Romans 3:5-7

3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates ¹  the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? ²  (I am speaking in human terms.) ³  3:6 Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world? 3:7 For if by my lie the truth of God enhances ⁴  his glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner?

Genesis 50:20

50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, ⁵  but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. ⁶ 

Genesis 50:2

50:2 Joseph instructed the physicians in his service ⁷  to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel.

Genesis 20:6

20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. ⁸  That is why I have kept you ⁹  from sinning against me and why ¹⁰  I did not allow you to touch her.

Job 9:12-15

9:12 If he snatches away, ¹¹  who can turn him back? ¹² 

Who dares to say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

9:13 God does not restrain his anger; ¹³ 

under him the helpers of Rahab ¹⁴  lie crushed. ¹⁵ 

The Impossibility of Facing God in Court

9:14 “How much less, ¹⁶  then, can I answer him ¹⁷ 

and choose my words ¹⁸  to argue ¹⁹  with ²⁰  him! ²¹ 

9:15 Although ²²  I am innocent, ²³ 

I could not answer him; ²⁴ 

I could only plead ²⁵  with my judge ²⁶  for mercy.

Job 9:19

9:19 If it is a matter of strength, ²⁷ 

most certainly ²⁸  he is the strong one!

And if it is a matter of justice,

he will say, ‘Who will summon me?’ ²⁹ 

Job 23:13-14

23:13 But he is unchangeable, ³⁰  and who can change ³¹  him?

Whatever he ³²  has desired, he does.

23:14 For he fulfills his decree against me, ³³ 

and many such things are his plans. ³⁴ 

Psalms 76:10

76:10 Certainly ³⁵  your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise; ³⁶ 

you reveal your anger in full measure. ³⁷ 

Isaiah 10:6-7

10:6 I sent him ³⁸  against a godless ³⁹  nation,

I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry, ⁴⁰ 

to take plunder and to carry away loot,

to trample them down ⁴¹  like dirt in the streets.

10:7 But he does not agree with this,

his mind does not reason this way, ⁴² 

for his goal is to destroy,

and to eliminate many nations. ⁴³ 

Isaiah 46:10-11

46:10 who announces the end from the beginning

and reveals beforehand ⁴⁴  what has not yet occurred,

who says, ‘My plan will be realized,

I will accomplish what I desire,’

46:11 who summons an eagle ⁴⁵  from the east,

from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.

Yes, I have decreed, ⁴⁶ 

yes, I will bring it to pass;

I have formulated a plan,

yes, I will carry it out.

Daniel 4:35

4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. ⁴⁷ 

He does as he wishes with the army of heaven

and with those who inhabit the earth.

No one slaps ⁴⁸  his hand

and says to him, ‘What have you done?’

Mark 14:21

14:21 For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.”

Acts 2:23

2:23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed ⁴⁹  by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. ⁵⁰ 

Acts 4:27-28

4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against ⁵¹  your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ⁵²  4:28 to do as much as your power ⁵³  and your plan ⁵⁴  had decided beforehand ⁵⁵  would happen.

[3:5]  ¹ tn Or “shows clearly.”

[3:5]  ² tn Grk “That God is not unjust to inflict wrath, is he?”

[3:5]  ³ sn The same expression occurs in Gal 3:15, and similar phrases in Rom 6:19 and 1 Cor 9:8.

[3:7]  ⁴ tn Grk “abounded unto.”

[50:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”

[50:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”

[50:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “his servants the physicians.”

[20:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”

[20:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”

[20:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “therefore.”

[9:12]  ¹¹ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 133) surveys the usages and concludes that the verb חָתַף (khataf) normally describes the wicked actions of a man, especially by treachery or trickery against another. But a verb חָתַף (khataf) is found nowhere else; a noun “robber” is found in Prov 23:28. Dhorme sees no reason to emend the text, because he concludes that the two verbs are synonymous. Job is saying that if God acts like a plunderer, there is no one who can challenge what he does.

[9:12]  ¹² tn The verb is the Hiphil imperfect (potential again) from שׁוּב (shuv). In this stem it can mean “turn back, refute, repel” (BDB 999 s.v. Hiph.5).

[9:13]  ¹³ sn The meaning of the line is that God’s anger will continue until it has accomplished its purpose (23:13-14).

[9:13]  ¹⁴ sn “Rahab” is not to be confused with the harlot of the same name from Jericho. “Rahab” is identified with Tiamat of the Babylonian creation epic, or Leviathan of the Canaanite myths. It is also used in parallelism to the sea (26:12), or the Red Sea (Ps 74:13), and so comes to symbolize Egypt (Isa 30:7). In the Babylonian Creation Epic there is reference to the helpers of Tiamat. In the Bible the reference is only to the raging sea, which the Lord controlled at creation.

[9:13]  ¹⁵ tn The verb שָׁחַח (shakhakh) means “to be prostrate” or “to crouch.” Here the enemies are prostrate under the feet of God – they are crushed.

[9:14]  ¹⁶ tn The construction אַף כִּי־אָנֹכִי (’af ki ’anokhi) is an expression that means either “how much more” or “how much less.” Here it has to mean “how much less,” for if powerful forces like Rahab are crushed beneath God’s feet, how could Job contend with him?

[9:14]  ¹⁷ tn The imperfect verb here is to be taken with the nuance of a potential imperfect. The idea of “answer him” has a legal context, i.e., answering God in a court of law. If God is relentless in his anger toward greater powers, then Job realizes it is futile for him.

[9:14]  ¹⁸ sn In a legal controversy with God it would be essential to choose the correct words very carefully (humanly speaking); but the calmness and presence of mind to do that would be shattered by the overwhelming terror of God’s presence.

[9:14]  ¹⁹ tn The verb is supplied in this line.

[9:14]  ²⁰ tn The preposition אִם (’im, “with”) carries the idea of “in contest with” in a number of passages (compare vv. 2, 3; 16:21).

[9:14]  ²¹ tn The LXX goes a different way after changing the first person to the third: “Oh then that he would hearken to me, or judge my cause.”

[9:15]  ²² tn The line begins with אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”), which is omitted in the LXX and the Syriac. The particle אִם (’im) can introduce a concessive clause (GKC 498 §160.a) or a conditional clause (GKC 495 §159.n). The idea here seems to be “even if I were…I could not….”

[9:15]  ²³ tn The verb is צָדַקְתִּי (tsadaqti, “I am right [or “righteous”]”). The term here must be forensic, meaning “in the right” or “innocent” (see 11:2; 13:18; 33:12; 40:8). Job is claiming to be in the right, but still has difficulty speaking to God.

[9:15]  ²⁴ tn The form is the Qal imperfect of the verb “answer.” As the text stands, Job is saying that he cannot answer or could not answer (contend with) God if given a chance. Some commentators think a Niphal fits better here: “I am not answered,” meaning God does not reply to him. This has the LXX, the Syriac, and Theodotion in support of it. The advantage would be to avoid the repetition of the same word from v. 14. But others rightly reject this, because all Job is saying here is that he would be too overwhelmed by God to answer him in court. The LXX change to a passive is understandable in that it would be seeking a different idea in this verse and without vocalization might have assumed a passive voice here.

[9:15]  ²⁵ tn The verb אֶתְחַנָּן (’etkhannan) is the Hitpael of חָנַן (khanan), meaning “seek favor,” make supplication,” or “plead for mercy.” The nuance would again be a modal nuance; if potential, then the translation would be “I could [only] plead for mercy.”

[9:15]  ²⁶ tn The word מְשֹׁפְטִי (mÿshofti) appears to be simply “my judge.” But most modern interpretations take the po‘el participle to mean “my adversary in a court of law.” Others argue that the form is at least functioning as a noun and means “judge” (see 8:5). This would fit better with the idea of appealing for mercy from God. The dilemma of Job, of course, is that the Lord would be both his adversary in the case and his judge.

[9:19]  ²⁷ tn The MT has only “if of strength.”

[9:19]  ²⁸ tn “Most certainly” translates the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh).

[9:19]  ²⁹ tn The question could be taken as “who will summon me?” (see Jer 49:19 and 50:44). This does not make immediate sense. Some have simply changed the suffix to “who will summon him.” If the MT is retained, then supplying something like “he will say” could make the last clause fit the whole passage. Another option is to take it as “Who will reveal it to me?” – i.e., Job could be questioning his friends’ qualifications for being God’s emissaries to bring God’s charges against him (cf. KJV, NKJV; and see 10:2 where Job uses the same verb in the Hiphil to request that God reveal what his sin has been that has led to his suffering).

[23:13]  ³⁰ tc The MT has “But he [is] in one.” Many add the word “mind” to capture the point that God is resolute and unchanging. Some commentators find this too difficult, and so change the text from בְאֶחָד (bÿ’ekhad, here “unchangeable”) to בָחָר (bakhar, “he has chosen”). The wording in the text is idiomatic and should be retained. R. Gordis (Job, 262) translates it “he is one, i.e., unchangeable, fixed, determined.” The preposition בּ (bet) is a bet essentiae – “and he [is] as one,” or “he is one” (see GKC 379 §119.i).

[23:13]  ³¹ tn Heb “cause him to return.”

[23:13]  ³² tn Or “his soul.”

[23:14]  ³³ tn The text has “my decree,” which means “the decree [plan] for/against me.” The suffix is objective, equivalent to a dative of disadvantage. The Syriac and the Vulgate actually have “his decree.” R. Gordis (Job, 262) suggests taking it in the same sense as in Job 14:5: “my limit.”.

[23:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and many such [things] are with him.”

[76:10]  ³⁵ tn Or “for.”

[76:10]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the anger of men will praise you.” This could mean that men’s anger (subjective genitive), when punished by God, will bring him praise, but this interpretation does not harmonize well with the next line. The translation assumes that God’s anger is in view here (see v. 7) and that “men” is an objective genitive. God’s angry judgment against men brings him praise because it reveals his power and majesty (see vv. 1-4).

[76:10]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the rest of anger you put on.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear. Perhaps the idea is that God, as he prepares for battle, girds himself with every last ounce of his anger, as if it were a weapon.

[10:6]  ³⁸ sn Throughout this section singular forms are used to refer to Assyria; perhaps the king of Assyria is in view (see v. 12).

[10:6]  ³⁹ tn Or “defiled”; cf. ASV “profane”; NAB “impious”; NCV “separated from God.”

[10:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and against the people of my anger I ordered him.”

[10:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “to make it [i.e., the people] a trampled place.”

[10:7]  ⁴² tn Heb “but he, not so does he intend, and his heart, not so does it think.”

[10:7]  ⁴³ tn Heb “for to destroy [is] in his heart, and to cut off nations, not a few.”

[46:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”

[46:11]  ⁴⁵ tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).

[46:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”

[4:35]  ⁴⁷ tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kÿla’), with many medieval Hebrew MSS, rather than כְּלָה (kÿlah) of BHS.

[4:35]  ⁴⁸ tn Aram “strikes against.”

[2:23]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “you killed.”

[2:23]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “at the hands of lawless men.” At this point the term ἄνομος (anomo") refers to non-Jews who live outside the Jewish (Mosaic) law, rather than people who broke any or all laws including secular laws. Specifically it is a reference to the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion.

[4:27]  ⁵¹ sn The application of Ps 2:1-2 is that Jews and Gentiles are opposing Jesus. The surprise of the application is that Jews are now found among the enemies of God’s plan.

[4:27]  ⁵² sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”

[4:28]  ⁵³ tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.

[4:28]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “purpose,” “will.”

[4:28]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.