Mazmur 86:15

86:15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.

You are patient ¹  and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. ² 

Yehezkiel 33:10-11

33:10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, ³  and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ 33:11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior ⁴  and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! ⁵  Why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Mikha 7:18

7:18 There is no other God like you! ⁶ 

You ⁷  forgive sin

and pardon ⁸  the rebellion

of those who remain among your people. ⁹ 

You do not remain angry forever, ¹⁰ 

but delight in showing loyal love.

Roma 2:4

2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know ¹¹  that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

Roma 2:2

2:2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth ¹²  against those who practice such things.

Pengkhotbah 3:9

Man is Ignorant of God’s Timing

3:9 What benefit can a worker ¹³  gain from his toil? ¹⁴ 

[86:15]  ¹ tn Heb “slow to anger.”

[86:15]  ² tn Heb “and great of loyal love and faithfulness.”

[86:15]  sn The psalmist’s confession of faith in this verse echoes Exod 34:6.

[33:10]  ³ tn Heb “(are) upon us.”

[33:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “turn from his way.”

[33:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “ways.” This same word is translated “behavior” earlier in the verse.

[7:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”

[7:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.

[7:18]  ⁸ tn Heb “pass over.”

[7:18]  ⁹ tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”

[7:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”

[2:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “being unaware.”

[2:2]  ¹² tn Or “based on truth.”

[3:9]  ¹³ tn The term הָעוֹשֶׂה (ha’oseh, article + Qal active participle ms from עָשַׂה, ’asah, “to do”) functions substantively (“the worker”); see BDB 794 s.v. עָשַׂה II.1. This is a figurative description of man (metonymy of association), and plays on the repetition of עָשַׂה (verb: “to do,” noun: “work”) throughout the passage. In the light of God’s orchestration of human affairs, man’s efforts cannot change anything. It refers to man in general with the article functioning in a generic sense (see IBHS 244-45 §13.5.1f; Joüon 2:511 §137.m).

[3:9]  ¹⁴ sn This rhetorical question is an example of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “Man gains nothing from his toil!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). Any advantage that man might gain from his toil is nullified by his ignorance of divine providence.