Kejadian 49:1
Konteks49:1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you 1 what will happen to you in the future. 2
Ulangan 33:1
Konteks33:1 This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.
Yosua 23:1--24:32
Konteks23:1 A long time 3 passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies, 4 and Joshua was very old. 5 23:2 So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: “I am very old. 23:3 You saw everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your behalf, for the Lord your God fights for you. 6 23:4 See, I have parceled out to your tribes these remaining nations, 7 from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea 8 in the west, including all the nations I defeated. 9 23:5 The Lord your God will drive them out from before you and remove them, 10 so you can occupy 11 their land as the Lord your God promised 12 you. 23:6 Be very strong! Carefully obey 13 all that is written in the law scroll of Moses so you won’t swerve from it to the right or the left, 23:7 or associate with these nations that remain near 14 you. You must not invoke or make solemn declarations by the names of their gods! 15 You must not worship 16 or bow down to them! 23:8 But you must be loyal to 17 the Lord your God, as you have been 18 to this very day.
23:9 “The Lord drove out from before you great and mighty nations; no one has been able to resist you 19 to this very day. 23:10 One of you makes a thousand run away, 20 for the Lord your God fights for you 21 as he promised you he would. 22 23:11 Watch yourselves carefully! Love the Lord your God! 23 23:12 But if you ever turn away and make alliances with 24 these nations that remain near you, 25 and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them, 26 23:13 know for certain that the Lord our God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you; 27 they will be a whip that tears 28 your sides and thorns that blind 29 your eyes until you disappear 30 from this good land the Lord your God gave you.
23:14 “Look, today I am about to die. 31 You know with all your heart and being 32 that not even one of all the faithful promises the Lord your God made to you is left unfulfilled; every one was realized – not one promise is unfulfilled! 33 23:15 But in the same way every faithful promise the Lord your God made to you has been realized, 34 it is just as certain, if you disobey, that the Lord will bring on you every judgment 35 until he destroys you from this good land which the Lord your God gave you. 23:16 If you violate the covenantal laws of the Lord your God which he commanded you to keep, 36 and follow, worship, and bow down to other gods, 37 the Lord will be very angry with you and you will disappear 38 quickly from the good land which he gave to you.”
24:1 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God. 24:2 Joshua told all the people, “Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘In the distant past your ancestors 39 lived beyond the Euphrates River, 40 including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped 41 other gods, 24:3 but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates 42 and brought him into 43 the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac, 24:4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir, 44 while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 24:5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. 45 Then I brought you out. 24:6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 24:7 Your fathers 46 cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark, 47 and then drowned them in the sea. 48 You witnessed with your very own eyes 49 what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time. 50 24:8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered 51 their land and I destroyed them from before you. 24:9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack 52 against Israel. He summoned 53 Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment 54 on you. 24:10 I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept 55 prophesying good things about 56 you, and I rescued you from his power. 57 24:11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. 58 The leaders 59 of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you. 24:12 I sent terror 60 ahead of you to drive out before you the two 61 Amorite kings. I gave you the victory; it was not by your swords or bows. 62 24:13 I gave you a land in 63 which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build and you are eating the produce of 64 vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’
24:14 Now 65 obey 66 the Lord and worship 67 him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors 68 worshiped 69 beyond the Euphrates 70 and in Egypt and worship 71 the Lord. 24:15 If you have no desire 72 to worship 73 the Lord, choose today whom you will worship, 74 whether it be the gods whom your ancestors 75 worshiped 76 beyond the Euphrates, 77 or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family 78 will worship 79 the Lord!”
24:16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can 80 worship 81 other gods! 24:17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery 82 in the land of Egypt 83 and performed these awesome miracles 84 before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. 85 24:18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship 86 the Lord, for he is our God!”
24:19 Joshua warned 87 the people, “You will not keep worshiping 88 the Lord, for 89 he is a holy God. 90 He is a jealous God who will not forgive 91 your rebellion or your sins. 24:20 If 92 you abandon the Lord and worship 93 foreign gods, he will turn against you; 94 he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, 95 though he once treated you well.” 96
24:21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will 97 worship 98 the Lord!” 24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” 99 They replied, “We are witnesses!” 100 24:23 Joshua said, 101 “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to 102 the Lord God of Israel.”
24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship 103 the Lord our God and obey him.” 104
24:25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement 105 for the people, and he established rules and regulations 106 for them in Shechem. 24:26 Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine. 24:27 Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the Lord said to us. 107 It will be a witness against you if 108 you deny your God.” 24:28 When Joshua dismissed the people, they went to their allotted portions of land. 109
24:29 After all this 110 Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. 24:30 They buried him in his allotted territory 111 in Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 24:31 Israel worshiped 112 the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. 113 These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel. 114
24:32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the part of the field that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money. 115 So it became the inheritance of the tribe of Joseph. 116
Mazmur 72:20
Konteks72:20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here. 117
Mazmur 72:2
Konteks72:2 Then he will judge 118 your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones 119 equitably.
Pengkhotbah 1:13-15
Konteks1:13 I decided 120 to carefully 121 and thoroughly examine 122
all that has been accomplished on earth. 123
I concluded: 124 God has given people 125 a burdensome task 126
that keeps them 127 occupied. 128
1:14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man 129 on earth, 130
and I concluded: Everything 131 he has accomplished 132 is futile 133 – like chasing the wind! 134
[49:1] 1 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
[49:1] 2 tn The expression “in the future” (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, ’akharit hayyamim, “in the end of days”) is found most frequently in prophetic passages; it may refer to the end of the age, the eschaton, or to the distant future. The contents of some of the sayings in this chapter stretch from the immediate circumstances to the time of the settlement in the land to the coming of Messiah. There is a great deal of literature on this chapter, including among others C. Armerding, “The Last Words of Jacob: Genesis 49,” BSac 112 (1955): 320-28; H. Pehlke, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985); and B. Vawter, “The Canaanite Background of Genesis 49,” CBQ 17 (1955): 1-18.
[23:1] 4 tn Heb “the
[23:1] 5 tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following verse.
[23:3] 6 tn Heb “for the
[23:4] 7 tn Heb “I have assigned by lots to you these remaining nations as an inheritance for your tribes.”
[23:4] 8 tn Heb “the Great Sea,” the typical designation for the Mediterranean Sea.
[23:4] 9 tn Heb “from the Jordan and all the nations which I cut off and the Great Sea [at] the place where the sun sets.” The relationship of the second half of the verse, which mentions nations already conquered, to the first half, which speaks of “remaining nations,” is difficult to understand.
[23:5] 10 tn The Hebrew text reads, “from before you.” This has not been included in the translation because it is redundant in English.
[23:5] 11 tn Or “take possession of.”
[23:6] 13 tn Heb “Be strong so you can be careful to do.”
[23:7] 15 tn Heb “and in the name of their gods you must not invoke and you must not make solemn declarations.” The words “and you must not make solemn declarations” are omitted in the LXX and may represent a later scribal addition to elucidate the immediately preceding command. The Hiphil of שָׁבַע (shava’) without an object occurs only here and in Josh 6:26.
[23:9] 19 tn Heb “not a man has stood before you.”
[23:10] 20 tn Or “chases a thousand.”
[23:10] 21 tn Heb “for the
[23:10] 22 tn Heb “as he said to you.”
[23:11] 23 tn Heb “Watch carefully yourselves so as to love the
[23:12] 25 tn Heb “the remnant of the these nations, these nations that are with you.”
[23:12] 26 tn Heb “and go into them, and they into you.”
[23:13] 27 tn Heb “be a trap and a snare to you.”
[23:13] 29 tn Heb “thorns in your eyes.”
[23:14] 31 tn Heb “go the way of all the earth.”
[23:14] 33 tn Heb “one word from all these words which the
[23:15] 34 tn Heb “and it will be as every good word which the
[23:15] 35 tn Heb “so the
[23:16] 36 tn Heb “when you violate the covenant of the
[23:16] 37 tn Heb “and you walk and serve other gods and bow down to them.”
[24:2] 39 tn Heb “your fathers.”
[24:2] 40 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:3] 42 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:4] 44 tn Heb “I gave to Esau Mount Seir to possess it.”
[24:5] 45 tn Heb “by that which I did in its midst.”
[24:7] 46 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the fathers) has been specified in the translation for clarity (see the previous verse).
[24:7] 47 tn Or “put darkness between you and the Egyptians.”
[24:7] 48 tn Heb “and he brought over them the sea and covered them.”
[24:7] 49 tn Heb “your eyes saw.”
[24:8] 51 tn Or “took possession of.”
[24:9] 52 tn Heb “arose and fought.”
[24:9] 53 tn Heb “sent and called.”
[24:10] 55 tn The infinitive absolute follows the finite verb in the Hebrew text and indicates continuation or repetition of the action. Balaam pronounced several oracles of blessing over Israel (see Num 23-24).
[24:10] 56 tn Heb “blessing.” Balaam’s “blessings” were actually prophecies of how God would prosper Israel.
[24:11] 58 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[24:11] 59 tn Or perhaps, “citizens.”
[24:12] 60 tn Traditionally, “the hornet” (so KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) but the precise meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain (cf. NEB “panic”).
[24:12] 61 tn The LXX has “twelve,” apparently understanding this as a reference to Amorite kings west of the Jordan (see Josh 5:1, rather than the trans-Jordanian Amorite kings Sihon and Og (see Josh 2:10; 9:10).
[24:12] 62 tn Heb “and it drove them out from before you, the two kings of the Amorites, not by your sword and not by your bow.” The words “I gave you the victory” are supplied for clarification.
[24:13] 63 tn Or perhaps, “for.”
[24:13] 64 tn The words “the produce of” are supplied for clarification.
[24:14] 65 sn Joshua quotes the
[24:14] 68 tn Heb “your fathers.”
[24:14] 70 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.
[24:15] 72 tn Heb “if it is bad in your eyes.”
[24:15] 74 tn Or “will serve.”
[24:15] 75 tn Heb “your fathers.”
[24:15] 77 tn Heb “the river,” referring to the Euphrates. This has been specified in the translation for clarity; see v. 3.
[24:15] 79 tn Or “will serve.”
[24:17] 82 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
[24:17] 83 tn Heb “for the
[24:17] 84 tn Or “great signs.”
[24:17] 85 tn Heb “and he guarded us in all the way in which we walked and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.”
[24:18] 86 tn Or “will serve.”
[24:19] 88 tn Heb “you are not able to serve.”
[24:19] 89 sn For an excellent discussion of Joshua’s logical argument here, see T. C. Butler, Joshua (WBC), 274-75.
[24:19] 90 tn In the Hebrew text both the divine name (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) and the adjective (קְדֹשִׁים, qÿdoshim, “holy”) are plural. Normally the divine name, when referring to the one true God, takes singular modifiers, but this is a rare exception where the adjective agrees grammatically with the honorific plural noun. See GKC §124.i and IBHS 122.
[24:19] 91 tn Heb “lift up” or “take away.”
[24:19] sn This assertion obviously needs qualification, for the OT elsewhere affirms that God does forgive. Joshua is referring to the persistent national rebellion against the Mosaic covenant that eventually cause God to decree unconditionally the nation’s exile.
[24:20] 94 tn The words “against you” are added for clarification.
[24:20] 95 tn Heb “bring you to an end.”
[24:20] 96 tn Heb “after he did good for you.”
[24:21] 97 tn The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is emphatic. Another option is to take it as explanatory, “No, for we will….”
[24:21] 98 tn Or “will serve.”
[24:22] 99 tn Heb “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the
[24:22] 100 sn Like witnesses in a court of law, Israel’s solemn vow to worship the Lord will testify against them in the divine court if the nation ever violates its commitment.
[24:23] 101 tn The words “Joshua said” are supplied for clarification.
[24:23] 102 tn Heb “bend your heart toward.” The term לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) probably here refers to the people’s volition or will.
[24:24] 103 tn Or “will serve.”
[24:24] 104 tn Heb “and listen to his voice.”
[24:25] 105 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[24:25] 106 tn Heb “a statute and a judgment.”
[24:27] 107 tn Heb “all the words of the
[24:27] 108 tn Or “lest,” “so that you might not.”
[24:28] 109 tn Heb “And Joshua sent the people away, each to his inheritance.”
[24:29] 110 tn Heb “after these things.”
[24:30] 111 tn Heb “in the territory of his inheritance.”
[24:31] 113 tn Heb “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived him.”
[24:31] 114 tn Heb “who knew all the work of the
[24:32] 115 tn Heb “one hundred qesitahs.” The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qesitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value and/or weight is unknown. The word occurs only here and in Gen 33:19 and Job 42:11.
[24:32] 116 tn Heb “and they became for the sons of Joseph an inheritance.” One might think “bones” is the subject of the verb “they became,” but the verb is masculine, while “bones” is feminine. The translation follows the emendation suggested in the BHS note, which appeals to the Syriac and Vulgate for support. The emended reading understands “the part (of the field)” as the subject of the verb “became.” The emended verb is feminine singular; this agrees with “the part” (of the field), which is feminine in Hebrew.
[72:20] 117 tn Heb “the prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded.” As noted earlier, v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter. In the present arrangement of the Book of Psalms, not all psalms prior to this are attributed to David (see Pss 1-2, 10, 33, 42-50, 66-67, 71-72) and several psalms attributed to David appear after this (see Pss 86, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 138-145).
[72:2] 118 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
[72:2] 119 sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).
[1:13] 120 tn Heb “I gave my heart” or “I set my mind.” The term לִבִּי (libbi, “my heart”) is an example of synecdoche of part (heart) for the whole (myself). Qoheleth uses this figurative expression frequently in the book. On the other hand, in Hebrew mentality, the term “heart” is frequently associated with one’s thoughts and reasoning; thus, this might be a metonymy of association (heart = thoughts). The equivalent English idiom would be “I applied my mind.”
[1:13] 121 tn Heb “with wisdom,” that is, with careful reflection in light of principles observed by the sages.
[1:13] 122 tn Heb “to seek and to search out” (לִדְרוֹשׁ וְלָתוּר, lidrosh vÿlatur). This is an example of a verbal hendiadys (the use of two synonymous verbs to state a common idea in an emphatic manner). The terms are used because they are closely related synonyms; therefore, the similarities in meaning should be emphasized rather than the distinctions in meaning. The verb דָּרַשׁ (darash) means “to inquire about; to investigate; to search out; to study” (HALOT 233 s.v. דרשׁ; BDB 205 s.v. דָּרַשׁ). This verb is used literally of the physical activity of investigating a matter by examining the physical evidence and interviewing eye-witnesses (e.g., Judg 6:29; Deut 13:15; 17:4, 9; 19:18), and figuratively (hypocatastasis) of mentally investigating abstract concepts (e.g., Eccl 1:13; Isa 1:17; 16:5; Pss 111:2; 119:45). Similarly, the verb תּוּר (tur) means “to seek out, discover” (HALOT 1708 s.v. תּוּר 1.c; BDB 1064 תּוּר 2). The verb תּוּר is used literally of the physical action of exploring physical territory (Num 13:16-17; 14:6, 34-36; Job 39:8), and figuratively (hypocatastasis) of mentally exploring things (Eccl 1:13; 7:25; 9:1).
[1:13] 123 tn Heb “under heaven.”
[1:13] sn Qoheleth states that he made a thorough investigation of everything that had been accomplished on earth. His position as king gave him access to records and contacts with people that would have been unavailable to others.
[1:13] 124 tn This phrase does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is added in the translation for clarity.
[1:13] 125 tn Heb “the sons of men/mankind.”
[1:13] 126 tn The phrase עִנְיַן רָע (’inyan ra’, “rotten business, grievous task”) is used only in Ecclesiastes (1:13; 2:23, 26; 3:10; 4:8; 5:2, 13; 8:16). It is parallel with הֶבֶל (hevel) “futile” in 4:8, and describes a “grave misfortune” in 5:13. The noun עִנְיַן (’inyan, “business”) refers to something that keeps a person occupied or busy: “business; affair; task; occupation” (HALOT 857 s.v. עִנְיָן; BDB 775 s.v. עִנְיָן). The related verb עָנַה (’anah) means “to be occupied, to be busy with” (with the preposition בְּ, bet), e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854 s.v. III עָנָה; BDB 775 s.v. II עָנָה). The noun is from the Aramaic loanword עִנְיָנָא (’inyana’, “concern, care”). The verb is related to the Aramaic verb “to try hard,” the Arabic verb “to be busily occupied; to worry to be a matter of concern,” and the Old South Arabic root “to be troubled; to strive with” (HALOT 854 s.v. III עָנָה). The phrase עִנְיַן רָע is treated creatively by English translations: “sore travail” (KJV, ASV), “sad travail” (YLT), “painful occupation” (Douay), “sorry business” (NEB), “sorry task” (Moffatt), “thankless task” (NAB), “grievous task” (NASB), “trying task” (MLB), “unhappy business” (RSV, NRSV, NJPS), and “heavy burden” (NIV).
[1:13] 127 tn The syntax of this line in Hebrew is intentionally redundant, e.g. (literally), “It is a grievous task [or “unpleasant business”] that God has given to the sons of man to be occupied with it.” The referent of the third masculine singular suffix on לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ (la’anot bo, “to be occupied with it”) is עִנְיַן רָע (’inyan ra’, “a grievous task, a rotten business”).
[1:13] 128 tn Or “that keeps them occupied” or “that busies them.” The verb II עָנַה (’anah, “to be occupied with”) is related to the noun עִנְיַן (’inyan, “business, task, occupation”) which also occurs in this verse. The verb עָנַה means “to be occupied, to be busy with” (with the preposition בְּ, bet), e.g., Eccl 1:13; 3:10; 5:19 (HALOT 854 s.v. III עָנָה; BDB 775 s.v. עָנָה). The Hebrew verb is related to the Aramaic verb “to try hard,” the Arabic verb “to be busily occupied; to worry; to be a matter of concern,” and the Old South Arabic root “to be troubled; to strive with” (HALOT 854).
[1:14] 129 tn The phrase “by man” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 130 tn Heb “under the sun.”
[1:14] 131 tn As mentioned in the note on “everything” in 1:2, the term הַכֹּל (hakkol, “everything”) is often limited in reference to the specific topic at hand in the context (e.g., BDB 482 s.v. כֹּל 2). The argument of 1:12-15, like 1:3-11, focuses on secular human achievement. This is clear from the repetition of the root עָשַׂה (’asah, “do, work, accomplish, achieve”) in 1:12-13.
[1:14] 132 tn The phrase “he has accomplished” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[1:14] 133 tn This usage of הֶבֶל (hevel) denotes “futile, profitless, fruitless” (e.g., 2 Kgs 17:15; Ps 78:33; Prov 13:11; 21:6; Eccl 1:2, 14; 2:1, 14-15; 4:8; Jer 2:5; 10:3; Lam 4:17; see HALOT 236–37 s.v. I הֶבֶל; BDB 210–11 s.v. I הֶבֶל). The term is used with the simile “like striving after the wind” (רְעוּת רוּחַ, rÿ’ut ruakh) – a graphic picture of an expenditure of effort in vain because no one can catch the wind by chasing it (e.g., 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9; 7:14). When used in this sense, the term is often used with the following synonyms: לְתֹהוּ (lÿtohu, “for nothing, in vain, for no reason”; Isa 49:4); רִיק (riq, “profitless; useless”; Isa 30:7; Eccl 6:11); לֹא הוֹעִיל (“worthless, profitless”; Is 30:6; 57:12; Jer 16:19); “what profit?” (מַה־יִּתְרוֹןֹ, mah-yyitron); and “no profit” (אֵין יִּתְרוֹן, en yyitron; e.g., 2:11; 3:19; 6:9). It is also used in antithesis to terms connoting value: טוֹב (tov, “good, benefit, advantage”) and יֹתְרוֹן (yotÿron, “profit, advantage, gain”). Despite everything that man has accomplished in history, it is ultimately futile because nothing on earth really changes.
[1:14] 134 tn Heb “striving of wind.” The word “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it has been added in the translation to make the comparative notion clear.
[1:15] 135 tn The term מְעֻוָּת, mÿ’uvvat (Pual participle masculine singular from עָוַת, ’avat, “to bend”) is used substantively (“what is bent; what is crooked”) in reference to irregularities in life and obstacles to human secular achievement accomplishing anything of ultimate value.
[1:15] 136 tn A parallel statement occurs in 7:13 which employs the active form of עָוַת, (’avat, “to bend”) with God as the subject: “Who is able to strengthen what God bends?” The passive form occurs here: “No one is able to straighten what is bent” (מְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל לֹתְקֹן, mÿ’uvvat lo’-yukhal lotÿqon). In the light of 7:13, the personal agent of the passive form is God.
[1:15] 137 tn The Hebrew noun חֶסְרוֹן (khesron) is used in the OT only here and means “what is lacking” (as an antonym to יִתְרוֹן [yitron], “what is profitable”; HALOT 339 s.v. חֶסְרוֹן; BDB 341 s.v. חֶסְרוֹן). It is an Aramaic loanword meaning “deficit.” The related verb חָסַר (khasar) means “to lack, to be in need of, to decrease, to lessen [in number]”; the related noun חֹסֶר (khoser) refers to “one in want of”; and the noun חֶסֶר (kheser) means “poverty, want” (HALOT 338 s.v. חֶסֶר; BDB 341 s.v. חֶסֶר). It refers to what is absent (zero in terms of quantity) rather than what is deficient (poor in terms of quality). The LXX misunderstood the term and rendered it as ὑστέρημα (usterhma, “deficiency”): “deficiency cannot be numbered.” It is also misunderstood by a few English versions: “nor can you count up the defects in life” (Moffatt); “the number of fools is infinite” (Douay). However, most English versions correctly understand it as referring to what is lacking in terms of quantity: “what is lacking” (RSV, MLB, NASB, NIV, NRSV), “a lack” (NJPS), “that which is wanting” (KJV, ASV), “what is not there” (NEB), and “what is missing” (NAB).
[1:15] 138 tn Heb “cannot be counted” or “cannot be numbered.” The term הִמָּנוֹת (himmanot, Niphal infinitive construct from מָנָה, manah, “to count”) is rendered literally by most translations: “[cannot] be counted” or “[cannot] be numbered” (KJV, ASV, RSV, MLB, NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, JPS, NJPS). However, the nuance “count” might function as a metonymy of effect for cause, that is, “to supply.” What is absent cannot be supplied (cause) therefore, it cannot be counted as present (effect). NAB adopts this approach: “what is missing cannot be supplied.”
