1 Samuel 24:4-7

24:4 David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.’” ¹  So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul’s robe. 24:5 Afterward David’s conscience bothered him ²  because he had cut off an edge of Saul’s robe. 24:6 He said to his men, “May the Lord keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the Lord’s chosen one, ³  by extending my hand against him. After all, ⁴  he is the Lord’s chosen one.” ⁵  24:7 David restrained his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and started down ⁶  the road.

1 Samuel 26:8-11

26:8 Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear ⁷  right through him into the ground with one swift jab! ⁸  A second jab won’t be necessary!”

26:9 But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one ⁹  and remain guiltless?” 26:10 David went on to say, “As the Lord lives, the Lord himself will strike him down. Either his day will come and he will die, or he will go down into battle and be swept away. 26:11 But may the Lord prevent me from extending my hand against the Lord’s chosen one! Now take the spear by Saul’s head and the jug of water, and let’s get out of here!”

Ayub 31:29-31

31:29 If ¹⁰  I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy ¹¹ 

or exulted ¹²  because calamity ¹³  found him –

31:30 I ¹⁴  have not even permitted my mouth ¹⁵  to sin

by asking ¹⁶  for his life through a curse –

31:31 if ¹⁷  the members of my household ¹⁸  have never said, ¹⁹ 

‘If only there were ²⁰  someone

who has not been satisfied from Job’s ²¹  meat!’ –

Mazmur 26:4-6

26:4 I do not associate ²²  with deceitful men,

or consort ²³  with those who are dishonest. ²⁴ 

26:5 I hate the mob ²⁵  of evil men,

and do not associate ²⁶  with the wicked.

26:6 I maintain a pure lifestyle, ²⁷ 

so I can appear before your altar, ²⁸  O Lord,

Mazmur 26:9-11

26:9 Do not sweep me away ²⁹  with sinners,

or execute me along with violent people, ³⁰ 

26:10 who are always ready to do wrong ³¹ 

or offer a bribe. ³² 

26:11 But I have integrity! ³³ 

Rescue me ³⁴  and have mercy on me!

Yeremia 40:15-16

40:15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah there at Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah before anyone knows about it. Otherwise he will kill you ³⁵  and all the Judeans who have rallied around you will be scattered. Then what remains of Judah will disappear.” 40:16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do that ³⁶  because what you are saying about Ishmael is not true.” ³⁷ 

Efesus 5:11-13

5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather ³⁸  expose them. ³⁹  5:12 For the things they do ⁴⁰  in secret are shameful even to mention. 5:13 But all things being exposed by the light are made evident.

[24:4]  ¹ tn Heb “is good in your eyes.”

[24:5]  ² tn Heb “the heart of David struck him.”

[24:6]  ³ tn Heb “anointed.”

[24:6]  ⁴ tn Or “for.”

[24:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “anointed.”

[24:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “went on.”

[26:8]  ⁷ tn Here “the spear” almost certainly refers to Saul’s own spear, which according to the previous verse was stuck into the ground beside him as he slept. This is reflected in a number of English versions: TEV, CEV “his own spear”; NLT “that spear.” Cf. NIV, NCV “my spear,” in which case Abishai refers to his own spear rather than Saul’s, but this is unlikely since (1) Abishai would probably not have carried a spear along since such a weapon would be unwieldy when sneaking into the enemy camp; and (2) this would not explain the mention of Saul’s own spear stuck in the ground beside him in the previous verse.

[26:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “let me strike him with the spear and into the ground one time.”

[26:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “anointed” (also in vv. 11, 16, 23).

[31:29]  ¹⁰ tn The problem with taking this as “if,” introducing a conditional clause, is finding the apodosis, if there is one. It may be that the apodosis is understood, or summed up at the end. This is the view taken here. But R. Gordis (Job, 352) wishes to take this word as the indication of the interrogative, forming the rhetorical question to affirm he has never done this. However, in that case the parenthetical verses inserted become redundant.

[31:29]  ¹¹ sn The law required people to help their enemies if they could (Exod 23:4; also Prov 20:22). But often in the difficulties that ensued, they did exult over their enemies’ misfortune (Pss 54:7; 59:10 [11], etc.). But Job lived on a level of purity that few ever reach. Duhm said, “If chapter 31 is the crown of all ethical developments of the O.T., verse 29 is the jewel in that crown.”

[31:29]  ¹² tn The Hitpael of עוּר (’ur) has the idea of “exult.”

[31:29]  ¹³ tn The word is רָע (ra’, “evil”) in the sense of anything that harms, interrupts, or destroys life.

[31:30]  ¹⁴ tn This verse would then be a parenthesis in which he stops to claim his innocence.

[31:30]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I have not given my palate.”

[31:30]  ¹⁶ tn The infinitive construct with the ל (lamed) preposition (“by asking”) serves in an epexegetical capacity here, explaining the verb of the first colon (“permitted…to sin”). To seek a curse on anyone would be a sin.

[31:31]  ¹⁷ tn Now Job picks up the series of clauses serving as the protasis.

[31:31]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the men of my tent.” In context this refers to members of Job’s household.

[31:31]  ¹⁹ sn The line is difficult to sort out. Job is saying it is sinful “if his men have never said, ‘O that there was one who has not been satisfied from his food.’” If they never said that, it would mean there were people out there who needed to be satisfied with his food.

[31:31]  ²⁰ tn The optative is again expressed with “who will give?”

[31:31]  ²¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:4]  ²² tn Heb “sit.”

[26:4]  ²³ tn Heb “go.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.

[26:4]  ²⁴ tn Heb “[those who] conceal themselves.”

[26:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “assembly, company.”

[26:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “sit.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.

[26:6]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.

[26:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

[26:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”

[26:9]  ³⁰ tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).

[26:10]  ³¹ tn Heb “who [have] in their hands evil.”

[26:10]  ³² tn Heb “and their right hand is full of a bribe.”

[26:11]  ³³ tn Heb “and I in my integrity walk.” The psalmist uses the imperfect verbal form to emphasize this is his practice. The construction at the beginning of the verse (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist and the sinners mentioned in vv. 9-10.

[26:11]  ³⁴ tn Or “redeem me.”

[40:15]  ³⁵ tn Heb “Why should he kill you?” However, this is one of those cases listed in BDB 554 s.v. מָה 4.d(b) where it introduces a question introducing rhetorically the reason why something should not be done. In cases like this BDB notes that it approximates the meaning “lest” and is translated in Greek by μήποτε (mhpote) or μή (mh) as the Greek version does here. Hence it is separated from the preceding and translated “otherwise” for the sake of English style.

[40:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “this thing.”

[40:16]  ³⁷ tn Heb “is false” or “is a lie.”

[5:11]  ³⁸ tn The Greek conjunction καὶ (kai) seems to be functioning here ascensively, (i.e., “even”), but is difficult to render in this context using good English. It may read something like: “but rather even expose them!”

[5:11]  ³⁹ tn Grk “rather even expose.”

[5:12]  ⁴⁰ tn The participle τὰ…γινόμενα (ta…ginomena) usually refers to “things happening” or “things which are,” but with the following genitive phrase ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν (Jup’ autwn), which indicates agency, the idea seems to be “things being done.” This passive construction was translated as an active one to simplify the English style.