Zakharia 10:6

10:6 “I (says the Lord) will strengthen the kingdom ¹  of Judah and deliver the people of Joseph ²  and will bring them back ³  because of my compassion for them. They will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and therefore I will hear them.

Zakharia 10:12

10:12 Thus I will strengthen them by my power, ⁴  and they will walk about ⁵  in my name,” says the Lord.

Mazmur 18:32

18:32 The one true God ⁶  gives ⁷  me strength; ⁸ 

he removes ⁹  the obstacles in my way. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 18:39

18:39 You give me strength ¹¹  for battle;

you make my foes kneel before me. ¹² 

Mazmur 20:6-7

20:6 Now I am sure ¹³  that the Lord will deliver ¹⁴  his chosen king; ¹⁵ 

he will intervene for him ¹⁶  from his holy heavenly temple, ¹⁷ 

and display his mighty ability to deliver. ¹⁸ 

20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, ¹⁹ 

but we ²⁰  depend on ²¹  the Lord our God.

Mazmur 46:1

Psalm 46 ²² 

For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; ²³  a song.

46:1 God is our strong refuge; ²⁴ 

he is truly our helper in times of trouble. ²⁵ 

Mazmur 68:34-35

68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, ²⁶ 

his sovereignty over Israel,

and the power he reveals in the skies! ²⁷ 

68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! ²⁸ 

It is the God of Israel ²⁹  who gives the people power and strength.

God deserves praise! ³⁰ 

Mazmur 118:10-14

118:10 All the nations surrounded me. ³¹ 

Indeed, in the name of the Lord ³²  I pushed them away. ³³ 

118:11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.

Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

118:12 They surrounded me like bees.

But they disappeared as quickly ³⁴  as a fire among thorns. ³⁵ 

Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

118:13 “You aggressively attacked me ³⁶  and tried to knock me down, ³⁷ 

but the Lord helped me.

118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; ³⁸ 

he has become my deliverer.” ³⁹ 

Mazmur 144:1

Psalm 144 ⁴⁰ 

By David.

144:1 The Lord, my protector, ⁴¹  deserves praise ⁴²  –

the one who trains my hands for battle, ⁴³ 

and my fingers for war,

Yesaya 28:6

28:6 He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions,

and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. ⁴⁴ 

Yesaya 41:10-16

41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!

Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! ⁴⁵ 

I strengthen you –

yes, I help you –

yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! ⁴⁶ 

41:11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;

your adversaries ⁴⁷  will be reduced to nothing ⁴⁸  and perish.

41:12 When you will look for your opponents, ⁴⁹  you will not find them;

your enemies ⁵⁰  will be reduced to absolutely nothing.

41:13 For I am the Lord your God,

the one who takes hold of your right hand,

who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’

41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, ⁵¹ 

men of ⁵²  Israel.

I am helping you,” says the Lord,

your protector, ⁵³  the Holy One of Israel. ⁵⁴ 

41:15 “Look, I am making you like ⁵⁵  a sharp threshing sledge,

new and double-edged. ⁵⁶ 

You will thresh the mountains and crush them;

you will make the hills like straw. ⁵⁷ 

41:16 You will winnow them and the wind will blow them away;

the wind will scatter them.

You will rejoice in the Lord;

you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.

Yoel 3:16

3:16 The Lord roars from Zion;

from Jerusalem ⁵⁸  his voice bellows out. ⁵⁹ 

The heavens ⁶⁰  and the earth shake.

But the Lord is a refuge for his people;

he is a stronghold for the citizens ⁶¹  of Israel.

Yoel 3:2

3:2 Then I will gather all the nations,

and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. ⁶² 

I will enter into judgment ⁶³  against them there

concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance, ⁶⁴ 

whom they scattered among the nations.

They partitioned my land,

Kolose 1:9-10

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁶⁵  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁶⁶  to fill ⁶⁷  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1:10 so that you may live ⁶⁸  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ⁶⁹  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

[10:6]  ¹ tn Heb “the house.”

[10:6]  ² tn Or “the kingdom of Israel”; Heb “the house of Joseph.”

[10:6]  sn Joseph is mentioned here instead of the usual Israel (but see 2 Sam 19:20; Ps 78:67; 80:1; 81:5; Ezek 37:16; Amos 5:6, 15; 6:6) because of the exodus motif that follows in vv. 8-11.

[10:6]  ³ tc The anomalous MT reading וְחוֹשְׁבוֹתִים (vÿkhoshÿvotim) should probably be וַהֲשִׁי בוֹתִם (vahashi votim), the Hiphil perfect consecutive of שׁוּב (shuv), “return” (cf. Jer 12:15).

[10:12]  ⁴ tc Heb “I will strengthen them in the Lord.” Because of the perceived problem of the Lord saying he will strengthen the people “in the Lord,” both BHK and BHS suggest emending גִּבַּרְתִּים (gibbartim, “I will strengthen them”) to גְּבֻרָתָם (gevuratam, “their strength”). This is unnecessary, however, for the Lord frequently refers to himself in that manner (see Zech 2:11).

[10:12]  ⁵ tc The LXX and Syriac presuppose יִתְהַלָּלוּ (yithallalu, “they will glory”) for יִתְהַלְּכוּ (yithallÿkhu, “they will walk about”). Since walking about is a common idiom in Zechariah (cf. 1:10, 11; 6:7 [3x]) to speak of dominion, and dominion is a major theme of the present passage, there is no reason to reject the MT reading, which is followed by most modern English versions.

[18:32]  ⁶ tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the Lord’s distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). See v. 30.

[18:32]  ⁷ tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.

[18:32]  ⁸ tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”

[18:32]  sn Gives me strength. As the following context makes clear, this refers to physical and emotional strength for battle (see especially v. 39).

[18:32]  ⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries along the generalizing force of the preceding participle.

[18:32]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he made my path smooth.” The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).

[18:39]  ¹¹ tn Heb “clothed me.” See v. 32.

[18:39]  ¹² tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”

[18:39]  sn My foes kneel before me. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 268.

[20:6]  ¹³ tn Or “know.”

[20:6]  sn Now I am sure. The speaker is not identified. It is likely that the king, referring to himself in the third person (note “his chosen king”), responds to the people’s prayer. Perhaps his confidence is due to the reception of a divine oracle of salvation.

[20:6]  ¹⁴ tn The perfect verbal form is probably used rhetorically to state that the deliverance is as good as done. In this way the speaker emphasizes the certainty of the deliverance. Another option is to take the statement as generalizing; the psalmist affirms that the Lord typically delivers the king.

[20:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “his anointed one.” This title refers to the Davidic king. See Pss 2:2 and 18:50.

[20:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “he will answer him.”

[20:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “from his holy heavens.”

[20:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “with mighty acts of deliverance of his right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Ps 17:7).

[20:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “these in chariots and these in horses.” No verb appears; perhaps the verb “invoke” is to be supplied from the following line. In this case the idea would be that some “invoke” (i.e., trust in) their military might for victory (cf. NEB “boast”; NIV “trust”; NRSV “take pride”). Verse 8 suggests that the “some/others” mentioned here are the nation’s enemies.

[20:7]  ²⁰ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s faithful people and the others mentioned in the previous line.

[20:7]  ²¹ tn Heb “we invoke the name of.” The Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar), when combined with the phrase “in the name,” means “to invoke” (see Josh 23:7; Isa 48:1; Amos 6:10). By invoking the Lord’s name in prayer, the people demonstrate their trust in him.

[46:1]  ²² sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.

[46:1]  ²³ sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.

[46:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”

[46:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.

[68:34]  ²⁶ tn Heb “give strength to God.”

[68:34]  ²⁷ sn The language of v. 34 echoes that of Deut 33:26.

[68:35]  ²⁸ tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).

[68:35]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”

[68:35]  ³⁰ tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”

[118:10]  ³¹ sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.

[118:10]  ³² tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the Lord” means “by the Lord’s power.”

[118:10]  ³³ tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.

[118:12]  ³⁴ tn Heb “were extinguished.”

[118:12]  ³⁵ tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.

[118:13]  ³⁶ tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”

[118:13]  ³⁷ tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”

[118:14]  ³⁸ tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the Lord.” The Hebrew term זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song” (“my strength and song [is] the Lord”) in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing). However, many recent commentators have argued that the noun זִמְרָת is here a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v.; cf. NEB “The Lord is my refuge and defence”; NRSV “my strength and my might.”

[118:14]  ³⁹ tn Or “salvation.”

[144:1]  ⁴⁰ sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.

[144:1]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.

[144:1]  ⁴² tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”

[144:1]  ⁴³ sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.

[28:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and [he will become] a spirit of justice for the one who sits [i.e., presides] over judgment, // and strength [for] the ones who turn back battle at the city gate.” The Lord will provide internal stability and national security.

[41:10]  ⁴⁵ tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).

[41:10]  ⁴⁶ tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).

[41:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “the men of your strife”; NASB “those who contend with you.”

[41:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “like nothing”; NAB “come to nought.”

[41:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the men of your struggle”; NASB “those who quarrel with you.”

[41:12]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the men of your battle”; NAB “who do battle with you.”

[41:14]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.

[41:14]  ⁵² tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”

[41:14]  ⁵³ tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.

[41:14]  ⁵⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[41:15]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “into” (so NIV); ASV “have made thee to be.”

[41:15]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “owner of two-mouths,” i.e., double-edged.

[41:15]  ⁵⁷ sn The mountains and hills symbolize hostile nations that are obstacles to Israel’s restoration.

[3:16]  ⁵⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”

[3:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.

[3:16]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “sons.”

[3:2]  ⁶² sn There is a play on words here. Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means “the Lord has judged,” and the next line in v. 2 further explicates this thought. The location of this valley is uncertain (cf. v. 12). Many interpreters have understood the Valley of Jehoshaphat to be the Kidron Valley, located on the east side of old Jerusalem. Since this is described as a scene of future messianic activity and judgment, many Jews and Muslims have desired to be buried in the vicinity, a fact attested to in modern times by the presence of many graves in the area. A variation of this view is mentioned by Eusebius, Onomasticon 1:10. According to this view, the Valley of Jehoshaphat is located in the Hinnom Valley, on the south side of the old city. Yet another view is held by many modern scholars, who understand the reference to this valley to be one of an idealized and nonliteral scene of judgment.

[3:2]  ⁶³ tn Heb “I will execute judgment.”

[3:2]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “concerning my people and my inheritance Israel.”

[1:9]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ 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]  ⁶⁹ 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.”