Mazmur 66:10-12
Konteks66:10 For 1 you, O God, tested us;
you purified us like refined silver.
66:11 You led us into a trap; 2
you caused us to suffer. 3
66:12 You allowed men to ride over our heads;
we passed through fire and water,
but you brought us out into a wide open place. 4
Mazmur 94:12-13
Konteks94:12 How blessed is the one 5 whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
94:13 in order to protect him from times of trouble, 6
until the wicked are destroyed. 7
Mazmur 94:2
Konteks94:2 Rise up, O judge of the earth!
Pay back the proud!
1 Samuel 12:10
Konteks12:10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, 8 ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. 9 Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’ 10
1 Samuel 13:1
Konteks13:1 Saul was [thirty] 11 years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for [forty] 12 years.
1 Samuel 16:1-23
Konteks16:1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. 13 Fill your horn with olive oil and go! I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, 14 for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.” 15
16:2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you 16 and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 16:3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out 17 to you.”
16:4 Samuel did what the Lord told him. 18 When he arrived in Bethlehem, 19 the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They 20 said, “Do you come in peace?” 16:5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
16:6 When they arrived, Samuel 21 noticed 22 Eliab and said to himself, 23 “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king!” 24 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by 25 his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. 26 People look on the outward appearance, 27 but the Lord looks at the heart.”
16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. 28 But Samuel 29 said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” 16:9 Then Jesse presented 30 Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 16:10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. 31 But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 16:11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Is that all of the young men?” Jesse 32 replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”
16:12 So Jesse had him brought in. 33 Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one!” 16:13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
16:14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit 34 from the Lord tormented him. 16:15 Then Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!” 16:16 Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre 35 and you will feel better.” 36 16:17 So Saul said to his servants, “Find 37 me a man who plays well and bring him to me.” 16:18 One of his attendants replied, 38 “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem 39 who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior 40 and is articulate 41 and handsome, 42 for the Lord is with him.”
16:19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep. 16:20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat 43 and sent them to Saul with 44 his son David. 16:21 David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, 45 and he became his armor bearer. 16:22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” 46
16:23 So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone. 47
Ayub 5:17-18
Konteks5:17 “Therefore, 48 blessed 49 is the man whom God corrects, 50
so do not despise the discipline 51 of the Almighty. 52
5:18 For 53 he 54 wounds, 55 but he also bandages;
he strikes, but his hands also heal.
Ayub 33:16-30
Konteks33:16 Then he gives a revelation 56 to people,
and terrifies them with warnings, 57
33:17 to turn a person from his sin, 58
and to cover a person’s pride. 59
33:18 He spares a person’s life from corruption, 60
his very life from crossing over 61 the river.
33:19 Or a person is chastened 62 by pain on his bed,
and with the continual strife of his bones, 63
33:20 so that his life loathes food,
and his soul rejects appetizing fare. 64
33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones, which were not seen,
are easily visible. 65
33:22 He 66 draws near to the place of corruption,
and his life to the messengers of death. 67
33:23 If there is an angel beside him,
one mediator 68 out of a thousand,
to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness; 69
33:24 and if 70 God 71 is gracious to him and says,
‘Spare 72 him from going down
to the place of corruption,
I have found a ransom for him,’ 73
33:25 then his flesh is restored 74 like a youth’s;
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor. 75
33:26 He entreats God, and God 76 delights in him,
he sees God’s face 77 with rejoicing,
and God 78 restores to him his righteousness. 79
33:27 That person sings 80 to others, 81 saying:
‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,
but I was not punished according to what I deserved. 82
from going down to the place of corruption,
and my life sees the light!’
33:29 “Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings 85 with a person,
33:30 to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
Amsal 3:11-12
Konteks3:11 My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord, 86
and do not loathe 87 his rebuke.
3:12 For the Lord disciplines 88 those he loves,
just as a father 89 disciplines 90 the son in whom he delights.
Yunus 2:6
Konteks2:6 I went down 91 to the very bottoms 92 of the mountains; 93
the gates 94 of the netherworld 95 barred me in 96 forever; 97
but you brought me 98 up from the Pit, 99 O Lord, my God.
Yunus 2:1
Konteks2:1 Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish
Kolose 1:1-2
Konteks1:1 From Paul, 100 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 1:2 to the saints, the faithful 101 brothers and sisters 102 in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you 103 from God our Father! 104
Kolose 1:9-11
Konteks1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, 105 have not ceased praying for you and asking God 106 to fill 107 you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1:10 so that you may live 108 worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects 109 – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of 110 all patience and steadfastness, joyfully
Kolose 1:9
Konteks1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, 111 have not ceased praying for you and asking God 112 to fill 113 you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Ibrani 12:10-11
Konteks12:10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. 12:11 Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. 114 But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness 115 for those trained by it.
[66:11] 2 tn Heb “you brought us into a net.” This rare word for “net” also occurs in Ezek 12:13; 13:21; 17:20.
[66:11] 3 tn Heb “you placed suffering on our hips.” The noun מוּעָקָה (mu’aqah, “suffering”) occurs only here in the OT.
[66:12] 4 tc The MT reads רְוָיָה (“saturation”) but this should be emended to רְוָחָה (rÿvakhah, “wide open place”; i.e., “relief”), a reading supported by several ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Jerome, Targum).
[94:12] 5 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in v. 2.
[94:13] 6 tn Heb “to give him rest from the days of trouble.”
[94:13] 7 tn Heb “until a pit is dug for the wicked.”
[12:10] 9 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied in both vv. 3 and 4 for clarity.
[12:10] sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.
[12:10] 10 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
[13:1] 11 tc The MT does not have “thirty.” A number appears to have dropped out of the Hebrew text here, since as it stands the MT (literally, “a son of a year”) must mean that Saul was only one year old when he began to reign! The KJV, attempting to resolve this, reads “Saul reigned one year,” but that is not the normal meaning of the Hebrew text represented by the MT. Although most LXX
[13:1] 12 tc The MT has “two years” here. If this number is to be accepted as correct, the meaning apparently would be that after a lapse of two years at the beginning of Saul’s reign, he then went about the task of consolidating an army as described in what follows (cf. KJV, ASV, CEV). But if the statement in v. 1 is intended to be a comprehensive report on the length of Saul’s reign, the number is too small. According to Acts 13:21 Saul reigned for forty years. Some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, NLT), taking this forty to be a round number, add it to the “two years” of the MT and translate the number in 2 Sam 13:1 as “forty-two years.” While this is an acceptable option, the present translation instead replaces the MT’s “two” with the figure “forty.” Admittedly the textual evidence for this decision is weak, but the same can be said of any attempt to restore sense to this difficult text (note the ellipsis marks at this point in NAB, NRSV). The Syriac Peshitta lacks this part of v. 1.
[16:1] 13 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And the Lord said to Samuel.”
[16:1] 14 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[16:1] 15 tn Heb “for I have seen among his sons for me a king.”
[16:2] 16 tn Heb “in your hand.”
[16:3] 17 tn Heb “say”; KJV, NRSV “name”; NIV “indicate.”
[16:4] 19 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[16:4] 20 tc In the MT the verb is singular (“he said”), but the translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[16:6] 21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:6] 23 tn Heb “said”; the words “to himself” are implied, given the secrecy surrounding Samuel’s mission to Bethlehem (v. 2).
[16:6] 24 tn Heb “his anointed one.”
[16:7] 25 tn Heb “don’t look toward.”
[16:7] 26 tn Heb “for not that which the man sees.” The translation follows the LXX, which reads, “for not as man sees does God see.” The MT has suffered from homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 274.
[16:7] 27 tn Heb “to the eyes.”
[16:8] 28 tn Heb “and caused him to pass before.”
[16:8] 29 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 9); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:9] 30 tn Heb “caused to pass by.”
[16:10] 31 tn Heb “caused seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.” This could be taken as referring to seven sons in addition to the three mentioned before this, but 1 Sam 17:12 says Jesse had eight sons, not eleven. 1 Chr 2:13-15 lists only seven sons, including David. However, 1 Chr 27:18 mentions an additional son, named Elihu.
[16:11] 32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jesse) has been specified in the translation both here and in v. 12 for clarity.
[16:12] 33 tn Heb “and he sent and brought him.”
[16:14] 34 tn Or “an injurious spirit”; cf. NLT “a tormenting spirit.” The phrase need not refer to an evil, demonic spirit. The Hebrew word translated “evil” may refer to the character of the spirit or to its effect upon Saul. If the latter, another translation option might be “a mischief-making spirit.”
[16:16] 35 tn Heb “and he will play with his hand.”
[16:16] 36 tn Heb “and it will be better for you.”
[16:18] 38 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[16:18] 39 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[16:18] 40 tn Heb “mighty man of valor and a man of war.”
[16:18] 41 tn Heb “discerning of word.”
[16:18] 42 tn Heb “a man of form.”
[16:20] 43 tn Heb “a kid of the goats.”
[16:20] 44 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
[16:21] 45 tn Heb “he loved him.”
[16:22] 46 tn Heb “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”
[16:23] 47 tn Heb “would turn aside from upon him.”
[5:17] 48 tn The particle “therefore” links this section to the preceding; it points this out as the logical consequence of the previous discussion, and more generally, as the essence of Job’s suffering.
[5:17] 49 tn The word אַשְׁרֵי (’ashre, “blessed”) is often rendered “happy.” But “happy” relates to what happens. “Blessed” is a reference to the heavenly bliss of the one who is right with God.
[5:17] 50 tn The construction is an implied relative clause. The literal rendering would simply be “the man God corrects him.” The suffix on the verb is a resumptive pronoun, completing the use of the relative clause. The verb יָכַח (yakhakh) is a legal term; it always has some sense of a charge, dispute, or conflict. Its usages show that it may describe a strife breaking out, a charge or quarrel in progress, or the settling of a dispute (Isa 1:18). The derived noun can mean “reproach; recrimination; charge” (13:6; 23:4). Here the emphasis is on the consequence of the charge brought, namely, the correction.
[5:17] 51 tn The noun מוּסַר (musar) is parallel to the idea of the first colon. It means “discipline, correction” (from יָסַר, yasar). Prov 3:11 says almost the same thing as this line.
[5:17] 52 sn The name Shaddai occurs 31 times in the book. This is its first occurrence. It is often rendered “Almighty” because of the LXX and some of the early fathers. The etymology and meaning of the word otherwise remains uncertain, in spite of attempts to connect it to “mountains” or “breasts.”
[5:18] 53 sn Verses 18-23 give the reasons why someone should accept the chastening of God – the hand that wounds is the same hand that heals. But, of course, the lines do not apply to Job because his suffering is not due to divine chastening.
[5:18] 54 tn The addition of the independent pronoun here makes the subject emphatic, as if to say, “For it is he who makes….”
[5:18] 55 tn The imperfect verbs in this verse describe the characteristic activities of God; the classification as habitual imperfect fits the idea and is to be rendered with the English present tense.
[33:16] 56 tn The idiom is “he uncovers the ear of men.” This expression means “inform” in Ruth 4:4; 1 Sam 20:2, etc. But when God is the subject it means “make a revelation” (see 1 Sam 9:15; 2 Sam 7:27).
[33:16] 57 tc Heb “and seals their bonds.” The form of the present translation, “and terrifies them with warnings,” is derived only by emending the text. Aquila, the Vulgate, Syriac, and Targum Job have “their correction” for “their bond,” which is what the KJV used. But the LXX, Aquila, and the Syriac have “terrifies” for the verb. This involves a change in pointing from יָחְתֹּם (yakhtom) to יְחִתֵּם (yÿkhittem). The LXX has “appearances of fear” instead of “bonds.” The point of the verse seems to be that by terrifying dreams God makes people aware of their ways.
[33:17] 58 tc The MT simply has מַעֲשֶׂה (ma’aseh, “deed”). The LXX has “from his iniquity” which would have been מֵעַוְלָה (me’avlah). The two letters may have dropped out by haplography. The MT is workable, but would have to mean “[evil] deeds.”
[33:17] 59 tc Here too the sense of the MT is difficult to recover. Some translations took it to mean that God hides pride from man. Many commentators changed יְכַסֶּה (yÿkhasseh, “covers”) to יְכַסֵּחַ (yÿkhasseakh, “he cuts away”), or יְכַלֶּה (yÿkhalleh, “he puts an end to”). The various emendations are not all that convincing.
[33:18] 60 tn A number of interpreters and translations take this as “the pit” (see Job 17:14; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:18] 61 tc Here is another difficult line. The verb normally means “to pass through; to pass over,” and so this word would normally mean “from passing through [or over].” The word שֶׁלַח (shelakh) does at times refer to a weapon, but most commentators look for a parallel with “the pit [or corruption].” One suggestion is שְׁאוֹלָה (shÿ’olah, “to Sheol”), proposed by Duhm. Dhorme thought it was שַׁלַח (shalakh) and referred to the passageway to the underworld (see M. Tsevat, VT 4 [1954]: 43; and Svi Rin, BZ 7 [1963]: 25). See discussion of options in HALOT 1517-18 s.v. IV שֶׁלַח. The idea of crossing the river of death fits the idea of the passage well, although the reading “to perish by the sword” makes sense and was followed by the NIV.
[33:19] 62 tc The MT has the passive form, and so a subject has to be added: “[a man] is chastened.” The LXX has the active form, indicating “[God] chastens,” but the object “a man” has to be added. It is understandable why the LXX thought this was active, within this sequence of verbs; and that is why it is the inferior reading.
[33:19] 63 tc The Kethib “the strife of his bones is continual,” whereas the Qere has “the multitude of his bones are firm.” The former is the better reading in this passage. It indicates that the pain is caused by the ongoing strife.
[33:20] 64 tn Heb “food of desire.” The word “rejects” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[33:21] 65 tc Heb “are laid bare.” This is the Qere reading; the Kethib means “bare height.” Gordis reverses the word order: “his bones are bare [i.e., crushed] so that they cannot be looked upon.” But the sense of that is not clear.
[33:22] 66 tn Heb “his soul [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh, “life”] draws near.”
[33:22] 67 tn The MT uses the Hiphil participle, “to those who cause death.” This seems to be a reference to the belief in demons that brought about death, an idea not mentioned in the Bible itself. Thus many proposals have been made for this expression. Hoffmann and Budde divide the word into לְמוֹ מֵתִּים (lÿmo metim) and simply read “to the dead.” Dhorme adds a couple of letters to get לִמְקוֹם מֵתִּים (limqom metim, “to the place [or abode] of the dead”).
[33:23] 68 sn The verse is describing the way God can preserve someone from dying by sending a messenger (translated here as “angel”), who could be human or angelic. This messenger will interpret/mediate God’s will. By “one … out of a thousand” Elihu could have meant either that one of the thousands of messengers at God’s disposal might be sent or that the messenger would be unique (see Eccl 7:28; and cp. Job 9:3).
[33:23] 69 tn This is a smoother reading. The MT has “to tell to a man his uprightness,” to reveal what is right for him. The LXX translated this word “duty”; the choice is adopted by some commentaries. However, that is too far from the text, which indicates that the angel/messenger is to call the person to uprightness.
[33:24] 70 tn This verse seems to continue the protasis begun in the last verse, with the apodosis coming in the next verse.
[33:24] 71 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:24] 72 tc The verb is either taken as an anomalous form of פָּדַע (pada’, “to rescue; to redeem,” or “to exempt him”), or it is emended to some similar word, like פָּרַע (para’, “to let loose,” so Wright).
[33:24] 73 sn This verse and v. 28 should be compared with Ps 49:7-9, 15 (8-10, 16 HT) where the same basic vocabulary and concepts are employed.
[33:25] 74 tc The word רֻטֲפַשׁ (rutafash) is found nowhere else. One suggestion is that it should be יִרְטַב (yirtav, “to become fresh”), connected to רָטַב (ratav, “to be well watered [or moist]”). It is also possible that it was a combination of רָטַב (ratav, “to be well watered”) and טָפַשׁ (tafash, “to grow fat”). But these are all guesses in the commentaries.
[33:25] 75 tn The word describes the period when the man is healthy and vigorous, ripe for what life brings his way.
[33:26] 76 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:26] 77 tn Heb “his face”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:26] sn This is usually taken to mean that as a worshiper this individual comes into the presence of the
[33:26] 78 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:26] 79 tc Many commentators think this line is superfluous and so delete it. The RSV changed the verb to “he recounts,” making the idea that the man publishes the news of his victory or salvation (taking “righteousness” as a metonymy of cause).
[33:27] 80 tc The verb יָשֹׁר (yashor) is unusual. The typical view is to change it to יָשִׁיר (yashir, “he sings”), but that may seem out of harmony with a confession. Dhorme suggests a root שׁוּר (shur, “to repeat”), but this is a doubtful root. J. Reider reads it יָשֵׁיר (yasher) and links it to an Arabic word “confesses” (ZAW 24 [1953]: 275).
[33:27] 82 tn The verb שָׁוָה (shavah) has the impersonal meaning here, “it has not been requited to me.” The meaning is that the sinner has not been treated in accordance with his deeds: “I was not punished according to what I deserved.”
[33:28] 83 sn See note on “him” in v. 24.
[33:29] 84 sn Elihu will repeat these instructions for Job to listen, over and over in painful repetition. See note on the heading to 32:1.
[33:29] 85 tn The phrase “in his dealings” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[3:11] 86 tn Heb “the discipline of the
[3:11] 87 tn The verb קוּץ (quts) has a two-fold range of meaning: (1) “to feel a loathing; to abhor” and (2) “to feel a sickening dread” (BDB 880 s.v.). The parallelism with “do not despise” suggests the former nuance here. The common response to suffering is to loathe it; however, the righteous understand that it refines one’s moral character and that it is a means to the blessing.
[3:12] 88 tn Heb “chastens.” The verb יָכַח (yakhakh) here means “to chasten; to punish” (HALOT 410 s.v. יכח 1) or “to correct; to rebuke” (BDB 407 s.v. 6). The context suggests some kind of corporeal discipline rather than mere verbal rebuke or cognitive correction. This verse is quoted in Heb 12:5-6 to show that suffering in the service of the
[3:12] 89 tc MT reads וּכְאָב (ukh’av, “and like a father”) but the LXX reflects the Hiphil verb וְיַכְאִב (vÿyakh’iv, “and scourges every son he receives”). Both readings fit the parallelism; however, it is unnecessary to emend MT which makes perfectly good sense. The fact that the writer of Hebrews quotes this passage from the LXX and it became part of the inspired NT text does not mean that the LXX reflects the original Hebrew reading here.
[3:12] 90 tn The verb “disciplines” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[2:6] 91 tn Jonah began going “down” (יָרַד, yarad) in chap. 1 (vv. 3, 5; see also 1:15; 2:2-3).
[2:6] 92 tc The MT לְקִצְבֵי הָרִים (lÿqitsve harim, “to the extremities [i.e., very bottoms] of the mountains”) is a bit unusual, appearing only here in the Hebrew Bible. Therefore, the BHS editors suggest a conjectural emendation of the MT’s לְקִצְבֵי (“to the extremities”) to לְקַצְוֵי (lÿqatswey, “to the ends [of the mountains])” based on orthographic confusion between vav (ו) and bet (ב). However, the phrase קצבי הרים does appear in the OT Apocrypha in Sir 16:19; therefore, it is not without precedent. Since Jonah emphasizes that he descended, as it were, to the very gates of the netherworld in the second half of this verse, it would be appropriate for Jonah to say that he went down “to the extremities [i.e., very bottoms] of the mountains” (לְקִצְבֵי הָרִים). Therefore, the MT may be retained with confidence.
[2:6] tn The noun קֶצֶב (qetseb) is used only three times in the Hebrew Bible, and this is the only usage in which it means “extremity; bottom” (BDB 891 s.v. קֶצֶב 2). The exact phrase קצבי הרים (“the extremities [bottoms] of the mountains”) is used in the OT Apocrypha once in Sir 16:19.
[2:6] 93 tn Some English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV) have connected the “bottoms of the mountains” with the preceding – “weeds were wrapped around my head at the bottoms of the mountains” – and connect “I went down” with “the earth.” Such a connection between “I went down” and “the earth” is difficult to accept. It would be more normal in Hebrew to express “I went down to the earth” with a directive ending (אַרְצָה, ’artsah) or with a Hebrew preposition before “earth” or without the definite article. The Masoretic accents, in addition, connect “ends of the mountains” with the verb “I went down” and call for a break between the verb and “earth.”
[2:6] 94 tn Heb “As for the earth, its bars…” This phrase is a rhetorical nominative construction (also known as casus pendens) in which the noun הָאָרֶץ (ha’arets, “the earth”) stands grammatically isolated and in an emphatic position prior to the third feminine singular suffix that picks up on it in בְּרִחֶיהָ (bÿrikheha, “its bars”; see IBHS 128-30 §8.3). This construction is used to emphasize the subject, in this case, the “bars of the netherworld.” The word translated “bars” appears elsewhere to speak of bars used in constructing the sides of the tabernacle and often of crossbars (made of wood or metal) associated with the gates of fortified cities (cf. Exod 36:31-34; Judg 16:3; 1 Kgs 4:13; Neh 3:3; Pss 107:16; 147:13; Isa 45:1-2).
[2:6] 95 tn Heb “the earth.” The noun אֶרֶץ (’erets) usually refers to the “earth” but here refers to the “netherworld” (e.g., Job 10:21, 22; Ps 139:15; Isa 26:19; 44:23; BDB 76 s.v. אֶרֶץ 2.g). This is parallel to the related Akkadian term irsitu used in the phrase “the land of no return,” that is, the netherworld. This refers to the place of the dead (along with “belly of Sheol,” v. 2, and “the grave,” v. 6), which is sometimes described as having “gates” (Job 38:17; Ps 107:18).
[2:6] 96 tn Heb “behind me.” The preposition בַּעַד (ba’ad) with a pronominal suffix and with the meaning “behind” is found also in Judg 3:23. Jonah pictures himself as closed in and so unable to escape death. Having described how far he had come (totally under water and “to the ends of mountains”), Jonah describes the way back as permanently closed against him. Just as it was impossible for a lone individual to walk through the barred gates of a walled city, so Jonah expected it was impossible for him to escape death.
[2:6] 97 tn Heb “As for the earth, its bars [were] against me forever.” This line is a verbless clause. The verb in the translation has been supplied for the sake of clarity and smoothness. The rhetorical nominative construction (see the note on the word “gates” earlier in this verse) has also been smoothed out in the translation.
[2:6] 98 tn Heb “my life.” The term חַיַּי (khayyay, “my life”) functions metonymically as a first common singular pronoun (“me”).
[2:6] 99 sn Jonah pictures himself as being at the very gates of the netherworld (v. 6b) and now within the Pit itself (v. 6c). He is speaking rhetorically, for he had not actually died. His point is that he was as good as dead if God did not intervene immediately. See Pss 7:15; 30:3; 103:4; Ezek 19:3-4, 8.
[1:1] 100 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
[1:2] 101 tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated (cf. Eph 1:1). See ExSyn 281-82.
[1:2] 102 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
[1:2] 103 tn Or “Grace to you and peace.”
[1:2] 104 tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א A C F G I [P] 075 Ï it bo), read “and the Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of this verse, no doubt to conform the wording to the typical Pauline salutation. However, excellent and early witnesses (B D K L Ψ 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 al sa) lack this phrase. Since the omission is inexplicable as arising from the longer reading (otherwise, these
[1:9] 105 tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.
[1:9] 106 tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.
[1:9] 107 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.
[1:10] 108 tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”
[1:10] 109 tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”
[1:11] 110 tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.
[1:9] 111 tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.
[1:9] 112 tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.
[1:9] 113 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.
[12:11] 114 tn Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”
