Kejadian 21:30

21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof ¹  that I dug this well.” ² 

Ulangan 4:26

4:26 I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you ³  today that you will surely and swiftly be removed ⁴  from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be ⁵  annihilated.

Yeremia 7:11

7:11 Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own ⁶  is to be a hideout for robbers? ⁷  You had better take note! ⁸  I have seen for myself what you have done! says the Lord.

¹ tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”

² sn This well. Since the king wanted a treaty to share in Abraham’s good fortune, Abraham used the treaty to secure ownership of and protection for the well he dug. It would be useless to make a treaty to live in this territory if he had no rights to the water. Abraham consented to the treaty, but added his rider to it.

³ sn I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you. This stock formula introduces what is known form-critically as a רִיב (riv) or controversy pattern. It is commonly used in the ancient Near Eastern world in legal contexts and in the OT as a forensic or judicial device to draw attention to Israel’s violation of the Lord’s covenant with them (see Deut 30:19; Isa 1:2; 3:13; Jer 2:9). Since court proceedings required the testimony of witnesses, the Lord here summons heaven and earth (that is, all creation) to testify to his faithfulness, Israel’s disobedience, and the threat of judgment.

⁴ tn Or “be destroyed”; KJV “utterly perish”; NLT “will quickly disappear”; CEV “you won’t have long to live.”

⁵ tn Or “be completely” (so NCV, TEV). It is not certain here if the infinitive absolute indicates the certainty of the following action (cf. NIV) or its degree.

⁶ tn Heb “over which my name is called.” For this nuance of this idiom cf. BDB 896 s.v. קָרָא Niph.2.d(4) and see the usage in 2 Sam 12:28.

⁷ tn Heb “Is this house…a den/cave of robbers in your eyes?”

⁸ tn Heb “Behold!”