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 

Roma 2:4

2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know ³  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 ⁴  against those who practice such things.

Pengkhotbah 3:9

Man is Ignorant of God’s Timing

3:9 What benefit can a worker ⁵  gain from his toil? ⁶ 

[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.

[2:4]  ³ tn Grk “being unaware.”

[2:2]  ⁴ tn Or “based on truth.”

[3:9]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.