Yesaya 6:13

6:13 Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, ¹  like one of the large sacred trees ²  or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down. ³  That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.” ⁴ 

Yesaya 49:6

49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant ⁵  of Israel? ⁶ 

I will make you a light to the nations, ⁷ 

so you can bring ⁸  my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

Yesaya 49:22

49:22 This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;

I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.

They will bring your sons in their arms

and carry your daughters on their shoulders.

Yesaya 65:8

65:8 This is what the Lord says:

“When ⁹  juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,

someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ ¹⁰ 

So I will do for the sake of my servants –

I will not destroy everyone. ¹¹ 

Yesaya 65:22

65:22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, ¹² 

or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, ¹³ 

for my people will live as long as trees, ¹⁴ 

and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. ¹⁵ 

Yesaya 66:12

66:12 For this is what the Lord says:

“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,

the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. ¹⁶ 

You will nurse from her breast ¹⁷  and be carried at her side;

you will play on her knees.

Yesaya 66:19-21

66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ¹⁸  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ¹⁹  Lud ²⁰  (known for its archers ²¹ ), Tubal, Javan, ²²  and to the distant coastlands ²³  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. 66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen ²⁴  from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them ²⁵  on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels ²⁶  to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. 66:21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

Ulangan 32:43

32:43 Cry out, O nations, with his people,

for he will avenge his servants’ blood;

he will take vengeance against his enemies,

and make atonement for his land and people.

Mazmur 117:1-2

Psalm 117 ²⁷ 

117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations!

Applaud him, all you foreigners! ²⁸ 

117:2 For his loyal love towers ²⁹  over us,

and the Lord’s faithfulness endures.

Praise the Lord!

Zakharia 2:10-11

2:10 “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter! ³⁰  For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord. 2:11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on the day of salvation, ³¹  and they will also be my ³²  people. Indeed, I will settle in the midst of you all.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you.

Zakharia 8:20-23

8:20 The Lord who rules over all says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people – residents of many cities – will come. 8:21 The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, “Let’s go up at once to ask the favor of the Lord, to seek the Lord who rules over all. Indeed, I’ll go with you.”’ 8:22 Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord who rules over all and to ask his favor. 8:23 The Lord who rules over all says, ‘In those days ten people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of – indeed, grab – the robe of one Jew and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” ³³ 

Lukas 2:32

2:32 a light, ³⁴ 

for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory ³⁵  to your people Israel.”

Roma 10:11-13

10:11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ³⁶  10:12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 10:13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ³⁷ 

Roma 15:9-12

15:9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. ³⁸  As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.” ³⁹  15:10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” ⁴⁰  15:11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.” ⁴¹  15:12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.” ⁴² 

Roma 15:27

15:27 For they were pleased to do this, and indeed they are indebted to the Jerusalem saints. ⁴³  For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things.

[6:13]  ¹ tn Or “be burned” (NRSV); NIV “laid waste.”

[6:13]  ² tn Heb “like a massive tree or like a big tree” (perhaps, “like a terebinth or like an oak”).

[6:13]  ³ tn The Hebrew text has “which in the felling, a sacred pillar in them.” Some take מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) as “stump,” and translate, “which, when chopped down, have a stump remaining in them.” But elsewhere מַצֶּבֶת refers to a memorial pillar (2 Sam 18:18) and the word resembles מַצֶּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”). בָּם (bam, “in them”) may be a corruption of בָּמָה (bamah, “high place”; the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has במה). אֳשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) becomes a problem in this case, but one might emend the form to וּכְּאֲשֵׁרָה (ukÿ’asherah, “or like an Asherah pole”) and translate, “like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole.” Though the text is difficult, the references to sacred trees and a sacred pillar suggest that the destruction of a high place is in view, an apt metaphor for the judgment of idolatrous Judah.

[6:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “a holy offspring [is] its sacred pillar.” If מַצֶּבֶת (matsevet) is taken as “stump,” one can see in this statement a brief glimpse of hope. The tree (the nation) is chopped down, but the stump (a righteous remnant) remains from which God can restore the nation. However, if מַצֶּבֶת is taken as “sacred pillar” (מַצֶּבָה, matsevah; see the previous note), it is much more difficult to take the final statement in a positive sense. In this case “holy offspring” alludes to God’s ideal for his covenant people, the offspring of the patriarchs. Ironically that “holy” nation is more like a “sacred pillar” and it will be thrown down like a sacred pillar from a high place and its land destroyed like the sacred trees located at such shrines. Understood in this way, the ironic statement is entirely negative in tone, just like the rest of the preceding announcement of judgment. It also reminds the people of their failure; they did not oppose pagan religion, instead they embraced it. Now they will be destroyed in the same way they should have destroyed paganism.

[49:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”

[49:6]  ⁶ sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.

[49:6]  ⁷ tn See the note at 42:6.

[49:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”

[65:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”

[65:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”

[65:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”

[65:22]  ¹² tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”

[65:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”

[65:22]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”

[65:22]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”

[66:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”

[66:12]  ¹⁷ tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).

[66:19]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ¹⁹ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ²⁰ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ²¹ tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ²² sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ²³ tn Or “islands” (NIV).

[66:20]  ²⁴ tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”

[66:20]  ²⁵ tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[66:20]  ²⁶ tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.

[117:1]  ²⁷ sn Psalm 117. The psalmist tells the nations to praise the Lord for his loyal love and faithfulness.

[117:1]  ²⁸ tn Or “peoples” (see Ps 108:3).

[117:2]  ²⁹ tn For this sense of the Hebrew verb גָּבַר (gavar), see Ps 103:11 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.

[2:10]  ³⁰ sn This individualizing of Zion as a daughter draws attention to the corporate nature of the covenant community and also to the tenderness with which the Lord regards his chosen people.

[2:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “on that day.” The descriptive phrase “of salvation” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:11]  ³² tc The LXX and Syriac have the 3rd person masculine singular suffix in both places (“his people” and “he will settle”; cf. NAB, TEV) in order to avoid the Lord’s speaking of himself in the third person. Such resort is unnecessary, however, in light of the common shifting of person in Hebrew narrative (cf. 3:2).

[8:23]  ³³ sn This scene of universal and overwhelming attraction of the nations to Israel’s God finds initial fulfillment in the establishment of the church (Acts 2:5-11) but ultimate completion in the messianic age (Isa 45:14, 24; 60:14; Zech 14:16-21).

[2:32]  ³⁴ tn The syntax of this verse is disputed. Most read “light” and “glory” in parallelism, so Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles and is glory to the people for Israel. Others see “light” (1:78-79) as a summary, while “revelation” and “glory” are parallel, so Jesus is light for all, but is revelation for the Gentiles and glory for Israel. Both readings make good sense and either could be correct, but Luke 1:78-79 and Acts 26:22-23 slightly favor this second option.

[2:32]  ³⁵ sn In other words, Jesus is a special cause for praise and honor (“glory”) for the nation.

[10:11]  ³⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 28:16.

[10:13]  ³⁷ sn A quotation from Joel 2:32.

[15:9]  ³⁸ tn There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises…and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision…and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.

[15:9]  ³⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 18:49.

[15:10]  ⁴⁰ sn A quotation from Deut 32:43.

[15:11]  ⁴¹ sn A quotation from Ps 117:1.

[15:12]  ⁴² sn A quotation from Isa 11:10.

[15:27]  ⁴³ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the Jerusalem saints) has been specified in the translation for clarity.