Psalms 33:9

33:9 For he spoke, and it ¹  came into existence,

he issued the decree, ²  and it stood firm.

Job 26:11-14

26:11 The pillars ³  of the heavens tremble

and are amazed at his rebuke. ⁴ 

26:12 By his power he stills ⁵  the sea;

by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster ⁶  to pieces. ⁷ 

26:13 By his breath ⁸  the skies became fair;

his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. ⁹ 

26:14 Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! ¹⁰ 

How faint is the whisper ¹¹  we hear of him!

But who can understand the thunder of his power?”

Jeremiah 51:15-16

51:15 He is the one who ¹²  by his power made the earth.

He is the one who by his wisdom fixed the world in place,

by his understanding he spread out the heavens.

51:16 When his voice thunders, the waters in the heavens roar.

He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.

He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.

He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.

Luke 4:36

4:36 They ¹³  were all amazed and began to say ¹⁴  to one another, “What’s happening here? ¹⁵  For with authority and power ¹⁶  he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

Luke 8:25

8:25 Then ¹⁷  he said to them, “Where is your faith?” ¹⁸  But they were afraid and amazed, ¹⁹  saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, ²⁰  and they obey him!”

[33:9]  ¹ tn That is, “all the earth” in the first line of v. 8. The apparent antecedent of the masculine subject of the verbs in v. 9 (note וַיֶּהִי [vayyehiy] and וַיַּעֲמֹד [vayya’amod]) is “earth” or “world,” both of which are feminine nouns. However, כָּל (kol, “all”) may be the antecedent, or the apparent lack of agreement may be explained by the collective nature of the nouns involved here (see GKC 463 §145.e).

[33:9]  ² tn Heb “he commanded.”

[26:11]  ³ sn H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 173) says these are the great mountains, perceived to hold up the sky.

[26:11]  ⁴ sn The idea here is that when the earth quakes, or when there is thunder in the heavens, these all represent God’s rebuke, for they create terror.

[26:12]  ⁵ tn The verb רָגַע (raga’) has developed a Semitic polarity, i.e., having totally opposite meanings. It can mean “to disturb; to stir up” or “to calm; to still.” Gordis thinks both meanings have been invoked here. But it seems more likely that “calm” fits the context better.

[26:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “Rahab” (רָהַב), the mythical sea monster that represents the forces of chaos in ancient Near Eastern literature. In the translation the words “the great sea monster” have been supplied appositionally in order to clarify “Rahab.”

[26:12]  ⁷ sn Here again there are possible mythological allusions or polemics. The god Yam, “Sea,” was important in Ugaritic as a god of chaos. And Rahab is another name for the monster of the deep (see Job 9:13).

[26:13]  ⁸ tn Or “wind”; or perhaps “Spirit.” The same Hebrew word, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context.

[26:13]  ⁹ sn Here too is a reference to pagan views indirectly. The fleeing serpent was a designation for Leviathan, whom the book will simply describe as an animal, but the pagans thought to be a monster of the deep. God’s power over nature is associated with defeat of pagan gods (see further W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan; idem, BASOR 53 [1941]: 39).

[26:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the ends of his ways,” meaning “the fringes.”

[26:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “how little is the word.” Here “little” means a “fraction” or an “echo.”

[51:15]  ¹² tn The participle here is intended to be connected with “Lord who rules over all” in the preceding verse. The passage is functioning to underline the Lord’s power to carry out what he has sworn in contrast to the impotence of their idols who will be put to shame and be dismayed (50:2).

[4:36]  ¹³ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:36]  ¹⁴ tn This imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[4:36]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “What is this word?” The Greek term λόγος (logos) has a wide range of meaning. Here it seems to mean, “What is this matter?” More idiomatically it would be, “What’s going on here?!”

[4:36]  ¹⁶ sn The phrase with authority and power is in an emphatic position in the Greek text. Once again the authority of Jesus is the point, but now it is not just his teaching that is emphasized, but his ministry. Jesus combined word and deed into a powerful testimony in Capernaum.

[8:25]  ¹⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:25]  ¹⁸ sn “Where is your faith?” The call is to trust God and realize that those who exercise faith can trust in his care.

[8:25]  ¹⁹ sn The combination of fear and respect (afraid and amazed) shows that the disciples are becoming impressed with the great power at work in Jesus, a realization that fuels their question. For a similar reaction, see Luke 5:9.

[8:25]  ²⁰ sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about who he was exactly (“Who then is this?”). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.