Yesaya 13:10

13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations

no longer give out their light; ¹ 

the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,

and the moon does not shine. ² 

Yesaya 13:13-14

13:13 So I will shake the heavens, ³ 

and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, ⁴ 

because of the fury of the Lord who commands armies,

in the day he vents his raging anger. ⁵ 

13:14 Like a frightened gazelle ⁶ 

or a sheep with no shepherd,

each will turn toward home, ⁷ 

each will run to his homeland.

Yesaya 24:23

24:23 The full moon will be covered up, ⁸ 

the bright sun ⁹  will be darkened; ¹⁰ 

for the Lord who commands armies will rule ¹¹ 

on Mount Zion in Jerusalem ¹² 

in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor. ¹³ 

Yeremia 4:23

4:23 “I looked at the land and saw ¹⁴  that it was an empty wasteland. ¹⁵ 

I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished.

Yehezkiel 32:7-8

32:7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky;

I will darken its stars.

I will cover the sun with a cloud,

and the moon will not shine. ¹⁶ 

32:8 I will darken all the lights in the sky over you,

and I will darken your land,

declares the sovereign Lord.

Yoel 2:30-31

2:30 I will produce portents both in the sky ¹⁷  and on the earth –

blood, fire, and columns of smoke.

2:31 The sunlight will be turned to darkness

and the moon to the color of blood, ¹⁸ 

before the day of the Lord comes –

that great and terrible day!

Amos 8:9-10

8:9 In that day,” says the sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun set at noon,

and make the earth dark in the middle of the day. ¹⁹ 

8:10 I will turn your festivals into funerals, ²⁰ 

and all your songs into funeral dirges.

I will make everyone wear funeral clothes ²¹ 

and cause every head to be shaved bald. ²² 

I will make you mourn as if you had lost your only son; ²³ 

when it ends it will indeed have been a bitter day. ²⁴ 

Matius 24:29

The Arrival of the Son of Man

24:29 “Immediately ²⁵  after the suffering ²⁶  of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. ²⁷ 

Matius 27:45

Jesus’ Death

27:45 Now from noon until three, ²⁸  darkness came over all the land. ²⁹ 

Markus 13:24

The Arrival of the Son of Man

13:24 “But in those days, after that suffering, ³⁰  the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light;

Markus 13:26

13:26 Then everyone ³¹  will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds ³²  with great power and glory.

Markus 15:33

Jesus’ Death

15:33 Now ³³  when it was noon, ³⁴  darkness came over the whole land ³⁵  until three in the afternoon. ³⁶ 

Kisah Para Rasul 2:19

2:19 And I will perform wonders in the sky ³⁷  above

and miraculous signs ³⁸  on the earth below,

blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

Kisah Para Rasul 2:2

2:2 Suddenly ³⁹  a sound ⁴⁰  like a violent wind blowing ⁴¹  came from heaven ⁴²  and filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Pengkhotbah 3:10-12

3:10 I have observed the burden

that God has given to people ⁴³  to keep them occupied.

3:11 God has made everything fit beautifully ⁴⁴  in its appropriate time,

but ⁴⁵  he has also placed ignorance ⁴⁶  in the human heart ⁴⁷ 

so that ⁴⁸  people ⁴⁹  cannot discover what God has ordained, ⁵⁰ 

from the beginning to the end ⁵¹  of their lives. ⁵² 

Enjoy Life in the Present

3:12 I have concluded ⁵³  that there is nothing better for people ⁵⁴ 

than ⁵⁵  to be happy and to enjoy

themselves ⁵⁶  as long as they live,

Wahyu 6:12-14

6:12 Then ⁵⁷  I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge ⁵⁸  earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, ⁵⁹  and the full moon became blood red; ⁶⁰  6:13 and the stars in the sky ⁶¹  fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping ⁶²  its unripe figs ⁶³  when shaken by a fierce ⁶⁴  wind. 6:14 The sky ⁶⁵  was split apart ⁶⁶  like a scroll being rolled up, ⁶⁷  and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

Wahyu 20:11

The Great White Throne

20:11 Then ⁶⁸  I saw a large ⁶⁹  white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven ⁷⁰  fled ⁷¹  from his presence, and no place was found for them.

[13:10]  ¹ tn Heb “do not flash forth their light.”

[13:10]  ² tn Heb “does not shed forth its light.”

[13:13]  ³ tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[13:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “from its place” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV).

[13:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “and in the day of the raging of his anger.”

[13:14]  ⁶ tn Or “like a gazelle being chased.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[13:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “his people” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “his nation” (cf. TEV “their own countries”).

[24:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “will be ashamed.”

[24:23]  ⁹ tn Or “glow of the sun.”

[24:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “will be ashamed” (so NCV).

[24:23]  ¹¹ tn Or “take his throne,” “become king.”

[24:23]  ¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[24:23]  ¹³ tn Heb “and before his elders [in] splendor.”

[4:23]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I looked at the land and behold...” This indicates the visionary character of Jeremiah’s description of the future condition of the land of Israel.

[4:23]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “formless and empty.” This is a case of hendiadys (two nouns joined by “and” both describe the same thing): one noun retains its full nominal force, the other functions as an adjective. The words תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ (tohu vavohu) allude to Gen 1:2, hyperbolically picturing a reversal of creation and return to the original precreation chaos.

[32:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “will not shine its light.” For similar features of cosmic eschatology, see Joel 2:10; 4:15; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph 1:5.

[2:30]  ¹⁷ tn Or “in the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[2:31]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “to blood,” but no doubt this is intended to indicate by metonymy the color of blood rather than the substance itself. The blood red color suggests a visual impression here – something that could be caused by fires, volcanic dust, sandstorms, or other atmospheric phenomena.

[8:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in a day of light.”

[8:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “mourning.”

[8:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “I will place sackcloth on all waists.”

[8:10]  sn Mourners wore sackcloth (funeral clothes) as an outward expression of grief.

[8:10]  ²² tn Heb “and make every head bald.” This could be understood in a variety of ways, while the ritual act of mourning typically involved shaving the head (although occasionally the hair could be torn out as a sign of mourning).

[8:10]  sn Shaving the head or tearing out one’s hair was a ritual act of mourning. See Lev 21:5; Deut 14:1; Isa 3:24; 15:2; Jer 47:5; 48:37; Ezek 7:18; 27:31; Mic 1:16.

[8:10]  ²³ tn Heb “I will make it like the mourning for an only son.”

[8:10]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and its end will be like a bitter day.” The Hebrew preposition כְּ (kaf) sometimes carries the force of “in every respect,” indicating identity rather than mere comparison.

[24:29]  ²⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:29]  ²⁶ tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”

[24:29]  ²⁷ sn An allusion to Isa 13:10, 34:4 (LXX); Joel 2:10. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens (like stars and planets, “the heavenly bodies,” NIV) this is not as likely.

[27:45]  ²⁸ tn Grk “from the sixth hour to the ninth hour.”

[27:45]  ²⁹ sn This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15.

[13:24]  ³⁰ tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”

[13:26]  ³¹ tn Grk “they.”

[13:26]  ³² sn An allusion to Dan 7:13. Here is Jesus returning with full judging authority.

[15:33]  ³³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[15:33]  ³⁴ tn Grk “When the sixth hour had come.”

[15:33]  ³⁵ sn This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15.

[15:33]  ³⁶ tn Grk “until the ninth hour.”

[2:19]  ³⁷ tn Or “in the heaven.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context. Here, in contrast to “the earth below,” a reference to the sky is more likely.

[2:19]  ³⁸ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned; this is made explicit in the translation.

[2:2]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated for stylistic reasons. It occurs as part of the formula καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto) which is often left untranslated in Luke-Acts because it is redundant in contemporary English. Here it is possible (and indeed necessary) to translate ἐγένετο as “came” so that the initial clause of the English translation contains a verb; nevertheless the translation of the conjunction καί is not necessary.

[2:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “a noise.”

[2:2]  ⁴¹ tn While φέρω (ferw) generally refers to movement from one place to another with the possible implication of causing the movement of other objects, in Acts 2:2 φέρομαι (feromai) should probably be understood in a more idiomatic sense of “blowing” since it is combined with the noun for wind (πνοή, pnoh).

[2:2]  ⁴² tn Or “from the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.

[3:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb “the sons of man.”

[3:11]  ⁴⁴ sn The Hebrew adjective translated beautifully functions as a metonymy of effect (i.e., to appear beautiful) for cause (i.e., to make it fit): “to fit beautifully.” It is used in parallelism with Qoheleth’s term for evaluation: טוֹב (tov, “good”) in 5:17.

[3:11]  ⁴⁵ tn The word “but” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “darkness”; perhaps “eternity” or “the future.” The meaning of the noun עֹלָם (’olam) is debated. It may mean: (1) “ignorance”; (2) time reference: (a) “eternity” or (b) “the future”; or (3) “knowledge” (less likely). The arguments for these options may be summarized: (1) Most suggest that עֹלָם is the defectively written form of עוֹלָם “duration; eternity” (e.g., Eccl 1:4; 2:16; 3:14; 9:6; 12:5); see BDB 762 s.v. III עוֹלָם 2.k. Within this school of interpretation, there are several varieties: (a) BDB 762 s.v. III עוֹלָם 2.k suggests that here it denotes “age [i.e., duration] of the world,” which is attested in postbiblical Hebrew. The term III עֹלָם “eternity” = “world” (Jastrow 1084 s.v. עָלַם III) is used in this sense in postbiblical Hebrew, mostly in reference to the Messianic age, or the world to come (e.g., Tg. Genesis 9:16; Tg. Onq. Exodus 21:6; Tg. Psalms 61:7). For example, “the world (עֹלָם) shall last six thousand years, and after one thousand years it shall be laid waste” (b. Rosh HaShanah 31a) and “the world (עֹלָם) to come” (b. Sotah 10b). The LXX and the Vulgate took the term in this sense. This approach was also adopted by several English translations: “the world” (KJV, Douay, ASV margin). (b) HALOT 799 s.v. עוֹלָם 5 and THAT 2:242 suggest that the term refers to an indefinite, unending future: “eternity future” or “enduring state referring to past and future” (see also BDB 762 s.v. III עוֹלָם 2.i). In this sense, the noun עֹלָם functions as a metonymy of association: “a sense of eternity,” but not in a philosophical sense (see J. Barr, Biblical Words for Time [SBT], 117, n. 4). This approach is supported by three factors: (i) the recurrence of עוֹלָם (“eternity”) in 3:14, (ii) the temporal qualification of the statement in the parallel clause (“from beginning to end”), and (iii) by the ordinary meaning of the noun as “eternity” (HALOT 798–799 s.v. עוֹלָם). The point would be that God has endowed man with an awareness of the extra-temporal significance of himself and his accomplishments (D. R. Glenn, “Ecclesiastes,” BKCOT, 984). This is the most frequent approach among English versions: “the timeless” (NAB), “eternity” (RSV, MLB, ASV, NASB, NIV, NJPS), “a sense of time past and time future” (NEB), and “a sense of past and future” (NRSV). (3) Other scholars suggest that עוֹלָם simply refers to the indefinite future: “the future,” that is, things to come (e.g., HALOT 799 s.v. עוֹלָם 2; BDB 762 s.v. III עוֹלָם 2.a; THAT 2:241). The plural עֹלָמִים (’olamim, “things to come”) was used in this sense in Eccl 1:10 (e.g., 1 Kgs 8:13 = 2 Chr 6:2; Pss 61:5; 77:8; 145:13; Dan 9:24; cf. HALOT 799 s.v. עוֹלָם 2). The point would simply be that God has not only ordained all the events that will take place in man’s life (3:1-8), but also preoccupies man with the desire to discover what will happen in the future in terms of the orchestration or timing of these events in his life (3:9-11). This fits well with the description of God’s orchestration of human events in their most appropriate time (3:1-10) and the ignorance of man concerning his future (3:11b). Elsewhere, Qoheleth emphasizes that man cannot learn what the future holds in store for him (e.g., 8:7, 17). This approach is only rarely adopted: “the future” (NJPS margin). (2) The second view is that עֹלָם is not defectively written עוֹלָם (“eternity”) but the segholate noun II עֶלֶם (’elem) that means “dark” (literal) or “ignorance; obscurity; secrecy” (figurative). The related noun תַּעֲלֻמָה (ta’alumah) means “hidden thing; secret,” and the related verb עָלַם (’alam) means “to hide; to conceal” (BDB 761 s.v. I עָלַם; HALOT 834–35 s.v. עלם). This is related to the Ugaritic noun “dark” and the Akkadian verb “to be black; to be dark” (see HALOT 834-35 s.v. עלם). In postbiblical Hebrew the root II עֶלֶם means (i) “secret” and (ii) “forgetfulness” (Jastrow 1084 s.v. עֶלֶם I). Thus the verse would mean that God has “obscured” man’s knowledge so that he cannot discover certain features of God’s program. This approach is adopted by Moffatt which uses the word “mystery.” Similarly, the term may mean “forgetfulness,” that is, God has plagued man with “forgetfulness” so that he cannot understand what God has done from the beginning to the end (e.g., Eccl 1:11). (3) The third view (Delitzsch) is to relate עֹלָם to a cognate Arabic root meaning “knowledge.” The point would be that God has endowed man with “knowledge,” but not enough for man to discover God’s eternal plan. This approach is only rarely adopted: “knowledge” (YLT).

[3:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “in their heart.” The Hebrew term translated heart functions as a metonymy of association for man’s intellect, emotions, and will (BDB 524–25 s.v. לֵב 3–6, 9). Here, it probably refers to man’s intellectual capacities, as v. 11 suggests.

[3:11]  ⁴⁸ tn The compound preposition מִבְּלִי (mibbÿli, preposition מִן [min] + negative particle בְּלִי [bÿli]) is used as a conjunction here. Elsewhere, it can express cause: “because there is no [or is not]” (e.g., Deut 9:28; 28:55; Isa 5:13; Ezek 34:5; Lam 1:4; Hos 4:6), consequence: “so that there is no [or is not]” (e.g., Ezek 14:5; Jer 2:15; 9:9-11; Zeph 3:6), or simple negation: “without” (e.g., Job 4:11, 20; 6:6; 24:7-8; 31:19). BDB 115 s.v. בְּלִי 3.c.β suggests the negative consequence: “so that not,” while HALOT 133 s.v. בְּלִי 5 suggests the simple negation: “without the possibility of.”

[3:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “man.”

[3:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the work that God has done.” The phrase אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה (’et-hamma’aseh ’asher-’asah, “the work which he [i.e., God] has done”) is an internal cognate accusative (direct object and verb are from the same root), used for emphasis (see IBHS 167 §10.2.1g). The repetition of the verb עָשַׂה (“to do”) in 3:11 and 3:14 suggests that this phrase refers to God’s foreordination of all the events and timing of human affairs: God has “made” ( = “foreordained”; עָשַׂה) everything appropriate in his sovereign timing (3:11a), and all that God has “done” ( = “foreordained”; עָשַׂה) will come to pass (3:14). Thus, the verb עָשַׂה functions as a metonymy of effect (i.e., God’s actions) for cause (i.e., God’s sovereign foreordination). The temporal clause “from beginning to end” (3:11) supports this nuance.

[3:11]  ⁵¹ tn Traditionally, “what God has done from the beginning to the end.” The temporal clause מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד־סוֹף (mero’sh vÿ’ad-sof, “from the beginning to the end”) is traditionally taken in reference to “eternity” (the traditional understanding of הָעֹלָם [ha’olam] earlier in the verse; see the note on “ignorance”), e.g., KJV, NEB, NAB, ASV, NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV. However, if הָעֹלָם simply denotes “the future” (e.g., HALOT 799 s.v. עוֹלָם 2; BDB 762 s.v. III עוֹלָם 2.a; THAT 2:241), this temporal clause would refer to the events God has ordained to transpire in an individual’s life, from beginning to end. This approach is adopted by one English version: “but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass” (NJPS). This would fit well in the context begun in 3:1 with the fourteen merisms encompassing man’s life, starting with “a time to be born” (i.e., from the beginning in 3:11) and concluding with “a time to die” (i.e., to the end in 3:11). This approach is also supported by the admonition of 3:12-13, namely, since no one knows what will happen to him in the future days of his life, Qoheleth recommends that man enjoy each day as a gift from God.

[3:11]  ⁵² tn The phrase “of their lives” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:12]  ⁵³ tn Heb “I know.”

[3:12]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “for them”; the referent (people, i.e., mankind) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:12]  ⁵⁵ tn Qoheleth uses the exceptive particle אִם…כִּי (ki…’im, “except”) to identify the only exception to the futility within man’s life (BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 2).

[3:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “to do good.” The phrase לַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב (la’asot tov) functions idiomatically for “to experience [or see] happiness [or joy].” The verb עָשַׂה (’asah) probably denotes “to acquire; to obtain” (BDB 795 s.v. עָשַׂה II.7), and טוֹב (tov) means “good; pleasure; happiness,” e.g., Eccl 2:24; 3:13; 5:17 (BDB 375 s.v. טוֹב 1).

[6:12]  ⁵⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:12]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”

[6:12]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).

[6:12]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).

[6:13]  ⁶¹ tn Or “in heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”). The genitive τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (tou ouranou) is taken as a genitive of place.

[6:13]  ⁶² tn Grk “throws [off]”; the indicative verb has been translated as a participle due to English style.

[6:13]  ⁶³ tn L&N 3.37 states, “a fig produced late in the summer season (and often falling off before it ripens) – ‘late fig.’ ὡς συκὴ βάλλει τοὺς ὀλύνθους αὐτῆς ὑπὸ ἀνέμου μεγάλου σειομένη ‘as the fig tree sheds its late figs when shaken by a great wind’ Re 6:13. In the only context in which ὄλυνθος occurs in the NT (Re 6:13), one may employ an expression such as ‘unripe fig’ or ‘fig which ripens late.’”

[6:13]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “great wind.”

[6:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “The heavens were.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) can mean either “heaven” or “sky.”

[6:14]  ⁶⁶ tn BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποχωρίζω states, “ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπεχωρίσθη the sky was split Rv 6:14.” Although L&N 79.120 gives the meaning “the sky disappeared like a rolled-up scroll” here, a scroll that is rolled up does not “disappear,” and such a translation could be difficult for modern readers to understand.

[6:14]  ⁶⁷ tn On this term BDAG 317 s.v. ἑλίσσω states, “ὡς βιβλίον ἑλισσόμενον like a scroll that is rolled up…Rv 6:14.”

[20:11]  ⁶⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:11]  ⁶⁹ tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.

[20:11]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.

[20:11]  ⁷¹ tn Or “vanished.”

[20:11]  sn The phrase the earth and the heaven fled from his presence can be understood (1) as visual imagery representing the fear of corruptible matter in the presence of God, but (2) it can also be understood more literally as the dissolution of the universe as we know it in preparation for the appearance of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1).