Discovery BoxPsalms 22:1-31
ContextFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 2 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 3
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 4
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 5
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 6
22:4 In you our ancestors 7 trusted;
they trusted in you 8 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 9
22:6 But I 10 am a worm, 11 not a man; 12
people insult me and despise me. 13
22:7 All who see me taunt 14 me;
they mock me 15 and shake their heads. 16
“Commit yourself 18 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 19 rescue him!
Let the Lord 20 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 21
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 22 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 23
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 24
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 25
22:12 Many bulls 26 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 27 hem me in.
22:13 They 28 open their mouths to devour me 29
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 30
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 31
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 32 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 33 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 34
You 35 set me in the dust of death. 36
22:16 Yes, 37 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 38
22:17 I can count 39 all my bones;
my enemies 40 are gloating over me in triumph. 41
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 42 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 43 Hurry and help me! 44
22:20 Deliver me 45 from the sword!
Save 46 my life 47 from the claws 48 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 49
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 50
You have answered me! 51
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 52
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 53 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 54
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 55 of the oppressed; 56
he did not ignore him; 57
when he cried out to him, he responded. 58
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 59 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 60
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 61
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 62 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 63
Let all the nations 64 worship you! 65
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 67 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 68
all those who are descending into the grave 69 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 70
22:30 A whole generation 71 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 72
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 73
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 74
Psalms 69:1-36
ContextFor the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 76 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 77
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 78
I am in 79 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 80
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 81
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 82 outnumber me. 83
They make me repay what I did not steal! 84
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 85
my guilt is not hidden from you. 86
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 87
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 88 humiliation for your sake 89
and am thoroughly disgraced. 90
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 91
69:9 Certainly 92 zeal for 93 your house 94 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 95
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 96
which causes others to insult me. 97
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 98
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 99
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 100
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 101
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 102 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 103 devour me! 104
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 105
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 106 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 107
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 108
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 109
69:20 Their insults are painful 110 and make me lose heart; 111
I look 112 for sympathy, but receive none, 113
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 114 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 115
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 116
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 117
Make them shake violently! 118
69:24 Pour out your judgment 119 on them!
May your raging anger 120 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 121
69:26 For they harass 122 the one whom you discipline; 123
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 124
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 125
Do not vindicate them! 126
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 127
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 128
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 129
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 130
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 131
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 132 may you be encouraged! 133
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 134
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 135 will again live in them and possess Zion. 136
69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him 137 will live in it. 138
Isaiah 53:1-12
Context53:1 Who would have believed 139 what we 140 just heard? 141
When 142 was the Lord’s power 143 revealed through him?
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 144
like a root out of parched soil; 145
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 146
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 147
53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, 148
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him; 149
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 150
53:4 But he lifted up our illnesses,
he carried our pain; 151
even though we thought he was being punished,
attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 152
53:5 He was wounded because of 153 our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well; 154
because of his wounds we have been healed. 155
53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 156
53:7 He was treated harshly and afflicted, 157
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth. 158
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 159 –
but who even cared? 160
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 161
because of the rebellion of his own 162 people he was wounded.
53:9 They intended to bury him with criminals, 163
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, 164
because 165 he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
53:10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made, 166
he will see descendants and enjoy long life, 167
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 168
“My servant 169 will acquit many, 170
for he carried their sins. 171
53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, 172
he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, 173
because he willingly submitted 174 to death
and was numbered with the rebels,
when he lifted up the sin of many
and intervened 175 on behalf of the rebels.”
Daniel 9:24-26
Context9:24 “Seventy weeks 176 have been determined
concerning your people and your holy city
to put an end to 177 rebellion,
to bring sin 178 to completion, 179
to atone for iniquity,
to bring in perpetual 180 righteousness,
to seal up 181 the prophetic vision, 182
and to anoint a most holy place. 183
9:25 So know and understand:
From the issuing of the command 184 to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem 185 until an anointed one, a prince arrives, 186
there will be a period of seven weeks 187 and sixty-two weeks.
It will again be built, 188 with plaza and moat,
but in distressful times.
9:26 Now after the sixty-two weeks,
an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. 189
As for the city and the sanctuary,
the people of the coming prince will destroy 190 them.
But his end will come speedily 191 like a flood. 192
Until the end of the war that has been decreed
there will be destruction.
Zechariah 13:7
Context13:7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,”
says the Lord who rules over all.
Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered; 193
I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.
[22:1] 1 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 2 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 3 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 4 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 5 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 6 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 8 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 9 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 10 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 11 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 12 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 13 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 14 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 15 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 16 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 17 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 18 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 19 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 20 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 21 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:9] 22 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 23 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 24 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:11] 25 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 26 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 27 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 28 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 29 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 30 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 31 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 32 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 33 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 34 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 35 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 36 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 38 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 39 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 40 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 41 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 42 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 43 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 44 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 46 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 47 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 48 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 49 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 50 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 51 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 52 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 53 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:24] 55 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 56 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 57 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 59 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 60 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 61 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 62 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 63 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 64 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 65 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 66 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 67 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 68 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 69 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 70 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 71 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 72 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 73 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 74 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[69:1] 75 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 76 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 77 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 78 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 79 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 80 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 81 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 82 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 83 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 84 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:5] 85 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 86 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 87 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 88 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 89 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 90 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 91 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 92 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 93 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 94 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 95 tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
[69:10] 96 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 97 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 98 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 99 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 100 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 101 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 102 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 103 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 104 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 105 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 106 tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[69:18] 108 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 109 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 110 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 111 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 113 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 114 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 115 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 116 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 117 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 118 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 119 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 120 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971), 17-81.
[69:25] 121 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:26] 122 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 123 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 124 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:27] 125 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 126 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 127 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] 128 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:29] 129 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 130 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 131 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 132 sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).
[69:32] 133 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 134 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 135 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 136 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:36] 137 tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[69:36] 138 sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.
[53:1] 139 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
[53:1] 140 sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
[53:1] 141 tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
[53:1] 142 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[53:1] 143 tn Heb “the arm of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the Lord as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
[53:2] 144 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
[53:2] 145 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
[53:2] 146 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:2] 147 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:3] 148 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
[53:3] 149 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
[53:3] 150 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
[53:4] 151 sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
[53:4] 152 tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
[53:5] 153 tn The preposition מִן (min) has a causal sense (translated “because of”) here and in the following clause.
[53:5] 154 tn Heb “the punishment of our peace [was] on him.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
[53:5] 155 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
[53:6] 156 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
[53:7] 157 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
[53:7] 158 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
[53:8] 159 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
[53:8] 160 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
[53:8] 161 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
[53:8] 162 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
[53:9] 163 tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
[53:9] 164 tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bÿmotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (’ashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (’ase ra’, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (sÿ’irim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (’ashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
[53:9] 165 tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (’al) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”
[53:10] 166 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.”
[53:10] 167 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
[53:11] 168 tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
[53:11] 169 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
[53:11] 170 tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.
[53:11] 171 tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
[53:12] 172 tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).
[53:12] 173 sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
[53:12] 174 tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”
[53:12] 175 tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.
[9:24] 176 tn Heb “sevens.” Elsewhere the term is used of a literal week (a period of seven days), cf. Gen 29:27-28; Exod 34:22; Lev 12:5; Num 28:26; Deut 16:9-10; 2 Chr 8:13; Jer 5:24; Dan 10:2-3. Gabriel unfolds the future as if it were a calendar of successive weeks. Most understand the reference here as periods of seventy “sevens” of years, or a total of 490 years.
[9:24] 177 tc Or “to finish.” The present translation reads the Qere (from the root תָּמַם, tamam) with many witnesses. The Kethib has “to seal up” (from the root הָתַם, hatam), a confusion with a reference later in the verse to sealing up the vision.
[9:24] 178 tc The present translation reads the Qere (singular), rather than the Kethib (plural).
[9:24] 179 tn The Hebrew phrase לְכַלֵּא (lÿkhalle’) is apparently an alternative (metaplastic) spelling of the root כָּלָה (kalah, “to complete, finish”), rather than a form of כָּלָא (kala’, “to shut up, restrain”), as has sometimes been supposed.
[9:24] 180 tn Or “everlasting.”
[9:24] 181 sn The act of sealing in the OT is a sign of authentication. Cf. 1 Kgs 21:8; Jer 32:10, 11, 44.
[9:24] 182 tn Heb “vision and prophecy.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[9:24] 183 tn Or “the most holy place” (NASB, NLT); or “a most holy one”; or “the most holy one,” though the expression is used of places or objects elsewhere, not people.
[9:25] 184 tn Or “decree” (NASB, NIV); or “word” (NAB, NRSV).
[9:25] 185 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:25] 186 tn The word “arrives” is added in the translation for clarification.
[9:25] 187 tn Heb “sevens” (also later in this line and in v. 26).
[9:25] 188 tn Heb “it will return and be built.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
[9:26] 189 sn The expression have nothing is difficult. Presumably it refers to an absence of support or assistance for the anointed one at the time of his “cutting off.” The KJV rendering “but not for himself,” apparently suggesting a vicarious death, cannot be defended.
[9:26] 190 tc Some witnesses (e.g., the Syriac) understand a passive verb and the preposition עִם (’im, “with) rather than the noun עַם (’am, “people”), thus reading “the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed with the coming prince.”
[9:26] 191 tn The words “will come speedily” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
[9:26] 192 sn Flood here is a metaphor for sudden destruction.
[13:7] 193 sn Despite the NT use of this text to speak of the scattering of the disciples following Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27), the immediate context of Zechariah suggests that unfaithful shepherds (kings) will be punished by the
