Yesaya 65:12
Konteks65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, 1
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, 2
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me; 3
you chose to do what displeases me.”
Yeremia 7:26
Konteks7:26 But your ancestors 4 did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate 5 and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.’”
[65:12] 1 tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.
[65:12] 2 tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
[65:12] 3 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
[7:26] 4 tn Or “But your predecessors…”; Heb “But they….” There is a confusing interchange in the pronouns in vv. 25-26 which has led to some leveling in the ancient versions and the modern English versions. What is involved here are four levels of referents, the “you” of the present generation (vv. 21-22a), the ancestors who were delivered from Egypt (i.e., the “they” of vv. 22b-24), the “you” of v. 25 which involves all the Israelites from the Exodus to the time of speaking, and the “they” of v. 26 which cannot be the ancestors of vv. 22-24 (since they cannot be more wicked than themselves) but must be an indefinite entity which is a part of the “you” of v. 25, i.e., the more immediate ancestors of the present generation. If this is kept in mind, there is no need to level the pronouns to “they” and “them” or to “you” and “your” as some of the ancient versions and modern English versions have done.
