Kejadian 15:16

15:16 In the fourth generation ¹  your descendants ²  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ³ 

Kejadian 18:20

18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against ⁴  Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant ⁵ 

Kejadian 19:4-11

19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, ⁶  all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. ⁷  19:5 They shouted to Lot, ⁸  “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex ⁹  with them!”

19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! ¹⁰  19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with ¹¹  a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. ¹²  Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection ¹³  of my roof.” ¹⁴ 

19:9 “Out of our way!” ¹⁵  they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, ¹⁶  and now he dares to judge us! ¹⁷  We’ll do more harm ¹⁸  to you than to them!” They kept ¹⁹  pressing in on Lot until they were close enough ²⁰  to break down the door.

19:10 So the men inside ²¹  reached out ²²  and pulled Lot back into the house ²³  as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, ²⁴  with blindness. The men outside ²⁵  wore themselves out trying to find the door.

Kejadian 19:1

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while ²⁶  Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. ²⁷  When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.

1 Samuel 15:18

15:18 The Lord sent you on a campaign ²⁸  saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you ²⁹  have destroyed them.’

Yesaya 1:9

1:9 If the Lord who commands armies ³⁰  had not left us a few survivors,

we would have quickly become like Sodom, ³¹ 

we would have become like Gomorrah.

Yesaya 3:9

3:9 The look on their faces ³²  testifies to their guilt; ³³ 

like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. ³⁴ 

Too bad for them! ³⁵ 

For they bring disaster on themselves.

Yehezkiel 16:46-50

16:46 Your older sister was Samaria, who lived north ³⁶  of you with her daughters, and your younger sister, who lived south ³⁷  of you, was Sodom ³⁸  with her daughters. 16:47 Have you not copied their behavior ³⁹  and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time ⁴⁰  you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were! 16:48 As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never behaved as wickedly as you and your daughters have behaved.

16:49 “‘See here – this was the iniquity ⁴¹  of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help ⁴²  the poor and needy. 16:50 They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them.

Matius 9:10

9:10 As ⁴³  Jesus ⁴⁴  was having a meal ⁴⁵  in Matthew’s ⁴⁶  house, many tax collectors ⁴⁷  and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples.

Matius 9:13

9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ ⁴⁸  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matius 11:23-24

11:23 And you, Capernaum, ⁴⁹  will you be exalted to heaven? ⁵⁰  No, you will be thrown down to Hades! ⁵¹  For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day. 11:24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom ⁵²  on the day of judgment than for you!”

Yohanes 9:24

9:24 Then they summoned ⁵³  the man who used to be blind ⁵⁴  a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. ⁵⁵  We know that this man ⁵⁶  is a sinner.”

Yohanes 9:31

9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to ⁵⁷  sinners, but if anyone is devout ⁵⁸  and does his will, God ⁵⁹  listens to ⁶⁰  him. ⁶¹ 

Roma 1:27

1:27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women ⁶²  and were inflamed in their passions ⁶³  for one another. Men ⁶⁴  committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Roma 1:2

1:2 This gospel ⁶⁵  he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,

Pengkhotbah 2:6-8

2:6 I constructed pools of water for myself,

to irrigate my grove ⁶⁶  of flourishing trees.

2:7 I purchased male and female slaves,

and I owned slaves who were born in my house; ⁶⁷ 

I also possessed more livestock – both herds and flocks –

than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. ⁶⁸ 

2:8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself,

as well as valuable treasures ⁶⁹  taken from kingdoms and provinces. ⁷⁰ 

I acquired male singers and female singers for myself,

and what gives a man sensual delight ⁷¹  – a harem of beautiful concubines! ⁷² 

Pengkhotbah 2:10

2:10 I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; ⁷³ 

I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. ⁷⁴ 

So all my accomplishments gave me joy; ⁷⁵ 

this was my reward for all my effort. ⁷⁶ 

Yudas 1:7

1:7 So also ⁷⁷  Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, ⁷⁸  since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire ⁷⁹  in a way similar to ⁸⁰  these angels, ⁸¹  are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

[15:16]  ¹ sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

[15:16]  ² tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ³ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:16]  sn The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit. The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.

[18:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.

[18:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “heavy.”

[19:4]  ⁶ tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.

[19:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.

[19:5]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:5]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.

[19:5]  sn The sin of the men of Sodom is debated. The fact that the sin involved a sexual act (see note on the phrase “have sex” in 19:5) precludes an association of the sin with inhospitality as is sometimes asserted (see W. Roth, “What of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexual Acts in the Old Testament,” Explor 1 [1974]: 7-14). The text at a minimum condemns forced sexual intercourse, i.e., rape. Other considerations, though, point to a condemnation of homosexual acts more generally. The narrator emphasizes the fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with men: They demand that Lot release the angelic messengers (seen as men) to them for sex, and when Lot offers his daughters as a substitute they refuse them and attempt to take the angelic messengers by force. In addition the wider context of the Pentateuch condemns homosexual acts as sin (see, e.g., Lev 18:22). Thus a reading of this text within its narrative context, both immediate and broad, condemns not only the attempted rape but also the attempted homosexual act.

[19:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”

[19:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[19:8]  ¹² tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”

[19:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “shadow.”

[19:8]  ¹⁴ sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.

[19:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”

[19:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”

[19:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”

[19:9]  ¹⁸ tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.

[19:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”

[19:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and they drew near.”

[19:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:10]  ²² tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:10]  ²³ tn Heb “to them into the house.”

[19:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”

[19:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:1]  ²⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

[19:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.

[19:1]  sn The expression sitting in the city’s gateway may mean that Lot was exercising some type of judicial function (see the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 19:8; Jer 26:10; 38:7; 39:3).

[15:18]  ²⁸ tn Heb “journey.”

[15:18]  ²⁹ tc The translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum in reading the second person singular suffix (“you”) rather than the third person plural suffix of the MT (“they”).

[1:9]  ³⁰ tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.

[1:9]  ³¹ tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.

[3:9]  ³² sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.

[3:9]  ³³ tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”

[3:9]  ³⁴ tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”

[3:9]  ³⁵ tn Heb “woe to their soul.”

[16:46]  ³⁶ tn Heb “left.”

[16:46]  ³⁷ tn Heb “right.”

[16:46]  ³⁸ sn Sodom was the epitome of evil (Deut 29:23; 32:32; Isa 1:9-10; 3:9; Jer 23:14; Lam 4:6; Matt 10:15; 11:23-24; Jude 7).

[16:47]  ³⁹ tn Heb “walked in their ways.”

[16:47]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew expression has a temporal meaning as illustrated by the use of the phrase in 2 Chr 12:7.

[16:49]  ⁴¹ tn Or “guilt.”

[16:49]  ⁴² tn Heb “strengthen the hand of.”

[9:10]  ⁴³ tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “was reclining at table.”

[9:10]  sn As Jesus was having a meal. 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[9:10]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ⁴⁷ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[9:13]  ⁴⁸ sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).

[11:23]  ⁴⁹ sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.

[11:23]  map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[11:23]  ⁵⁰ tn The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.

[11:23]  ⁵¹ sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Luke 10:15; 16:23; Rev 20:13-14).

[11:24]  ⁵² sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious, and will result in more severe punishment, than the worst sins of the old era. The phrase region of Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[9:24]  ⁵³ tn Grk “they called.”

[9:24]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “who was blind.”

[9:24]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).

[9:24]  ⁵⁶ tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.

[9:31]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “God does not hear.”

[9:31]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “godly.”

[9:31]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:31]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “hears.”

[9:31]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “this one.”

[1:27]  ⁶² tn Grk “likewise so also the males abandoning the natural function of the female.”

[1:27]  ⁶³ tn Grk “burned with intense desire” (L&N 25.16).

[1:27]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “another, men committing…and receiving,” continuing the description of their deeds. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:2]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “the gospel of God, which he promised.” Because of the length and complexity of this sentence in Greek, it was divided into shorter English sentences in keeping with contemporary English style. To indicate the referent of the relative pronoun (“which”), the word “gospel” was repeated at the beginning of v. 2.

[2:6]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “to water from them a grove” (or “forest).

[2:7]  ⁶⁷ tn The phrase “sons of a house” (בְנֵי בַיִת, vÿne vayit) appears to be parallel to “a son of my house” (בֶן־בֵּיתִי, ven-beti) which refers to a person born into slavery from male and female servants in the master’s possession, e.g., Eleazar of Damascus (Gen 15:3). The phrase appears to denote children born from male and female slaves already in his possession, that is, “homeborn slaves” (NASB) or “other slaves who were born in my house” (NIV). Apparently confusing the sense of the phrase with the referent of the phrase in Gen 15:3, NJPS erroneously suggests “stewards” in Eccl 2:7.

[2:7]  ⁶⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:8]  ⁶⁹ tn The term סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah) denotes “personal property” (HALOT 742 s.v. סְגֻלָּה 1) or “valued property, personal treasure” (BDB 688 s.v. סְגֻלָּה 2). Elsewhere, it refers to a king’s silver and gold (1 Chr 27:3). It is related to Akkadian sug/kullu “flock” (AHw 2:1053-54) and sikiltu “private property [belonging to the king]” (AHw 2:1041). The term refers to the personal, private and valued possessions of kings, which do not pass into the hands of the state.

[2:8]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “of kings and provinces.” This personal treasure was taken as tribute from other kings and governors. See T. Longman III, Ecclesiastes (NICOT), 92.

[2:8]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and sensual delights of the sons of man.” The noun תַּעֲנוּג (ta’anug) has a three-fold range of meanings: (1) “luxury; comfort” (Mic 2:9; Prov 19:10; Sir 6:28; 11:27; 14:16; 37:29; 41:1); (2) “pleasure; delight” of sexual love (Song 7:7); and (3) “daintiness; feminine” (Mic 1:16); see HALOT 1769 s.v. תַּעֲנוּג; BDB 772 s.v. תַּעֲנוּג. The related adjective עָנֹג (’anog, “pampered; dainty”) is used to describe a pampered woman (Deut 28:56), to personify Babylon as a delicate woman (Isa 47:1), and to ridicule delicate men (Deut 28:54); see HALOT 851 s.v. עָֹנֹג; BDB 772 עָנֹג. It is related to the noun עֹנֶג (’oneg, “pleasure; exquisite delight; daintiness”; see HALOT 851 s.v. עֹנֶג; BDB 772 s.v. עֹנֶג) and the verb עָנֹג which means “to be soft; to be delicate” and “pleasurable” (Pual) and “to pamper oneself” and “to take delight or pleasure in” (HALOT 851 s.v. ענג; BDB 772 s.v. עָנֹג). The root ענג is paralleled with רֹךְ (rokh, Deut 28:56), רַךְ (rakh, Deut 28:54), and רַכָּה (rakkah, Deut 28:56) with the meanings “delicate; soft; tender; weak; coddled; pampered.” The context of Eccl 2:4-11 suggests that it denotes either “luxury” as in “the luxuries of commoners” (NJPS) or “pleasure; delight” as in “the delights of men” (KJV, NASB, NIV). Part of the difficulty in determining the meaning of this term is caused by the ambiguity in meaning of its referent, namely, the appositional phrase שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת (shiddah vÿshiddot), the meaning of which is uncertain (see the note on the phrase “a harem of beautiful concubines” at the end of this verse).

[2:8]  ⁷² tn The meaning of the superlative construction שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת (shiddah vÿshiddot) is uncertain because the term שִׁדָּה (shiddah) occurs only here in the OT. There are four basic approaches to the phrase: (1) Most scholars suggest that it refers to a royal harem and that it is in apposition to “the sensual delights of man” (וְתַעֲנוּגֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, vÿta’anugot bÿne ha’adam). There are four variations of this approach: (a) There is a possible connection to the Ugaritic sht “mistress, lady” and the Arabic sitt “lady” (HALOT 1420 s.v. שִׁדָּה). (b) German scholars relate it to Assyrian sadadu “love” (Delitzsch, Konig, Wildeboer, Siegfried); however, BDB questions this connection (BDB 994 s.v. שׁדה). (c) Ibn Ezra relates it to II שַׁד (shad) “plunder; spoil” or שׁדה “[women] taken by violence,” and suggests that it refers to the occupants of the royal harem. (d) BDB connects it to the Hebrew noun I שַׁד (shad, “breast”; e.g., Isa 28:9; Ezek 16:7; 23:3, 21, 34; Hos 2:4; 9:14; Song 1:13; 4:5; 7:4, 8, 9; 8:1, 8, 10; Job 3:12) adding that שׁדה is related to the cognate Arabic and Aramaic roots meaning “breast” (BDB 994 s.v.). This would be a synecdoche of part (i.e., breast) for the whole (i.e., woman), similar to the idiom “one womb, two wombs” (רַחַם רַחֲמָתַיִם, rakham rakhamatayim) where “womb” = woman (Judg 5:30). This is the approach taken by most English versions: “many concubines” (NASB, RSV, NRSV), “a wife and wives” (YLT), “mistresses galore” (MLB), “many a mistress” (Moffatt), and “a harem” (NIV). This is the approach suggested by the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project: “une femme et des femmes” = one or two women (e.g., Judg 5:30); see D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 3:566. (2) The NJPS connects it to the Mishnaic Hebrew noun שִׁדָּה which became שִׁידָּה (“a strong box, chest”; Jastrow 1558 s.v. שִׁידָּה) and renders the phrase “coffers and coffers of them” in apposition to the phrase “the luxuries of commoners” (וְתַעֲנוּגֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם). (3) KJV and ASV take the phrase in apposition to “male and female singers” and translate it as “musical instruments.” However, there is no known Hebrew term that would justify this approach. (4) The LXX related the term to the Aramaic root שׁדא (“to pour out [wine]”) and rendered the phrase as οἰνοχόον καὶ οἰνοχόας (oinocoon kai oinocoas), “a male-butler and female cupbearers.” Aquila took a similar approach: κυλίκιον καὶ κυλίκια (kulikion kai kulikia), “wine cups and wine vessels.” This is reflected in the Vulgate and Douay: “cups and vessels to serve to pour out wine.” Although the semantic meaning of the term שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת (“a breast of breasts”) is uncertain, the grammatical/syntactical form of the phrase is straightforward: (1) It is in apposition to the preceding line, “the delights of the son of men” (וְתַעֲנוּגֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם). (2) The phrase is a superlative construction. When the second word is plural and it follows a noun from the same root which is singular, it indicates the best or most outstanding example of the person or thing so described. In addition to the Judg 5:30 parallel cited above, see the expression “a generation, generations” in Pss 72:5; 102:25; Isa 51:8. Unlike, Eccl 2:8, this juxtapositioning of the singular and plural to express the superlative usually involves a construct form. See קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים (qodesh haqqodashim, “the holy of holies,” i.e., the most holy place”; Exod 26:33), שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים (shir hashirim, “the song of songs,” i.e., “the most excellent song”; Song 1:1), אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדֹנֵי הַאֲדֹנִים (’elohe ha’elohim va’adone ha’adonim, “the God of gods and Lord of lords,” i.e., “the Highest God and the Supreme Lord”; Deut 10:17), and עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים (’eved ’avadim, “a slave of slaves,” i.e., “the most abject slave”; Gen 9:25). See GKC 431 §133.i; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 17-18, §80; IBHS 154 §9.5.3j. If the semantic meaning of the terms שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת denotes “a breast (among) breasts” or “a lady (among) ladies” (Eccl 2:8, but see the previous note on the phrase “a man’s sensual delights”), the superlative construction may connote “the most beautiful breasts” (metonymy of part for the whole) or “the most beautiful woman.” This might refer to a harem of concubines or to one woman (the wife of the king?) who was the most beautiful woman in the land.

[2:8]  sn Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).

[2:10]  ⁷³ tn Heb “all which my eyes asked for, I did not withhold from them.”

[2:10]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “I did not refuse my heart any pleasure.” The term לִבִּי (libbi, “my heart”) is a synecdoche of part (i.e., heart) for the whole (i.e., whole person); see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 648. The term is repeated twice in 2:10 for emphasis.

[2:10]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “So my heart was joyful from all my toil.”

[2:10]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and this was my portion from all my toil.”

[1:7]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “as.”

[1:7]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “the towns [or cities] surrounding them.”

[1:7]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “strange flesh.” This phrase has been variously interpreted. It could refer to flesh of another species (such as angels lusting after human flesh). This would aptly describe the sin of the angels, but not easily explain the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. It could refer to the homosexual practices of the Sodomites, but a difficulty arises from the use of ἕτερος ({etero"; “strange,” “other”). When this is to be distinguished from ἄλλος (allos, “another”) it suggests “another of a different kind.” If so, would that properly describe homosexual behavior? In response, the language could easily be compact: “pursued flesh other than what was normally pursued.” However, would this find an analogy in the lust of angels (such would imply that angels normally had sexual relations of some sort, but cf. Matt 22:30)? Another alternative is that the focus of the parallel is on the activity of the surrounding cities and the activity of the angels. This is especially plausible since the participles ἐκπορνεύσασαι (ekporneusasai, “having indulged in sexual immorality”) and ἀπελθοῦσαι (apelqousai, “having pursued”) have concord with “cities” (πόλεις, poleis), a feminine plural noun, rather than with Sodom and Gomorrah (both masculine nouns). If so, then their sin would not necessarily have to be homosexuality. However, most likely the feminine participles are used because of constructio ad sensum (construction according to sense). That is, since both Sodom and Gomorrah are cities, the feminine is used to imply that all the cities are involved. The connection with angels thus seems to be somewhat loose: Both angels and Sodom and Gomorrah indulged in heinous sexual immorality. Thus, whether the false teachers indulge in homosexual activity is not the point; mere sexual immorality is enough to condemn them.

[1:7]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “in the same way as.”

[1:7]  ⁸¹ tn “Angels” is not in the Greek text; but the masculine demonstrative pronoun most likely refers back to the angels of v. 6.