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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday October 2, 2024 (NIV)

Isaiah 66

66 This is what the Lord says:
“The heavens are my throne
and the earth is my footstool.
Where then is the house you will build for me?
Where is the place where I will rest?
2 My hand made them;[a]
that is how they came to be,”[b] says the Lord.
“I show special favor[c] to the humble and contrite,

who respect what I have to say.[d]
3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man;[e]
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck;[f]
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it;[g]
the one who offers incense also praises an idol.[h]
They have decided to behave this way;[i]
they enjoy these disgusting practices.[j]
4 So I will choose severe punishment[k] for them;
I will bring on them what they dread,
because I called, and no one responded.
I spoke and they did not listen.
They did evil before me;[l]
they chose to do what displeases me.”
5 Listen to the Lord’s message,
you who respect[m] his word!
“Your countrymen,[n] who hate you

and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,
say, ‘May the Lord be glorified,
then we will witness your joy.’[o]
But they will be put to shame.
6 The sound of battle comes from the city;
the sound comes from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.
7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!
Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a country[p] be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!
9 Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”
asks the Lord.
“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”
asks your God.[q]
10 “Be happy for Jerusalem
and rejoice with her, all you who love her!
Share in her great joy,
all you who have mourned over her!
11 For[r] you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished;[s]
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts.[t]

12 For this is what the Lord says:

“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks.[u]
You will nurse from her breast[v] and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.
13 As a mother consoles a child,[w]
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
14 When you see this, you will be happy,[x]
and you will be revived.[y]
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies.[z]
15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,
his chariots come like a windstorm,[aa]
to reveal his raging anger,
his battle cry, and his flaming arrows.[ab]
16 For the Lord judges all humanity[ac]
with fire and his sword;
the Lord will kill many.[ad]

17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards,[ae] those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice[af]—they will all be destroyed together,”[ag] says the Lord. 18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming[ah] to gather all the nations and ethnic groups;[ai] they will come and witness my splendor. 19 I will perform a mighty act among them[aj] and then send some of those who remain to the nations—to Tarshish, Pul,[ak] Lud[al] (known for its archers[am]), Tubal, Javan,[an] and to the distant coastlands[ao] that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. 20 They will bring back all your countrymen[ap] from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them[aq] on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels[ar] to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. 21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain. 23 From one month[as] to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people[at] will come to worship me,”[au] says the Lord. 24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die,[av] and the fire that consumes them will not die out.[aw] All people will find the sight abhorrent.”[ax]

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 66:2 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
  2. Isaiah 66:2 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (veli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
  3. Isaiah 66:2 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
  4. Isaiah 66:2 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
  5. Isaiah 66:3 tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggest they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices, but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.
  6. Isaiah 66:3 tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.
  7. Isaiah 66:3 tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.
  8. Isaiah 66:3 tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (ʾaven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.
  9. Isaiah 66:3 tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”
  10. Isaiah 66:3 tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”
  11. Isaiah 66:4 tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (ʿalal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”
  12. Isaiah 66:4 tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
  13. Isaiah 66:5 tn Heb “tremble.”
  14. Isaiah 66:5 tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”
  15. Isaiah 66:5 tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.
  16. Isaiah 66:8 tn Heb “land,” but here אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) stands metonymically for an organized nation (see the following line).
  17. Isaiah 66:9 sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”
  18. Isaiah 66:11 tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”
  19. Isaiah 66:11 tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied from her comforting breast.”
  20. Isaiah 66:11 tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”sn Zion’s residents will benefit from and enjoy her great material prosperity. See v. 12.
  21. Isaiah 66:12 tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”
  22. Isaiah 66:12 tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).
  23. Isaiah 66:13 tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”
  24. Isaiah 66:14 tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”
  25. Isaiah 66:14 tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”
  26. Isaiah 66:14 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”
  27. Isaiah 66:15 sn Chariots are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way that they kick up dust.
  28. Isaiah 66:15 tn Heb “to cause to return with the rage of his anger, and his battle cry [or “rebuke”] with flames of fire.”
  29. Isaiah 66:16 tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “upon all men”; TEV “all the people of the world.”
  30. Isaiah 66:16 tn Heb “many are the slain of the Lord.”
  31. Isaiah 66:17 tn Heb “the ones who consecrate themselves and the ones who purify themselves toward the orchards [or “gardens”] after the one in the midst.” The precise meaning of the statement is unclear, though it is obvious that some form of idolatry is in view.
  32. Isaiah 66:17 tn Heb “ones who eat the flesh of the pig and the disgusting thing and the mouse.”
  33. Isaiah 66:17 tn Heb “together they will come to an end.”
  34. Isaiah 66:18 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may need emendation. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, baʾah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ʿet) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (baʾ) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
  35. Isaiah 66:18 tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”
  36. Isaiah 66:19 tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).
  37. Isaiah 66:19 tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
  38. Isaiah 66:19 sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
  39. Isaiah 66:19 tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).
  40. Isaiah 66:19 sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).
  41. Isaiah 66:19 tn Or “islands” (NIV).
  42. Isaiah 66:20 tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”
  43. Isaiah 66:20 tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  44. Isaiah 66:20 tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.
  45. Isaiah 66:23 tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
  46. Isaiah 66:23 tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”
  47. Isaiah 66:23 tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).
  48. Isaiah 66:24 tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”
  49. Isaiah 66:24 tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”
  50. Isaiah 66:24 tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”sn This verse depicts a huge mass burial site where the seemingly endless pile of maggot-infested corpses are being burned.
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Philippians 3:4-21

4 —though mine too are significant.[a] If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials,[b] I have more: 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.[c] 6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. 7 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. 8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung![d]—that I may gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness[e]—a righteousness from God that is in fact[f] based on Christ’s[g] faithfulness.[h] 10 My aim is to know him,[i] to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings,[j] and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow,[k] to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Keep Going Forward

12 Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.[l] 13 Brothers and sisters,[m] I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded:[n] Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, 14 with this goal in mind,[o] I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God[p] in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view.[q] If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.[r] 16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard[s] that we have already attained.[t]

17 Be imitators of me,[u] brothers and sisters,[v] and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example. 18 For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things.[w] 20 But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform these humble bodies of ours[x] into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.

Footnotes:

  1. Philippians 3:4 tn Grk “though I have reason for confidence even in the flesh.”
  2. Philippians 3:4 tn Grk “flesh.”
  3. Philippians 3:5 sn A Pharisee was a member of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
  4. Philippians 3:8 tn The word here translated “dung” was often used in Greek as a vulgar term for fecal matter. As such it would most likely have had a certain shock value for the readers. This may well be Paul’s meaning here, especially since the context is about what the flesh produces.
  5. Philippians 3:9 tn Or “faith in Christ.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ (pistis Christou) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in Rom 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “Πίστις Χριστοῦ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ,” SBL Seminar Papers, 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view. sn ExSyn 116, which notes that the grammar is not decisive, nevertheless suggests that “the faith/faithfulness of Christ is not a denial of faith in Christ as a Pauline concept (for the idea is expressed in many of the same contexts, only with the verb πιστεύω rather than the noun), but implies that the object of faith is a worthy object, for he himself is faithful.” Though Paul elsewhere teaches justification by faith, this presupposes that the object of our faith is reliable and worthy of such faith.
  6. Philippians 3:9 tn The words “in fact” are supplied because of English style, picking up the force of the Greek article with πίστει (pistei). See also the following note on the word “Christ’s.”
  7. Philippians 3:9 tn Grk “based on the faithfulness.” The article before πίστει (pistei) is taken as anaphoric, looking back to διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ (dia pisteōs Christou); hence, “Christ’s” is implied.
  8. Philippians 3:9 tn Or “based on faith.”
  9. Philippians 3:10 tn The articular infinitive τοῦ γνῶναι (tou gnōnai, “to know”) here expresses purpose. The words “My aim is” have been supplied in the translation to emphasize this nuance and to begin a new sentence (shorter sentences are more appropriate for English style).
  10. Philippians 3:10 tn Grk “to know him, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.”
  11. Philippians 3:11 tn On εἰ πῶς (ei pōs) as “so, somehow” see BDAG 279, s.v. εἰ 6.n.
  12. Philippians 3:12 tn Grk “that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” The passive has been translated as active in keeping with contemporary English style.
  13. Philippians 3:13 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.
  14. Philippians 3:13 tn Grk “But this one thing (I do).”
  15. Philippians 3:14 tn Grk “according to the goal.”
  16. Philippians 3:14 tn Grk “prize, namely, the heavenly calling of God.”
  17. Philippians 3:15 tn Grk “those of us who are ‘perfect’ should think this,” or possibly “those of us who are mature should think this.”sn The adjective perfect comes from the same root as the verb perfected in v. 12; Paul may well be employing a wordplay to draw in his opponents. Thus, perfect would then be in quotation marks and Paul would then argue that no one—neither they nor he—is in fact perfect. The thrust of vv. 1-16 is that human credentials can produce nothing that is pleasing to God (vv. 1-8). Instead of relying on such, Paul urges his readers to trust God for their righteousness (v. 9) rather than their own efforts, and at the same time to press on for the prize that awaits them (vv. 12-14). He argues further that perfection is unattainable in this life (v. 15), yet the level of maturity that one has reached should not for this reason be abandoned (v. 16).
  18. Philippians 3:15 tn Grk “reveal this to you.” The referent of the pronoun “this” is the fact that the person is thinking differently than Paul does. This has been specified in the translation with the phrase “the error of your ways”; Paul is stating that God will make it known to these believers when they are not in agreement with Paul.
  19. Philippians 3:16 tc Although κανόνι (kanoni, “standard, rule”) is found in most witnesses, though in various locations in this verse (א2 D2 Ψ 075 1505 2464 M), it is almost surely a motivated reading, for it clarifies the cryptic τῷ αὐτῷ (tō autō, “the same”). Both the fact that the word floats, and that there are other variants which accomplish greater clarity by other means, strongly suggests the secondary nature of any of the longer readings here. Further, the shortest text has excellent and early support in P16,46 א* A B Ivid 6 33 1739 co, rendering it decidedly the preferred reading. The translation adds “standard” because of English requirements, not because of textual basis.
  20. Philippians 3:16 tn Grk “Nevertheless, to what we have attained, to the same hold fast.”
  21. Philippians 3:17 tn Or “become fellow imitators with me [of Christ].”
  22. Philippians 3:17 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.
  23. Philippians 3:19 tn Grk “whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly and glory is their shame, these who think of earthly things.”
  24. Philippians 3:21 tn Grk “transform the body of our humility.”
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Psalm 74

Psalm 74[a]

A well-written song[b] by Asaph.

74 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us?[c]
Why does your anger burn[d] against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your people[e] whom you acquired in ancient times,
whom you rescued[f] so they could be your very own nation,[g]
as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell.
3 Hurry[h] to the permanent ruins,
and to all the damage the enemy has done to the temple.[i]
4 Your enemies roar[j] in the middle of your sanctuary;[k]
they set up their battle flags.[l]
5 They invade like lumberjacks
swinging their axes in a thick forest.[m]
6 And now[n] they are tearing down[o] all its engravings[p]
with axes[q] and crowbars.[r]
7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground.[s]
8 They say to themselves,[t]
“We will oppress all of them.”[u]
They burn down all the places in the land where people worship God.[v]
9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence;[w]
there are no longer any prophets,[x]
and we have no one to tell us how long this will last.[y]
10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Why do you remain inactive?
Intervene and destroy him.[z]
12 But God has been my[aa] king from ancient times,
performing acts of deliverance on the earth.[ab]
13 You destroyed[ac] the sea by your strength;
you shattered the heads of the sea monster[ad] in the water.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;[ae]
you fed[af] him to the people who live along the coast.[ag]
15 You broke open the spring and the stream;[ah]
you dried up perpetually flowing rivers.[ai]
16 You established the cycle of day and night;[aj]
you put the moon[ak] and sun in place.[al]
17 You set up all the boundaries[am] of the earth;
you created the cycle of summer and winter.[an]
18 Remember how[ao] the enemy hurls insults, O Lord,[ap]
and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name.
19 Do not hand the life of your dove[aq] over to a wild animal.
Do not continue to disregard[ar] the lives of your oppressed people.
20 Remember your covenant promises,[as]
for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.[at]
21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame.
Let the oppressed and poor praise your name.[au]
22 Rise up, O God. Defend your honor.[av]
Remember how fools insult you all day long.[aw]
23 Do not disregard[ax] what your enemies say,[ay]
or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you.[az]

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 74:1 sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 b.c., asks God to consider Israel’s sufferings and intervene on behalf of his people. He describes the ruined temple, recalls God’s mighty deeds in the past, begs for mercy, and calls for judgment upon God’s enemies.
  2. Psalm 74:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
  3. Psalm 74:1 sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.
  4. Psalm 74:1 tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.
  5. Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “your assembly,” which pictures God’s people as an assembled community.
  6. Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “redeemed.” The verb “redeem” casts God in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).
  7. Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “the tribe of your inheritance” (see Jer 10:16; 51:19).
  8. Psalm 74:3 tn Heb “lift up your steps to,” which may mean “run, hurry.”
  9. Psalm 74:3 tn Heb “everything [the] enemy has damaged in the holy place.”
  10. Psalm 74:4 tn This verb is often used of a lion’s roar, so the psalmist may be comparing the enemy to a raging, devouring lion.
  11. Psalm 74:4 tn Heb “your meeting place.”
  12. Psalm 74:4 tn Heb “they set up their banners [as] banners.” The Hebrew noun אוֹת (ʾot, “sign”) here refers to the enemy army’s battle flags and banners (see Num 2:12).
  13. Psalm 74:5 tn Heb “it is known like one bringing upwards, in a thicket of wood, axes.” The Babylonian invaders destroyed the woodwork in the temple.
  14. Psalm 74:6 tn This is the reading of the Qere (marginal reading). The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and a time.”
  15. Psalm 74:6 tn The imperfect verbal form vividly describes the act as underway.
  16. Psalm 74:6 tn Heb “its engravings together.”
  17. Psalm 74:6 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49-50).
  18. Psalm 74:6 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. An Akkadian cognate refers to a “pickaxe” (cf. NEB “hatchet and pick”; NIV “axes and hatchets”; NRSV “hatchets and hammers”).
  19. Psalm 74:7 tn Heb “to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name.”
  20. Psalm 74:8 tn Heb “in their heart.”
  21. Psalm 74:8 tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).
  22. Psalm 74:8 tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”
  23. Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “our signs we do not see.” Because of the reference to a prophet in the next line, it is likely that the “signs” in view here include the evidence of God’s presence as typically revealed through the prophets. These could include miraculous acts performed by the prophets (see, for example, Isa 38:7-8) or object lessons which they acted out (see, for example, Isa 20:3).
  24. Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “there is not still a prophet.”
  25. Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “and [there is] not with us one who knows how long.”
  26. Psalm 74:11 tn Heb “Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? From the midst of your chest, destroy!” The psalmist pictures God as having placed his right hand (symbolic of activity and strength) inside his robe against his chest. He prays that God would pull his hand out from under his robe and use it to destroy the enemy.
  27. Psalm 74:12 tn The psalmist speaks as Israel’s representative here.
  28. Psalm 74:12 tn Heb “in the midst of the earth.”
  29. Psalm 74:13 tn The derivation and meaning of the Polel verb form פּוֹרַרְתָּ (porarta) are uncertain. The form may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “break, shatter,” though the biblical Hebrew cognate of this verb always appears in the Hiphil or Hophal stem. BDB 830 s.v. II פָּרַר suggests a homonym here, meaning “to split; to divide.” A Hitpolel form of a root פָּרַר (parar) appears in Isa 24:19 with the meaning “to shake violently.”
  30. Psalm 74:13 tn The Hebrew text has the plural form, “sea monsters” (cf. NRSV “dragons”), but it is likely that an original enclitic mem has been misunderstood as a plural ending. The imagery of the mythological sea monster is utilized here. See the note on “Leviathan” in v. 14.
  31. Psalm 74:14 sn You crushed the heads of Leviathan. The imagery of vv. 13-14 originates in West Semitic mythology. The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon [Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַּנִין (tanin), translated “sea monster” in v. 13] vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling [Ugaritic ʿqltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן (ʿaqallaton), translated “squirming” in Isa 27:1] serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (note the use of the plural “heads” here and in v. 13). (See CTA 3.iii.38-39 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 50.) (2) “For all that you smote Leviathan the slippery [Ugaritic brḥ, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ (bariakh), translated “fast moving” in Isa 27:1] serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5.i.1-3 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 68.) In the myths Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and, in turn, the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. In the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (see Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the waters of chaos is related to his kingship (see Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Isa 27:1 applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea. Here in Ps 74:13-14 the primary referent is unclear. The psalmist may be describing God’s creation of the world (note vv. 16-17 and see Ps 89:9-12), when he brought order out of a watery mass, or the exodus (see Isa 51:9-10), when he created Israel by destroying the Egyptians in the waters of the sea.
  32. Psalm 74:14 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite in this narrational context.
  33. Psalm 74:14 sn You fed him to the people. This pictures the fragments of Leviathan’s dead corpse washing up on shore and being devoured by those who find them. If the exodus is in view, then it may allude to the bodies of the dead Egyptians which washed up on the shore of the Red Sea (see Exod 14:30).
  34. Psalm 74:15 sn You broke open the spring and the stream. Perhaps this alludes to the way in which God provided water for the Israelites as they traveled in the wilderness following the exodus (see Ps 78:15-16, 20; 105:41).
  35. Psalm 74:15 sn Perpetually flowing rivers are rivers that contain water year round, unlike the seasonal streams that flow only during the rainy season. Perhaps the psalmist here alludes to the drying up of the Jordan River when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan under Joshua (see Josh 3-4).
  36. Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “To you [is] day, also to you [is] night.”
  37. Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “[the] light.” Following the reference to “day and night” and in combination with “sun,” it is likely that the Hebrew term מָאוֹר (maʾor, “light”) refers here to the moon.
  38. Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “you established [the] light and [the] sun.”
  39. Psalm 74:17 tn This would appear to refer to geographical boundaries, such as mountains, rivers, and seacoasts. However, since the day-night cycle has just been mentioned (v. 16) and the next line speaks of the seasons, it is possible that “boundaries” here refers to the divisions of the seasons. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:156.
  40. Psalm 74:17 tn Heb “summer and winter, you, you formed them.”
  41. Psalm 74:18 tn Heb “remember this.”
  42. Psalm 74:18 tn Or “[how] the enemy insults the Lord.”
  43. Psalm 74:19 sn Your dove. The psalmist compares weak and vulnerable Israel to a helpless dove.
  44. Psalm 74:19 tn Heb “do not forget forever.”
  45. Psalm 74:20 tc Heb “look at the covenant.” The LXX reads “your covenant,” which seems to assume a second person pronominal suffix, which would be written with ך (kaf). The suffix may have been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word, כִּי (ki), begins with כ (kaf) .
  46. Psalm 74:20 tn Heb “for the dark places of the earth are full of dwelling places of violence.” The “dark regions” are probably the lands where the people have been exiled (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:157). In some contexts “dark regions” refers to Sheol (Ps 88:6) or to hiding places likened to Sheol (Ps 143:3; Lam 3:6).
  47. Psalm 74:21 sn Let the oppressed and poor praise your name. The statement is metonymic. The point is this: May the oppressed be delivered from their enemies. Then they will have ample reason to praise God’s name.
  48. Psalm 74:22 tn Or “defend your cause.”
  49. Psalm 74:22 tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”
  50. Psalm 74:23 tn Or “forget.”
  51. Psalm 74:23 tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”
  52. Psalm 74:23 tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 24:15-16

15 Do not lie in wait like the wicked[a] against the place where the righteous live;
do not assault[b] his home.
16 Indeed[c] a righteous person will fall[d] seven times, and then get up again,
but the guilty will collapse[e] in calamity.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 24:15 tn The word “wicked” could be taken as a vocative (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, “O wicked man”), but since the next line refers to the wicked this is unlikely. It serves better as an adverbial accusative (“like the wicked”).
  2. Proverbs 24:15 sn The saying warns that it is futile and self-defeating to mistreat God’s people, for they survive—the wicked do not. The warning is against a deliberate, planned assault on their places of dwelling.
  3. Proverbs 24:16 tn The clause beginning with כִּי (ki) could be interpreted as temporal, conditional, or emphatic. It may be viewed as concessive (“although”) but a concessive force would typically arise from its context and relationship to other independent clauses. In any case, the first half of the proverb assures that the righteous keep getting up and going again.sn The righteous may suffer adversity or misfortune any number of times—seven times here—but they will “rise” for virtue triumphs over evil in the end (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 140).
  4. Proverbs 24:16 tn The verb is a Hebrew imperfect of נָפַל (nafal) which should be understood as future “will fall” or modal “may fall.” If it is future, it is exemplary and not predictive of the number of times a righteous person will metaphorically fall down. It is followed by a vav plus perfect consecutive, which either continues the force of the preceding verb, or advances it one logical step, like the apodosis of a condition.
  5. Proverbs 24:16 tn The Niphal of כָּשַׁל (kashal; to stumble) is typically reflexive “to collapse.” Intransitive verbs do not tend to have passive meanings, but the Niphal may refer to the resulting state, “be collapsed, fallen, brought down,” (although some take the Niphal unusually as “caused to stagger”). The imperfect verb form could be taken as a general present, but the future presents a better parallel to the first half of the proverb.
New English Translation (NET)

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