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Exodus 21:22-23:13
New English Translation

22 “If men fight and hit a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely,[a] but there is no serious injury, the one who hit her[b] will surely be punished in accordance with what the woman’s husband demands of him, and he will pay what the court decides.[c] 23 But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.[d]

26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male servant or his female servant so that he destroys it,[e] he will let the servant[f] go free[g] as compensation for the eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or his female servant, he will let the servant[h] go free as compensation for the tooth.

Laws about Animals

28 [i] “If an ox[j] gores a man or a woman so that either dies,[k] then the ox must surely[l] be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted. 29 But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned[m] but he did not take the necessary precautions,[n] and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death. 30 If a ransom is set for him,[o] then he must pay the redemption for his life according to whatever amount was set for him. 31 If the ox[p] gores a son or a daughter, the owner[q] will be dealt with according to this rule.[r] 32 If the ox gores a male servant or a female servant, the owner[s] must pay thirty shekels of silver,[t] and the ox must be stoned.[u]

33 “If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit must repay the loss.[v] He must give money[w] to its owner, and the dead animal[x] will become his. 35 If the ox of one man injures the ox of his neighbor so that it dies, then they will sell the live ox and divide its proceeds,[y] and they will also divide the dead ox.[z] 36 Or if it is known that the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner did not take the necessary precautions, he must surely pay[aa] ox for ox, and the dead animal will become his.[ab]

Laws about Property

22 [ac] (21:37)[ad] “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay back[ae] five head of cattle for the ox, and four sheep for the one sheep.[af]

2 “If a thief is caught[ag] breaking in[ah] and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him.[ai] 3 If the sun has risen on him, then there is blood guilt for him. A thief[aj] must surely make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he will be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen item should in fact be found[ak] alive in his possession,[al] whether it be an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he must pay back double.[am]

5 “If a man grazes[an] his livestock[ao] in a field or a vineyard and he lets the livestock loose and they graze in the field of another man, he must make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

6 “If a fire breaks out and spreads to[ap] thorn bushes,[aq] so that stacked grain or standing grain or the whole field is consumed, the one who started[ar] the fire must surely make restitution.

7 “If a man gives his neighbor money or articles[as] for safekeeping[at] and it is stolen from the man’s house, if the thief is caught,[au] he must repay double. 8 If the thief is not caught,[av] then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges[aw] to see[ax] whether he has laid[ay] his hand on his neighbor’s goods. 9 In all cases of illegal possessions,[az] whether for an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says ‘This belongs to me,’[ba] the matter of the two of them will come before the judges,[bb] and the one whom[bc] the judges declare guilty[bd] must repay double to his neighbor. 10 If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep, and it dies or is injured[be] or is carried away[bf] without anyone seeing it,[bg] 11 then there will be an oath to the Lord[bh] between the two of them, that he has not laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods, and its owner will accept this, and he will not have to pay. 12 But if it was stolen[bi] from him,[bj] he will pay its owner. 13 If it is torn in pieces, then he will bring it for evidence,[bk] and he will not have to pay for what was torn.

14 “If a man borrows an animal[bl] from his neighbor and it is hurt or dies when its owner was not with it, the man who borrowed it[bm] will surely pay. 15 If its owner was with it, he will not have to pay; if it was hired, what was paid for the hire covers it.[bn]

Moral and Ceremonial Laws

16 [bo] “If a man seduces a virgin[bp] who is not engaged[bq] and goes to bed[br] with her, he must surely pay the marriage price[bs] for her to be his wife. 17 If her father refuses to give her to him, he must pay money for the bride price of virgins.

18 “You must not allow a sorceress to live.[bt]

19 “Whoever has sexual relations[bu] with a beast must surely be put to death.

20 “Whoever sacrifices to a god other than the Lord[bv] alone must be utterly destroyed.[bw]

21 “You must not wrong[bx] a resident foreigner[by] nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

22 “You must not afflict[bz] any widow or orphan. 23 If you afflict them[ca] in any way[cb] and they cry to me, I will surely hear[cc] their cry, 24 and my anger will burn and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children will be fatherless.[cd]

25 “If you lend money to any of[ce] my people who are needy among you, do not be like a moneylender[cf] to him; do not charge[cg] him interest.[ch] 26 If you do take[ci] the garment of your neighbor in pledge, you must return it to him by the time the sun goes down,[cj] 27 for it is his only covering—it is his garment for his body.[ck] What else can he sleep in?[cl] And[cm] when he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am gracious.

28 “You must not blaspheme[cn] God[co] or curse the ruler of your people.

29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.[cp] You must give me the firstborn of your sons. 30 You must also do this for your oxen and for your sheep; seven days they may remain with their mothers, but give them to me on the eighth day.

31 “You will be holy[cq] people to me; you must not eat any meat torn by animals in the field.[cr] You must throw it to the dogs.

Justice

23 [cs] “You must not give[ct] a false report.[cu] Do not make common cause[cv] with the wicked[cw] to be a malicious[cx] witness.

2 “You must not follow a crowd[cy] in doing evil things;[cz] in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice,[da] 3 and you must not show partiality[db] to a poor man in his lawsuit.

4 “If you encounter[dc] your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return[dd] it to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him,[de] but be sure to help[df] him with it.[dg]

6 “You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Keep your distance[dh] from a false charge[di]—do not kill the innocent and the righteous,[dj] for I will not justify the wicked.[dk]

8 “You must not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see[dl] and subverts the words of the righteous.

9 “You must not oppress[dm] a resident foreigner, since you know the life[dn] of a foreigner, for you were foreigners[do] in the land of Egypt.

Sabbaths and Feasts

10 [dp] “For six years[dq] you are to sow your land and gather in its produce. 11 But in the seventh year[dr] you must let it lie fallow and leave it alone so that the poor of your people may eat, and what they leave any animal in the field[ds] may eat; you must do likewise with your vineyard and your olive grove. 12 For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, in order that your ox and your donkey may rest and that your female servant’s son and the resident foreigner[dt] may refresh themselves.[du]

13 “Pay attention to do[dv] everything I have told you, and do not even mention[dw] the names of other gods—do not let them be heard on your lips.[dx]

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 21:22 tn This line has occasioned a good deal of discussion. It may indicate that the child was killed, as in a miscarriage; or it may mean that there was a premature birth. The latter view is taken here because of the way the whole section is written: (1) “her children come out” reflects a birth and not the loss of children, (2) there is no serious damage, and (3) payment is to be set for any remuneration. The word אָסוֹן (ʾason) is translated “serious damage.” The word was taken in Mekilta to mean “death.” U. Cassuto says the point of the phrase is that neither the woman or the children that are born die (Exodus, 275). But see among the literature on this: M. G. Kline, “Lex Talionis and the Human Fetus,” JETS 20 (1977): 193-201; W. House, “Miscarriage or Premature Birth: Additional Thoughts on Exodus 21:22-25, ” WTJ 41 (1978): 108-23; S. E. Loewenstamm, “Exodus XXI 22-25, ” VT 27 (1977): 352-60.
  2. Exodus 21:22 tn Heb “he will surely.”
  3. Exodus 21:22 tn The word בִּפְלִלִים (biflilim) means “with arbitrators.” The point then seems to be that the amount of remuneration for damages that was fixed by the husband had to be approved by the courts. S. R. Driver mentions an alternative to this unusual reading presented by Budde, reading בנפלים as “untimely birth” (Exodus, 219). See also E. A. Speiser, “The Stem PLL in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6.
  4. Exodus 21:25 sn The text now introduces the Lex Talionis with cases that were not likely to have applied to the situation of the pregnant woman. See K. Luke, “Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth,” Indian Theological Studies 16 (1979): 326-43.
  5. Exodus 21:26 tn The form וְשִׁחֲתָהּ (veshikhatah) is the Piel perfect with the vav (ל) consecutive, rendered “and destroys it.” The verb is a strong one, meaning “to ruin, completely destroy.”
  6. Exodus 21:26 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the male or female servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Exodus 21:26 sn Interestingly, the verb used here for “let him go” is the same verb throughout the first part of the book for “release” of the Israelites from slavery. Here, an Israelite will have to release the injured slave.
  8. Exodus 21:27 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the male or female servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. Exodus 21:28 sn The point that this section of the laws makes is that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling the circumstances.
  10. Exodus 21:28 tn Traditionally “ox,” but “bull” would also be suitable. The term may refer to one of any variety of large cattle.
  11. Exodus 21:28 tn Heb “and he dies”; KJV “that they die”; NAB, NASB “to death.”
  12. Exodus 21:28 tn The text uses סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל (saqol yissaqel), a Qal infinitive absolute with a Niphal imperfect. The infinitive intensifies the imperfect, which here has an obligatory nuance or is a future of instruction.
  13. Exodus 21:29 tn The Hophal perfect has the idea of “attested, testified against.”
  14. Exodus 21:29 tn Heb “he was not keeping it” or perhaps guarding or watching it (referring to the ox).
  15. Exodus 21:30 sn The family of the victim would set the amount for the ransom of the man guilty of criminal neglect. This practice was common in the ancient world, rare in Israel. If the family allowed the substitute price, then the man would be able to redeem his life.
  16. Exodus 21:31 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the ox) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  17. Exodus 21:31 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. Exodus 21:31 tn Heb “according to this judgment it shall be done to him.”
  19. Exodus 21:32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  20. Exodus 21:32 sn A shekel was a unit for measure by means of a scale. Both the weight and the value of a shekel of silver are hard to determine. “Though there is no certainty, the shekel is said to weigh about 11,5 grams” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:181). Over 400 years earlier, Joseph was sold into Egypt for 20 shekels. The free Israelite citizen was worth about 50 shekels (Lev 27:3f.).
  21. Exodus 21:32 sn See further B. S. Jackson, “The Goring Ox Again [Ex. 21, 28-36],” JJP 18 (1974): 55-94.
  22. Exodus 21:34 tn The verb is a Piel imperfect from שָׁלַם (shalam); it has the idea of making payment in full, making recompense, repaying. These imperfects could be given a future tense translation as imperfects of instruction, but in the property cases an obligatory imperfect fits better—this is what he is bound or obliged to do—what he must do.
  23. Exodus 21:34 tn Heb “silver.”
  24. Exodus 21:34 tn Here the term “animal” has been supplied.
  25. Exodus 21:35 tn Literally “its silver” or “silver for it.”
  26. Exodus 21:35 tn Heb “divide the dead.” The noun “ox” has been supplied.
  27. Exodus 21:36 tn The construction now uses the same Piel imperfect (v. 34) but adds the infinitive absolute to it for emphasis.
  28. Exodus 21:36 sn The point of this section (21:28-36) seems to be that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling one’s property and possessions. This section pertained to neglect with animals, but the message would have applied to similar situations. The people of God were to take heed to ensure the well-being of others, and if there was a problem, it had to be made right.
  29. Exodus 22:1 sn The next section of laws concerns property rights. These laws protected property from thieves and oppressors, but also set limits to retribution. The message could be: God’s laws demand that the guilty make restitution for their crimes against property and that the innocent be exonerated.
  30. Exodus 22:1 sn Beginning with 22:1, the verse numbers through 22:31 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 22:1 ET = 21:37 HT, 22:2 ET = 22:1 HT, etc., through 22:31 ET = 22:30 HT. Thus in the English Bible ch. 22 has 31 verses, while in the Hebrew Bible it has 30 verses, with the one extra verse attached to ch. 21 in the Hebrew Bible.
  31. Exodus 22:1 tn The imperfect tense here has the nuance of obligatory imperfect—he must pay back.
  32. Exodus 22:1 tn בָּקַר (baqar) and צֹאן (tsoʾn) are the categories to which the ox and the sheep belonged, so that the criminal had some latitude in paying back animals.
  33. Exodus 22:2 tn Heb “found” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).
  34. Exodus 22:2 tn The word בַּמַּחְתֶּרֶת (bammakhteret) means “digging through” the walls of a house (usually made of mud bricks). The verb is used only a few times and has the meaning of dig in (as into houses) or row hard (as in Jonah 1:13).
  35. Exodus 22:2 tn The text has “there is not to him bloods.” When the word “blood” is put in the plural, it refers to bloodshed, or the price of blood that is shed, i.e., blood guiltiness.sn This law focuses on what is reasonable defense against burglary. If someone killed a thief who was breaking in during the night, he was not charged because he would not have known it was just a thief, but if it happened during the day, he was guilty of a crime, on the assumption that in daylight the thief posed no threat to the homeowner’s life and could be stopped and made to pay restitution.
  36. Exodus 22:3 tn The words “a thief” have been added for clarification. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 224) thinks that these lines are out of order, since some of them deal with killing the thief and then others with the thief making restitution, but rearranging the clauses is not a necessary way to bring clarity to the paragraph. The idea here would be that any thief caught alive would pay restitution.
  37. Exodus 22:4 tn The construction uses a Niphal infinitive absolute and a Niphal imperfect: if it should indeed be found. Gesenius says that in such conditional clauses the infinitive absolute has less emphasis, but instead emphasizes the condition on which some consequence depends (see GKC 342-43 §113.o).
  38. Exodus 22:4 tn Heb “in his hand.”
  39. Exodus 22:4 sn He must pay back one for what he took, and then one for the penalty—his loss as he was inflicting a loss on someone else.
  40. Exodus 22:5 tn The verb בָּעַר (baʿar, “graze”) as a denominative from the word “livestock” is not well attested. So some have suggested that with slight changes this verse could be read: “If a man cause a field or a vineyard to be burnt, and let the burning spread, and it burnt in another man’s field” (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 225).
  41. Exodus 22:5 tn The phrase “his livestock” is supplied from the next clause.
  42. Exodus 22:6 tn Heb “if a fire goes out and finds”; NLT “if a fire gets out of control.”
  43. Exodus 22:6 sn Thorn bushes were used for hedges between fields, but thorn bushes also burned easily, making the fire spread rapidly.
  44. Exodus 22:6 tn This is a Hiphil participle of the verb “to burn, kindle” used substantivally. This is the one who caused the fire, whether by accident or not.
  45. Exodus 22:7 tn The word usually means “vessels” but can have the sense of household goods and articles. It could be anything from jewels and ornaments to weapons or pottery.
  46. Exodus 22:7 tn Heb “to keep.” Here “safekeeping,” that is, to keep something secure on behalf of a third party, is intended.
  47. Exodus 22:7 tn Heb “found.”
  48. Exodus 22:8 tn Heb “found.”
  49. Exodus 22:8 tn Here again the word used is “the gods,” meaning the judges who made the assessments and decisions. In addition to other works, see J. R. Vannoy, “The Use of the Word ha’elohim in Exodus 21:6 and 22:7, 8, ” The Law and the Prophets, 225-41.
  50. Exodus 22:8 tn The phrase “to see” has been supplied.
  51. Exodus 22:8 tn The line says “if he has not stretched out his hand.” This could be the oath formula, but the construction here would be unusual, or it could be taken as “whether” (see W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:438). U. Cassuto (Exodus, 286) does not think the wording can possibly fit an oath; nevertheless, an oath would be involved before God (as he takes it instead of “judges”)—if the man swore, his word would be accepted, but if he would not swear, he would be guilty.
  52. Exodus 22:9 tn Heb “concerning every kind [thing] of trespass.”
  53. Exodus 22:9 tn The text simply has “this is it” (הוּא זֶה, huʾ zeh).
  54. Exodus 22:9 tn Again, or “God.”
  55. Exodus 22:9 tn This kind of clause Gesenius calls an independent relative clause—it does not depend on a governing substantive but itself expresses a substantival idea (GKC 445-46 §138.e).
  56. Exodus 22:9 tn The verb means “to be guilty” in Qal; in Hiphil it would have a declarative sense, because a causative sense would not possibly fit.
  57. Exodus 22:10 tn The form is a Niphal participle of שָׁבַר (shavar, “to break”) which means injured, maimed, harmed, or crippled.
  58. Exodus 22:10 tn This verb is frequently used with the meaning “to take captive.” The idea here then is that raiders or robbers have carried off the animal.
  59. Exodus 22:10 tn Heb “there is no one seeing.”
  60. Exodus 22:11 tn The construct relationship שְׁבֻעַת יְהוָה (shevuʿat yehvah, “the oath of Yahweh”) would require a genitive of indirect object, “an oath [to] Yahweh.” U. Cassuto suggests that it means “an oath by Yahweh” (Exodus, 287). The person to whom the animal was entrusted would take a solemn oath to Yahweh that he did not appropriate the animal for himself, and then his word would be accepted.
  61. Exodus 22:12 tn Both with this verb “stolen” and in the next clauses with “torn in pieces,” the text uses the infinitive absolute construction with less than normal emphasis; as Gesenius says, in conditional clauses, an infinitive absolute stresses the importance of the condition on which some consequence depends (GKC 342-43 §113.o).
  62. Exodus 22:12 sn The point is that the man should have taken better care of the animal.
  63. Exodus 22:13 tn The word עֵד (ʿed) actually means “witness,” but the dead animal that is returned is a silent witness, i.e., evidence. The word is an adverbial accusative.
  64. Exodus 22:14 tn Heb “if a man asks [an animal] from his neighbor” (see also Exod 12:36). The ruling here implies an animal is borrowed, and if harm comes to it when the owner is not with it, the borrower is liable. The word “animal” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  65. Exodus 22:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who borrowed the animal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  66. Exodus 22:15 tn Literally “it came with/for its hire,” this expression implies that the owner who hired it out and was present was prepared to take the risk, so there would be no compensation.
  67. Exodus 22:16 sn The second half of the chapter records various laws of purity and justice. Any of them could be treated in an expository way, but in the present array they offer a survey of God’s righteous standards: Maintain the sanctity of marriage (16-17); maintain the purity of religious institutions (18-20), maintain the rights of human beings (21-28), maintain the rights of Yahweh (29-31).
  68. Exodus 22:16 tn This is the word בְּתוּלָה (betulah); it describes a young woman who is not married or a young woman engaged to be married; in any case, she is presumed to be a virgin.
  69. Exodus 22:16 tn Or “pledged” for marriage.
  70. Exodus 22:16 tn Heb “lied down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed to sleep or be a euphemism for sexual relations.
  71. Exodus 22:16 tn The verb מָהַר (mahar) means “pay the marriage price,” and the related noun is the bride price. B. Jacob says this was a proposal gift and not a purchase price (Exodus, 700). This is the price paid to her parents, which allowed for provision should there be a divorce. The amount was usually agreed on by the two families, but the price was higher for a pure bride from a noble family. Here, the one who seduces her must pay it, regardless of whether he marries her or not.
  72. Exodus 22:18 sn There still were many who wished to follow pagan beliefs and consort with the dead (see Deut 18:10-11). The sorceress was someone who dealt with drugs or herbs for occult purposes.
  73. Exodus 22:19 tn Heb “lies down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed to sleep or be a euphemism for sexual relations.
  74. Exodus 22:20 tn Heb “not to Yahweh.”
  75. Exodus 22:20 tn The verb חָרַם (kharam) means “to be devoted” to God or “to be banned.” The idea is that it would be God’s to do with as he liked. What was put under the ban was for God alone, either for his service or for his judgment. But it was out of human control. Here the verb is saying that the person will be utterly destroyed.
  76. Exodus 22:21 tn Or “oppress.”
  77. Exodus 22:21 tn Or “alien,” both here and in 23:9. On the Hebrew גֵּר (ger) “resident foreigner” see notes at Exod 12:19 and Deut 29:11.sn In Mosaic Law the foreign resident, גֵּר (ger), was essentially a naturalized citizen and convert to worshiping the God of Israel (see 12:19, 48; Deut 29:10-13). Besides not oppressing the ger, Israel was told to love the ger (Lev 19:33-34). Several passages emphasize equal standing under Mosaic Law (Exod 12:49; 20:10; Lev 24:22; Num 9:14; 15:15, 16, 29). This equality is significant against the background of the ancient near east. The Code of Hammurapi, for example, distinguished different applications of law depending on social status.
  78. Exodus 22:22 tn The verb “afflict” is a Piel imperfect from עָנָה (ʿanah); it has a wide range of meanings: “afflict, oppress, humiliate, rape.” These victims are at the mercy of the judges, businessmen, or villains. The righteous king and the righteous people will not mistreat them (see Isa 1:17; Job 31:16, 17, 21).
  79. Exodus 22:23 tn The accusative here is the masculine singular pronoun, which leads S. R. Driver to conclude that this line is out of place, even though the masculine singular can be used in places like this (Exodus, 232). U. Cassuto says its use is to refer to certain classes (Exodus, 292).
  80. Exodus 22:23 tn Here again and with “cry” the infinitive absolute functions with a diminished emphasis (GKC 342-43 §113.o).
  81. Exodus 22:23 tn Here is the normal use of the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense to emphasize the verb: “I will surely hear,” implying, “I will surely respond.”
  82. Exodus 22:24 sn The punishment will follow the form of talionic justice, an eye for an eye, in which the punishment matches the crime. God will use invading armies (“sword” is a metonymy of adjunct here) to destroy them, making their wives widows and their children orphans.
  83. Exodus 22:25 tn “any of” has been supplied.
  84. Exodus 22:25 sn The moneylender will be demanding and exacting. In Ps 109:11 and 2 Kgs 4:1 the word is rendered as “extortioner.”
  85. Exodus 22:25 tn Heb “set.”
  86. Exodus 22:25 sn In ancient times money was lent primarily for poverty and not for commercial ventures (H. Gamoran, “The Biblical Law against Loans on Interest,” JNES 30 [1971]: 127-34). The lending to the poor was essentially a charity, and so not to be an opportunity to make money from another person’s misfortune. The word נֶשֶׁךְ (neshekh) may be derived from a verb that means “to bite,” and so the idea of usury or interest was that of putting out one’s money with a bite in it (See S. Stein, “The Laws on Interest in the Old Testament,” JTS 4 [1953]: 161-70; and E. Neufeld, “The Prohibition against Loans at Interest in the Old Testament,” HUCA 26 [1955]: 355-412).
  87. Exodus 22:26 tn The construction again uses the infinitive absolute with the verb in the conditional clause to stress the condition.
  88. Exodus 22:26 tn The clause uses the preposition, the infinitive construct, and the noun that is the subjective genitive—“at the going in of the sun.”
  89. Exodus 22:27 tn Heb “his skin.”
  90. Exodus 22:27 tn Literally the text reads, “In what can he lie down?” The cloak would be used for a covering at night to use when sleeping. The garment, then, was the property that could not be taken and not given back—it was the last possession. The modern idiom of “the shirt off his back” gets at the point being made here.
  91. Exodus 22:27 tn Heb “and it will be.”
  92. Exodus 22:28 tn The two verbs in this verse are synonyms: קָלַל (qalal) means “to treat lightly, curse,” and אָרַר (ʾarar) means “to curse.”
  93. Exodus 22:28 tn The word אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) is “gods” or “God.” If taken as the simple plural, it could refer to the human judges, as it has in the section of laws; this would match the parallelism in the verse. If it was taken to refer to God, then the idea of cursing God would be more along the line of blasphemy. B. Jacob says that the word refers to functioning judges, and that would indirectly mean God, for they represented the religious authority, and the prince the civil authority (Exodus, 708).
  94. Exodus 22:29 tn The expressions are unusual. U. Cassuto renders them: “from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses” (Exodus, 294). He adds the Hittite parallel material to show that the people were to bring the offerings on time and not let them overlap, because the firstfruits had to be eaten first by the priest.
  95. Exodus 22:31 sn The use of this word here has to do with the laws of the sanctuary and not some advanced view of holiness. The ritual holiness at the sanctuary would prohibit eating anything torn to pieces.
  96. Exodus 22:31 tn Or “by wild animals.”
  97. Exodus 23:1 sn People who claim to worship and serve the righteous judge of the universe must preserve equity and justice in their dealings with others. These verses teach that God’s people must be honest witnesses (1-3); God’s people must be righteous even with enemies (4-5); and God’s people must be fair in dispensing justice (6-9).
  98. Exodus 23:1 tn Heb “take up, lift, carry” (נָשָׂא, nasaʾ). This verb was also used in the prohibition against taking “the name of Yahweh in vain.” Sometimes the object of this verb is physical, as in Jonah 1:12 and 15. Used in this prohibition involving speech, it covers both originating and repeating a lie.
  99. Exodus 23:1 tn Or “a groundless report” (see Exod 20:7 for the word שָׁוְא, shavʾ).
  100. Exodus 23:1 tn Heb “do not put your hand” (cf. KJV, ASV); NASB “join your hand.”
  101. Exodus 23:1 tn The word “wicked” (רָשָׁע, rashaʿ) refers to the guilty criminal, the person who is doing something wrong. In the religious setting it describes the person who is not a member of the covenant and may be involved in all kinds of sin, even though there is the appearance of moral and spiritual stability.
  102. Exodus 23:1 tn The word חָמָס (khamas) often means “violence” in the sense of social injustices done to other people, usually the poor and needy. A “malicious” witness would do great harm to others. See J. W. McKay, “Exodus 23:1-3, 6-8: A Decalogue for Administration of Justice in the City Gate,” VT 21 (1971): 311-25.
  103. Exodus 23:2 tn The word רָבִּים (rabbim), here rendered “crowd,” is also used infrequently to refer to the “mighty,” people of importance in society (Job 35:9; cf. Lev 19:15).
  104. Exodus 23:2 tn For any individual to join a group that is bent on acting wickedly would be a violation of the Law and would incur personal responsibility.
  105. Exodus 23:2 tn Heb “you will not answer in a lawsuit to turn after the crowd to turn.” The form translated “agrees with” (Heb “to turn after”) is a Qal infinitive construct from נָטָה (natah); the same root is used at the end of the verse but as a Hiphil infinitive construct, “to pervert [justice].”
  106. Exodus 23:3 tn The point here is one of false sympathy and honor, the bad sense of the word הָדַר (hadar; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 237).
  107. Exodus 23:4 tn Heb “meet” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
  108. Exodus 23:4 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense (taken here as an obligatory imperfect) and the infinitive absolute for emphasis.
  109. Exodus 23:5 tn The line reads “you will cease to forsake him”—refrain from leaving your enemy without help.
  110. Exodus 23:5 tn The law is emphatic here as well, using the infinitive absolute and the imperfect of instruction (or possibly obligation). There is also a wordplay here: two words עָזַב (ʿazav) are used, one meaning “forsake” and the other possibly meaning “arrange” based on Arabic and Ugaritic evidence (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 297-98).
  111. Exodus 23:5 sn See H. B. Huffmon, “Exodus 23:4-5: A Comparative Study,” A Light Unto My Path, 271-78.
  112. Exodus 23:7 tn Or “stay away from,” or “have nothing to do with.”
  113. Exodus 23:7 tn Heb “a false matter,” this expression in this context would have to be a case in law that was false or that could only be won by falsehood.
  114. Exodus 23:7 tn The two clauses probably should be related: the getting involved in the false charge could lead to the death of an innocent person (so, e.g., Naboth in 1 Kgs 21:10-13).
  115. Exodus 23:7 sn God will not declare right the one who is in the wrong. Society should also be consistent, but it cannot see the intents and motives, as God can.
  116. Exodus 23:8 tn Heb “blinds the open-eyed.”
  117. Exodus 23:9 tn The verb means “to crush.” S. R. Driver notes that in this context this would probably mean with an unfair judgment in the courts (Exodus, 239).sn In Mosaic Law the foreign resident, גֵּר (ger), was essentially a naturalized citizen who joined the covenant community (see Exod 12:19, 48; Deut 29:10-13). Besides not oppressing the ger (Exod 22:21), Israel was told to love the ger (Lev 19:33-34). Several passages emphasize equal standing under Mosaic Law (Exod 12:49; 20:10; Lev 24:22; Num 9:14; 15:15, 16, 29).
  118. Exodus 23:9 tn Heb “soul, life, feelings.” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) refers here to the soul “as the centre and transmitter of feelings and perceptions” (HALOT 713 s.v.). The Israelites should be motivated by knowing what it feels like to be oppressed.
  119. Exodus 23:9 sn The same term גֵּר (ger) is used for the resident foreigner living in Israel and of the Israelite who lived in Israel, despite the very different social conditions of each. A foreign resident has differing status in different countries. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, but the resident foreigner in Israel was under the same laws (civil and religious) as the Israelite and could worship the Lord as part of the covenant community. Several passages emphasize equal standing under Mosaic Law (Exod 12:49; Lev 24:22; Num 9:14; 15:15, 16, 26, 29; 19:10; 35:15; Deut 1:16 or similar obligations Exod 20:10; 23:12; Lev 16:29; 17:10, 12, 13; 18:26; 24:16; Num 15:14.
  120. Exodus 23:10 sn This section concerns religious duties of the people of God as they worship by giving thanks to God for their blessings. The principles here are: God requires his people to allow the poor to share in their bounty (10-11); God requires his people to provide times of rest and refreshment for those who labor for them (12); God requires allegiance to himself (13); God requires his people to come before him in gratitude and share their bounty (14-17); God requires that his people safeguard proper worship forms (18-19).
  121. Exodus 23:10 tn Heb “and six years”; this is an adverbial accusative telling how long they can work their land. The following references to years and days in vv. 10-12 function similarly.
  122. Exodus 23:11 tn Heb “and the seventh year”; an adverbial accusative with a disjunctive vav (ו).
  123. Exodus 23:11 tn Heb “living thing/creature/beast of the field.” A general term for animals, usually wild animals, including predators (cf. v. 29; Gen 2:19-20; Lev 26:22; Deut 7:22; 1 Sam 17:46; Job 5:22-23; Ezek 29:5; 34:5).
  124. Exodus 23:12 tn Or “alien.” Several passages emphasize equal standing under Mosaic Law (Exod 12:49; 20:10; Lev 24:22; Num 9:14; 15:15, 16, 29) for the resident foreigner (גֵּר; ger) and the native born Israelite. The foreigners (גֵּר; ger, but not other types of non-Israelites) in Mosaic Law have joined the covenant (Deut 29:10-13) and worship the Lord. Israel was not to make these foreigners do the work which they themselves were not permitted to do on the Sabbath.
  125. Exodus 23:12 tn The verb is וְיִנָּפֵשׁ (veyinnafesh); it is related to the word usually translated “soul” or “life.”
  126. Exodus 23:13 tn The phrase “to do” is added; in Hebrew word order the line says, “In all that I have said to you you will watch yourselves.” The verb for paying attention is a Niphal imperfect with an imperatival force.
  127. Exodus 23:13 tn Or “honor,” Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar). See also Exod 20:25; Josh 23:7; Isa 26:13.
  128. Exodus 23:13 tn Heb “mouth.”sn See also Ps 16:4, where David affirms his loyalty to God with this expression.
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Exodus 20
Exodus 24
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Matthew 24:1-28
New English Translation

The Destruction of the Temple

24 Now[a] as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings.[b] 2 And he said to them,[c] “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth,[d] not one stone will be left on another.[e] All will be torn down!”[f]

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As[g] he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things[h] happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered them,[i] “Watch out[j] that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’[k] and they will mislead many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.[l] 7 For nation will rise up in arms[m] against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes[n] in various places.[o] 8 All[p] these things are the beginning of birth pains.

Persecution of Disciples

9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations[q] because of my name.[r] 10 Then many will be led into sin,[s] and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive[t] many, 12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved.[u] 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations,[v] and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation[w]—spoken about by Daniel the prophet—standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand),[x] 16 “then those in Judea must flee[y] to the mountains. 17 The one on the roof[z] must not come down[aa] to take anything out of his house, 18 and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 Woe[ab] to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 20 Pray[ac] that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great suffering[ad] unlike anything that has happened[ae] from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’[af] or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24 For false messiahs[ag] and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Remember,[ah] I have told you ahead of time. 26 So then, if someone[ai] says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’[aj] do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him. 27 For just like the lightning[ak] comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures[al] will gather.[am]

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  2. Matthew 24:1 sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 [15.380-425]; J. W. 5.5 [5.184-227] and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.
  3. Matthew 24:2 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  4. Matthew 24:2 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  5. Matthew 24:2 sn With the statement not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in a.d. 70.
  6. Matthew 24:2 tn Grk “not one stone will be left here on a stone which will not be thrown down.”
  7. Matthew 24:3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  8. Matthew 24:3 sn Because the phrase these things is plural, more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.
  9. Matthew 24:4 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
  10. Matthew 24:4 tn Or “Be on guard.”
  11. Matthew 24:5 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
  12. Matthew 24:6 tn Grk “it is not yet the end.”
  13. Matthew 24:7 tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.
  14. Matthew 24:7 tc Most witnesses (C Γ Δ Θ 0102 ƒ1,13 700 1241 1424 M) have “and plagues” (καὶ λοιμοί, kai loimoi) between “famines” (λιμοί, limoi) and “earthquakes” (σεισμοί, seismoi), while others have “plagues and famines and earthquakes” (L W 33 lat). The similarities between λιμοί and λοιμοί could explain how καὶ λοιμοί might have accidentally dropped out, but since the Lukan parallel (Luke 21:11) has both terms (and W lat have the order λοιμοὶ καὶ λιμοί there too, as they do in Matthew), it seems more likely that scribes added the phrase here. The shorter reading does not enjoy overwhelming support ([א] B D 892 sa, and other Greek and versional witnesses), but it is nevertheless significant; coupled with the internal evidence it should be given preference.
  15. Matthew 24:7 sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.
  16. Matthew 24:8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  17. Matthew 24:9 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
  18. Matthew 24:9 sn See Matt 5:10-12; 1 Cor 1:25-31.
  19. Matthew 24:10 tn Or “many will fall away.” This could also refer to apostasy.
  20. Matthew 24:11 tn Or “and lead many astray.”
  21. Matthew 24:13 sn But the person who endures to the end will be saved. Jesus was not claiming here that salvation is by works. He was simply arguing that genuine faith evidences itself in persistence through even the worst of trials.
  22. Matthew 24:14 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).
  23. Matthew 24:15 sn The reference to the abomination of desolation is an allusion to Dan 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167 b.c., the words of Jesus seem to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment, but that there was (from Jesus’ perspective) still another fulfillment yet to come. Some argue that this was realized in a.d. 70, while others claim that it refers specifically to Antichrist and will not be fully realized until the period of the great tribulation at the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:14, 19, 24; Rev 3:10).
  24. Matthew 24:15 sn This parenthetical comment is generally regarded as a command by the author made directly to the readers, not as part of Jesus’ original speech. For this reason the statement is not placed within quotation marks.
  25. Matthew 24:16 sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.
  26. Matthew 24:17 sn On the roof. Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.
  27. Matthew 24:17 sn The swiftness and devastation of the judgment will require a swift escape. There will be no time to come down from the roof and pick up anything from inside one’s home.
  28. Matthew 24:19 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  29. Matthew 24:20 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  30. Matthew 24:21 tn Traditionally, “great tribulation.”
  31. Matthew 24:21 sn Suffering unlike anything that has happened. Some refer this event to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. While the events of a.d. 70 may reflect somewhat the comments Jesus makes here, the reference to the scope and severity of this judgment strongly suggest that much more is in view. Most likely Jesus is referring to the great end-time judgment on Jerusalem in the great tribulation.
  32. Matthew 24:23 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
  33. Matthew 24:24 tn Or “false christs”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  34. Matthew 24:25 tn Or “Pay attention!” Grk “Behold.”
  35. Matthew 24:26 tn Grk “they say.” The third person plural is used here as an indefinite and translated “someone” (ExSyn 402).
  36. Matthew 24:26 tn Or “in the desert.”
  37. Matthew 24:27 sn The Son of Man’s coming in power will be sudden and obvious like lightning. No one will need to point it out.
  38. Matthew 24:28 tn The same Greek term can refer to “eagles” or “vultures” (L&N 4.42; BDAG 22 s.v. ἀετός), but in this context it must mean vultures because the gruesome image is one of dead bodies being consumed by scavengers.sn Jesus’ answer is that when the judgment comes, the scenes of death will be obvious and so will the location of the judgment. See also Luke 17:37.
  39. Matthew 24:28 tn Grk “will be gathered.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in English.
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Psalm 29
New English Translation

Psalm 29[a]

A psalm of David.

29 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings,[b]
acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power.[c]
2 Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation.[d]
Worship the Lord in holy attire.[e]
3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water;[f]
the majestic God thunders,[g]
the Lord appears over the surging water.[h]
4 The Lord’s shout is powerful,[i]
the Lord’s shout is majestic.[j]
5 The Lord’s shout breaks[k] the cedars,
the Lord shatters[l] the cedars of Lebanon.[m]
6 He makes them skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion[n] like a young ox.[o]
7 The Lord’s shout strikes[p] with flaming fire.[q]
8 The Lord’s shout shakes[r] the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.[s]
9 The Lord’s shout bends[t] the large trees[u]
and strips[v] the leaves from the forests.[w]
Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!”[x]
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters,[y]
the Lord sits enthroned[z] as the eternal king.
11 The Lord gives[aa] his people strength;[ab]
the Lord grants his people security.[ac]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 29:1 sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.
  2. Psalm 29:1 tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (ʾelim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (bene ʾelim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones.” The heavenly assembly, comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings, appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.
  3. Psalm 29:1 tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”
  4. Psalm 29:2 tn Heb “ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the Lord’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.)
  5. Psalm 29:2 tn That is, properly dressed for the occasion.
  6. Psalm 29:3 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] over the water.” As the next line makes clear, the “voice of the Lord” is here the thunder that accompanies a violent storm. The psalm depicts the Lord in the role of a warrior-king, so the thunder is his battle cry, as it were.
  7. Psalm 29:3 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the Lord coming in the storm to do battle with his enemies and to vindicate his people.
  8. Psalm 29:3 tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over the raging waters.
  9. Psalm 29:4 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] accompanied by strength.”
  10. Psalm 29:4 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] accompanied by majesty.”
  11. Psalm 29:5 tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.
  12. Psalm 29:5 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive here and in v. 6a carry on the descriptive function of the preceding participle (see GKC 329 §111.u). The verb שָׁבַר (shavar) appears in the Qal in the first line of the verse, and in the Piel in the second line. The verb, which means “break” in the Qal, appears thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3).
  13. Psalm 29:5 sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. Here they may symbolize the arrogant enemies of God (see Isa 2:12-13).
  14. Psalm 29:6 sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).
  15. Psalm 29:6 sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.
  16. Psalm 29:7 tn The verb normally means “to hew [stone or wood],” or “to hew out.” In Hos 6:5 it seems to mean “cut in pieces,” “knock down,” or perhaps “hack” (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea [AB], 428). The Ugaritic cognate can mean “assault.” In v. 7 the verb seems to have a similar meaning, perhaps “attack, strike.” The phrase “flames of fire” is an adverbial accusative; the Lord’s shout is accompanied by “flames of fire,” that is, lightning bolts.
  17. Psalm 29:7 sn The Lord’s shout strikes with flaming fire. The short line has invited textual emendation, but its distinct, brief form may highlight the statement, which serves as the axis of a chiastic structure encompassing vv. 5-9: (A) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 5); (B) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 6); (C) the Lord’s shout is accompanied by destructive lightning (v. 7); (B´) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 8); (A´) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 9).
  18. Psalm 29:8 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
  19. Psalm 29:8 sn Kadesh. The references to Lebanon and Sirion in v. 6 suggest this is a reference to the northern Kadesh, located north of Damascus, not the southern Kadesh mentioned so often in the OT. See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:178.
  20. Psalm 29:9 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
  21. Psalm 29:9 tc Heb “the deer.” Preserving this reading, some translate the preceding verb, “causes [the deer] to give premature birth” (cf. NEB, NASB). But the Polel of חוּל/חִיל (khul/khil) means “give birth,” not “cause to give birth,” and the statement “the Lord’s shout gives birth to deer” is absurd. In light of the parallelism (note “forests” in the next line) and v. 5, it is preferable to emend אַיָּלוֹת (ʾayyalot, “deer”) to אֵילוֹת (ʾelot, “large trees”) understanding the latter as an alternate form of the usual plural form אַיָּלִים (ʾayyalim).
  22. Psalm 29:9 tn The verb is used in Joel 1:7 of locusts stripping the leaves from a tree. The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.
  23. Psalm 29:9 tn The usual form of the plural of יַעַר (yaʿar, “forest”) is יְעָרִים (yeʿarim). For this reason some propose an emendation to יְעָלוֹת (ye’alot, “female mountain goats”) which would fit nicely in the parallelism with “deer” (cf. NEB “brings kids early to birth”). In this case one would have to understand the verb חָשַׂף (khasaf) to mean “cause premature birth,” an otherwise unattested homonym of the more common חָשַׂף (“strip bare”).sn The Lord’s thunderous shout is accompanied by high winds which damage the trees of the forest.
  24. Psalm 29:9 tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”
  25. Psalm 29:10 tn The noun מַּבּוּל (mabbul, “flood”) appears only here and in Gen 6-11, where it refers to the Noahic flood. Some see a reference to that event here. The presence of the article (perhaps indicating uniqueness) and the switch to the perfect verbal form (which could be taken as describing a past situation) might support this. However, the immediate context indicates that the referent of מַּבּוּל is the “surging waters” mentioned in v. 3. The article indicates waters that are definite in the mind of the speaker and the perfect is probably descriptive in function, like “thunders” in v. 3. However, even though the historical flood is not the primary referent here, there may be a literary allusion involved. The psalmist views the threatening chaotic sea as a contemporary manifestation of the destructive waters of old.
  26. Psalm 29:10 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding perfect.
  27. Psalm 29:11 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 11 are either descriptive or generalizing.
  28. Psalm 29:11 sn Strength. This probably refers to military power; see the use of the noun in 1 Sam 2:10 and Ps 86:16.
  29. Psalm 29:11 tn Heb “blesses his people with peace.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) probably refers here to the protection and prosperity experienced by God’s people after the Lord intervenes in battle on their behalf.
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Psalm 30
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Proverbs 7:6-23
New English Translation

6 For at the window of my house
through my window lattice I looked out
7 and I saw among the naive[a]—
I discerned among the youths[b]—
a young man[c] who lacked sense.[d]
8 He was passing by the street near her corner,
making his way[e] along the road to her house[f]
9 in the twilight, the evening,[g]
in the dark of the night.[h]
10 Suddenly[i] a woman came out to meet him!
She was dressed like a prostitute[j] and with secret intent.[k]
11 (She is loud and rebellious,
she[l] does not remain[m] at home—
12 at one time outside, at another[n] in the wide plazas,
and by every corner she lies in wait.)
13 So she grabbed him and kissed him,
and with a bold expression[o] she said to him,
14 “I have meat from my peace offerings at home;[p]
today I have fulfilled my vows!
15 That is why I came out to meet you,
to look for you,[q] and I found you!
16 I have spread my bed with elegant coverings,[r]
with richly colored fabric[s] from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply[t] of lovemaking[u] until morning,
let’s delight ourselves[v] with love’s pleasures.
19 For my husband[w] is not at home;[x]
he has gone on a journey of some distance.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him;[y]
he will not return until[z] the end of the month.”[aa]
21 She turned him aside[ab] with her persuasions;[ac]
with her smooth talk[ad] she was enticing him along.[ae]
22 Suddenly he was going[af] after her
like an ox that goes to the slaughter,
like a stag prancing into a trapper’s snare[ag]
23 till an arrow pierces his liver[ah]—
like a bird hurrying into a trap,
and he does not know that it will cost him his life.[ai]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:7 tn Heb פֶּתִי (peti, “naive, simpleton”).sn This naive young man who lacked wisdom is one of the פֶּתִי (peti) simpletons, lacking keen judgment, one void of common sense (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT) or understanding (cf. KJV, ASV). He is young, inexperienced, featherbrained (so D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 75).
  2. Proverbs 7:7 tc Heb “sons.” The MT reads בַבָּנִים (vabbanim) “among the sons,” perhaps meaning “young men” (cf. Song 2:3; HALOT 138, s. v. I בֵּן). Based on the Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate, perhaps the text should read בַנְבָלִים (vanevalim, “among the fools”).
  3. Proverbs 7:7 tn Heb “lad” or “youth.”
  4. Proverbs 7:7 tn The term לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) is used as a metonymy of association for what one does with the mind (thinking), and so refers to discernment, wisdom, good sense.
  5. Proverbs 7:8 tn The verb צָעַד (tsaʿad) means “to step; to march.” It suggests that the youth was intentionally making his way to her house. The verb is the imperfect tense; it stresses continual action parallel to the active participle that began the verse, but within a context that is past time.
  6. Proverbs 7:8 tn Heb “way of her house.” The term “way” is an adverbial accusative telling where he was marching. It is described by the genitive “her house” identifying where the way goes by or to.
  7. Proverbs 7:9 tn Heb “in the evening of the day.”
  8. Proverbs 7:9 tn Heb “in the middle of the night, and dark”; KJV “in the black and dark night”; NRSV “at the time of night and darkness.”
  9. Proverbs 7:10 tn The particle וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh) introduces a dramatic sense of the immediate to the narrative; it has a deictic force, “and look!—there was a woman,” or “all of a sudden this woman….”
  10. Proverbs 7:10 tn Heb “with the garment of a prostitute.” The noun שִׁית (shit, “garment”) is an adverbial accusative specifying the appearance of the woman. The words “she was” are supplied in the translation to make a complete English sentence.
  11. Proverbs 7:10 tn Heb “kept secret of heart”; cf. ASV, NRSV “wily of heart.” The verbal form is the passive participle from נָצַר (natsar) in construct. C. H. Toy lists the suggestions of the commentators: false, malicious, secret, subtle, excited, hypocritical (Proverbs [ICC], 149). The LXX has “causes the hearts of the young men to fly away.” The verb means “to guard; to watch; to keep”; to be guarded of heart means to be wily, to have secret intent—she has locked up her plans and gives nothing away (e.g., Isaiah 48:6 as well). Interestingly enough, this contrasts with her attire which gives everything away.
  12. Proverbs 7:11 tn Heb “her feet.” This is a synecdoche, a part for the whole; the point is that she never stays home, but is out and about all the time.
  13. Proverbs 7:11 tn Heb “dwell” or “settle”; NAB “her feet cannot rest.”
  14. Proverbs 7:12 tn The repetition of the noun פַּעַם (paʿam, “step, occasion”) is an idiom indicating different occasions. It could be rendered idiomatically in English as “now [here], now [there],” “once [here], then [there],” or “at one time…at another time” (BDB 822 s.v. פַּעַם 3.e).
  15. Proverbs 7:13 tn Heb “she made her face bold.” The Hiphil perfect of עָזַז (ʿazaz, “to be strong”) means she has an impudent face (cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV), a bold or brazen expression (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
  16. Proverbs 7:14 tn Heb “peace offerings are with me.” The peace offerings refer to the meat left over from the votive offering made at the sanctuary (e.g., Lev 7:11-21). Apparently the sacrificial worship meant little to this woman spiritually. By expressing that she has peace offerings, she could be saying that she has fresh meat for a meal at home, or that she was ceremonially clean, perhaps after her period. At any rate, it is all probably a ruse for winning a customer.
  17. Proverbs 7:15 tn Heb “to look diligently for your face.”
  18. Proverbs 7:16 tn Heb “with spreads I have spread my bed.” The rare noun is a cognate to the verb.
  19. Proverbs 7:16 tn The feminine noun means “dark-hued stuffs” (BDB 310 s.v. חֲטֻבוֹת). The form is a passive participle from a supposed root II חָטַב (khatav), which in Arabic means to be of a turbid, dusky color mixed with yellowish red. Its Aramaic cognate means “variegated”; cf. NAB “with brocaded cloths of Egyptian linen.” BDB’s translation of this colon is unsatisfactory: “with dark hued stuffs of yarn from Egypt.”
  20. Proverbs 7:18 tn The verb means “to be saturated; to drink one’s fill,” and can at times mean “to be intoxicated with.”
  21. Proverbs 7:18 tn Heb “loves.” The word דּוֹד (dod) means physical love or lovemaking. It is found frequently in the Song of Solomon for the loved one, the beloved.
  22. Proverbs 7:18 tn The form is the Hitpael cohortative of עָלַס (ʿalas), which means “to rejoice.” Cf. NIV “let’s enjoy ourselves.”
  23. Proverbs 7:19 tn Heb “the man.” The LXX interpreted it as “my husband,” taking the article to be used as a possessive. Many English versions do the same.
  24. Proverbs 7:19 tn Heb “in his house.”
  25. Proverbs 7:20 tn Heb “in his hand.”
  26. Proverbs 7:20 tn Heb “he will come back to his home at.”
  27. Proverbs 7:20 tn Heb “new moon.” Judging from the fact that the husband took a purse of money and was staying away until the next full moon, the woman implies that they would be safe in their escapade. If v. 9 and v. 20 are any clue, he could be gone for about two weeks—until the moon is full again.
  28. Proverbs 7:21 tn Heb “she turned him aside.” This expression means that she persuaded him. sn While this verb is a Hebrew perfect (and so past tense in English) the next verb is an imperfect (past progressive). The sage is taking us inside the transition in the man’s mind. He is hooked but not yet reeled in. He has turned and maybe taken a step in her direction, but not really committed yet inside. The second half of the verse points to her continuing enticement to keep him coming until he commits; she is close to closing the deal.
  29. Proverbs 7:21 sn The term לֶקַח (leqakh) was used earlier in Proverbs for wise instruction; now it is used ironically for enticement to sin (see D. W. Thomas, “Textual and Philological Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 280-92).
  30. Proverbs 7:21 tn Heb “smoothness of her lips”; cf. NAB “smooth lips”; NASB “flattering lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause representing what she says. The noun חֵלֶק (kheleq) “smoothness” is the counterpart to the verb “flatter” is 7:5.
  31. Proverbs 7:21 tn The basic meaning of the verb נָדַח (nadakh) is “to go/be led astray.” In the causative Hiphil form it means “to drive away, to entice, to seduce.” As an imperfect verb in a past time setting it is progressive: she turned him aside and was leading him astray.
  32. Proverbs 7:22 tn The participle with “suddenly” gives a vivid picture. It depicts the inner change in the man. She had turned him and been enticing him along, but he was still like an ox deciding whether to really follow the call after turning in its direction. Then suddenly, like a switch has been thrown inside, he goes on under his own will power, just like the dumb ox he has become.
  33. Proverbs 7:22 tn The present translation follows R. B. Y. Scott (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 64). This third colon of the verse would usually be rendered, “fetters to the chastening of a fool” (KJV, ASV, and NASB are all similar). But there is no support that עֶכֶס (ʿekhes) means “fetters.” It appears in Isaiah 3:16 as “anklets.” The parallelism here suggests that some animal imagery is required. Thus the ancient versions have “as a dog to the bonds.”
  34. Proverbs 7:23 sn The figure of an arrow piercing the liver (an implied comparison) may refer to the pangs of a guilty conscience that the guilty must reap along with the spiritual and physical ruin that follows (see on these expressions H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament).
  35. Proverbs 7:23 tn The expression that it is “for/about/over his life” means that it could cost him his life (e.g., Num 16:38). Alternatively, the line could refer to moral corruption and social disgrace rather than physical death—but this would not rule out physical death too.
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