but given the sense of the passage a potential nuance seems in order.
[18:23] 50 tn Heb “his place.”
[7:8] 52 tn Heb “And Yahweh said.”
[7:8] 53 tn Heb “said to Moses and Aaron, saying.”
[7:9] 54 tn The verb is תְּנוּ (tÿnu), literally “give.” The imperative is followed by an ethical dative that strengthens the subject of the imperative: “you give a miracle.”
[7:9] 55 tn Heb “and throw it.” The direct object, “it,” is implied.
[7:9] 56 tn The form is the jussive יְהִי ( yÿhi). Gesenius notes that frequently in a conditional clause, a sentence with a protasis and apodosis, the jussive will be used. Here it is in the apodosis (GKC 323 §109.h).
[7:10] 57 tn The clause begins with the preterite and the vav (ו) consecutive; it is here subordinated to the next clause as a temporal clause.
[7:10] 58 tn Heb “and Aaron threw.”
[7:10] 59 tn The noun used here is תַּנִּין (tannin), and not the word for “serpent” or “snake” used in chap. 4. This noun refers to a large reptile, in some texts large river or sea creatures (Gen 1:21; Ps 74:13) or land creatures (Deut 32:33). This wonder paralleled Moses’ miracle in 4:3 when he cast his staff down. But this is Aaron’s staff, and a different miracle. The noun could still be rendered “snake” here since the term could be broad enough to include it.
[7:11] 60 sn For information on this Egyptian material, see D. B. Redford, A Study of the Biblical Story of Joseph (VTSup), 203-4.
[7:11] 61 tn The חַרְטֻּמִּים (kharttummim) seem to have been the keepers of Egypt’s religious and magical texts, the sacred scribes.
[7:11] 62 tn The term בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶם (bÿlahatehem) means “by their secret arts”; it is from לוּט (lut, “to enwrap”). The Greek renders the word “by their magic”; Tg. Onq. uses “murmurings” and “whispers,” and other Jewish sources “dazzling display” or “demons” (see further B. Jacob, Exodus, 253-54). They may have done this by clever tricks, manipulation of the animals, or demonic power. Many have suggested that Aaron and the magicians were familiar with an old trick in which they could temporarily paralyze a serpent and then revive it. But here Aaron’s snake swallows up their snakes.
[7:12] 63 tn The verb is plural, but the subject is singular, “a man – his staff.” This noun can be given a distributive sense: “each man threw down his staff.”
[7:13] 64 tn This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq); see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53.
[7:14] 65 sn With the first plague, or blow on Pharaoh, a new section of the book unfolds. Until now the dominant focus has been on preparing the deliverer for the exodus. From here the account will focus on preparing Pharaoh for it. The theological emphasis for exposition of the entire series of plagues may be: The sovereign Lord is fully able to deliver his people from the oppression of the world so that they may worship and serve him alone. The distinct idea of each plague then will contribute to this main idea. It is clear from the outset that God could have delivered his people simply and suddenly. But he chose to draw out the process with the series of plagues. There appear to be several reasons: First, the plagues are designed to judge Egypt. It is justice for slavery. Second, the plagues are designed to inform Israel and Egypt of the ability of Yahweh. Everyone must know that it is Yahweh doing all these things. The Egyptians must know this before they are destroyed. Third, the plagues are designed to deliver Israel. The first plague is the plague of blood: God has absolute power over the sources of life. Here Yahweh strikes the heart of Egyptian life with death and corruption. The lesson is that God can turn the source of life into the prospect of death. Moreover, the Nile was venerated; so by turning it into death Moses was showing the superiority of Yahweh.
[7:14] 66 tn Or “unresponsive” (so HALOT 456 s.v. I כָּבֵד).
[7:14] 67 tn The Piel infinitive construct לְשַׁלַּח (lÿshallakh) serves as the direct object of מֵאֵן (me’en), telling what Pharaoh refuses (characteristic perfect) to do. The whole clause is an explanation (like a metonymy of effect) of the first clause that states that Pharaoh’s heart is hard.
[7:15] 68 tn The clause begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh); here it provides the circumstances for the instruction for Moses – he is going out to the water so go meet him. A temporal clause translation captures the connection between the clauses.
[7:15] 69 tn The instruction to Moses continues with this perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive following the imperative. The verb means “to take a stand, station oneself.” It seems that Pharaoh’s going out to the water was a regular feature of his day and that Moses could be there waiting to meet him.
[7:15] 70 sn The Nile, the source of fertility for the country, was deified by the Egyptians. There were religious festivals held to the god of the Nile, especially when the Nile was flooding. The Talmud suggests that Pharaoh in this passage went out to the Nile to make observations as a magician about its level. Others suggest he went out simply to bathe or to check the water level – but that would not change the view of the Nile that was prevalent in the land.
[7:15] 71 tn The verb תִּקַּח (tiqqakh), the Qal imperfect of לָקַח (laqakh), functions here as the imperfect of instruction, or injunction perhaps, given the word order of the clause.
[7:15] 72 tn The final clause begins with the noun and vav disjunctive, which singles this instruction out for special attention – “now the staff…you are to take.”
[7:16] 73 tn The form לֵאמֹר (le’mor) is the Qal infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition. It is used so often epexegetically that it has achieved idiomatic status – “saying” (if translated at all). But here it would make better sense to take it as a purpose infinitive. God sent him to say these words.
[7:16] 74 tn The imperfect tense with the vav (וְיַעַבְדֻנִי, vÿya’avduni) following the imperative is in volitive sequence, showing the purpose – “that they may serve me.” The word “serve” (עָבַד, ’avad) is a general term to include religious observance and obedience.
[7:16] 75 tn The final עַד־כֹּה (’ad-koh, “until now”) narrows the use of the perfect tense to the present perfect: “you have not listened.” That verb, however, involves more than than mere audition. It has the idea of responding to, hearkening, and in some places obeying; here “you have not complied” might catch the point of what Moses is saying, while “listen” helps to maintain the connection with other uses of the verb.
[7:16] 76 tn Or “complied” (שָׁמַעְתָּ, shama’ta).
[7:17] 77 tn The construction using הִנֵּה (hinneh) before the participle (here the Hiphil participle מַכֶּה, makkeh) introduces a futur instans use of the participle, expressing imminent future, that he is about to do something.
[7:17] 78 sn W. C. Kaiser summarizes a view that has been adopted by many scholars, including a good number of conservatives, that the plagues overlap with natural phenomena in Egypt. Accordingly, the “blood” would not be literal blood, but a reddish contamination in the water. If there was an unusually high inundation of the Nile, the water flowed sluggishly through swamps and was joined with the water from the mountains that washed out the reddish soil. If the flood were high, the water would have a deeper red color. In addition to this discoloration, there is said to be a type of algae which produce a stench and a deadly fluctuation of the oxygen level of the river that is fatal to fish (see W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:350; he cites Greta Hort, “The Plagues of Egypt,” ZAW 69 [1957]: 84-103; same title, ZAW 70 [1958]: 48-59). While most scholars would agree that the water did not actually become blood (any more than the moon will be turned to literal blood [Joel 2:31]), many are not satisfied with this kind of explanation. If the event was a fairly common feature of the Nile, it would not have been any kind of sign to Pharaoh – and it should still be observable. The features that would have to be safeguarded are that it was understood to be done by the staff of God, that it was unexpected and not a mere coincidence, and that the magnitude of the contamination, color, stench, and death, was unparalleled. God does use natural features in miracles, but to be miraculous signs they cannot simply coincide with natural phenomena.
[131:1] 79 sn Psalm 131. The psalmist affirms his humble dependence on the Lord and urges Israel to place its trust in God.
[131:1] 80 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[131:1] 81 tn Heb “and my eyes are not lifted up.”
[131:1] 82 tn Heb “I do not walk in great things, and in things too marvelous for me.”
[1:6] 83 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.”
[1:6] 84 tn Heb “Behold, I do not know how to speak.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, commonly rendered “behold”) often introduces a speech and calls special attention to a specific word or the statement as a whole (see IBHS 675-78 §40.2.1).
[1:6] 85 tn The words “well enough for that” are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarity. Jeremiah is not claiming an absolute inability to speak.
[1:6] 86 tn Heb “I am a boy/youth.” The Hebrew word can refer to an infant (Exod 2:6), a young boy (1 Sam 2:11), a teenager (Gen 21:12), or a young man (2 Sam 18:5). The translation is deliberately ambiguous since it is unclear how old Jeremiah was when he was called to begin prophesying.
[1:7] 87 tn Or “For you must go and say.” The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is likely adversative here after a negative statement (cf. BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 3.e). The
[1:8] 88 tn Heb “be afraid of them.” The antecedent is the “whomever” in v. 7.
[1:9] 90 tn Heb “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” This is an example of the Hebrew “scheduling” perfect or the “prophetic” perfect where a future event is viewed as so certain it is spoken of as past. The Hebrew particle rendered here “assuredly” (Heb הִנֵּה, hinneh) underlines the certitude of the promise for the future. See the translator’s note on v. 6.
[1:10] 91 tn Heb “See!” The Hebrew imperative of the verb used here (רָאָה, ra’ah) functions the same as the particle in v. 9. See the translator’s note there.
[1:10] 92 tn Heb “I appoint you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot….” The phrase refers to the
[1:10] 93 sn These three pairs represent the twofold nature of Jeremiah’s prophecies, prophecies of judgment and restoration. For the further programmatic use of these pairs for Jeremiah’s ministry see 18:7-10 and 31:27-28.
[7:12] 94 tn Traditionally, “seer.” The word is a synonym for “prophet,” though it may carry a derogatory tone on the lips of Amaziah.
[7:12] 95 tn Heb “Eat bread there.”
[7:13] 96 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[7:13] 97 tn Heb “for it is a temple of a king and it is a royal house.” It is possible that the phrase “royal house” refers to a temple rather than a palace. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), 243.
[7:14] 98 tn Heb “replied and said.” The phrase “and said” is pleonastic (redundant) and has not been included in the translation.
[7:14] 99 tn Heb “I was not a prophet nor was I the son of a prophet.” The phrase “son of a prophet” refers to one who was trained in a prophetic guild. Since there is no equative verb present in the Hebrew text, another option is to translate with the present tense, “I am not a prophet by profession.” In this case Amos, though now carrying out a prophetic ministry (v. 15), denies any official or professional prophetic status. Modern English versions are divided about whether to understand the past (JB, NIV, NKJV) or present tense (NASB, NEB, NRSV, NJPS) here.
[7:14] 101 tn Heb “gashed”; or “pierced.”
[7:14] 102 sn It is possible that herdsmen agreed to care for sycamore fig trees in exchange for grazing rights. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 116-17. Since these trees do not grow around Tekoa but rather in the lowlands, another option is that Amos owned other property outside his hometown. In this case, this verse demonstrates his relative wealth and is his response to Amaziah; he did not depend on prophecy as a profession (v. 13).
