107:27 They swayed 1 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 2
24:20 The earth will stagger around 3 like a drunk;
it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. 4
Its sin will weigh it down,
and it will fall and never get up again.
1 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
2 tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”
3 tn Heb “staggering, staggers.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis and sound play.
4 tn The words “in a windstorm” are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.