References (2502)
And then his brother came—and his hand held on to Esau's heel (Hebr. akev). And he was named Jacob (Hebr. Jaaqov). Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
[Both sons' names are included in wordplay. Jacob's name alludes to him "holding the heel." The older brother is thus named after his appearance and the younger after his actions. Esau was born reddish, and Jacob was born to grab someone by the heel. The verb aqav has a negative meaning of pushing away, deceiving, and taking away, see ; .]
And the boys grew up. And Esau became a man skilled in hunting [well acquainted with hunting and became a skilled hunter]—a man of the field, while Jacob became a quiet (Hebr. tam) man who stayed among the tents.
[The contrasts between the brothers continue. Esau is adventurous and likes to be outdoors, while Jacob is content to be at home. The word tam also has the meaning of blameless, but here it is more in the sense of "wholeness" in life; he is content to be at home.]
And Isaac loved Esau because he got to eat his game [literally: "for game in his mouth"], while Rebekah loved Jacob.
Jacob had cooked (Hebr. zid) a stew (Hebrew: nazid), [just] when Esau came in from the field and he was exhausted. [The word for cooking (Hebr. zid) is similar to the word for hunting (Hebr. tsod). That is the only similarity in what they do.]
And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me gulp down (devour, swallow – Hebr. laat) some of that red stuff (Hebr. edom), that red stuff there, for I am exhausted!" That is why he was given the name Edom. [The word for eating is only used here in the Old Testament. In later rabbinical literature, it is used about animals that eat. Esau also cannot bring himself to say "the soup"; he just calls it "the red stuff" and wants it right away.]
And Jacob replied, "First (this day), sell your birthright (Hebr. bechorah) to me." [The firstborn son received a double inheritance, see .]
Jacob said, "First (this day), give me your oath." And he gave him his oath. Yes, he [Esau] sold his birthright to Jacob. [Cf. , the same expression of doing something first. Jacob's "give me your oath" here differs dramatically from that in where he is an older man, completely dependent on his son Joseph for his last wish.]
And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. Then he ate. Then he drank. Then he got up. And then he left. So Esau despised [lightly abandoned] his birthright.
[The verbs in the verse (5 in a row) reinforce how Esau acts without thinking about the consequences. The birthright was a gift from the Lord (Yahweh). His recklessness becomes a warning example of someone who is unspiritual, see .]
Rebecca spoke to her son Jacob and said, "Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying,
Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
And Rebekah took the choice (finest, best) clothes [some kind of festive attire] of Esau, her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob.
And she gave the delicious dish and bread that she had prepared into the hands of her son Jacob.
Then Jacob said to his father [and lied], “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me (what you asked of me). Get up [and come], I beg you, sit down and eat of my game [yet another lie; he had neither hunted nor prepared the meal], so that you (your soul) may bless me.”
Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come closer, I beg you, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."
And Jacob went close to his father Isaac, and he felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are Esau's hands."
And it came to pass, that as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing James, James went out the door of his father's house, and Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
And he [Esau] said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? [Jacob means "he who holds the heel" or "he who supplants."] For he has supplanted me these two times. He took my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing." Then he asked, "Do you have another blessing for me?"
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said (thought) in his heart, "Let the days of mourning for my father pass, then I will kill my brother Jacob."
And the words of Esau, her older son, were told to Rebekah, and she sent for Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau is touching you, mourning (Hebr. nacham) [feeling sorrow, but will soon act] and intends to kill you.
And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I loathe my life (am weary of life) because of the daughters of Heth [whom Esau married, see ]. If [now also] Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, one of these daughters of the land, why should I live?"
And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and admonished him and said to him, "You shall not take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan.
And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-Aram, to Laban the Aramean, the son of Bethuel and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-Aram to take a wife from there, and that he had blessed him and commanded him, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,"
and that Jacob had listened to his father and mother and had gone to Paddan-Aram,
Jacob left
[his parents Isaac and Rebekah and his brother Esau in] Beer-Sheva and set out for Haran.
[Haran is located in Mesopotamia, about 800 km north of Beer-Sheva, at least a month's walk. Rebecca's plan to complain about Esau's Canaanite wives had succeeded. She persuaded her husband Isaac to send her favorite son Jacob away to find a wife far to the north, thus protecting him from being killed by his twin brother Esau.] [The dream ended and] Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."
And Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.
And Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God (Elohim) is with me and keeps (guards, protects, preserves) me on the way I go and gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear,
And Jacob lifted his foot (continued his journey) [from Bethel to Paddan-Aram, see , ] and came to the sons of the east [a broad term for the peoples east of Canaan].
[The expression "lift up his foot" is unusual. The word lift up (Hebr. nasa) is usually used to mean "to lift up one's eyes." Perhaps this is the author's way of preparing the reader to pay attention the next time this word is used, which is in . It may also be a connection to the dream the previous night when he looked up and saw the ladder and the angels and had an encounter with God, see .]
Jacob asked them, "My brothers, who are you?"
They replied, "We are from Haran." []
And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter, and his sheep, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered Laban's flock.
And Jacob kissed Rachel, and he lifted up (raised—Hebr. nasa) his voice and wept.
And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son. Then she ran away and told her father.
And it came to pass, when Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he recounted everything to Laban.
And Laban said to Jacob, "Since you are my relative (brother – Hebr. ach), you shall not serve (work for, minister to – Hebr. avad) me for nothing. Tell me what wages I should give you."
[The word for to serve (Hebr. avad) means to cultivate and work (; ) but also to worship (). In Greek philosophy and thinking, which has greatly influenced the Western world, work is considered evil and the spiritual good. In the Bible, worship and work belong together.]
And Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but in his eyes it was only a few days, because of the love he had for her.
Then [seven years later] Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."
And Jacob did so and completed his weeks, and he gave him Rachel, his daughter, as a wife.
And when Rachel saw that she was not bearing children to Jacob, she envied her sister [Leah, who had already borne Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah] and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die.”
Then Jacob’s anger flared up against Rachel, and he said to her, "Am I in the place of God (Elohim), who has withheld the fruit of the womb from you?"
So she gave him Bilhah, her servant, as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.
And Bilhah conceived and bore a son to Jacob.
And Bilhah, Rachel's servant, became pregnant again and bore a second son to Jacob.
When Leah saw that she had stopped (ceased) becoming pregnant, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a concubine.
And Zilpah, Leah's servant, bore a son to Jacob.
When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have truly bought you with my son's mandrakes." [Leah did not wait at home but went out to meet Jacob.] And he lay with her that night. [Here, the word used is not "know" (Hebr. , see ), which is the word usually used for marital relations, but "lie," which more often has to do with extramarital sex, see . The first four sons that Leah bears are simply said to be born (, , , ), but the last two are said to be born "to Jacob" (verses 17 and 19), just like Bilhah (verses 5 and 7) and Zilpah (verses 10 and 12). Joseph and Benjamin are also described differently and do not have the phrase "to Jacob," see and .]
And God (Elohim) listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob.
And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my country.
And he said, "What shall I give you?"
And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything; if you will do this for me, I will again be a shepherd [be a shepherd for] your flock and watch over it.
And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob tended [took care of and looked after] the rest of Laban's flocks.
And Jacob took rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, so that the white was visible on the rods.
And Jacob separated the male lambs, and turned the faces of the flock toward the striped and all the dark ones in Laban's flock, and he placed his own flocks apart and did not place them in Laban's flock.
And it came to pass, when the strong ones in the flock were mating, that Jacob placed the rods before their eyes in the troughs of the flock, so that they conceived among the rods,
but when the flock was weak, he did not put them there. In this way, the weak ones became Laban's and the strong ones Jacob's.
Jacob heard Laban's sons say, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned. He has acquired all this wealth from what belongs to our father."
Jacob also noticed that Laban did not look at him in the same way as before (his attitude had changed).
Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your family. I am with you."
And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah and asked them to come out to his flock in the field,
And the angel (messenger) of God (Elohim) said to me in the dream, 'Jacob! ' I replied, 'Here I am (Hebr. hineni; I take responsibility, I am at your disposal).'
Jacob then set out and put his children and wives on camels
And Jacob slipped away from the Aramean Laban without telling him that he was going to flee.
On the third day, Laban was told that Jacob had fled.
But God came to the Aramean Laban in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, good or bad."
When Laban caught up with Jacob, he had set up camp on the mountain. Laban and his men also set up camp on the mountains of Gilead.
Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives taken by the sword.
I have the power (strength – Hebr. el) to harm you, but your father's God (Elohim) said to me last night: 'Be careful not to say anything against Jacob, good or bad.
Jacob replied to Laban, "I was afraid of you, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force (snatch them from me – Hebr. gazal).
But whoever you find your gods with shall not live. Here, in front of our relatives, you may see if I have anything of yours, and if so, take it." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
Laban then went into Jacob's tent, and then into Leah's tent and the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. When he came out of Leah's tent, he went into Rachel's tent.
Jacob became angry and quarreled with Laban, saying to him, "What is my offense, what is my sin, that you pursue me so fiercely?
Laban replied to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. What could I do to my daughters or to the children they have borne?
Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
Then he said to his people, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a pile and held a meal there on the pile.
Laban called it Jegar-Sahaduta, but Jacob called it Galed.
Laban further said to Jacob, "See this pile of stones and see this pillar that I have set up between me and you.
The God of Abraham and Nahor shall be judge between us, he who was the God of their father." And Jacob swore by him whom his father Isaac revered.
Then Jacob offered sacrifices on the mountain and invited his relatives to a meal. They ate and stayed on the mountain overnight.
And Jacob went on his way, and the angel (messenger) of God (Elohim) met him.
And Jacob said, when he saw them, "This is God's (Elohim's) camp." And he named that place Mahanaim [meaning "two camps," a place in the hill country of Gilead east of the Jordan River near Jabbok, see , ].
And Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir [the land east and south of the Dead Sea], the field of Edom (open countryside).
And he commanded them, saying, "Thus shall you say to my lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban and stayed there until now.
And the messengers returned to Jacob and said, "We came to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and 400 men with him."
Jacob was very afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps.
And Jacob said, "O God (Elohim) of my father Abraham and God (Elohim) of my father Isaac, O Lord (Yahweh), you who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you.
Then you shall answer (say): 'They are your servant Jacob's; they are a gift sent to my lord, to Esau; and behold, he is also behind us.
and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.' For he said (thought), 'I will appease him with the gift that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.'
Jacob was left alone [on the north bank of the river]. A man [God himself in human form, see ] wrestled with him until sunrise.
When the man saw that he could not prevail against Jacob, he touched Jacob's hip socket, so that his hip was dislocated as they wrestled.
Then the man asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Jacob." [In the Old Testament, names reflect personality. The name Jacob means "deceiver, one who lies in wait and attacks," literally "one who takes by the heel." The name thus stands for a person who deceives and betrays, something that has characterized Jacob's life and is now becoming apparent to him.]
The man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob (deceiver), but Israel, for you have struggled with both God (Elohim) and men and prevailed (survived)."
[The name Israel has several meanings: "to fight against God" or "God fights for us," "God reigns" or "we reign together with God." In Hebrew, the names Jacob and Israel are completely different except for one letter that they have in common, namely the letter yod. This is the smallest of all Hebrew letters and therefore often symbolizes humility. This reinforces that the only thing left of the old Jacob is his humility; he needed to be emptied of his own pride. Jacob wrestled with God and in the process became humble. On that basis, he becomes Israel, an honest man and a ruler together with God who triumphs! See also .]
Then Jacob asked, "I beg you, tell me your name." He said, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.
Jacob called the place Peniel [meaning: "turned toward God"]. He said, "For I have seen God (Elohim) face to face, and have survived."
[Some see the man Jacob wrestles with as Jesus preincarnate, i.e., Jesus appearing as an angel of the Lord before taking human form, see also ; ; ; .]
That is why the sons of Israel do not eat the hip muscle that is on the thigh to this day, because he touched Jacob's hip, the hip muscle on the thigh.
[Although Jacob was given a new name in , his old name is used in and also in the following verses (, ; ). The name change did not mean that he would never use that name again. When Simon receives a new name (Peter, see ), his old name is still referred to. (). The name change has to do with the meaning of the name; instead of being someone who lies and deceives and fights against God, Jacob now becomes Israel, someone who fights alongside God.]
[The Hebrew linguistic construction depicts the scene as Esau quickly approaches, and Jacob acts and divides his family.]
And Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and with him 400 men. And he divided the children to Leah and to Rachel and to the two maidservants.
And Jacob answered, "No, I beg you, if I have found favor (undeserved love – Hebr. chen) in your eyes, then accept the gifts from my hand, for as surely as I have seen your face, as when someone sees the face of God (Elohim), you give me favor (conditional favor – Hebr. ratsah).
And Jacob journeyed to Sukkot [east of the Jordan River near Jabbok; probably present-day Tell Deir Alla] and built himself a house and made stalls (Hebr. sukkot) for his livestock. Therefore, that place is called Sukkot. [Sukkot means hut and corresponds to the livestock shelters that were built as stables at that time. The same word is found in the Feast of Tabernacles, which is called Sukkot in Hebrew.]
And
Jacob [continued westward, across the Jordan, and] arrived safely
(in peace) at the city of
Shechem in the land of Canaan when he came from Paddan-Aram
[] and camped in front of the city.
[Shechem (meaning: shoulder) is present-day Nablus. The city is located in the central mountainous region about 70 kilometers north of Jerusalem near Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Jacob pitched his tents in front of the city, i.e., east of it in the fertile fields.]And he erected an altar there and called it El-Elohei-Israel (God, God of Israel).
[The value of the silver coin qesitah is unknown but probably corresponds to a shekel; the Greek translation Septuagint translates the word as lamb, which was sold for a shekel, see also ; .]
[Dina is the seventh and youngest of Leah's children (). She was born at the end of Jacob's 14th year in Haran while he was working for Laban. The family remains in Haran for another 6 years (they spend a total of 20 years there, see ). Dina is therefore about 6 years old when the family moves to Sukkot (). They spend a few years there before moving to Shechem. A few years pass, and she must be around 12-13 years old to be allowed to go out on her own. Since she is almost the same age as Joseph (), she cannot be older than 17, the age Joseph is in a few chapters later when he is sold by his brothers, see . Dina is therefore 12-16 years old when the events in this chapter take place.]
And Dina, Leah's daughter, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see (meet) the daughters of the land. [She socializes with Canaanite youths in the village.]
And his soul was drawn to Dina, Jacob's daughter, and he loved the young woman and spoke to her heart.
Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah, and his sons were in the field with the livestock, and Jacob remained silent until they came.
And Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak with him.
And Jacob's sons came in from the field when they heard it. And the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done an abominable thing in Israel when he lay with Jacob's daughter, something that should never have been done.
And Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with cunning and spoke because he had defiled their sister Dinah
And the young man did not delay in doing this, because he loved Jacob's daughter. And he was more honored than anyone else in his father's house.
And it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came upon the city unnoticed and struck down all its men.
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and destroyed the city because they had defiled their sister.
And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble upon me (created chaos, caused me great distress). Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in the land will hate me (literally: 'I have become an odour/stink among them'). Since we are few (I am few in number), they will unite against me and strike me down, and I will be destroyed, I and my house."
And God
(Elohim) said to
Jacob, "Get up and go up to
(Hebr. alah) Bethel and live there. And make an altar to God
(El) who appeared to you when you fled from the face of your brother Esau."
[Jacob now leaves Shechem, where he has lived for about 10 years (), and goes to Bethel, 30 km to the south. Bethel was the place where Jacob, at the age of about 30, had previously met the Lord, see . Jacob "goes up," which is also true in terms of altitude, as Bethel is 350 meters higher than Shechem.]Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the idols that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes
And they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession and the rings in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was in Shechem.
And they journeyed, and a fear of God came upon all the cities round about them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
And
Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is,
Bethel [Bethel means "house of God"; see also ], he and the people who were with him.
And God (Elohim) appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-Aram and blessed him.
And God (Elohim) said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name," and he gave him the name Israel.
And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.
And
Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him
Bethel [meaning House of God].
And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave, which is Rachel's grave pillar to this day.
And Jacob journeyed on and pitched his tent toward Migdal-Eder ["the tower of Edar"; literally "the tower of the flock"]. [The location is probably between Bethlehem and Hebron, see also .]
And it came to pass, when Israel [formerly called Jacob, see ] dwelt in the land, that Reuben went and lay (had sexual relations) with Bilhah, his father's concubine [who belonged to the now deceased Rachel], and Israel [his father] heard of it.
[This verse is thematically related to the rape of Dinah by Shechem, see . Reuben's actions led to his condemnation, see . This was both a forbidden incestuous relationship () and an attempt to gain authority over his father. The reasons were probably other than sexual attraction. Bilhah was Rachel's servant, and by defiling her, Reuben reduced the risk that she would take over Rachel's role as Jacob's favorite. This foolish act was probably an attempt to help his mother Leah. The incident with the mandrakes ("love apples") may also be a contributing factor, see . Reuben is about 5 years old when he gets involved in the quarrel between Rachel and his mother, and Rachel takes his find from the field.]
Jacob had twelve sons:
Leah's [six] sons:
Reuben, Jacob's firstborn,
and Simeon
and Levi
and Judah
and Issachar
and Zebulun (Hebr. Zevolun).
Leah's [two] sons by the servant Zilpah:
Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-Aram. [General statement for the majority of the children. Benjamin was born in Canaan, see verses 16-17.]
And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre, to Kirjath-Arba, that is, Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.
And Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days (sated, fulfilled; literally: "sevenfold" – Hebr. savea), and Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
[The list of the twelve sons here follows the mothers (Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah) and the order of birth of each mother. Joseph and Benjamin are placed centrally. Below are the sons, also in order of birth:
Leah
1. Reuben
2. Simeon
3. Levi
4. Judah
9. Issachar
10. Zebulun
Rachel
11. Joseph
12. Benjamin
Bilhah (Rachel's maid)
5. Dan.
6. Naphtali
Zilpah (Leah's maid)
7. Gad
8. Asher
There are a total of 28 enumerations in the Old Testament, see also .]
And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughter and all the persons of his house, and his cattle and all his animals and all his possessions that he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went to a land away from his brother Jacob.
These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites.
Jacob lived in the land where his fathers had wandered, in the land of Canaan.
[Here comes a new "toledot unit" that forms the twelfth and last literary unit in Genesis.]
This is the continuation of Jacob's story (his genealogy/family tree – Hebr. ).
[Now follows a new paragraph, see ; ; ; ; , ; , ; , ; . This is the twelfth and final section of Gen. The theme is Joseph, who is also a prototype of Jesus. This section also follows a chiastic pattern:
A The brothers' hatred of Joseph ()
B Joseph is believed to be dead, Jacob mourns ()
C Interlude: Judah and Tamar ()
D Unexpected reversal of roles – Perez and Zerah ()
E Joseph's wisdom ()
F The brothers go to Egypt ()
X Israel's family tree ()
F´ The move to Egypt ()
E´ Joseph's wisdom ()
D´ Unexpected reversal of roles – Ephraim and Manasseh ()
C´ Interlude: Jacob prophesies over his sons ()
B´ Jacob's death, Joseph buries him ()
A´ Joseph reassures his brothers ()]
Joseph, his son, who was now 17 years old—still a young man—herded the small livestock together with his [older] brothers, the sons of Bilhah [Dan and Naphtali, see ] and the sons of Zilpah [Gad and Asher, see ], his father's wives. Joseph brought back bad reports about them to his father.
[Joseph was Jacob's eleventh son, Rachel's firstborn, see . Jacob was 108 years old. The expression "a young man" can be interpreted as meaning that he was a helper, or it can emphasize that he was young and had responsibility for the flock. It is hinted that there are complicated family relationships, and the mention of Bilhah (Rachel's maid) and Zilpah (Leah's maid) also recalls the rivalry between Leah and Rachel, see , . Some have seen Joseph as a tattletale, but based on how his character is described elsewhere, it seems more likely that he was attentive to detail and faithful in small matters, so that he would eventually be entrusted with much, see . describes how he is ready and willing to be sent out on his father's behalf.]
Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because he was the son he had in his old age [91 years old, with Rachel, whom he loved more than Leah, see ], and he had a special coat made for him. [The word for "special coat" (Hebr. ketonet passim) can mean long-sleeved or multicolored. It probably had woven threads of other colors or patterns. It was a beautiful, ornate coat that attracted attention.]
Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them," and he replied, "Here I am." [Hebr. hineni, meaning "I am at your disposal" or "I am ready to take responsibility," see .]
Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his hips and mourned Joseph for many days.
When Jacob saw (understood) that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you looking at each other?" [Although Jacob was going blind, see , he had the clarity to see what needed to be done. The brothers' inability to see and act stands in sharp contrast to Joseph, who both foresaw the famine and prepared for it.]
But Benjamin, Joseph's [younger] brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said (thinking to himself), "What if some misfortune befalls him?" [Benjamin and Joseph were full brothers. Rachel was their mother.]
The sons of Israel came among all the others who came [on the 8-10 day journey down to Egypt] to trade, for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.
They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him everything that had happened to them, saying:
Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have robbed me of my children. Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin away. All this has come upon me (all this has befallen me)."
Israel [formerly called Jacob, see ] said, "Why have you done this evil thing to me, telling the man that you had another brother?"
Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy [Benjamin] with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and our little ones.
Their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so now, then do this. Take some of the best fruits of the land in your bags and bring gifts for the man, some balm and some honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and sweet almonds. [Ironically, these are the same goods that were in the caravan that took Joseph to Egypt, see , which are now being brought down as gifts to Joseph.]
The sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them wagons according to Pharaoh's command, and gave them provisions for the journey.
They went up, out of the land of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan to Jacob, their father.
They told him all the words that Joseph had spoken to them. When he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob was renewed (revived) in him.
Israel said, "It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I want to go and see him before I die."
Israel
[Jacob] made the journey with all that he owned and came to
Beer-Sheva. There he sacrificed to the God
(Elohim) of his father Isaac.
God spoke to Israel in a dream at night and said, "Jacob, Jacob!"
"Here I am," he replied.
[It had been 22 years since Jacob had heard the voice of the Lord in this way; he was now 130 years old, see . Hebrew hineni means "I am at your disposal" or "I am ready to take responsibility." Jacob responds this way for the first time in when he is with Laban and has a dream in which God calls him back to the land of Canaan. See also .]
Jacob rose from
Beer-Sheva, and the sons of Israel carried
Jacob, their father, and their little ones and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
They took their livestock and their possessions, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and his seed (descendants, children) with him.
[Now follows a list of Jacob's sons. The phrase "This is the name of" is a common phrase, see ; ; . The verse is structured as a chiasm.]
And these are the names of
the sons of
Israel
who came to Egypt,
Jacob
and his sons:
Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.
These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-Aram; [she also bore] his daughter Dinah.
All his sons and his daughters—33 persons in all (lives, souls). [Half of all, see —the highest number in this genealogy.]
These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah, and she bore them to Jacob—a total of 16 persons (souls, lives).
The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife:
Joseph and Benjamin.
These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob—a total of 14 persons (souls, lives).
These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and whom she bore to Jacob—a total of 7 persons (souls, lives).
All the persons (souls, lives) belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt, those who came from his loins, as well as the wives of Jacob's sons—in total there were 66 persons (souls, lives).
Joseph's sons who were born to him in Egypt were two – all the persons in Jacob's house who came to Egypt were 70 in total.
[There are different ways of looking at who is included in the numbers 66 and 70. One difference seems to be highlighted in the phrase "came with Jacob". Joseph's two sons should not be included in that group. The sum of the four subtotals given in the paragraph above is 70 persons (33 + 16 + 14 + 7), see verses 15, 18, 22, and 25. The 70 may include Jacob himself and the 71 descendants (including Dinah, Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim) listed in verses 8-25, minus Er and Onan who died, see .]
Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen, and he presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck for a long time.
Israel said to Joseph, "Now I can die, since I have seen your face and that you are alive."
Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
[Abraham is destined to be a blessing to all families on earth, see . Jacob, Abraham's grandson, now pronounces a blessing over Pharaoh.]
Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the days and years of your life?"
Jacob answered Pharaoh, "The days and years of my pilgrimage are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of my life, and I have not attained the days and years of the life of my fathers, the days that they lived (on earth)."
Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from Pharaoh's presence.
Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they acquired possessions there and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.
Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for 17 years. Jacob's days (the years of his life) were 147 years [7 years and 40 and 100 years].
The time drew near when Israel [Jacob] must die, and he called his son Joseph and said to him, "I beg you, if I have found favor (undeserved love) in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and faithfully with me. I beg you, do not bury me in Egypt. [Three times the Hebr. word na is used as an appeal and is often translated as 'I beg you'.]
He [Jacob/Israel] said, "Give me your oath." And he [Joseph] gave him his oath, and Israel bowed down [and worshipped] at the head of the bed. [Cf. ]
And they told Jacob, saying, "Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you." Israel strengthened himself (gathered his strength) and sat on the bed.
Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty (El Shaddai) appeared to me at Luz [another name for Bethel] in the land of Canaan and blessed me [; ],
When Israel [Jacob] saw Joseph's sons, he asked, "Who are these?"
Now Israel's eyes were dim with age, so that he could not see. He brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
Israel said to Joseph, "I did not think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your offspring (your sons) too!"
Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him.
Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head—who was the younger—and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
He blessed them that day and said, "By you Israel shall bless, saying, 'God (Elohim) shall make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. '" So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God (Elohim) will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.
[From birth, Jacob's life had been marked by strife within the family, but also by a wrestling match with God, see , ; ; . Here, at the end of his life, he prophesies from the depths of his spirit about his sons. The prophecies are based on both their character and their actions. These words are both blessings upon his sons and prophecies about the future, hence the expression "at the end of your days," since some of what is said will not be fulfilled until the end of time.]
Gather yourselves together and listen, sons of Jacob, to Israel your father.
[The enumeration of the twelve sons in this chapter follows their mothers (Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, and Rachel) and their order of birth. In the Old Testament, there are 28 lists, based on:
• Birth order (; )
• Relationship to the tabernacle ()
• Allotted land ()
• The twelve gates ()
In the New Testament, there are two enumerations in ; .]
Cursed is their anger,
for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will divide (spread, scatter) them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
Dan [meaning "judge"] shall judge (bring justice to) his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
Nevertheless, his bow was firm (steady, stable)
and his arms and hands nimble (quick and agile),
through the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
from there (from) the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them and blessed them, each according to his blessing, he blessed them.
[This is the first time the phrase "the twelve tribes of Israel" is used. When the land is eventually divided, Levi is not included; however, Joseph's two sons become leaders of two tribes. Manasseh and Ephraim take the place of Joseph and Levi.]
When Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he gathered his feet into the bed and breathed his last breath and was gathered to his people.
Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel [Jacob].
Joseph said to his brothers, "I am dying, but God (Elohim) will surely visit you (Hebr. ) and bring you up out of this land, just as he swore (promised) to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Joseph took an oath from the sons of Israel and said, "God will surely visit you, and then [when you leave Egypt] you shall carry my bones from here" [Hebr. is a rich word that means to see, visit, remember, and can also be used to count and muster. The word is repeated twice, both here and in , which reinforces and assures that God will see and protect the Israelites.]
And the names of the sons of Israel, who came with their families [from the land of Canaan because of a great famine] to Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim), were:
Those who descended from Jacob [his twelve children and grandchildren] numbered seventy in all. Joseph was already in Egypt.
But the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied, they grew and became very strong (numerous), and the whole land was filled with them.
[God fulfilled his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the Israelites had become a great people. They had become so large that they were a separate people among the Egyptians.
The Hebrew name for Egypt is Mitsrajim. That word was not used by the Egyptians themselves; they had the name Tavi, which means "two lands" and probably refers to Upper and Lower Egypt. The Hebrew word Mitsrajim comes from Ham's second son, Mitsrajim (). The word is in the dual form, which may have to do with the connection to Upper and Lower Egypt. The meaning is not entirely known, but the word is similar to the Hebrew matsor, which means siege and to be besieged. There may be a geographical connection here to the narrow "besieged" land along the Nile River. Civilization is centered around the Nile, and the land is "doubly" enclosed on either side of it. The Bible's choice to use this descriptive word for Egypt makes the story more general and applicable to all kinds of situations and areas that "enclose" and seek to enslave a person. The steps to liberation, in which the family plays an important role (it needs to be gathered and restored before the exodus can take place, see ), can also be applied in our society today.]
The king said to his people: "Look, the Israelites have become too numerous and too strong for us.
But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread out. Because of this, the Egyptians felt even more threatened.
The Israelites were then forced into pure slave labor.
Many years later, the king of Egypt [who was seeking Moses' life] died. The Israelites continued to sigh because of their slavery. They cried out in their distress, and their lamentation rose up to God.
When God heard their cries, he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God saw the situation the Israelites were in, and cared for (understood, did not forget) them.
He continued, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Behold, the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress (torture) them.
Therefore, go now, so that I may send you to Pharaoh, and you shall bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."
[Now follows a dialogue between Moses and God. Moses gives four excuses for why he does not want to go, and finally he says outright, send someone else, see .]
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
But Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What shall I say to them?"
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM (I have always been present, I am now, and I will always be). You shall say this to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.
God also said to Moses, "This is what you shall say to the Israelites: 'The Lord (Yahweh), the God of your fathers (Elohim) – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob – has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is how I will be remembered from generation to generation.
Now go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The Lord (Yahweh), the God of your fathers (Elohim)—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Elohim)—has appeared to me and said, "I have seen what is happening to you in Egypt,
They [the elders of Israel] will listen to you. Then you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say: The Lord (Yahweh), the God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. We ask your permission to go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God.
The Lord said, "This [sign] is so that the elders will believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to you."
You shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son.
Then Moses and Aaron left there [for Egypt] and called together the elders of the Israelites.
and the people believed [in Moses and Aaron]. When they heard that the Lord had taken care of the Israelites and that he had seen how they suffered, they fell down and bowed down and worshipped [in thanksgiving to God].
Some time later, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness."
But Pharaoh [who considered himself a god] replied, "Who is the Lord (Yahweh)? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord (Yahweh), and I will not let Israel go."
The Israeli foremen whom Pharaoh's slave drivers had set over the people were beaten and told, "Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks as before, neither yesterday nor today?"
Then the Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out, "Why are you treating your servants this way?
The Israeli foremen understood that they were in trouble when they were told that the workload would not be lightened. They had to make as many bricks every day as they had done before.
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El-Shaddai) [; ]. However, I did not make myself known (they did not experience me) by my name Yahweh.
I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians have enslaved, and I have remembered (not forgotten) my covenant.
Therefore, tell the Israelites:
'I am the Lord (Yahweh).
I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians.
I will rescue you from their slavery.
I will redeem (Hebr. gaal) you with my outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
I will give it to you as an inheritance and property.
I am the Lord (Yahweh)."
[In , Hebr. gaal is used for the first time in Exodus. This entire story of how God frees the Israelites from slavery is the single greatest typology in the entire Old Testament of what Jesus does during Holy Week when he goes to the cross for us as our Redeemer (Hebr. goel; the noun form of the verb gaal), see also ; .]
So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor. [Literally, discouragement means "shortness of spirit." The word can be translated as impatience because there is no spirit of hope left. The verse describes how the Israelites were so broken, both spiritually and physically, that they could not take in his encouraging words.]
"Go and tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the Israelites leave his country."
But Moses spoke to the Lord: "Lord, see [how hopeless the situation is], the Israelites do not listen to me, so why would Pharaoh listen? Besides, I have difficulty speaking." [Literally, "I have uncircumcised lips." The expression seems to relate to previous failures, see .]
The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses and Aaron and commanded them (gave them the task) to tell both the children of Israel and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, that the Israelites would be led out of the land of Egypt.
[Here there is a pause in the story. You could say it's a "cliffhanger" – how will it turn out? Neither the Israelites nor Pharaoh listen to Moses, and he himself is on the verge of giving up, see . In the middle of the story's climax, there is a flashback showing how Moses and Aaron are the fourth generation from Jacob via the tribe of Levi. The genealogy is limited to the first three sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. The following nine sons are not relevant to showing Moses and Aaron's kinship and are not included. Jacob is also called Israel, see . In the list below, the names included in Moses and Aaron's family tree are marked in bold.]
These were the heads of their respective families.
The sons of Reuben, Israel's [Jacob's] firstborn:
Chanoch (Enoch) and Pallo,
Chetsron (Hesron) and Karmi;
these were the Reubenite families.
It was this Aaron and this Moses whom the Lord commanded to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, arranged in divisions.
It was they who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, about bringing the Israelites out of the land—these two, Moses and Aaron.
You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh so that he must let the Israelites leave his land.
Pharaoh will not listen to you. I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my armies, my people the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt through great judgments.
Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them."
But the Lord (Yahweh) will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing belonging to the children (sons) of Israel will die." [Here God again makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites, see also .]
[The Egyptian goddess Hathor was the king's nurse, she was also the goddess responsible for love, fertility, and women. She was also considered to be the one who cleansed the land of those who were not true believers, pagans in relation to the Egyptian pantheon. This is also a judgment against the religious hierarchy where calves, cows, and oxen were worshipped and highly regarded.]
The next day, the Lord (Yahweh) did this deed (carried out this prov). All the livestock [horses, donkeys, camels, sheep, and goats, see ] in Egypt died, but not a single animal belonging to the children of Israel died.
When Pharaoh inquired, not a single animal belonging to the children of Israel (sons) had died.
But Pharaoh's heart was hardened (closed), and he did not let the people go.
Only in the land of Goshen, where the children (sons) of Israel lived, did no hail fall. [Here God again makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.]
Pharaoh's heart was hardened (closed), and he did not let the children (sons) of Israel go, as the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken through Moses.
But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children (sons) of Israel go.
No one could see anyone else, and no one could rise from their place for three days. But all the sons of Israel (all the people) had light where they were.
But not even a dog will growl (bark; literally: 'move its tongue') at any of the children of Israel (sons), neither man nor beast, so that you may know that the Lord (Yahweh) makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
Moses and Aaron performed all these signs before Pharaoh, and the Lord (Yahweh) hardened (closed) Pharaoh's heart, so that he did not let the children (sons) of Israel go out of his land.
Speak to the whole people of Israel [tell them]: On the 10th day of this month, each family shall take a lamb—one lamb for each household.
You shall guard it (take care of it) until the 14th of this month. [The lamb shall be separated from the other sheep for four days.] Then all the people of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight (literally: 'between the two evenings' – Hebr. ben arbajim).
[Between the two evenings is a Hebrew expression for the time from when the sun begins to set until sunset. In Israel, this is sometime between three and six in the afternoon. In Jesus' time, it had come to be interpreted as between noon and six, probably because of logistical problems with everyone slaughtering in the temple and queuing up instead of everyone slaughtering at home.
This is a foreshadowing of Jesus riding into Jerusalem four days before his arrest and crucifixion. Just as the lamb here must live with and be seen by the family who will then slaughter and eat it, Jesus must be seen by the priests in Jerusalem before he could go to the cross. Even the doorposts and crossbars are an image of the cross where Jesus gave his blood (). Jesus was a whole burnt offering (). Jesus' body was taken down from the cross before evening ().]
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread (bread baked without yeast – Hebr. ). [Unleavened bread is a symbol of sinlessness.] On the first day, you must remove all leaven (sourdough – Hebr. ) from your houses. Anyone who eats bread baked with leaven between the first and seventh days [of the feast] shall be cut off from Israel.
No yeast (leaven) shall be found in your houses during these seven days [of the feast]. Anyone who eats anything that has yeast in it shall be cut off from Israel. It does not matter whether he is a stranger or born in the land [the principle applies to everyone].
Then Moses called all the elders and said to them, "Go and take a small animal (sheep, lamb) for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb (Hebr. pesach).
Then you shall answer: 'It is the Passover lamb to the Lord (Yahweh), because he passed over (Hebr. pesach) [protected] the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians, but saved our houses. Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
Then the Israelites went and did everything the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.
[There are two theories regarding the date of the exodus: the late theory (12th century BC) and the early theory (14th century BC). See for more information. The enormous volcanic eruption on the Greek island of Santorini (then known as Thera) could explain many of the plagues. The eruption caused earthquakes, tsunamis, and many cubic kilometers of ash and pumice shook some of the early civilizations of the Mediterranean to their foundations. This could explain how the water receded and caused a huge tsunami. It could have appeared as a "pillar of fire" at night, etc. The eruption, which is the worst ever, has been dated to 1450 BC based on findings from neighboring civilizations. Dating based on radiometric measurements places the eruption earlier, between 1628 and 1600 BC.]
He [Pharaoh] called Moses and Aaron in the middle of the night and said: "Get up, leave my people, both you and the sons of Israel (all Israelites), and go and serve (worship) the Lord (Yahweh) as you have said (spoken – Hebr. davar).
In this way, the sons of Israel (the people) did as Moses had said. They asked the Egyptians for objects of silver and gold and clothing.
Then the children (sons) of Israel journeyed from Rameses [Tanis or Zoan] to Sukkot [probably Tell el Maskhuta, southeast of Rameses], about 600,000 strong men [over 20 years old] on foot, in addition to the children (families). [In , the count after the exodus is 625,550 men over the age of 20.]
The time that the sons of Israel (the people) had stayed in Egypt was 430 years.
It was a night of watching for the Lord (Yahweh) to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is a night of watching for the Lord (Yahweh), for all the children (sons) of Israel throughout the generations.
The entire congregation of Israel must observe this.
And all the children (sons) of Israel did so. They did exactly as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses and Aaron.
It was on that very day that the Lord brought the children (sons) of Israel out of the land of Egypt as an army (Hebr. tsevaot). []
"Set apart (sanctify) for me every firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children (sons) of Israel, both among humans and animals, it is mine."
God led the people around through the desert toward the Reed Sea (Red Sea). The Israelites marched like an army (organized in structured groups) out of Egypt.[The Bible uses the general term Reed Sea (Hebr. jam sof) and then just the sea (, , , , , , , , , ; ). In , it refers to the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea at present-day Eilat. The Greek translation Septuagint writes Red Sea. Since the Red Sea has two arms on either side of the Sinai Peninsula, the western one being the Gulf of Suez and the eastern one being the Gulf of Aqaba, there are several suggestions as to exactly where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.]
Moses also took Joseph's bones with him, because he had taken an oath, a promise, from the children (sons) of Israel, saying, "God (Elohim) will surely remember you, and then you shall take my bones with you."
[Joseph knew for certain the word that God had spoken to Abraham when he said that they would be slaves in Egypt for four generations and then return to the land, see , so he took this promise from the sons of Israel, which Moses now fulfills.]
Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp outside Pi Hachirot [this word is similar to the Hebrew word herut, which means freedom] between Migdol [meaning tower] and the sea; opposite Baal Tsefon, you shall camp by the sea.
Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel (people): They are wandering aimlessly in the land, the desert has closed in on them.
[Pi Hachirot means "the place where the papyrus plant grows" and should be in the lowlands of Egypt, probably not far from the Nile. Another interpretation gives the meaning "the entrance to the excavations," in which case it refers to the canal that was built in a north-south direction, which runs through the region near Qantara. Baal Tsefon is "the gate to the north." As they wandered south on the Sinai Peninsula, they were surrounded by water on all sides except the north, and from a human perspective it might seem completely pointless to go that way, as it would only lead them back to where they started if they had no boats to take them across the water.]
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants' hearts changed toward the people, and they said, "What have we done, letting Israel leave their place as our slaves?"
The Lord (Yahweh) hardened (closed) the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that he pursued the sons (people) of Israel, because the sons (people) of Israel went out with a high hand (confidently, proudly) [in Pharaoh's eyes, openly and defiantly].
When Pharaoh was near, the Israelites discovered that the Egyptians were marching toward them, and the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord,
The Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move forward [into the sea].
Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall walk on dry ground straight through the sea.
The angel (messenger) of God (Elohim), who [usually] went before the camp (army) of Israel, moved and went [now] behind them, so that the pillar of cloud (pillar of smoke/cloud) [] moved from [being] in front of them and stood [now] behind them.
The [pillar of cloud, the angel] came in that way between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of the Israelites. The cloud was there with darkness [for the Egyptians], yet it gave light there during the night [to the Israelites], and no one came near the other all night long.
[The Hebrew text is not entirely clear in , which literally reads: "The cloud and the darkness were there and lit up the night." The Greek translation Septuagint translates: "Darkness fell, and the whole night passed without the armies coming close to each other." The point is that the two camps were separated and no one could pass the cloud that was between them.]
The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, while the water stood like a wall on both sides of them. [In total, about two million people passed through the sea that night, see .]
He caused the wheels to fall off [the Greek translation has "stick"] their chariots and made them drive heavily, so that the Egyptians said, "Get away from the face of Israel (do not come near Israel), for the Lord (Yahweh) is fighting for them against the Egyptians.
But the children (sons) of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea, and the water stood as a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
In this way, the Lord (Yahweh) saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
And Israel saw the great work that the Lord (Yahweh) did to the Egyptians, and the people feared (revered) the Lord (Yahweh) and believed in the Lord (Yahweh) and his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying:
I will sing to the Lord,
for he has triumphed gloriously.
He has thrown horse and rider into the sea.
For Pharaoh's horses with his chariots and his horsemen went out into the sea, but the Lord (Yahweh) brought the waters back over them. Yet the sons (people) of Israel were able to walk in the midst of the sea on dry ground.
Then Moses led the people on from the Reed Sea. They went out into the wilderness of Shur. They walked three days in the wilderness and found no water.
When the whole people of Israel left Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month [Iyar – April/May] after they had left Egypt,
the whole Israelite community complained (blamed, cried out loudly against) Moses and Aaron in the desert.
The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and had enough bread, but you have brought us out into this desert to let the whole people die of hunger."
Moses and Aaron said to the Israelites: "This evening you shall know that it is the Lord (Yahweh) who has brought you out of the land of Egypt,
Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the people of Israel to come near (gather for worship before) the Lord (Yahweh), for he has heard how you have complained."
While Aaron was speaking to the Israelites, they all looked toward the desert, and then the glory (honor, splendor, tangible presence) of the Lord (Yahweh) appeared in a cloud.
"I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: 'At twilight (literally: 'between the two evenings') [] you shall have meat to eat, and in the morning you shall have bread to eat until you are satisfied (all your needs are met), then you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim).'"
When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, "What is this?" because they did not know what it was. ["What is this" is man hu in Hebrew, and the word later used for manna is man.]
Moses said to them, "It is the food that the Lord gives you to eat.
The Israelites did so, and some gathered more, others less.
The house of Israel called it manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
The children (sons) of Israel ate manna for 40 years. They ate manna until they came to settle in the land, when they came to the border of the land of Canaan. []
The entire people of Israel broke camp from the wilderness of Sin [between Elim and Sinai, see ] and wandered from campsite to campsite, following the Lord's instructions [they followed the pillar of cloud, see , ]. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. [This is a very dry area in the southern Sinai desert with no water sources. The Israelites are estimated to number about two million people, see .]
The Lord answered Moses, "Go before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff in your hand that you used when you struck the Nile, and start walking.
I will stand before you on the rock at Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [Mount Sinai], and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
He named the place "Massa" and "Meriva," because the Israelites had quarreled [with Moses and God] and because they had tested (tried) the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord with us or not?" [The Hebrew word massa means to tempt and test. The word meriva means to quarrel, to provoke.]
Then the Amalekites came and fought against Israel at Rephidim [meaning: "place of rest"].
[The Amalekites were descendants of Abraham through Esau, see . They were a nomadic people who lived in the Negev and Sinai and made their living by plundering, see . They had domesticated the camel and used it in their attacks. Camels can run at 70 km/h (much faster than a horse) and were well suited for surprise attacks by the Amalekite raiders, see , . Rumors of the Israelites' journey and the possessions they carried with them had surely reached the Amalekites, who were now moving south to find easy prey. In , it is described how they cowardly attacked and isolated some of the most exhausted Israelites who were at the rear. They are also described as godless. The story that follows also indicates that they were better equipped militarily than the Israelites, and had God not intervened in a supernatural way when Moses, Aaron, and Hur prayed, they would have easily defeated the Israelites, see .
The exact location of Rephidim is unknown. Since there was no water, it may not have been an oasis, as rest places usually were. The word Rephidim is plural and comes from Hebr. , which means back support and has to do with lying down and resting, but also support. The word refers to it being a "resting place" but also to Aaron and Hur "supporting" Moses' arms in prayer.]
When Moses held up his hand, Israel had the upper hand, but when he let his hand fall (let it rest), the Amalekites had the upper hand.
Now Jethro (Hebr. Jitro), the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law [], about all that God (Elohim) had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord (Yahweh) had brought Israel out of Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim – 'the land of confinement').
Moses recounted (listed – Hebr. safar) to his father-in-law all that the Lord (Yahweh) had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, as well as all the trials that had befallen them along the way and how the Lord (Yahweh) had helped them.
Jethro rejoiced (was very happy) over all the goodness that the Lord (Yahweh) had shown toward Israel, because he had delivered them from the hand of Egypt.
Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrificed it to God (Elohim). Aaron also came, together with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God (Elohim).
Moses chose capable men from all over Israel and made them leaders over the people, leaders of 1,000, 100, 50, and 10.
In the third month, after the children of Israel had left the land of Egypt—on that very day [at the new moon, the 1st of Sivan]—they came to the wilderness of Sinai. [The Israelites left Egypt at midnight on the 15th of Nisan (Ex. 12:31), traveled during the month of Iyar (April/May), and arrived at the Sinai desert 2.5 months later on the 1st of Sivan.]
They left Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness. They camped in front of the mountain
[Sinai/Horeb].
[The exact location of Mount Sinai (also called Mount Horeb) is not clear. According to early Christian tradition, it is Jebel Musa on the Sinai Peninsula (here is St. Catherine's Monastery, traditionally founded in 337 AD by Empress Helena). Another suggestion is Jabal al-lawz on the Arabian Peninsula. A third is Hashem el-Tarif, not far from Eilat. Other suggestions are Jebel Sinn Bishr (northern Sinai), Helal, Jebel Serbal (southern Sinai), and Karkom (Israel). The criteria specified in the Bible are:
• 11 days' journey from Kadesh Barnea (), which, if walking 15 km per day, corresponds to 160 km.
• 14 days' journey from Elim, since they arrived at Sinai 50 days after the exodus, see .
• No further than one could drive a flock of sheep from Midian, see .]Moses went up to God (Elohim), and the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to him from the mountain:
"Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob (family) and tell the Israelites:
And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests (Hebr. kohanim) and a holy nation [set apart for a mission].' []
This is what you shall say to the Israelites."
[The expression "kingdom of priests" is unique here in the entire Old Testament (although the language is similar in ). The word kingdom presupposes a king, which is the Lord himself. A priest (Hebr. kohen; plural kohanim) has the meaning of one who serves a superior. The Israelites have a mission to be God's representatives to the world, see . This interpretation is also supported by how the phrase is used in the New Testament, see ; . The first priest (kohen) mentioned in the Old Testament is Melchizedek, see . The word is also used for priests, see ; ; .]
The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "This is what you shall say to the children (sons) of Israel: You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord (Yahweh), you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance.
And Moses wrote down all the provisions of the Lord. Early the next morning, Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stones, one for each tribe of Israel.
He sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and slaughtered young bulls as peace offerings (Hebr. zevach shelamim) to the Lord (Yahweh).
Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders went up [the mountainside],
and they saw the God of Israel (Elohim). Under his feet was something like a floor of sapphire [blue gemstone], and it was [in substance exactly] like the heavens themselves in clarity (purity, brilliance).
But he did not raise his hand against the [seventy] elders of Israel [to prevent them from seeing him, or to strike them down because no one can live and see the face of God, see ]. They saw (as in a vision) God, and they ate and drank [in his presence].
[They probably saw a prophetic vision or a divine manifestation of God's presence, but not the fullness of his glory, since Moses later asks to see more of God, see .]
The glory of the Lord appeared as a consuming fire before the Israelites, at the top of the mountain.
Tell the sons of Israel (all Israelites) that they shall bring an offering to me (the Lord), from all the people whose hearts are willing, [] you shall take my offering.
I will meet with you there, above the lid of the ark, between the two cherubim that are on top of the ark of the testimony. There I will speak with you about everything I want to instruct the Israelites to do.
The mercy seat, or lid of the ark, is a separate object that is nevertheless closely connected to the ark. The ark was an open box without a lid, but the mercy seat, which is made to the same dimensions as the ark, is placed on top of it and thus becomes a lid for the ark. Note that the mercy seat is not attached to the ark in any way but lies loosely on top of it. Another detail in this context is the fact that if you count the different objects in the tabernacle, there are six, if you consider the ark and the mercy seat as one object, but seven if they are treated as the separate objects they actually are.
You shall command the children of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, pressed for the lampstand, so that the lamps [the lights in the menorah] may burn continuously.
In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that hangs before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall arrange it to burn from evening to morning before the Lord (Yahweh). It shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons (children) of Israel.
Take Aaron, your [elder] brother, to be close to you, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to serve me as priests: Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu [who offered strange fire, see ], Elazar [who took over the priesthood after Aaron, see ] and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron.
You shall take two onyx stones (Hebr. ) and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,
With the work of a stone engraver, engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall make them with gold settings.
And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, to be memorial stones for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord (Yahweh) on his two shoulders as a memorial.
And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve [in number], according to their names, engraved like a signet ring, each with its name for the twelve tribes.
[Exactly which name corresponds to each stone is not defined. It is likely that Reuben comes first. In , the location of the tribes is listed. It is likely that each tribe's flag had elements of the stone's color, see . These twelve stones are also found in the description of the new Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation, see .]
And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment (Hebr. choshen mishpat) over his heart when he goes into the holy place, as a constant (uninterrupted) reminder before the Lord (Yahweh).
And you shall put the Urim (light) and the Thummim in the breastplate of judgment (Hebr. choshen mishpat), and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes before the Lord (Yahweh). And Aaron shall bear the justice (Hebr. mishpat) of the sons of Israel before the Lord (Yahweh) always (all the time, uninterrupted, continuously).
[The Hebrew word mishpat means decree and binding legal decision. It has to do with right and justice, and here it is God who responds with his right and just judgment when Aaron uses the Urim and Thummim to know God's will in individual matters. In , where Moses gives instructions for the breastplate, the Urim and Thummim are never mentioned, but in it is said that they belong to God. The Urim and Thummim are two objects (probably two small stones or rods) that the priest carried in his breastplate and which were probably used to cast lots, see ; ; . Since Urim comes from the word for light, one theory is that it was a white stone. The word Tummim comes from the word for truth.]
And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts, and it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may have mercy (conditional mercy – Hebr. ratson) before the Lord (Yahweh).
And it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their due portion forever from the sons of Israel, for it is a heave offering (Hebr. teromah), and it shall be a heave offering from the sons of Israel of their peace offerings (communal offerings – Hebr. zevach shelamim), their heave offerings to the Lord (Yahweh).
And there [in the tent of meeting] I will meet with the sons of Israel, and it shall be sanctified in my glory. [The tabernacle, as well as the priest and the altar, are sanctified in the presence of the Lord, see .]
Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God (Elohim).
"When you count the sons of Israel according to their number, then they shall give, each man a ransom for his soul to the Lord (Yahweh), when you count them, so that no plague will come among them when you count them.
And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and consecrate it for the work of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord (Yahweh), for atonement for your lives.
And you shall speak to the sons of Israel and say: 'This is a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say: "Be careful to keep (guard, protect, preserve) my Sabbaths, for they are a sign between me and your sons' sons for generations, so that you may know (be intimately acquainted with) that I am the Lord (Yahweh) who sanctifies you (sets you apart).
Therefore, the sons of Israel shall keep (guard, protect, preserve) the Sabbath and celebrate the Sabbath throughout the generations as an everlasting covenant.
It is a sign between me and the sons of Israel forever, for in six days the Lord (Yahweh) created the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested (literally, sabbath) from his work." []
He received the gold from them. Using tools, he shaped the image that was to be made. [Either a wooden frame that was then covered with gold, or a wooden mold that was then cast.] He used the molten gold and shaped a calf (an image of a young bull). Then they [the leaders of the people who initiated the making of their own gods] said, "This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of Egypt."
[The golden calf is a frightening symbol. In Egypt, they worshipped the bull god Apis. The god Baal, who was worshipped in the land of Canaan, was also often embodied and depicted as a young bull. Aaron had been involved in causing the people to break the first three commandments. They worshipped another God, they had made an image and dishonored the name of the Lord in idolatry.]
They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you promised (swore, gave your oath) by yourself and said to them, 'I will multiply your seed (so that it becomes) like the stars of heaven and all this land that I have said I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.
He took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
And he said to them, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: 'Let every man put his sword on his hip and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp and strike every man his brother and every man his friend and every man his neighbor.'"
The Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Moses: "Go up, you and the people you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land that I promised (swore, gave my oath) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants,'
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Tell the sons of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I go up among you for a moment, I will consume you. Therefore, take off your ornaments now, so that I may know what to do with you.
So from Mount Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [Mount Sinai and further on in the journey], the sons of Israel took off (freed themselves from) all their jewelry.
Three times a year all your men shall appear before the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim).
The Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words (commandments), for according to them I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
When Aaron and all the Israelites saw the radiance of Moses' face, they did not dare to come near him.
Then all the Israelites came to him, and he commanded them all that the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken on Mount Sinai.
But when Moses went before the Lord to speak with him, he took off the veil until he came out. When he came out, he told the Israelites what he had been commanded.
The Israelites saw the radiance of Moses' face, so Moses put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord (Yahweh).
And Moses gathered the whole assembly of the sons of Israel and said to them, "These are the words that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded you to do.
And Moses spoke to the whole assembly of the sons of Israel and said, "These are the words that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded and says:
And the whole assembly, the sons of Israel, left (literally: "went away from before") Moses.
The children (sons) of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord (Yahweh), every man and woman whose heart made them willing to contribute to all the work that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded to be done through Moses' hand.
And Moses said to the sons of Israel, "See, the Lord (Yahweh) has called by nameBezalel, the son of Uri, the sonof Hur (Hebr. Chor) of the tribe of Judah,
And they received from Moses the whole offering that the sons of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, the (material) from which it was to be made. And they still brought voluntary gifts to him every morning.
And they worked the onyx stones and set them in gold and engraved them as one engraves a signet ring, according to the names of the sons of Israel.
And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, to be memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.
And the stones were twelve [in number], according to the names of the sons of Israel, engraved like a signet ring, each with its name for the twelve tribes.
Thus all the work of the tabernacle of meeting was finished, and the sons of Israel did everything according to what the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses, so they did.
In accordance with all that the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses, the sons of Israel did all the work.
Every time the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the Israelites broke camp and continued their journey.
The Lord's cloud rested over the tabernacle during the day, and at night a fire burned in the cloud before the eyes of the Israelites during all their wanderings.
[Regardless of light or darkness, day or night, the cloud, which is God's presence, was always there, visible to God's people. The word "journeys" (verses 36 and 38) is plural and describes "departures and stages." A total of 42 places are named where the Israelites camped during their journey to the land of Canaan.]
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: If any of you wants to bring an offering to the Lord (Yahweh), he shall bring his offering from his herd, from the cattle or small livestock (sheep and goats), and present it as a blood sacrifice.
[The phrase "bring" is Hebr. korban, which means to offer a blood sacrifice, as opposed to mincha (; ), where something is offered without the shedding of blood, such as grain or wine. The desired result of these blood sacrifices is that they are received favorably by the Lord (Yahweh). The word for "grace" here (in ) is ratson, which describes something that could be described as "conditional grace." The condition for grace is that the sacrifice must be flawless. Then it is accepted and grace is given. Jesus was the flawless lamb, see and . See also ; ; .]
Speak to the sons of Israel and say: If anyone (literally, a soul) sins unintentionally against any of the commandments (clear commands) of the Lord (Yahweh) concerning the things that should not be done, and yet does so against one of them [any of the following commandments, see verses 3, 13, 27, and 32]:
If the whole assembly of Israel sins unintentionally, and this is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something (one thing) against any of the commandments (clear commands) of the Lord (Yahweh) concerning the things that should not be done, and are guilty,
Speak to the sons of Israel and say: You shall not eat any fat, whether from oxen, sheep, or goats.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say: Anyone who offers a shalom sacrifice (communal sacrifice) to the Lord (Yahweh) shall bring his animal sacrifice to the Lord (Yahweh) from his shalom sacrifice.
I have taken the wave offering and the wave offering thigh from the sons of Israel from their peace offerings, and given it to Aaron the priest and his sons as a statute (literally, "things engraved") forever among the sons of Israel.
which the Lord (Yahweh) commanded to give them from the sons of Israel on the day he anointed them as an everlasting ordinance (literally "things engraved") for their generations to come.
which the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day when he commanded the sons of Israel to offer their sacrifices to the Lord (Yahweh) in the wilderness of Sinai.
And on the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.
And you shall speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: 'Take a kid from the goats as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without blemish (tamim, clean) as a burnt offering,
And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, "Do not let your hair be loose [do not remove your head covering; do not let your hair be unkempt—do not show outward signs of mourning] and do not tear your clothes, lest you die and the wrath come upon all the people, but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, mourn the fire [that killed Nadab and Abihu] that the Lord (Yahweh) kindled.
and so that you may teach the sons of Israel all the regulations (literally 'things engraved') that the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken to them through Moses."
And the breast that is waved and the thigh that is waved you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for it is your due and your sons' due from the peace offerings of the sons of Israel.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say: These are the animals you may eat from among all the animals that walk on the earth.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say: If a woman has become pregnant and gives birth (has been fertilized and given birth) to a boy, then she shall be unclean for seven days, according to the days of separation for her menstruation, she shall be unclean.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: When any man (Hebr. ish ish) has a discharge from his flesh [involuntary ejaculation], he is unclean because of it. [The word flesh (Hebr. basar) is used euphemistically for the male and female genitals or areas of the body in this chapter. See also ; .]
Thus you shall separate the sons of Israel from their uncleanness, so that they may not die in their uncleanness when they defile my tabernacle among them.
From the assembly of the sons of Israel, he shall take two goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.
In this way he shall purify the Holy of Holies from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel (the people) because of their transgressions in all their sins. He shall do the same with the tent of meeting [the tabernacle, which contains the holy and most holy things] that stands among them and is surrounded by their uncleanness.
No man shall be in the tent of meeting when he [Aaron, the high priest] goes in to make atonement in the holy place, until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his household and for the whole congregation of Israel.
He shall sprinkle the blood on it with his finger seven times and purify it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel (the people).
Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins, and lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness, into the hand of a man who is ready [someone who will lead the goat into the wilderness, which is the desert east of Jerusalem].
[This also speaks prophetically about what would happen to Jesus. When the chief priests strike Jesus in the face, this pattern is fulfilled, see ; ; .]
This shall be a perpetual statute (literally, "things engraved") for you, to make atonement for the sons of Israel (people), for all their sins, once a year. And he did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the sons of Israel, and say to them the words that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded. Say:
If any (literally: "and, man, man" – emphasizing that it is a general prohibition) of the house of Israel slaughters a cow, a lamb, or a goat in or outside the camp,
Therefore, the children of Israel shall bring their slaughtered animals, which they usually slaughter in the field, before the Lord, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, to the priest, and slaughter them there as a peace offering (communion offering) to the Lord (Yahweh).
And you shall say to them: If anyone (literally: "and, man, man") of the house of Israel or of the strangers who dwell among them offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice
If any (literally: "and, man, man") of the house of Israel or of the strangers who dwell among them eats any blood, I will set my face against the eater of the blood [] and cut him off from among his people.
Therefore, I say to the children of Israel: None of you shall eat blood. The stranger who dwells among you shall not eat blood either.
If any (literally: "and, man, man") of the children of Israel or of the strangers who live among them kills a wild animal or a bird of the kind that may be eaten, he shall drain the blood and cover it with earth.
For the life of every creature is its blood. Therefore, I say to the children of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Anyone who eats it shall be cut off.
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them:
[Verses 2b-5 form a chiasm in which the phrase "I am the Lord" both frames the passage and is emphasized centrally in . The words "do/do," "commandments," "ordinances," and "keep" are key words that are reflected in each level. I am the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim).]
Speak to all the people of Israel and say: You shall be holy (pure, set apart) for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them:
If any of the children of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel give any of their children to Molech, he shall be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him. [; ; ; ]
And Moses spoke it to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel.
Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they have consecrated (set apart) to me, so that they do not profane my holy name with what they consecrate to me. I am the Lord (Yahweh).
Say to them: "Whoever among all your descendants throughout your generations (for all time) goes to the holy things that the sons of Israel have consecrated to the Lord (Yahweh), and has his uncleanness on him (who is ceremonially unclean), that person shall be cut off (cut away) from my presence (my presence) []. I am the Lord (Yahweh).
And they shall not profane the holy things of the sons of Israel which they offer unto the Lord (Yahweh),
[This section is related to chapters 1-7. What is discussed here are defects in animals that disqualify them from being sacrificed.]
Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the sons of Israel, and say to them: "Whoever he is from the house of Israel or from the strangers in Israel, who wants to offer his sacrifice for all his vows and all his voluntary gifts that they want to offer to the Lord (Yahweh) as a burnt offering,
You shall not profane my holy name, but I will be holy among the sons of Israel. I am the Lord (Yahweh) who sanctifies you,
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: The feasts of the Lord (Yahweh) (appointed meetings at fixed times – Hebr. móed), which you shall proclaim (announce, declare) as holy convocations – these are my feasts (appointed meetings at fixed times):
Speak to the children of Israel (sons) and say to them: When you have entered the land that I will give you and harvested its crops, you shall take a sheaf (Hebr. omer) of the first of the harvest and bring it to the priest. [The first crop harvested is barley, so it is a sheaf of barley that is brought forward as the first fruits on this occasion.]
Speak to the children (sons) of Israel and say: In the 7th month [Tishri – Sept/Oct], on the first day of the month, you shall observe a Sabbath rest, a day of remembrance (when you remember) with loud sounds [shouts and shofar blasts, see ], a holy convocation.
Speak to the children (sons) of Israel and say: On the 15th day of this seventh month [Tishri], it is the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord (Yahweh).
You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native to Israel shall dwell in booths,
so that your future generations may know that I made the children (sons) of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim).
[The four spring feasts speak prophetically of Jesus' first coming and how the Holy Spirit would come. All of these have been fulfilled. The remaining three autumn feasts point to Jesus' second coming and await their fulfillment, see . There are different views on the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. However, the seventh and last, the Feast of Tabernacles, clearly points forward to the millennial kingdom when Jesus will reign on earth in peace, see .]
Moses spoke to the children (sons) of Israel about the Lord's (Yahweh's) feasts (appointed meetings at set times).
Command the sons of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, beaten [referring to the method of extracting the oil] for the light bearer (candelabra), so that the lamps may burn continuously.
Every Sabbath he shall arrange it before the Lord (Yahweh) continually. It shall be taken from the sons of Israel as an everlasting covenant.
And a son of an Israeli woman, whose father was Egyptian, went around among the sons of Israel, and this son of an Israeli woman and an Israeli man wandered together in the camp.
And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the name of the Lord (Yahweh) and cursed. And they brought him to Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan.
And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying: "Every man (Hebr. ish ish – the repetition of "man" emphasizes that this is a general prohibition) who curses (does not respect; literally: "takes lightly" – Hebr. jekalel) his God (Elohim) shall bear his sin.
And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel that they should bring forth him who had cursed around the camp and stone him with stones. And the sons of Israel did as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: When you come to the land that I will give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord (Yahweh).
And if a man buys from the Levites, the house that was sold and the city for his possession shall be returned in the Jubilee year, for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel.
And you shall take them as an inheritance for your sons after you, to inherit for them as a possession; they shall be your slaves forever. But over your brothers, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule one over another with severity.
For to me the sons of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim).
then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac, and my covenant with Abraham—I will remember them, and I will remember the land.
These are the statutes (literally, "things engraved") and judgments (binding legal decisions) and teachings that the Lord (Yahweh) made between himself and the sons of Israel on Mount Sinai through the hand of Moses.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: If anyone wants to make a special (wonderful, unusual, difficult) vow, the persons [to whom the vow applies] shall be valued (appraised) before the Lord (Yahweh).
[The shekel is a unit of weight used in Mesopotamia, Israel, and Egypt. The word comes from the verb for weighing (Hebr. shaqal) and the unit was used as currency for trading silver and gold before coins (the first coin was minted in 600 BC). The value of a gold shekel was about twenty times more than a silver shekel. The earliest finds of the use of the shekel come from cities such as Ur and Uruk, and can be dated to around 3000 BC. The weight varies between different periods and regions. In Mesopotamia, the weight was around 8 grams, while in Egypt it was 11-12 grams.
During biblical times, the shekel was equivalent to 11.5 grams. An ancient limestone weight from the First Temple period was found in Jerusalem in 2020. The weight was exactly 23 grams, confirming that the official shekel weighed 11.5 grams. The fact that the find was made under Wilson's Arch (next to the Western Wall) also confirms the expression "shekel of the sanctuary" as a standardized measure (; ; ; ).
The half-shekel was the annual temple tax for every Israeli man between the ages of 20 and 50 (). This word is the basis for today's currency in Israel, which is the NIS – New Israeli Shekel.]
These are the commandments (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot) that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded (Hebrew tsavah) Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.
Count the number (the sum of the heads) of the whole congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every man by himself,
from 20 years old and upward, all who were sent out to war in Israel. You shall count them according to their army service (their place in the army), you and Aaron.
These were chosen by the congregation, the princes of their fathers' tribes, the heads of the thousands of Israel.
The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, their generations (families – Hebr. toledot), according to their families, according to their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, each man separately, each man from 20 years old and upward, all who were sent out to war,
These are those who were counted (enlisted), those who were counted by Moses, Aaron, and the princes of Israel. The princes were twelve men, each one a leader of his father's house (tribe).
These are the ones counted of the sons of Israel according to their fathers' houses (tribes) from 20 years old and upward, all who were sent out to war,
"You shall not count the tribe of Levi, nor shall you include them among the sons of Israel,
The sons of Israel shall pitch their tents, each man in his own camp and each man under his own banner according to their divisions.
But the Levites shall pitch (their tents) around the tabernacle of testimony, so that the congregation of the sons of Israel may not incur wrath. The Levites shall take care of (look after, be responsible for) the tabernacle of testimony.
[The Levites replace the firstborn sons of Israel, who would originally have performed these duties but lost that privilege when they worshipped the golden calf. The Levites remained faithful during that time and thus won God's favor, see ; ; ; . It is also necessary for the Levites to set up their tents around the tabernacle in all four directions, unlike the other tribes, who are assigned one direction. They form a protective wall to prevent the Israelites from coming too close to the tabernacle, which could trigger God's wrath to strike the camp, see .]
The sons of Israel did everything according to what the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses, so they did.
"The sons of Israel shall each set up his tent, under his own banner, according to the house of his fathers (tribes), at a proper distance around the tabernacle (tent of meeting) at appointed times.
[In accordance with the divine placement, the 12 tribes of Israel camp outside the Levites' ring in four groups of three tribes each:
East: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun
South: Reuben, Simeon, and Gad
West: Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin
North: Dan, Asher, and Naphtali
The number of people makes the camps different in size. The western camp is the smallest, with just over 100,000 people, while the eastern camp is almost twice as large, with nearly 190,000 people. The southern and northern camps both have around 150,000 people. Seen from above, from the east, this arrangement of tents forms the shape of a cross. Each tribe has its own prince or leader (Hebr. nasi), see , and a special flag or banner (Hebr. degel), see , with its own specific tribal symbols and colors. The colors correspond to the precious stones on the high priest's breastplate, see . These symbols are considered a sign of God's great love for each tribe of Israel. It is written in the Song: "His banners over me are love," see .]
These are those who were counted of the sons of Israel, according to their fathers' houses. All who were counted in the camp according to their divisions were 603,550.
But the Levites were not counted among the sons of Israel, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.
So the sons of Israel did according to all that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses. They camped under their banners and they moved on [from campsite to campsite, following their designated places in the line], each with his families and with his fathers' houses.
And they shall keep (take care of, guard, protect) all the furniture of the tent of meeting and the duties of the sons of Israel to serve in the tabernacle.
And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly (completely) given to him from among the sons of Israel.
"And I, behold [Hebr. hinneh – emphasizing what follows], I myself have taken (chosen) the Levites from among (in the midst of) the sons of Israel, instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the sons of Israel []. Therefore, the Levites shall be mine,
for every firstborn is mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in Egypt, I consecrated to myself every firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be mine. I am the Lord (Yahweh)."
[The tenth and final plague affected all people and animals in Egypt, see .]
And those who are to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east side, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, (they shall) keep (take care of, guard, protect) the affairs of the sanctuary and the affairs of the sons of Israel, and any common man who comes near shall be put to death.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn males of the sons of Israel, from one month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
And you shall take [set apart] the Levites for me—[for] I am the Lord (Yahweh)—instead of the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the sons of Israel."
And Moses counted, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded him, all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn [firstborn sons] among the sons of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their [the other tribes'] livestock. The Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord (Yahweh).
But as a ransom (Hebr. pedoj) [] for the 273 firstborn in Israel that exceed the number of the Levites,
from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money, 1,365 shekels [15.7 kg of silver] according to the sanctuary shekel,
All these who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted by their families and by their fathers' houses,
"Command the sons of Israel to send away from the camp anyone who suffers from a severe skin disease (Hebr. , see ) and anyone who is sick and anyone who is unclean through contact with someone who has died.
And the sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp. As the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken to Moses, so did the sons of Israel.
"Speak to the sons of Israel: A man or woman who confesses any sin that people usually confess, who confesses a transgression against the Lord (Yahweh) and this soul is guilty,
And every offering of all the holy things of the sons of Israel, which is brought to the priest, shall be his.
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: If a man's wife goes astray and acts unfaithfully toward him,
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: When a man or woman wants to make a vow (an oath), a Nazirite vow to separate (sanctify) themselves before the Lord (Yahweh). [It is emphasized here that women can also make these vows. Some examples are Hannah and Manoah's wife, see ; .]
Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, "Thus you shall bless the Israelites, saying to them:
So shall they [the priests] pronounce (place) my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.
[The blessing in Hebrew (according to Jewish tradition, YHWH is replaced by Adonai out of reverence for God’s holy name):
jevarechecha Adonai vejishmerecha
jaer Adonai panav elecha vichuneka
jisa Adonai panav elecha vejasem lecha shalom
God's name is included in every verse – he is the source of all blessings. The first line consists of three Hebrew words, the second of five, and the last of seven. The number of letters also increases (15, 20, 25). One can see symbolism in this, as if the blessing increases in strength, but numbers also have a more specific meaning in the Bible:
3 is the number of God and heaven, something that is important and lasting (the Lord preserves). 5 stands for grace (the Lord shows grace). 7 stands for perfection, completeness, covenant, and the Holy Spirit (the Lord gives peace). In total, there are six Hebrew verbs and six actions that are paired together:
bless (Hebr. barach): give prosperity in all areas of life, bow down, graft. preserve (Hebr. shamar): preserve, protect, watch over, act as a bodyguard. shine (Hebr. or): be or become light, illuminate, shine, light up. show (Hebr. chanan): show undeserved grace, mercy, goodwill, favor—to bend down in kindness to someone in a subordinate and weaker position. turn (Hebr. nasa): to lift, carry, take; translated here as turn. give (Hebr. shom): to lay, set, place, do, give, appoint, ordain, establish, plant. Since the word barach is a root with several meanings, one can also read into the blessing here that God himself bends his knees. There is a duality here: God blesses from heaven, but also as a kneeling, humble servant (). The fact that the word also means to graft shows that when the Lord blesses, he also grafts into the true olive tree, Israel. This also provides a nice frame and chiasm for the meaning of planting in the verb shom in . See also ; .
The Lord desires prosperity—he watches over and wants to illuminate the way into his presence where he can give of his grace. He is a good Father who wants to comfort his children and generously share his tender love. That the Lord wants to "lift up" or turn his face means that God wants to share his heartfelt fellowship with every human being. Here is the offer of forgiveness, restoration, bliss, and peace. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, means God's blessing in all areas, security, friendship, and peace with God, oneself, and other people.]
so that the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, could come near [to bring their offerings], these are the leaders of the tribes, who are over (leaders of) those who were counted [in the census taken earlier, see ].
This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day it was anointed, in the hands of the leaders of Israel:
silver dishes – 12 [pieces],
silver bowls – 12 [pieces],
gold bowls – 12 [pieces].
"Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and purify them.
And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting, and you shall gather the whole assembly of the sons of Israel.
And you shall present the Levites before the Lord (Yahweh), and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. [By laying their hands on the Levites, they figuratively transfer their sins to the Levites, who are their representatives before God.]
And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord (Yahweh) as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, to make them ready to perform the work of the Lord (Yahweh) (their priestly service).
Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
for they are wholly given to me among the sons of Israel, instead of all those who open the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. I have taken them for myself.
For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is mine, both man and beast. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself.
And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
And I have given the Levites, they are given to Aaron and his sons from among the sons of Israel, to serve the sons of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, so that no plague may come upon the sons of Israel when the sons of Israel come near the sanctuary."
Therefore, Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly of the sons of Israel did to the Levites according to all that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.
"Let the sons of Israel celebrate the Passover at the appointed time [].
And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel that they should celebrate the Passover.
And they celebrated the Passover in the first month, on the 14th day of the month at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai, according to all that the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses [], so did the sons of Israel.
and these men said to him, "We are unclean because of a dead man's body, so we must stand aside and cannot bring the sacrifice to the Lord (Yahweh) at the appointed time among the sons of Israel." [The Talmud states that these men had brought Joseph's coffin from Egypt, see ; .]
Speak to the sons of Israel and say:
"If any of you or your descendants become [ritually] unclean because of a dead body (soul) or are on a journey far away, he shall celebrate the Lord's (Yahweh's) Passover
[The following section has a rhythmic character with a recurring refrain.]
And whenever the cloud was taken up from [its place] above the tent, then the sons of Israel set out after it, and in the place where the cloud stopped (settled – Hebr. shachan), there the sons of Israel camped (Hebr. chanah).
[Refrain:]
At the command of the Lord (Yahweh) (mouth – Hebr. peh), the sons of Israel set out
and at the command of the Lord (Yahweh) they encamped.
As long as the cloud remained (settled) over the tabernacle, they encamped.
And when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel kept (guarded, protected, preserved) the Lord's (Yahweh's) command [not to move on] and did not break camp.
Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle and remained (settled) over it, the sons of Israel remained encamped and did not journey, but when it was lifted, they broke camp.
And if they blow one [trumpet], then the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel (clans, families – family groups), shall gather to you.
And the sons of Israel went on in their order of march, out of the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud remained in the wilderness of Paran.
This was the journey of the sons of Israel according to their army order. And they set out.
And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are journeying to the place of which the Lord (Yahweh) has said, 'I will give it to you,' come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken well of Israel."
And when the ark was set down, he said:
"Return (Hebr. shov), Lord (Yahweh),
to the countless (myriads) thousands of Israel!"
[Can also be translated as "bring back, Lord, the myriads of thousands of Israel" – back to the land from exile. The Greek translation uses the word "repent," and the meaning then becomes, as in , that Israel will be saved.] – ׆ –
[This is the first time that this particular inflection of the words kumah and sjuvah is used. The Hebrew text has a mark in the margin before and after . There are various theories about what these two inverted (׆) indicate. The mirror-inverted 14th letter looks like a square bracket and was probably a mark used by those who copied the scrolls to indicate that there was something special about the text here. In Greek writings, an inverted sigma (Ͻ) was used in a similar way by scribes. Some rabbis interpret the sign as a delimiter, which divides the Book of Leviticus into three parts. This makes a total of seven (not five) books of Moses, which then corresponds to the seven pillars of wisdom, see . It seems to be a mark that the text does not really belong where it is and should be moved to another place. There is a quote from Simeon Gamaliel (son of the Gamaliel mentioned in ) that when the Messiah returns, these verses will be fulfilled and moved to their rightful place. The fact that this interpretation existed at the same time that John was writing his gospel gives even deeper meaning to the statement that the Word "tabernacled" (dwelt) among us, see .
There are a total of nine inverted in the Hebrew text, the other seven are found in , . Both of these sections deal with the desert journey, and in the passage in Psalm 107 there are also Messianic connections to the sign of Jonah.]
And the rabble (the mixed multitude – Hebr. ) that was among them craved more delicious food (literally: "craving a craving"), and even the sons of Israel wept for them and said, "Who will give us meat to eat? [If only we could eat meat!]
The Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Gather for me 70 men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and who serve them, and bring them to the tent of meeting so that they may stand there with you.
And Moses withdrew to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
"Send men (Hebr. enósh) to explore (investigate – Hebr. ) the land of Canaan, which I have given to the sons of Israel. [The purpose of the mission was to report on all the good things in the land.] From each of the tribes of the fathers, you shall send one man (literally "one man, one man" – Hebr. ish ehad ish ehad) [], and all of them shall be leaders among them."
[The Hebrew word for exploring here (Hebr. ) has a positive connotation of finding what is good. The English words "tour" and "tourism" come from this word, which retains the same meaning of exploring a country and visiting the best places. There are other Hebr. words for spying and finding weaknesses (Hebr. ), but this is not used here, as Moses knew that God had given them the land. The men who were sent out were expected to return with good reports, just as Noah hoped that the dove he sent out would return with good news that the waters had receded, see . There are several parallels here. The dove returned with a fresh olive leaf, and the men brought grapes (see ). The Hebrew word for dove (Hebr. dor) is also similar to the word tor. The word tor is used 14 times in the Book of Numbers, and the first time is when God himself designates the next (the best and most suitable) resting place for the Israelites, see .]
And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of the Lord (Yahweh), all the men who were heads (leaders) of the sons of Israel.
They called the place the valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes that the sons of Israel cut off there.
[Hebr. eshkol means cluster and can refer to both grape clusters and flower clusters. There are many valleys (wadis) here. In the area around Hebron, for example, Ramet el-Amleh is known for its grapes and is located near a valley.]
And they went and came to Moses and Aaron and to the whole assembly of the sons of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh, and brought back prov to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.
And they [the 10 men—Shamoa, Shafat, Jigal, Palti, Gadiel, Gaddi, Amiel, Setor, Nachbi, and Goel, see verses 5-16] spread an evil rumor (misleading information) about the land they had explored to the sons of Israel, saying: "The land we have traveled through to explore is a land that devours (eats up) its inhabitants [probably referring to the fact that there had been many conflicts in the area, and how difficult it would be to conquer and then keep the land from invaders], and all the people we saw there are tall men.
And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "We could have died in the land of Egypt, or we could have died in the wilderness!
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembly of all the children of Israel.
And they spoke to the whole assembly of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land we have walked through to explore (investigate) is a very good land.
But the whole assembly spoke of stoning them with stones, when the glory of the Lord (Yahweh) appeared in the meeting tent to all the sons of Israel.
"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, who continue to grumble (complain) against me? I have heard the grumbling (complaining) of the sons of Israel, who continue to grumble (complain) against me."
And Moses spoke these words to the sons of Israel, but the people mourned greatly.
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: When you come into the land where you are to dwell (your homeland), which I give to you,
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: "When you enter the land where I am bringing you,
And the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake and they have brought their offering, a burnt offering to the Lord (Yahweh) and their sin offering [] before the Lord (Yahweh), for their mistake.
And the whole assembly of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole people did it by mistake.
Both the native among the sons of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them shall have the same (one) instruction (Hebr. Torah) for him who commits a mistake.
[Verses 30-31 are now illustrated here in verses 32-36 with an example.]
And while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. [; ; ; ]
"Speak to the sons of Israel and tell them to make tassels (tzitzit) on the corners (wings) of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord (braided thread) in each tassel (tzitzit).
and they revolted against (rose up against) Moses,
with men from the sons of Israel
– 250 men,
leaders in the congregation, chosen men of good reputation.
It is no small thing for you that the God of Israel (Elohim) has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord (Yahweh), and to stand before the congregation to minister to them,
And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Otherwise, the earth will swallow us up."
the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be beaten into plates as a covering for the altar, since they have been consecrated when they were offered before the Lord (Yahweh), so that they may be a sign to the sons of Israel."
to be a memorial for the sons of Israel, so that no ordinary man who is not of the seed of Aaron may come near to burn incense before the Lord (Yahweh), and not perish like Korah and his company, as the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to him through the hand of Moses.
But in the morning, the whole assembly of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the Lord (Yahweh)."
Speak to the sons of Israel and take from them rods, one for each father's house of all their leaders according to their fathers' houses, 12 rods. You shall write each man's name on his rod.
And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his staff shall blossom, and I will make an end of the grumbling of the children of Israel against you."
And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him rods, one for each leader according to their fathers' houses, 12 rods, and Aaron's rod was among them.
And Moses brought all the rods out from before the Lord (Yahweh) to the sons of Israel, and they saw and took each man his rod.
And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we are perishing, we are destroyed, we are all destroyed.
And you shall carefully guard (watch over, protect, preserve) the holy things and be guardians of the altar, so that no further wrath comes upon the sons of Israel.
And I, behold, have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel, for you they are taken as a gift to the Lord (Yahweh) to perform the service in the tent of meeting.
And the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Aaron: "And I, behold, I have given you charge of my offerings, of all the holy things of the children of Israel; I have given them to you as a portion of the anointing, and to your sons as a perpetual statute.
And this is yours: the wave offering from their gifts, all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel. I have given them to you and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a statute forever; everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.
Everything that is consecrated in Israel shall be yours.
All the wave offerings of holy things that the sons of Israel offer to the Lord (Yahweh), I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a statute forever. It is a perpetual salt covenant before the Lord (Yahweh), for you and your descendants with you."
[Salt was used in all sacrifices, see . The function of salt to preserve and conserve alludes to the fact that the "salt covenant" that is entered into should be long-lasting and kept, see . Entering into a salt covenant is considered a full equivalent to a blood covenant, see .]
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. [This is the model for how we should view ourselves as priests in the renewed covenant. As long as we live here in the world, we should not live from it but in it with the Lord and heaven as our portion and our inheritance, see ]
And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given the whole tithe of Israel as an inheritance, in return for their work which they do in the service of the tabernacle.
And henceforth the sons of Israel shall not come empty-handed to the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.
But the Levites alone shall serve in the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their sin; it shall be a statute (literally "things engraved") forever throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel you shall have no inheritance.
For the tithes of the sons of Israel, which they set aside as a gift to the Lord (Yahweh), I have given to the Levites as an inheritance. Therefore, I have said to them, "Among the sons of Israel, you shall have no inheritance."
"You shall speak to the Levites and say to them: 'When you receive the tithe of the sons of Israel, which I have given you from them as your inheritance, you shall set aside a gift (an offering) for the Lord (Yahweh), a tenth of the tithe.
Thus you shall set aside a gift for the Lord (Yahweh) from all your tithes that you receive from the sons of Israel, and you shall give the gift that is set aside for the Lord (Yahweh) to the priest Aaron.
And you shall bear no sin because of it, since you have taken away from the best of it, but you shall not profane the holy things of the sons of Israel, lest you die.
These are the statutes (literally "things engraved") of the teaching (Hebr. Torah) that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded and said: Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you a red heifer (Hebr. parah adoma), without blemish (ritually pure – Hebr. tamim), which has never borne a yoke.
[The sacrifices of animals to make the water of sprinkling were different from the sacrifices for sins and thanksgiving. It was a female (not a male as in all other sacrifices), the color was specified, it was to be killed outside the camp, and more material was to be thrown into the sacrifice. This text is included in the Torah reading on the last Sabbath of the month of Adar (usually in March), just before Passover. It is one of several connections to Jesus' death outside the city walls, see .]
And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them outside the camp in a clean place, and they shall be kept (protected, preserved) for the water of purification for the congregation of the sons of Israel; it is a purification from sin [].
And he who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and it shall be for the sons of Israel and the stranger who sojourns among them, a perpetual statute (literally "things engraved").
Anyone who touches the dead, including the body of a dead person, and does not purify himself has defiled the tabernacle of the Lord (Yahweh). That soul (person) shall be cut off (removed) from Israel, because the sprinkling of the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; he shall be (remain) unclean. His uncleanness is still upon him.
And the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed at Kadesh, and Miriam died there and was buried there.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe me and keep me holy in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them."
[. The reason for the punishment was unbelief and that he did not keep God holy in the eyes of Israel, see . The expression "we" may also suggest that Moses and Aaron took it upon themselves to be responsible for the miracle and did not honor God. Striking the rock oneself also speaks of doing something in one's own strength, see . In all that is happening, there is a hint of anger and wrath on the part of Moses and Aaron, see . Miriam's death, see , may also be a cause of Moses and Aaron's feelings, but it should not affect how they lead the people.]
This is the water of Meribah, where the sons of Israel quarreled with the Lord (Yahweh) and he was sanctified in them.
And Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom:
"Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the afflictions that have befallen us,
And the sons of Israel said to him, "We will walk along the main road, and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay you for it, "let there be no quarrel (between us)," let me only pass through with my feet.
Edom refused to give Israel safe passage through his borders, so Israel turned away from him.
And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.
Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because he rebelled against me at the waters of Meribah.
When the people saw (understood) that Aaron had died, all Israel wept over Aaron for 30 days.
[Thirty in Hebrew is shloshim, and this 30-day mourning period is called shloshim, see also . The Jewish burial took place in two stages. As soon as possible, preferably on the same day, the deceased was buried in a tomb. The family then observed a seven-day mourning period (Hebr. shiva), followed by thirty days of less intense mourning (shloshim). A year later, when the body had decayed, the eldest son was responsible for moving the bones from the burial chamber to an ossuary. See also ; ; ; .]
And the Canaanites, the king of Arad, who lived in the south (Negev), heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atarim. So he fought against them and took some prisoners.
And Israel made a vow, a vow to the Lord (Yahweh), saying, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy (completely annihilate – Hebr. charam) their cities."
And the Lord (Yahweh) listened to the voice of Israel and gave them the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The place was named Khorma. [The name Khorma means dedicated to complete destruction or set apart for destruction.]
So the Lord (Yahweh) sent poisonous (burning) snakes among the people, which bit the Israelites so that many of them died.
[Now the Israelites' route through Transjordan is summarized. A more detailed description can be found in .]
And the sons of Israel journeyed and camped at Ovot.
Then Israel sang this song:
"Spring up, O fountain!
Sing of it,
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,
But Sihon could not bear to let Israel pass through his borders. And Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the desert and came to Jahaz, and he fought against Israel.
And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and occupied his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon, for the border was strong to the sons of Ammon.
And Israel took all its cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its surrounding towns (literally: "daughters").
So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
And the children of Israel journeyed, and pitched in the plains of Moab by the Jordan over against Jericho.
And [Moab's king] Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites [how the Israelites had defeated both King Sihon and Og].
And Moab was very afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was terrified of the sons of Israel.
And he [Balaam] took up his parable (he began to speak in images and proverbs, often with many meanings; sometimes even prophetically – Hebr. mashal) and said:
"From Aram [present-day central and southern Syria; meaning: exalted]
Balak brought me,
king of Moab
from the mountains of the east:
Come, curse (Hebr. arar) Jacob
and come curse (Hebr. zaam) Israel.
Who has counted the dust of Jacob
or counted the dust of Israel (quarter – Hebr. rova)? Let me die the death of the righteous
and let my end be like his."
No one has seen injustice in Jacob,
no one has seen wrongdoing in Israel,
the Lord his God (Yahweh Elohim) is with him,
and the cry for the king is among them.
There is no sorcery in Jacob
, nor any divination in Israel.
It is said Hos:
"[Behold!] What God (El) has done (does and accomplishes)!"
And when Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of the Lord (Yahweh) to bless Israel, he did not go as the second time to seek omens, but turned his face toward the desert.
And Balaam lifted up his eyes [from Peor east of the Jordan River] and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes [at the height of the city of Jericho () and whose location forms a cross, see ], and the Spirit of God (Elohim) came upon him.
How good are your tents, Jacob,
your dwellings, Israel!
I see him, but not now.
I see him, but not near.
A star shall come out of Jacob
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel
and shall smite the corners of Moab
and break down all the sons of Seth.
And Edom shall become a possession,
as shall Seir [the mountain range in Edom, see ],
even his enemies shall become a possession,
but Israel shall create a strong army.
And from Jacob shall come forth one who shall tread down (rule) [David, referring primarily to the Messiah]
and destroy the remnant of the city [may refer to the city of Ir Moab, see ].
[Verses 1-3 form a chiasm. The structure emphasizes how it is precisely the sacrifice to these idols that is central to what arouses God's wrath. Baal is the Canaanite and Hebrew word for "lord" and Peor is the place. The place is located just east of Jericho and is also called Beit-Peor (Peor's house) in . Baal was a fertility god who was worshipped with sexual rites, see ; .]
And Israel stayed in Shittim [plural of Shittah, Hebrew for acacia tree – according to Josephus, 1 mile east of the Jordan, see ; ; ]
and the people began to commit adultery with the daughters of Moab.
And Israel joined themselves to (became enslaved to) the Baal of Peor,
and the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang them up to the Lord (Yahweh) in the sunshine, so that the Lord's (Yahweh's) anger may be turned away from Israel."
And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Kill every man who has joined himself to (united with) the Baal of Peor."
And behold, a man of the sons of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his brothers before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the whole congregation of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.
And he followed the Israelite man into the tent and pierced them both, the Israelite man and the woman through her belly. So the plague (pandemic – Hebr. ) ceased from the sons of Israel.
Pinchas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned away my wrath from the sons of Israel when he was zealous (jealous) for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the sons of Israel in my zeal (jealousy).
and it shall be for him and for his seed after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel."
The name of the Israelite man who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a leader of the fathers' houses among the Simeonites.
"Count the heads of the whole assembly of the sons of Israel, from 20 years old and upward, according to their fathers' houses, all who are able to go out to war in Israel."
" [Yes, count all the men:] from twenty years old and upward, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses!"
[Almost 38.5 years have passed since the first census, see . The census is needed in order to divide up the land they will soon occupy. Miriam () and Aaron () had died, and Moses was also old. The order of the enumeration follows the first census in the introduction to the book. At the age of 20, a man was fit for battle, see .]
These are the sons of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt:
Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, the sons of Reuben:
of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites,
of Pallu, the family of the Pallites,
These are those who were counted of the sons of Israel, 601,730. [The first count was 603,550, a decrease of 1,820.]
And those who were numbered among them were 23,000, all men from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel, because they had no inheritance among the sons of Israel.
These were the ones counted by Moses and the priest Eleazar, who counted the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, near Jericho.
But among these there was not a single man left of those who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai [38 years earlier, see ].
And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying:
'If a man dies and has no son,
then his inheritance shall pass to his daughter.
And if his father has no brothers,
then you shall give the inheritance to his kinsman, the one closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it. And this shall be a statute (literally: 'things engraved') for the sons of Israel, a commandment (binding legal decision) that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded Moses."
[It was important that there were heirs in all families so that the people of Israel could continue to possess the land that God had given them. In the first instance, it was the eldest son who inherited, but daughters could also inherit in order to preserve the land of Israel among Jewish families. Levirate marriage also existed to continue the family line, see . In a society where widows would otherwise have been forced into begging, this guaranteed her livelihood and preserved the name of her deceased husband.]
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Moses, "Go up to the top of the mountain of Abarim [mountain range northeast of the Dead Sea with the peak Nebo, see ] and see the land that I have given to the sons of Israel.
And you shall put your glory upon him, that the whole assembly of the children of Israel may obey him.
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord (Yahweh). At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation."
Command the sons of Israel and say to them:
My sacrifice [Hebr. qorban; general term for all types of sacrifices/vows to God; here it refers to meat], my food (bread) – for my burnt offerings, which are a sweet aroma to me – you shall keep (guard, protect, preserve) for me at the proper time.
And Moses spoke to the leaders of the sons of Israel, saying, "These are the things that the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded.
When a man makes a vow to the Lord (Yahweh) and swears an oath to bind his soul with a promise, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that has come out of his mouth.
"O Israel, avenge the Midianites, and then you shall be gathered to your people."
You shall send 1,000 men from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel to the battle."
So they separated from Israel a thousand men from each tribe, 1,000 men from each tribe, 12,000 armed for battle.
And the sons of Israel took the women of Midian captive, and their little ones, and all their cattle, and all their small livestock, and all their possessions, they took as spoil.
And they brought the captives and the spoil and the spoiled things to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the assembly of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which is by the Jordan opposite Jericho.
Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to transgress, so that they were unfaithful to the Lord (Yahweh) in the matter of Peor, and so the plague broke out in the congregation of the Lord (Yahweh).
And from the half of the sons of Israel, you shall take one out of every 50, of the people, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of the small livestock, and of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who are responsible for (watching over and caring for) the tabernacle of the Lord (Yahweh).
And of the half of the sons of Israel, which Moses had separated from the men of war,
And Moses took from the half of the sons of Israel one out of every fifty, both of men and of animals, and gave them to the Levites, who are responsible for (watching over and caring for) the tabernacle of the Lord (Yahweh), as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses.
And Moses and the priest Eleazar took the gold from the leaders of thousands and the leaders of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord (Yahweh).
the land which the Lord (Yahweh) has struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land fit for cattle, and your servants have cattle."
And why should you turn the hearts of the sons of Israel away from crossing over and entering the land which the Lord (Yahweh) has given them?
And when they went up into the valley of Eshkol, they discouraged the hearts of the sons of Israel from seeing the land, so that they would not go in to possess the land which the Lord (Yahweh) had given them.
Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from 20 years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me,
And the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh) was gone.
And now, you are taking the place of your fathers, a brood of sinners, to increase the Lord's (Yahweh's) burning anger against Israel.
but we ourselves will be ready and equipped to go out before the sons of Israel until we have brought them to their place, and our little ones will dwell in fortified cities (for protection) from the inhabitants of the land.
We will not return to our houses until the sons of Israel have taken possession of their inheritance. [The noun inheritance (Hebr. ) comes from the verb to take possession (Hebr. ).]
and the land is subdued before the Lord (Yahweh), and you return afterward, then it shall be clear before the Lord (Yahweh) and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord (Yahweh).
Moses gave clear orders about them to the priest Eleazar and to Joshua, the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' houses among the tribes of the sons of Israel.
These are the encampments of the sons of Israel, which they passed through when they came out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
They journeyed from Rameses [a store city in the area of Goshen in Lower Egypt, see ] in the first month [Aviv/Nisan] on the 15th day of the first month, from the morning after Passover, the sons of Israel went forth proudly (literally: "with a lifted hand") in the sight of all the Egyptians,
And the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped at Sukkot. []
And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the Lord (Yahweh), and died there, in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month.
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the south of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them:
'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
Command the sons of Israel and say to them: 'When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall belong to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan with its borders.
And Moses commanded the sons of Israel, saying, "This is the land where you shall receive your inheritance by lot, which the Lord (Yahweh) has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to one half-tribe,
These are the ones whom the Lord (Yahweh) commanded to divide the inheritance among the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan.
Command the sons of Israel to give to the Levites from the inheritance of their cities to dwell in, and the open country around the cities you shall give to the Levites.
Of the cities you give from the property of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger [tribes] and fewer from the smaller. Each [tribe] shall give cities to the Levites in proportion to the amount of land they have received as their property."
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: "When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
For the sons of Israel and for the stranger and the settler among you, these six cities shall be cities of refuge, so that anyone who kills another person accidentally may flee there.
And you shall not defile the land which you have inherited, in whose midst I dwell, for I (the Lord) dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel."
And the leaders of the fathers' houses of the families of the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of the house of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the princes, the heads of the fathers' houses of the sons of Israel,
and they said, "The Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the sons of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.
And if they marry any of the sons of the other tribes among the sons of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken away from our father's inheritance and added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong, thus removing it from the lot of our inheritance.
And when the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong, and in this way their inheritance will be removed from the inheritance of our fathers' inheritance."
And Moses commanded the sons of Israel according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh), saying, "The sons of the tribe of Joseph have spoken rightly.
In this way, no inheritance among the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall hold fast to every part of the inheritance of their father's tribe.
And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any of the tribes of the sons of Israel shall become the wife of one of the families of her father's tribe, so that the sons of Israel may possess, each man the inheritance of his father.
In this way, no inheritance shall pass from one tribe to another, for the tribes of the sons of Israel shall each remain in their own inheritance."
These are the commands (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot) and decrees (binding legal decisions) that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded (Hebrew: tsavah) the sons of Israel through Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.
These are the words (Hebr. devarim) that Moses spoke to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan, in the wilderness of the Arava, opposite Zophim [probably the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea), also called the Reed Sea; Hebr. jam sof] between Paran and Tofel, and Laban and Chatsarot and Di-Zahav.
And it came to pass in the 40th year, in the 11th month [Shvat – Jan/Feb; during the rainy season], on the first day of the month [1406 BC], that Moses spoke to the sons of Israel concerning all that the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded them,
Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord (Yahweh) swore (gave his oath) to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and their seed after them (descendants).' "
Joshua, the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go to that place; encourage him (make him strong and bold), for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
In Seir [southeast of the Dead Sea in Edom] lived the Horites (literally: "cave dwellers" – Hebr. chori), but Esau's sons defeated them and destroyed those who were before them and lived there in their place, as Israel did to the land he possessed, which the Lord (Yahweh) gave to them.
And I commanded you at that time, saying, "The Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) has given you this land to possess; you shall go over armed before your brethren, the house of Israel, all the men of war,
And now, Israel, listen to the statutes (literally, "things engraved") and ordinances (binding legal decisions) that I have taught you, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord (Yahweh), the God of your fathers (Elohim), has given you.
And this is the teaching that Moses presented to the sons of Israel.
These are the testimonies (statutes – Hebr. edot) and ordinances (literally "things engraved" – Hebr. chuqim) and judgments (binding legal decisions – Hebr. mishpatim) that Moses spoke to the sons of Israel when they came out of Egypt,
on the other side of the Jordan in the valley opposite Beit Peor in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel defeated when they came out of Egypt.
And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them:
Hear, O Israel, the statutes (literally "things engraved") and ordinances (binding legal decisions) that I speak in your ears today, that you may learn them and do them.
Therefore, listen, Israel, and be careful to do it, so that it may go well with you and you may grow mighty, as the Lord (Yahweh), the God of your fathers (Elohim), has spoken to [promised] you, a land flowing with milk and honey.
[The following verse constitutes the Jewish creed Shema ("Hear" from the Hebrew shama – to hear, listen, and obey). The phrase is read several times during the day and reads:
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.
JHVH (Yahweh) is never pronounced but is replaced because of its holiness with Adonai (Lord). When asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus answers by quoting this text, see .]
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord (Yahweh) [is] our God (Elohim), the Lord (Yahweh)
is one (the only one).
[The numeral echad (one), which here could be translated as "the only one," also has the meaning "unique," "united, joined together," and is also used of a man and wife who become "one flesh," see .]
And it shall be when the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) brings you into the land that he swore (promised) to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and good cities that you did not build (yourself),
Hear, O Israel! Today you are to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities large and fortified up to the heavens,
It is not for your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart (righteousness, integrity – Hebr. josher) that you are going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) is driving them out before you and to confirm the word that the Lord (Yahweh) swore (promised) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not look at the stubbornness of this people, nor at their wickedness, nor at their sin,
And the sons of Israel journeyed from Beeroth-Benjaakan to Mosera, where Aaron died and where he was buried. And his son Eleazar served as priest in his place.
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) require of you?
That you revere the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim)
that you walk in all his ways
and that you love him
and that you serve the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim)
with all your heart
and with all your soul (your person, being)
and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households and their tents and all the living things that followed them, in the midst of Israel [].
And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of you.
and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel,
The man who is arrogant (proud) and does not listen to the priest who stands and serves before the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim), or to the judge, that man shall die, and you shall root out evil from Israel.
Then his heart will not be lifted up above his brothers, and he will not turn aside from the commandments (the clear commands), neither to the right nor to the left. In the end, it may prolong his days in his kingdom, his and his children's, in the midst of Israel. []
[The king of Israel may not dictate his own laws like other kings, but must obey and submit to God's teaching and instructions! This is also a description of Jesus, who does nothing that the Father has not told him, see ; .]
The priests, the Levites—all of the tribe of Levi—shall have no inheritance with Israel. They shall eat of the Lord's (Yahweh's) burnt offerings and his inheritance.
And when a Levite comes from any of your gates [your walled cities] throughout Israel where he lives, and comes of his own free will (the desire of his soul) to the place that the Lord (Yahweh) shall choose [],
Your eyes shall not pity him [no mercy shall be shown to the guilty murderer, because man is the image of God, see ; ], but you shall purge Israel of the guilt of innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.
and say to them: "Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the day of battle against your enemies; do not let your hearts lose courage. Do not fear (do not be afraid), do not be anxious, and do not be terrified of them,
Forgive, Lord (Yahweh), your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not allow [the guilt of] innocent blood to remain among your people Israel." Then the blood shall be forgiven them [in that city].
And all the men of the city shall stone him to death. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear and fear (take warning).
They shall fine him 100 shekels [1.15 kg] of silver and give them to the maiden's father, because he has called a virgin in Israel a bad name, and she shall be his wife, and he may not divorce her all his days (literally, all his days).
then they shall bring the young woman out to the door of her father's house, and the men of the city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by acting like a prostitute in her father's house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
If a man is found lying with a married woman who has a husband, then both of them shall die. The man who lay with the woman and the woman. Thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. []
There shall be no temple prostitute (Hebr. qadesah) among the daughters of Israel, nor shall there be any temple prostitute (Hebr. qadesh) among the sons of Israel.
If a man is caught stealing from his brother among the sons of Israel, and he treats him as a slave and sells him, then the thief shall die. So you shall remove the evil from your midst. []
And it shall be, that the firstborn whom she bears shall carry on the name of his brother who died, that his name may not be blotted out from Israel.
If the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the elders at the gate of the city and say, "My husband's brother refuses to raise up his brother's name in Israel; he does not want to fulfill his responsibility as my husband's brother to me."
His name (nickname) in Israel shall be "the house of him who has lost his shoe."
Look down from your holy dwelling place, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."
[Chapters 27-34 are the fifth and final major section of the Book of Deuteronomy. Here are the concluding words and exhortations of Moses to the people, ending with his death. It consists of seven sections, the central one being the appeal to obey God, see .]
Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, "Keep (guard, protect) all the commandments (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot) that I have commanded (Hebrew tsavah) you today.
And Moses and the priests and the Levites spoke to all Israel and said, "Be quiet and listen, Israel! – Today you have become a people belonging to (owned by) the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim).
And the Levites shall speak and say to all the men of Israel with a loud and clear voice [now follow twelve curses]:
These are the provisions of the covenant that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he made with them at Horeb (Hebr. Chorev).
[In Hebrew usage, one makes a covenant. This is because all such covenants are blood covenants. In English, we usually use the expression "enter into a covenant," but this is misleading because a covenant that is merely entered into, without blood, is a different kind of covenant than a blood covenant. Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai. The Hebrew name for Horeb shares its root with cherev, which means sword.]
And Moses called all Israel and said to them:
You have seen all that the Lord (Yahweh) did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land.
Today you are all standing before the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim). Your chiefs (leaders), your tribes, your elders, and your leaders, yes, all the men of Israel,
that he may make you his own people (his possession) today and he may be a God to you (your possession) as he has spoken to you, and as he has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. [; ]
And the Lord (Yahweh) will set him apart for evil, from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this book of instruction.
To choose life is to:
love the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim),
hear his voice (obey him),
cling to him.
He is your life, and he will let you live long in the land he promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [; ]
[Loving God and following his commandments is the only way to a good life. Moses' tone is warm but clear; see also Paul's speech to the church leaders in Ephesus, see .]
Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of (before the eyes of, within sight of) all Israel:
"Be strong (firm, confident, brave)
and courageous (steadfast, alert, brave),
for you shall go with (lead) this people into the land that the Lord (Yahweh) has sworn (promised) to give to their fathers [sworn with an oath: 'seventh himself', i.e. used the number of perfection to confirm his promise to their fathers], and you shall make it their property (let them inherit it, let them take it over).
Moses wrote down this teaching (instruction, Torah) and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord [], and to the elders of Israel.
when all Israel comes to assemble before the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim), at the place he will choose—then you shall read this teaching (instruction, Torah) before all Israel in their ears (so that they may hear the teaching).
Therefore, you shall write this song and teach it to the children of Israel; you shall put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
Moses wrote this song on that day and taught it to the sons of Israel.
He gave Joshua, the son of Nun, a mission and said, "Be strong (firm, confident, brave) and courageous (steadfast, alert, bold) [], for you shall bring the sons of Israel into the land that I have sworn to them, and I will be with you." [See ].
Moses spoke the words of this song from beginning to end within earshot (in the ears) of the entire assembly of Israel:
When the Most High (Elion) gave the nations (the pagan peoples) their inheritance,
when he separated [Hebr. parad – the same word as in ] the children of men (Adam),
then he set the boundaries of the peoples []
according to the number of the sons of God.
[The last phrase is literally in the Hebrew Masoretic text benei Yisrael – the sons of Israel. A fragment from Qumran (4QDt, dated to 30-1 BC) has benei elohim – sons of God, and the Greek translation Septuagint (from about 200 BC) has angelon theou – angels of God. These variants are consistent with and , which describe that there is also a spiritual dimension above the nations.]
The Lord's (Yahweh's) portion is his people,
Jacob is his inheritance.
And when Moses finished speaking (literally: completed) all these words to all Israel,
"Go up to this mountain of Avarim
[mountain range], to Mount
[peak] Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for their possession
(property; literally: something to grasp hold of – Hebr. ),
Because you sinned against me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not uphold my holiness in the presence of the Israelites. []
You shall see the land from a distance, but you shall not enter it, the land that I give to the sons of Israel."
[From Mount Nebo, in present-day Jordan, on a clear day you can see all of Israel from Mount Hermon in the north down to the area south of Beer-Sheva in the Negev desert and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.]This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, blessed the sons of Israel with before he died.
Moses commanded us a teaching (Hebr. Torah),
an inheritance for the congregation of Jacob.
There was a king in Jeshurun [a name for Israel meaning honorable, see ]
when the heads (leaders) of the people were gathered,
the tribes of Israel together."
They shall teach Jacob your statutes (binding legal decisions) and Israel your teaching (Hebr. Torah), they shall place incense in your nostrils and whole burnt offerings on your altar."
And he chooses the best part for himself, for there is a place reserved, and there the princes (leaders) of the people will come. He executes the righteousness of the Lord (Yahweh) and his decrees (binding legal decisions) with Israel."
Israel shall dwell (camp) [and grow as a people] in safety,
Jacob's spring [figurative for Jacob's descendants, see verses 6-24]
in a land,
with grain and wine,
under a sky dripping with dew.
[ forms a chiasm where land is at the center of the Hebrew text, surrounded by human and agricultural life that grows. The Jewish people live in safety and grow in number from Jacob, who is the source. The vegetation has its water source from the dew, which makes the ground green and grow.]
Happy are you, Israel, who is like you? You are a people who have their salvation in the Lord (Yahweh). He is your protective shield, your glorious sword. Your enemies shall cower before you, and you shall march over their heights.
The Lord (Yahweh) said to him, "This is the land that I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give to their descendants. I will let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross over there."
And the sons of Israel mourned Moses in the plains of Moab for 30 days, and then the weeping and mourning for Moses ended.
[Thirty in Hebrew is shloshim, and this 30-day mourning period is called shloshim, see also .]
And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him, and the house of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
And there has never arisen (remained; existed or come) a prophet in Israel like Moses, who knew (had an intimate relationship with) the Lord (Yahweh) face to face [; ],
And as for
the mighty hand [the great power]
and the great fear (terror) [the mighty deeds]
that Moses showed before the eyes of all Israel (in the sight of all Israel).
[Refers both to the fear that came upon the Egyptians in the ten plagues that increased in severity (), but also to the receiving of the Torah on Sinai ().]
My servant Moses is dead. Now get up and cross this Jordan [the Jordan River near Jericho, just north of the Dead Sea], you and all these people, to the land I am giving to them, the children of Israel (sons).
The king of Jericho received the following report:
"Important information!
Israeli men have come here tonight to explore the land."
Early the next morning, Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing [the Jordan River].
[Caleb was about 80 years old () and Joshua was probably a little younger; they had waited over 40 years for this opportunity to enter the Promised Land. They camped on the eastern side of the Jordan River. They crossed the Jordan on the 10th of Nisan, see , which corresponds to the month of April when the river flows over its banks, see .]
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you great in the sight of Israel, so that they may know (be intimately acquainted with) that I am with you as I was with Moses,
And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "Come near and listen to the word of the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim)."
Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe.
And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until the whole people had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.
[The Jordan Valley is an earthquake-prone area because it forms the boundary between two continental plates. Around the area of Adam, the Jordan River winds around dams caused by previous earthquakes. The last major earthquake in this area was in 1927. At that time, the Jordan River was dammed up for 20 hours.]
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from among the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe (literally: "one man, one man"). [The same emphatic repetition as in .]
And Joshua said to them, "Go over before the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim) to the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
then you shall say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yahweh), when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be a memorial to the sons of Israel forever. " [It was not unusual to erect memorial stones, see ; ; ; .]
And the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. And they carried them over with them to the place where they camped and laid them down there.
And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed, before the sons of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.
On that day the Lord (Yahweh) made Joshua great in the sight of all Israel, and they revered (feared) him, as they had revered (feared) Moses, all the days of his life.
And he spoke to the sons of Israel, saying, "When your sons ask their fathers in the future, saying, 'What do these stones mean?
then you shall let your sons know, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.
[Chapter 5 is the fourth section, and the central one of the first seven (chapters 1-8). The Israelites consecrate themselves before the Lord, and the crescendo is in when they celebrate Passover for the first time in the new land.]
And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea [the Mediterranean], heard how the Lord (Yahweh) had dried up the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had all crossed over, their hearts melted [with fear], and their spirit was no longer in them because of the sons of Israel. [The word for melt signifies a change that cannot be resisted. The kings trembled with fear and could do nothing about the situation.]
At that time, the Lord (Yahweh) said to Joshua, "Make yourself knives of flint and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time." []
And Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Givat-Haaralot [meaning: "the hill of the foreskins" or "the hill where one is considered uncircumcised"].
For the sons of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and even the warriors among the people who came out of Egypt perished, because they did not listen to the word of the Lord (Yahweh), wherefore the Lord (Yahweh) swore that he would not let them see the land that the Lord promised their fathers with an oath that he would give us [the author includes himself here], a land flowing with milk and honey.
And the sons of Israel camped in Gilgal [] and celebrated Passover on the plains of Jericho on the 14th day of the month [].
And the manna ceased on the morning after they ate of the produce of the land. The sons of Israel no longer had manna [], but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
[This chapter is related to in the first chiastic structure in chapters 1-6. It also has its parallel in chapters 7-12. Here Rahab and her family are saved, and in the Hivites who lived in the city of Gibeon are saved.
Three different Hebrew words for ram's horn/shofar are used in this chapter. The general word for an animal horn is qeren. The words shofar and jóvel are used specifically for ram's horns. The shofar is often used as a war signal. The word jóvel means ram and ram's horn, but also jubilation. It was used as a signal for the year of jubilee, but not in war, see . The use of the word jóvel here links this event to the year of jubilee when people return to their inheritance. Now Jericho was completely closed because of the sons of Israel. No one went out and no one came in.]
Just keep yourselves away from the holy (set apart) things, so that you do not bring a curse (destined to die – Hebr. charam) upon yourselves through what is holy (set apart), for you will make the camp of Israel accursed (destined to die) and bring disaster upon it (destroy it, cause great trouble).
And the young men who had spied went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers, all who were with her, all her relatives they brought out, and they placed them in the camp of Israel.
But Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab and her father's household and all that she had, and she lives in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho [; ; ].
[Now the first chiasm turns and moves back. This passage is related to chapter 2. Here, discontent arises because of an unfaithful Israelite. He hides plundered spoils even though God commanded them not to do so. This story has its "mirror image" in chapter 2. There, encouragement comes to the Israelites from a Canaanite woman who hides two Israeli spies.]
But the sons of Israel committed a transgression with the separated (consecrated) things. Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zimri, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took (stole) some of the devoted things, and the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against the sons of Israel.
And Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the ground with his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they threw dust on their heads. [Throwing dust on one's head is a way of showing deep sorrow and grief.]
Lord (Adonai), what shall I say after Israel has turned its back on [fled from] its enemies?
Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant that I commanded them, yes, they have also taken the separated things and have stolen and even hidden (concealed) it, and they have put it among their own possessions.
Therefore, the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs on their enemies because they have been cursed. I will no longer be with you unless you destroy the cursed among you.
Arise, sanctify the people, and say, 'Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: there is a curse in your midst, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed (exterminated) the cursed things from among you.
And it shall come to pass that he who is taken with the separated (sanctified) things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord (Yahweh) and because he has done a reckless deed in Israel.'"
So Joshua rose early the next morning and gathered Israel according to their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was shown (taken, pointed out).
And Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), and confess before him, and tell me what you have done, hide nothing from me."
And Achan answered Joshua and said [confessed at once]: "Truly (yes, it is true), I have sinned against the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), and this is exactly what I have done (literally: "this and this," which describes the detailed course of events).
And they took the objects from the middle of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to the sons of Israel, and they laid them down before the Lord (Yahweh).
And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the bar of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen and his asses and his sheep, and his tent and all that he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor [meaning: "Valley of Trouble"].
And Joshua said, "Why have you brought disaster upon us (created this chaos – Hebr. achor)? The Lord (Yahweh) will bring disaster upon you (Hebr. achor) today." And all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them in the fire and stoned them with stones.
And Joshua rose early in the morning and counted the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out to fight against Israel, he and his people, at the appointed time, toward the Arava (the wilderness, the steppe, the desert) [referring to the direction eastward toward Jericho and the Jordan Valley]. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind (on the other side; west of) the city.
And Joshua and all Israel behaved as if they had been defeated before them and fled along the road toward the desert.
There was no man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.
And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke from the city was rising, they turned back and struck the men of Ai. [Suddenly, the army from Ai met resistance, and they also had the disadvantage of having the morning sun in their eyes when Joshua attacked them.]
And the others came out of the city against them, so that they were between Israel, some on one side and some on the other. And they struck them so that they left none of them remaining or escaping.
And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, and in the wilderness where they pursued them, and they were all fallen by the edge of the sword, that all Israel returned to Ai and smote it with the edge of the sword.
Only the livestock and the spoil of the city were taken by Israel as booty for themselves, according to the word that the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken when he commanded Joshua.
[This last section focuses on God's word and is thematically related to the opening passage in . In the first chapter, God's word to Joshua played a central role. Here, Joshua leads a ceremony at Mount Ebal.]
Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), on Mount Ebal,
as Moses, the servant of the Lord (Yahweh), commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the teaching of Moses [Torah – the five books of Moses], an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron was used, and they offered burnt offerings to the Lord on it and offered peace offerings (communion offerings).
And he wrote there on the stones a copy of the teaching of Moses (Hebr. Torah) which he wrote before the sons of Israel.
[Between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal lies the city of Shechem. An altar has been found on the northern slope of Mount Ebal during excavations by Adam Zertal in 1980. Right next to it is also the place where Abraham received a promise that his descendants would receive this land and where he built an altar, see . In , "all Israel" is mentioned, as opposed to "Israel" here in . One possible scenario is that Joshua and a small group of priests and elders are present at this ceremony at the altar, then they take the ark and go to the south side of Ebal in the valley between Ebal and Gerizim, where all the people gather.]
And all Israel, their elders and leaders and their judges stood on both sides of the ark, and opposite them stood the priests, the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, both the stranger and the native-born. Half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal. As Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded, first to bless the people of Israel.
There was not a single word that Joshua failed to read, of all that Moses had commanded, before the whole assembly of Israel, the women and children, and the strangers who walked among them.
they gathered together to fight against Joshua and Israel, as one man (literally, as one mouth).
So they went to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land, so make a covenant with us."
And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "If you live among us, how can we make a covenant with you?"
And the sons of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were
Givon [which was the leading one, see verses 3-4]
and Kefira
and Beerot
and Kirjat-Jearim.
[These cities had an alliance, and are all only 1.5 miles from Jerusalem. They ended up in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, see , .]
And the sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation (assembly) had sworn an oath before the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel.
And the whole congregation grumbled (complained) against the leaders. [The people were probably worried that breaking God's instructions would have consequences, see ; .]
But all the leaders said to the whole congregation [the people of Israel gathered there]: "We have sworn an oath before the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), so we cannot touch them now.
And so he did to them and saved them from the hand of the sons of Israel, so that they did not kill them.
[This is the first time the name Jerusalem is used in the Bible, although other names (Salem) have been used to refer to the city, see ; . The Hebrew name for Jerusalem is Yeroshalayim. In addition to singular and plural, Hebrew also has dual, which means two – the ending ajim indicates this. The dual form of Jerusalem has sometimes been interpreted as the two mountains on which the city rests, but it can also be taken literally to mean that the city signifies double peace. This also suggests that there are two Jerusalems – the heavenly and the earthly. This is quite clear in the Book of Revelation (, ), but the prophets also hint at it (), and this view is also found in many of the rabbinical interpretations of these verses. In ancient Egyptian sources, the city is called Ursalimmu, which means "foundation of peace/basis of peace." Jerusalem will become Israel's most important city, but it will take a few hundred years until David's time before that happens, see .]
And it came to pass that when Adonitsedek, king of Jerusalem [meaning "my lord is righteousness," synonymous with Melchizedek, see ] heard how Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed the city—how he [Joshua] had done to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them—
"Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon, for they have made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel."
And the Lord
(Yahweh) confused them
(panic and turmoil broke out) before Israel, who struck them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and they pursued them along the road up to Beit-Choron and struck them all the way to Azeqa
[at the Elah Valley] and to
Mackedah.
[The chase went first northwest and then southwest, a distance of 30 km. Mackedah is located halfway between Lachish and Hebron, and not far from Eglon, i.e., centrally between the three southern cities.]And it came to pass, as they fled from Israel, as they went down from Beth-horon, that the Lord (Yahweh) cast down great stones [hail] from heaven upon them unto Azeqa, and they died. More died from the hail than those whom the sons of Israel struck with the sword.
[The same word for hail (Hebrew barad) is also used for the sixth plague in Egypt, see ; .]
[This verse begins with Hebr. az and describes a parallel event. The hail and stones in are therefore probably related to the events in verses 12-13.]
At that time, Joshua spoke to the Lord (Yahweh) on the day when the Lord (Yahweh) delivered the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:
"Sun, stand still (be silent – Hebr. dom) over Gibeon,
and you, moon, in the valley of Aijalon."
There has been no day like this, either before or since, when the Lord (Yahweh) listened to the voice of a man, for the Lord (Yahweh) fought for Israel.
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
[The events here begin with Joshua walking all night, see . A great storm with hailstones as large as stones fell upon the enemy armies. Then a strange event occurs that affects both the sun and the moon. That the sun and moon "become silent" can be described as them ceasing to do what they usually do. One suggestion is that it is a solar eclipse where the moon passes in front of the sun, but then it must also be something unique that made this day special, so that there has been no such event either before or since. The author seems to emphasize that the great thing was that God heard a man's prayer, rather than the miracle itself. The two previous great miracles—the waters of the Jordan River stopping at Adam () and the victory over Jericho ()—had been on God's initiative. This time it was in response to a man's prayer!]
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them in a very great slaughter, until they were consumed, and the remnant of them that were left went into their fortified cities,
all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at
Mackedah in peace
(shalom), no one sharpened his tongue
(dared to say even the slightest thing) against any of the sons of Israel.
And it came to pass, when they had brought these kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, "Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings." And they came near, and put their feet upon their necks.
And Joshua went from
Makkeda and all Israel with him to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
And the Lord (Yahweh) also gave it and its king into the hand of Israel, and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, he left none there, and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
[Livna has not been identified with certainty, but findings from excavations at Tell Burna in 2015 suggest that it may be the biblical Livna.]
And Joshua went from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against Lachish.
And the Lord (Yahweh) gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he did to Libnah.
And Joshua went from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon, and encamped against it and fought against it.
And Joshua went from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron, and fought against it.
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Devira, and fought against it.
So Joshua smote all the country, the hill country [central highlands] and the Negev and the Lowland [Hebr. Shefelah – the lowlands between the Mediterranean coast and the hill country of Judah] and the slopes (mountain slopes; wadis – Hebr. aseda) [probably the slopes down to the Dead Sea east of the central hill country] and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed everything that breathed, as the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), had commanded.
And all these kings and their lands Joshua took at one time (at once), because the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), fought for Israel.
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. [Same phrase as in . Gilgal is the base for military operations.]
And all these kings gathered together and came and encamped together at
the waters of Merom [literally: high lake; probably present-day Lake Hula, 15 km north of the Sea of Galilee, 4 km north of Chatzor] to fight against Israel.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver them all up slain before Israel; you shall cut the sinews of their horses and burn their chariots with fire." [A wounded horse could no longer be used in the cavalry, see also ; .]
And the Lord
(Yahweh) delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them and pursued them to great
Sidon [on the Mediterranean coast in the northwest, see ] and to Misrephoth Maim
["burning waters" – hot springs; probably referring to a place or area near Sidon, see ] and the valley of Mizpeh to the east
[northeast of Hazor], and smote them until none were left.
But the cities that stood on their mounds (heights that arose through repeated settlement – Hebr. tel) Israel did not burn, except for Hazor, which Joshua burned down.
And all the spoil in these cities and the livestock the sons of Israel took as booty for themselves, but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, leaving no one who breathed.
So Joshua took the whole land: the hill country [central highlands] and the Negev [southern part] and all the land of Goshen [the area between Hebron and the Negev desert] and the Lowlands [Hebr. Shefelah – the lowlands between the Mediterranean coast and the hill country of Judah] and the Arava (the wilderness, the heath) [the area around Jericho in the Jordan Valley] and the hill country of Israel and its lowlands (Hebr. shefela),
There was no city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took them all in battle.
For it was the Lord's (Yahweh's) intention to harden their hearts and come against Israel in battle so that they would be utterly destroyed. They had no mercy (undeserved love; favor), but they were to be destroyed as the Lord (Yahweh) had commanded Moses.
And Joshua came at that time and exterminated (cut off) the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Devir, from Anav, and from the entire hill country of Judah and from the entire hill country of Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities.
No Anakite was left in the land of the children of Israel, only in
Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod were there any left.
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.
And the land rested (was quiet; had peace) from war.
These are the kings of the land whom the sons of Israel defeated, and whose land they occupied, on the other side of the Jordan toward the sunrise (eastern side), from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon and all the Arava to the east.
Moses, the servant of the Lord (Yahweh), and the sons of Israel defeated them, and Moses, the servant of the Lord (Yahweh), gave it [the land east of the Jordan] as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh [; ].
And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated on the other side of the Jordan to the west, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon [in the north] to the bare mountains that go up to Seir [Edom – in the south]. And Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as an inheritance according to their division,
all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrefot-Maim, all the Sidonians, I will drive them out from among the sons of Israel; you shall only divide it as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you.
Nevertheless, the sons of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, so the Geshurites and the Maacathites dwell among the Israelites to this day.
Only to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance. The burnt offerings [Hebr. isheh, see ] of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), are their inheritance, as the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to him.
and Balaam, son of Beor, the seer, whom the sons of Israel slew with the sword among the rest of the slain.
But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), is their inheritance, as he promised them.
And this is the inheritance which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, gave unto them.
As the Lord (Yahweh) commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did, and they divided the land.
[The Levites did not receive their own territory, only cities among the other tribes. However, Levites could own their own land for their livelihood, see ; ; .]
And now, behold, the Lord (Yahweh) has kept me alive, as he spoke, these 45 years from the time that the Lord (Yahweh) spoke these words to Moses while Israel was wandering in the wilderness. And now, I am 85 years old today.
Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Yahweh Elohim).
And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel were strong (had grown large, become numerous), that they put the Canaanites to hard labor, but they did not drive them out completely.
[This is the chiastic center of chapters 13-24.]
And the whole assembly of the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there, and the land was subdued before them.
Among the sons of Israel, there remained seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance.
And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "How long will you neglect (delay) going to take possession of the land that the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of your fathers, has given you?
And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord (Yahweh), and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their divisions.
When they had finished dividing the land as an inheritance with its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua, the son of Nun, in their midst.
These are the inheritance portions that Eleazar the priest and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders of the tribes of the sons of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, distributed as inheritance in Shiloh before the Lord (Yahweh), at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Thus they finished dividing the land.
Speak to the sons of Israel and say, "Appoint for yourselves the cities of refuge, of which I have spoken to you through Moses [; ; ],
These [six cities of refuge] were the cities set apart for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger who lived among them. There, anyone who accidentally killed someone could flee so that he would not die by the hand of the avenger of blood before he stood before the assembly [and received a fair judgment].
The leaders of the fathers' houses of the tribe of Levi came near the priest Eleazar and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders of the fathers' houses of the sons of Israel,
And the sons of Israel gave them from their inheritance according to the commandment of the Lord (Yahweh), these cities with open country around them.
And the sons of Israel gave these cities to the Levites by lot, with open country around them, as the Lord (Yahweh) commanded through Moses.
All the cities of the Levites, 48 cities with the open country around them, in the midst of the possessions of the sons of Israel,
So the Lord (Yahweh) gave Israel all the land he had promised (sworn) to their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.
Nothing was lacking of all the good things that the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken to the house of Israel. Everything came to pass (came to them).
So the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned and left the sons of Israel. They went out from Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead [east of the Jordan River], to the land of their possessions which they had taken according to the commandment of the Lord (Yahweh) through the hand of Moses. []
And the sons of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar before the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan on the side facing the sons of Israel."
And when the sons of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, to go up and fight against them.
And the sons of Israel sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead,
and with him ten leaders, one leader for each of the ancestral houses of the tribes of Israel. Each of them was a leader of his father's house among the thousands of Israel (clans, families – family groups).
"Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord (Yahweh): What treachery is this that you have committed against the God (Elohim) of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord (Yahweh), when you have built this altar to rebel this day against the Lord (Yahweh)?
so that you must turn away from following the Lord (Yahweh) today? And it will be that when you rebel against the Lord (Yahweh) today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, commit a transgression concerning the holy things, and wrath fell upon the whole congregation of Israel? And that man alone did not perish in his sin."
Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the leaders of the thousands of Israel (clans, families – family groups):
"God, God the Lord (El, Elohim Yahweh) – God, God the Lord (El, Elohim Yahweh), he knows (is intimately acquainted with) and Israel he shall know (become intimately acquainted with), whether it is in rebellion or whether it is treacherous against the Lord (Yahweh), do not save us today,
and if we have not done this out of concern, saying, "In times to come, perhaps your sons will come and speak to our sons, saying, 'What have you to do with the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim)?
And when the priest Phinehas and the leaders of the congregation, the leaders of the thousands of Israel (clans, families – family groups) who were with him, heard the words that the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, said to the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh: "Today we know (we are intimately acquainted with) that the Lord (Yahweh) is in our midst, because you have not been treacherous toward the Lord (Yahweh), and have not delivered the sons of Israel to fall away from the hand of the Lord (Yahweh)."
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad out of the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan to the sons of Israel, and brought word.
These words pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel blessed the Lord (Yahweh) and spoke no more of going up to fight against them, to destroy the land where the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad lived.
And it came to pass after many days, when the Lord (Yahweh) had given Israel rest from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and advanced in years,
that Joshua called all Israel, their elders and their heads (leaders) and their judges and their chiefs, and said to them, "I am old and have reached a ripe old age (have grown old).
And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and summoned all the elders of Israel and their leaders and their judges and their commanders, and they stood before God (Elohim).
And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: Your fathers dwelt beyond the river [Euphrates]—Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—and they served other gods.
And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it, and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
Then Balak, son of Zippor, rose up and fought against Israel, and he sent for Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you.
[Joshua said:] "Now therefore, cast away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline (bow, turn) your hearts to the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel."
And Israel served the Lord (Yahweh) all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known the works of the Lord (Yahweh) that he had done for Israel.
And the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, were buried in Shechem, in the field which Jacob bought of Hamor the father of Shechem for 100 pieces of silver (Hebr. qesitah), and it became the inheritance of the sons of Joseph.
[The value of the silver coin qesitah is unknown, but it probably corresponds to a shekel. The Greek translation Septuagint translates the word as lamb, which was sold for a shekel, see also ; .]
And it came to pass after the death of Joshua [] that the sons of Israel asked the Lord (Yahweh) and said, "Who shall go up for us (who shall lead us) against the Canaanites to fight against them?"
And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor (they became liable to pay taxes), but they did not drive them out at all.
And it came to pass, when the messenger of the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken these words to all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept (Hebr. ).
Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the sons of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land.
And the people served the Lord (Yahweh) as long as Joshua lived (all the days of Joshua) and all the days that the elders outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord (Yahweh) that he had done for Israel.
And that whole generation was gathered to their fathers [had died], and a new generation arose after them who did not know (were not intimately acquainted with) the Lord (Yahweh) or the deeds he had done for Israel.
And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh) and served the Baals. [Baal was the chief god of the Canaanites, but also had many local variants.]
And the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of destroyers who destroyed them, and he delivered them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.
[The phrase "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" in recurs six more times, see , ; ; ; ; .]
So the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel, and he said, "Because this people has forsaken my covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to my voice,
so that I may test Israel through them, whether they will keep (guard, protect, preserve) the ways of the Lord (Yahweh) and walk in them as their fathers kept (guarded, protected, preserved) them, or not."
These are the peoples (nations) that the Lord (Yahweh) left [allowed to remain undefeated] to test Israel through them—all those who did not know all the wars of Canaan,
so that [all new] generations of the sons of Israel might know and learn to fight, at least those who previously knew nothing about it:
They were there to test Israel through them to see if they would listen to the Lord's (Yahweh's) commands (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot) that he had commanded (Hebrew tsavah) their fathers through Moses.
And the sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
[The Book of Judges goes through the twelve judges who served during this period in chronological order. Here in the Book of Judges, seven sections are created. Seven leaders (the most prominent) are described in detail, while the other five are only mentioned in passing. Gideon is the fourth (of the seven described in detail), which means that in the chiastic pattern he is the central judge. His son is also described here, who was not a judge but a king, see . Each Hebrew name also has a meaning. Gideon, for example, means breakthrough.
1. Othniel – Lion of God ()
2. Ehud – unity ()
3. Shamgar – sword ()
4. Deborah – bee and torch/light ()
5. Gideon – breakthrough ()
– Gideon's son Avimelech – king's father ()
6. Tola – worm/crimson ()
7. Jair – he gives light ()
8. Jephthah – he opens ()
9. Ivtsan – their whiteness ()
10. Elon – oak/mighty ()
11. Abdon – slavery/oppression ()
12. Samson – like the sun ()
Each section follows a similar pattern with initial oppression, the Lord's intervention, and then the end of oppression.]
And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh) and forgot the Lord their God (Yahweh Elohim) and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
Therefore, the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Koshan-Rishataim, king of Aram-Naharaim, and the sons of Israel served Koshan-Rishataim for eight years.
And when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh), the Lord (Yahweh) raised up a savior (rescuer) for the sons of Israel who saved them—Othniel [the lion of God], the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
And the Spirit of the Lord (Yahweh) came upon him, and he judged Israel, and he went out to battle, and the Lord (Yahweh) delivered the king of Aram, Koshan-Rishataim, into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Koshan-Rishataim.
And the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) strengthened Eglon [meaning: "like a calf" and also similar to the word for round/rounded], king of Moab, against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh).
[The Moabites are not mentioned among the peoples whom the Lord had left to test the Israelites, see verses 3-6. The Moabites are descended from Lot's eldest daughter, who had an incestuous relationship with her father after he "ate and drank," see . The name Eglon means "like a calf" in Hebrew, and is similar to the word agol, which means round or rounded. No Israelite could fail to notice the caricatured description of Eglon, who becomes a clown-like figure. In , the Hebrew word bari is used, which describes fat cattle, and here with an intensifier that describes him as "enormously fat." Every time his name appears in verses 12-17, he is described as "the king of Moab," but after , the author avoids that title. This man was "someone" during the 18 years he reigned, but is then reduced to a nameless "he" who dies a humiliating death.]
He [Eglon] gathered the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and he went and defeated Israel, and they occupied the City of Palms [Jericho, see ].
And the sons of Israel served Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years.
But when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh), the Lord (Yahweh) raised up a savior (deliverer), Ehud, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, a left-handed man, and the sons of Israel sent a gift with him to Eglon, king of Moab.
[The name Benjamin literally means "son of the right hand." The author notes that Ehud was left-handed, a trait that would prove decisive for the outcome of this story, see verses 16 and 21. The Benjaminites were known for their skill in using slings with their left hand ().]
And it came to pass, when he came [home], that he blew a shofar in the mountains of Ephraim [to gather them for battle]. Then the sons of Israel came down with him from the hill country, and he was before them [Ehud took the lead].
Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had peace for 40 years.
After him came Shamgar, son of Anath, who struck down 600 Philistine men with an ox goad. He also saved Israel.
And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh) after Ehud died.
And the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh), for he [Jabin] had 900 iron chariots [under the command of his commander Sisera] and for 20 years he oppressed the sons of Israel with great force.
And Deborah [Hebr. Devorah – meaning "bee"],
a woman [Hebr. isha – a female]
prophetess,
a woman [Hebr. eshet – woman of/with]
torches [Hebr. lappidot – "a fiery woman"].
She judged (she was a judge in) Israel at this time.
[The first five words are all in the feminine form and form a chiasmus where the central word "prophetess" is emphasized by being framed by the word woman on either side. The outer frame, the first and last words, are the name Deborah and Hebr. lappidot, which means torches and light. One interpretation is that Lappidot is Deborah's husband, but unlike, for example, Huldah's husband Shallum (who is mentioned as Tikva's son, i.e. in the masculine form, see ), the ending in lappidot is in the feminine plural. However, there are 10 exceptions, such as in where eshet jafat-toar describes a characteristic of someone's husband. However, there are 10 exceptions, such as in , where eshet jafat-toar describes a characteristic of the woman: "a beautiful woman." This means that the expression eshet lappidot here in the Book of Judges can be interpreted as Deborah being a "lappidot woman" – a woman of torches! This interpretation is neither unusual nor unlikely. According to early Jewish tradition, she made and prepared the lights for the tabernacle in Shiloh. The form of the chiasmus also makes it likely that the expression is a description of Deborah's personality. It is interesting to note that in the story that follows, it is Deborah who sends Barak (which means lightning), see verses 6, 14. She is the torch that ignites the lightning. According to another Jewish tradition, Barak is also her husband. There is also a linguistic connection to Gideon and Samson, who later in the book use torches to defeat the enemy (the word is used a total of five times – four times in the masculine plural form lappidim, see , ; , and the central masculine singular lappid in ). Deborah's dual role as prophetess and judge is evident in how she was like a bee and a torch to the Israelites. Just as bees swarm around the queen who builds the colony (), the people follow the prophetess who leads them. A bee collects pollen and produces sweet honey, but can also sting intruders. Devorah is the feminine form of the Hebrew davar – which means "word." This also connects her name to the word of God, which is a light and a lamp ().]
She sat under Deborah's palm trees
(date palms – Hebr. tomer) between Ramah
[meaning: "height"] and
Bethel [meaning: "house of God"] in the hill country of Ephraim
[1-2 miles north of Jerusalem], and the sons of Israel came up to her for legal decisions.
[Deborah's dual role as prophetess and judge is reflected linguistically in the fact that things are described in pairs. The text mentions two heights: Ramah (the birthplace of the prophet, judge, and priest Samuel) and Bethel (where Jacob wrestled with God). Ephraim means "double fruitful," and the word for date palm, tomer, shares its root with Tamar, who bore twins to Judah ().]And she sent for and summoned Barak, the son of Avinoam from Kedesh-Naftali, and said to him [this is the first of three speeches to Barak given by Deborah]: "Has not the Lord, the God of Israel (Yahweh Elohim), commanded and said, 'Go and go out against Mount Tabor and take with you 10,000 men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun? [There is a Kedesh northwest of Hazor and north of Lake Hula (). However, the most likely location here is Kirbet-Kedesh on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, just south of present-day Tiberias.]
So God (Elohim) subdued Jabin, king of Canaan, before the sons of Israel on that day.
And the hand of the sons of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin, king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.
When the leaders (Hebr. parot) let their hair grow (Hebr. parot) [become a Nazirite; take their leadership seriously] in Israel,
when the people sacrifice themselves voluntarily
– bless the Lord (Yahweh).
[The repetition of the Hebrew word parot reinforces, and can be translated as "when the leaders of Israel take up their leadership," i.e., take their leadership seriously, or refer to those who let their hair grow, which means that they choose to enter a period as Nazirites. The latter is a voluntary sacrifice, which fits well into the context of the rest of the sentence. At the same time, there is a double message here that deals with both responsible leadership and that they become, or behave like, Nazirites. That is, that they truly, both voluntarily and seriously, enter into what God wants.]
Listen, you kings [Israel did not yet have a king, so this is addressed to pagan nations, see ],
give ear, you princes,
I – to the Lord (Yahweh);
I will sing (Hebr. ),
I will play (strike the strings – Hebr. )
to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim).
[The last part of the verse forms a chiasm framed by the Lord, with the verbs sing and play at its center. Hebrew is often used in connection with stringed instruments, see ; . Miriam used a tambourine, see .]
The mountains tremble at the presence of the Lord (Yahweh),
as does Sinai at the presence of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Yahweh Elohim).
[Here the battle is compared to how the Lord met Moses on Sinai after the exodus from Egypt.]
The princes are silent in Israel,
they are silent until you arise, Deborah,
when you arise, a mother in Israel.
They chose new gods,
then there was war in the gates [the enemy came all the way to our cities].
Was there a shield or a spear
to be seen among 40,000 in Israel?
My heart is turned to the leaders of Israel,
who willingly sacrifice themselves among the people.
Bless the Lord (Yahweh).
Higher than the voice of the archer, [it is heard] between the water troughs,
there they shall practice the righteous deeds of the Lord (Yahweh),
the righteous deeds with his leaders in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord (Yahweh) go down to the gates.
And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) delivered them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years.
And the hand of the Midianites prevailed against Israel, and because of the Midianites, the sons of Israel made caves for themselves in the mountains and caves and strongholds [natural mountain strongholds and cliffs – Hebr. masad; the same word as the famous ancient fortress Masada in the Negev desert].
Every time the Israelites had sown [their seed in the fall], [year after year for seven years] the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east came up against them,
and they camped opposite them and destroyed
(ruined) the crops of the land, as far as
Gaza [in the west], and left nothing edible in Israel, neither sheep, oxen, nor donkeys.
And Israel became very small (impoverished, poor; literally: 'brought down very low') [completely discouraged] because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh).
[The Midianites, together with the Amalekites and other peoples from the east (), did not primarily engage in warfare, like previous enemies, but instead stole and ravaged the land. The first attack on Israel came from the Amalekites. At that time, they had not even entered the land but were still wandering. The Amalekites used camels and specialized in surprise attacks where they came and plundered and robbed, see ; .]
And it happened when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh) because of the Midianites [who took their grain]
the Lord (Yahweh) sent a man (Hebr. ish), a prophet (Hebr. navi), to them.
[He is not mentioned by name, but is the first male prophet after Moses, followed by Samuel. The wording follows the same pattern as Deborah, who is presented as isha neviah (a woman, a prophetess), see . According to Jewish tradition, this refers to the priest Phinehas (grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar), see .]
He said, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel [reminding them who God is, how they have forsaken him and begun to worship idols instead]:
It was I who brought you out of Egypt,
brought you out of the house of bondage (slavery).
The Lord (Yahweh) turned to Gideon and said, "Go, and use the strength (Hebr. koach) you have, and you shall save Israel from the hands of the Midianites. Am I not sending you?"
Gideon replied, "But, Lord (Adonai), how can I save Israel? My clan is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family."
And Gideon said to God (Elohim), "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have said [promised],
behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew only on the fleece and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said [promised]."
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are far too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel exalt themselves against me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.
And they took the people's provisions in their hands and their shofars, and he sent all the men of Israel, every man to his tent, but kept the 300 strong (firm, sure, brave) men.
The camp of the Midianites was [at a lower elevation] below him in the valley.
And his neighbor answered and said, "This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel; into his hand God (Elohim) has given Midian and all the army."
And it came to pass, when Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped and returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the Lord (Yahweh) has given the army of Midian into our hand."
And the men of Israel gathered from Naphtali and from Asher and from Manasseh and pursued the Midianites.
And the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your sons' sons, for you have saved us from the hand of the Midianites."
And Gideon made an ephod [perhaps an image of a high priest; to determine God's will, see ] out of it and placed it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel went after it (literally: prostituted themselves with it), and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.
So Midian was subdued (they were forced to bow their knees—Hebr. kana) before the sons of Israel, and they no longer lifted up their heads. And the land had rest for 40 years in the days of Gideon.
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and served Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god (elohim). [Baal-berith means 'Baal of the covenant', cf. El-berith 'God of the covenant' in .]
But the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord (Yahweh) their God (Elohim), who had delivered all their enemies on every side into their hands.
And they showed no mercy (loving kindness – Hebr. chesed) to the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, after all the good he had done for Israel.
And Avimelech was prince over Israel three years.
And when the men of Israel saw that Avimelech was dead, they all went to their homes.
And after Avimelech, Tola [meaning worm or scarlet], the son of Puah, arose to save Israel, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
[The hill country of Ephraim stretched from Bethel, north of Jerusalem, up to the plain of Jezreel. Shamir may refer to the region of Samaria's capital, which is also called Samaria.]And after him, Jair the Gileadite arose and judged Israel for 22 years.
And the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord
(Yahweh) and served
[now seven idols are listed:] the Baals
and the Ashtaroth
(stars) and
the gods of Aram
[which were Chehadad, Mot, Anat, and Rimmon] and
the gods of Sidon and the gods of Moab
[Chemosh, see ] and the gods of the sons of Ammon
[Moloch, see ] and the gods of the Philistines
[Dagon, see ] and they forsook the Lord
(Yahweh) and did not serve him.
And the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the sons of Ammon.
And they oppressed [unusual word, used only here and in ] and crushed the sons of Israel thatyear – [for a total of] 18 years [they oppressed] all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was in great distress.
And the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh) and said, "We have sinned against you in that we have forsaken our God (Elohim) and have served the Baals."
[This is the first and only time in the book that the Israelites' prayer for help is described in detail. In the answer that follows, a verb is missing; it is implied that they were saved or delivered. In the list that follows, seven enemies are counted, as in .]
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to the sons of Israel:
"Have I not [rescued/saved you from these seven countries/peoples:]
from Egypt (Hebr. Mitsrajim; literally meaning siege, confinement) []
and from the Amorites []
and from the sons of Ammon [through Shamgar, see ]
and from the Philistines
And the sons of Israel said to the Lord (Yahweh), "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good in your eyes, but please save us this day."
And they removed the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord (Yahweh), and his soul was grieved for the trouble of Israel.
And the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together and encamped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered themselves together and encamped in Mizpah. [There are several places called Mizpah in the Bible, this is probably the same place in Gilead (not yet identified) where Jacob and Laban made their agreement, see .]
And it came to pass after a while that the sons of Ammon went to war against Israel.
And it came to pass, when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went and took Jephthah from the land of Tob.
And the king of the Ammonites said to Jephthah's messengers, "Since Israel took my land when you came up from Egypt, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan, now return it [the land and the cities] peacefully (in shalom)."
and said to him,
"Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take the land from Moab, nor did they take the land of the sons of Ammon.
[Now follows a long explanation in which Jephthah shows that he is well acquainted with the history of Israel. He makes it clear that the sons of Ammon have never been taken by Israel. On the contrary, there are three countries that God says Israel should not fight against because they are their brothers. These are Ammon and Moab, who are descendants of Lot (Abraham's nephew), and Edom, who are descendants of Esau (Jacob's brother). What Jephthah now recounts from verses 16 to 26 is how Israel wandered in the desert and did not touch these three countries, but how, on the other hand, the Amorites long ago took the area that Ammon now claims and how Israel took it from the Amorites and thus has a legal right to this area. see .]
But when they came out of Egypt, Israel wandered through the wilderness to the Reed Sea (Hebr. jam sof) [Red Sea] and came to Kadesh,
and Israel sent messengers to Edom, saying, 'Let me pass through your land, I beg you,' [] but the king of Edom would not listen. And in the same way he sent to the king of Moab, but he would not, and Israel remained in Kadesh.
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Let us pass through your land to my place, we pray."
But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his borders, and Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought against Israel.
And the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of the whole land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of the land.
And now the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel. Will you now take possession of it?
And are you now better than Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight against them?
While Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, in Aroer and its towns, and in all the towns along the side of the Arnon for 300 years, why did you not take them back during that time?
Therefore, I have not sinned against you, but you have done wrong to me by fighting against me. May the Lord (Yahweh), the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon."
And he smote them from Aroer, even unto Minnith, twenty cities, and unto Abel-keramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
And it came to pass, when the two months were ended, that she returned to her father [Jephthah], who did with her according to the vow which he had vowed. And she had known no man.
And it became a custom in Israel
for the daughters of Israel to go out yearly to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.
And Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. [The Hebrew does not say "in one of" but only "in" the cities of Gilead; the reason for the plural form is probably that the author does not know exactly which city it is; see also .]
And after him, Ivtsan [meaning: "shining/white"] from Bethlehem judged Israel.
And he had 30 sons. And he sent 30 daughters abroad and brought 30 daughters from abroad to his sons. And he judged Israel for 7 years.
And after him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. And he judged Israel for 10 years.
And after him, Avdon, the son of Hallel, the Pirathonite, judged Israel.
And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys [cf. ]. And he judged Israel for eight years.
[The seventh judge mentioned in this book is Samson (Hebr. Shimshon), which means "like the sun." He is from the tribe of Dan, which did not fulfill the mission Joshua gave them to take possession of the territory allotted to them (Joshua 18:3). Samson's family is one of the few Danites remaining in Dan's original territory, see . God intervenes in history and begins by sending an angel to a barren woman with the message that she will give birth to a son who will deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Philistines, see .]
And again the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years.
[The Philistines have been mentioned before, but this is the first time they are seriously an enemy invading Israel. The word Philistine comes from a root meaning to invade. From now on, they are a constant enemy until the time of King David and the battle against Goliath (), when the threat from them was broken for a few generations.]
for behold, you will conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the young man shall be a Nazirite of God (Elohim) from his mother's womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines."
[The Nazirite vows are described in . It was customary for these to be voluntary, but here the Nazirite vow is given even before conception. This means that the mother must also abstain from wine during pregnancy. Not eating anything unclean is an addition that is unique to Samson's Nazirite vow. The exact meaning of this is unclear, since no Jew should eat unclean food according to the provisions of the Torah. But this shows that purity is very important to Samson]
But his father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord (Yahweh), because he [the Lord] was seeking an occasion (reason – Hebr. toanah) against the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines ruled over Israel.
[This comment from the author is a key verse for understanding the entire episode with Samson. The noun toanah is only used here, but the verb anah is used to describe an appropriate time for something to happen. The Israelites had become increasingly comfortable with being drawn into the customs and morals of the surrounding peoples. Now God will allow even human weakness to work for his purposes; if the Israelites do not take up the fight against the Philistines, he will allow the Philistines to rise up against Israel.]
He
[Samson] judged Israel for 20 years, during the days of the Philistines
[when they ruled over Israel, see , ].
[The wording leads the reader to believe that the cycle with Samson is complete, but it is not. The next verse describes a new episode where the common denominator is Samson's fascination with women and the place, in this case as far down in Philistia as he could get – Gaza.]And his brothers and all his father's house came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol [in the Lowlands] in the burial place [and hometown] of his father Manoah.
[Zorah was the hometown of Simeon's family, and Eshtaol is only 2 km north of it. The cities are located 25 km west of Jerusalem, just north of Beit-Shemesh, see also , .]
And he judged Israel for 20 years. []
[Samson had a weakness for women. There was nothing magical about his hair being shaved off; his strength did not come from his hair. It was his Nazirite vow, which he subordinated to Delilah's manipulations instead of to God. That was the reason God left him. He simply abandoned his original mission. When his hair grew back, he returned to his original mission.
Samson's way of being a Nazirite differs from what is written in . He does not seem to have had any restrictions about not coming near anything dead. In addition, he killed many people, which is not part of a normal Nazirite vow. But he still had God's calling to be a kind of Nazirite, where hair is a symbol of this.]
At that time there was no king in Israel.
Everyone did what he thought was right. [The following phrase recurs four times in the conclusion of the Book of Judges, see ; ; .]
In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the Danites [still] sought an inheritance [their own territory] to dwell in, for nothing had been given them to this day as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
[Moses had previously blessed Dan and assigned their tribe the area of Bashan, located in the Golan north of the tribe of Naphtali, see . Under Joshua's leadership, the tribe of Dan had been given the area west of Jerusalem towards the Mediterranean Sea between Ephraim and Benjamin, see . However, the Danites do not seem satisfied with their allocation (the area is too "cramped," see ) and want the northern area Moses mentions in his blessing, rather than the lot they received from Josh. This chapter describes how the Danites conquered the northern city of Laish, which was then named Dan.]And they said to him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word (put your hand over your mouth). Come with us and be our father [advisor, see Judges 17:10; Gen. 45:8] and priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to one man's house or to be a priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel?"
And they named the city Dan, [after] the name of their father Dan, who was born to Israel. But nevertheless (a sharp emphasis and contrast between something that was and something that is – Hebr. olam), Lajish was the name of the city at first.
[The second story in the conclusion of the Book of Judges now begins. The only person named is Phinehas (). The fact that he is the son of Eleazar, who was a contemporary of Joshua (), means that this story takes place early in the period of the judges, one generation after Joshua. The phrase that recurs four times, "In those days there was no king in Israel" (; ; ), is found here, but with a slightly changed word order, where "king" comes before "was" here.]
And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a man, a Levite, was staying on the other (far) side of the mountains of Ephraim. He took a woman, a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
[No person is named, which makes the story more general and applicable. The main character is a Levite—the tribe that had a mission of spiritual leadership. It is not the same person as in the previous story. There are both similarities and contrasts:
The Levite was traveling in the hill country, the same area where another Levite in the previous story had found a home (). The direction is reversed – in chapter , a Levite traveled from Bethlehem to the hill country of Ephraim, while here another Levite travels in the opposite direction down to Bethlehem. Both stories are about hospitality – in , Micah gives the Levite the title "father" but treats him as his own son. Here, the Levite is a father's son-in-law. The woman is introduced as a concubine, which immediately makes the reader suspect something sinister based on previous events in , which ended tragically in .]
His master replied, "No, we will not stop in a foreign city where there are no Israelites. We will continue [north] toward Gibeah."
And he came to his house and took the knife and took a strong (firm) hold of his concubine and cut her into twelve pieces and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
And it came to pass, that all who saw it said, "Such a thing has not been done or seen from the day the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt to this day."
[The purpose of the man's action was to mobilize the military by shocking and creating fear. There is a striking parallel between and verses 29-30.]
Think of her (put yourself in her situation)!
Consider!
Speak!
[The Hebrew is strange here and changes pronouns. Some put the last words in the mouths of those who received the macabre shipment, but it is more likely that the author is doing something very unusual here and speaking directly to the reader. This event is horrific, and the author asks the reader to carefully read what follows. There are several details that must be pointed out. It never says that the woman is dead before the man dismembers her; there is some uncertainty here. When the man then recounts the event, the focus is on the fact that they were after him; he omits the detail that it was he who handed her over to save his own life, cf. ; .]
And all the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation gathered as one man from Dan and Beer-Sheva and the land of Gilead to the Lord (Yahweh) at Mizpah.
And the leaders (literally "corners," cf. "cornerstone" – Hebr. pinot) of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, stood assembled [as] the people of God (Elohim), 400,000 men on foot who draw the sword.
And the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah, and the sons of Israel said, "Tell us how this evil could happen (take place)?"
And I took my concubine and cut her into pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel's inheritance, because this disgrace and folly has been done in Israel.
See, all you sons of Israel, give them a word and advice here."
And we will take 10 out of 100 men from all the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000, to bring provisions for the people, to do (act, deal), when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, after all the folly that has been done in Israel."
And all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
And the tribes of Israel sent men to the whole tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has been done among you?
Now therefore, deliver up the men, the sons of Belial [literally: the worthless, but also a Jewish name for Satan], who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel." [Belial is also mentioned in .]
But the sons of Benjamin did not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin gathered from their cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.
And the men of Israel mustered [together], except Benjamin, 400,000 men who draw swords. All these were warriors.
And they arose and went up to Bethel, and they inquired of God (Elohim), and the sons of Israel said, "Who among us shall go up first to fight against the sons of Benjamin?" The Lord (Yahweh) answered, "Judah first." [This is one of several examples in the Bible where Judah is to go first.]
The next morning, the sons of Israel rose up and encamped at Gibeah.
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up in battle array at Gibeah.
And the sons of Benjamin went out from Gibeah and struck down 22,000 men of Israel that day.
And the men of Israel gathered their strength (became brave) and prepared for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day.
And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the Lord (Yahweh) until evening, and they asked the Lord (Yahweh), saying, "Shall we again go out and fight against the sons of our brother Benjamin?"
The Lord (Yahweh) answered, "Go up against him."
And the sons of Israel came near to the sons of Benjamin on the second day.
And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah on the second day. They struck down the sons of Israel, 18,000 men, all of them with drawn swords.
And all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept, and they sat there before the Lord (Yahweh) and fasted until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord (Yahweh).
And the sons of Israel asked the Lord (Yahweh), and there was the ark of the covenant of God (Elohim) in those days.
And Israel set an ambush around Gibeah.
And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and drew up in battle array against Gibeah as on the other days.
And the sons of Benjamin went out to meet the people, and they were drawn away from the city, and they began to strike down the people and kill them as before, by the main road that goes up to Bethel and another to Givata through the field, about 30 men of Israel.
And the sons of Benjamin said, "They are being struck down before us as before." But the sons of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the main roads."
And all the men of Israel rose up from their places and stood in battle array at Baal-Tamar [the name means Lord of the Dates]. And the ambush of Israel came out from their places, from Maare-Geva.
And they came from the south to Gibeah, 10,000 men chosen from all Israel, and they fought intensely (literally: "the battle was heavy"), but they did not know that evil was about to come upon them.
And the Lord (Yahweh) smote Benjamin before the face of Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of them drew the sword.
And the sons of Benjamin saw that they were defeated.
And the men of Israel gave Benjamin room, because they trusted in those who lay in ambush whom they had placed at Gibeah.
And there was an agreed sign between the men of Israel and those who were lying in ambush, that they should make a great torch of smoke rising above the city.
And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill the men of Israel, about thirty men, for they said, "They will surely be beaten down before us as in the first battle."
And the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that disaster was coming upon them.
And they turned before the men of Israel toward the desert road, and the battle overtook them, and those from the city were destroyed in its midst.
And the men of Israel returned to the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword—all (everything in—Hebr. metom) the cities [all the people, men, women, and children] as far as [all] the livestock, everything they found. They also set fire to all the cities they found.
[It became a "holy war" with complete destruction (Hebr. charam) of both people and animals, see ; ; . This terrible revenge against their own brother people, which extended from Gibeah to the entire territory of Benjamin, was an impulsive act carried out in the heat of the moment.]
[A total of 25,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin had been killed, along with all the women and children; only 600 men had fled and were still alive. All this had happened based on an emotional decision when the Levite from Ephraim sent out the twelve mutilated parts of his wife, who had been raped by the Benjaminites in Gibeah. Out of hatred, all eleven tribes now felt compassion for the Benjaminites, who were about to be exterminated. Jacob's fear several hundred years earlier had come true, see .]
And the men of Israel had made a [hasty] oath at Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife."
[In connection with the meeting at Mizpah () when it was decided to take revenge on the Benjaminites in Gibeah, an oath had also been taken. See also where Jephthah took a rash oath, see .]
And they said, "Why, Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), has this happened in Israel? That today there is a tribe missing (lacking) in Israel?"
[The reader would have wished that the sorrow was over Israel's sin. Previously, they had wept over wounded pride (), but now it is a sentimental sorrow over a lost tribe, see verses 6 and 15. The question "why" here is more of an accusation against God than an honest question.]
And the sons of Israel said, "Who is there that did not come up in the assembly of all the tribes of Israel to the Lord (Yahweh)?" for they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord (Yahweh) at Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death."
And the sons of Israel repented (literally comforted) over Benjamin, their brother, and said, "There is a tribe that has been cut off from Israel today.
And they said, "Is there anyone from the tribes of Israel who has not come to the Lord (Yahweh) at Mizpah?" And behold, not a man from the camp of Jabesh-Gilead came to the assembly.
And the people felt sorry for Benjamin because the Lord (Yahweh) had made a breach (a gap, a hole) in the tribes of Israel.
And they said, "Those who have fled must become an inheritance to Benjamin. So that a tribe is not exterminated from Israel.
But we cannot give them wives from our daughters." For the sons of Israel had sworn an oath, saying, "Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin."
[Of the 600 Benjaminites who had fled, there were still 200 who had not received wives. The elders discussed how they could keep their rash promise and help the Benjaminites to continue to exist. This leads to yet another ungodly plan involving the kidnapping of young women. The festival in Shiloh is described vaguely; the only festival with dancing is Sukkot, but it is more likely a Canaanite fertility festival to celebrate the autumn grape harvest. The vague description of the festival also indicates the godlessness that prevailed at this time.]
And the sons of Israel returned from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family. And they went from there, every man to his inheritance.
At that time there was no king in Israel.
Everyone did what he thought was right. The Lord (Yahweh) will reward you for what you have done! Yes, let the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, give you full (whole, perfect – Hebr. shalem) reward (repayment), now that you have come to seek shelter under his wings.”
[Now comes an explanatory note for the reader before :] But as for redemption and change of ownership in ancient times [there was a custom] in Israel: in order to confirm (establish, ratify) something (the whole matter/settlement) [everything that had been verbally agreed upon], a man [one party] took off (pulled off) his sandal (shoe) and gave it to the other and this was considered as confirmation [thus the transaction became binding and certified by/confirmed before witnesses] in Israel.
[The custom of a shoe can be compared to the modern day house deal where a contract is signed and the new owner is given the keys to the house. The person who handed over his leather shoe gave the buyer the right to walk on the land he had just taken over. There is also a link to the chalitzah ceremony (Hebr. chalitzah means ”take away” and is described in ). A levirate marriage (Heb. jibbum) was voluntary, see . If the nearest relative was unwilling to fulfill his mission, the woman could go up to the gate and plead her case. The elders then called the redeemer, who was allowed to say openly that he did not want to take on that responsibility. As a result, the woman was redeemed and she was free to remarry whoever she wanted. Even today, 10–20 such ceremonies take place in Israel every year. The synagogue uses a special chalitzah shoe for the man to put on. During the ceremony, the woman takes off his shoe, throws it away and spits on the ground. Quite early in Jewish history, chalitzah became preferable to levirate marriage and has been the norm in Judaism ever since.]
All the people at the gate and the elders said: ”We are witnesses!
[Since Biblical Hebrew does not have a word for yes, the people respond by repeating Boaz’s last word edim, we are witnesses.]
May the Lord (Yahweh) make the woman who enters your house [home here in Bethlehem] like Rachel and Leah, the two women who built the house of Israel.
[Jacob, whom God later named Israel, bore twelve sons by them and their concubines, see .]
May you become mighty (honorable, strong, victorious, successful) [cf. ; ].
in the area of Ephrathah [the area around Bethlehem]
and your name be widely known (literally ’name a person’)
in Bethlehem. [; , ]
Then the women [of Bethlehem] said to Naomi, ”Praise the Lord (Yahweh), who today has made it so that there is no lack of a redeemer [referring to the child]! May his name be honored in Israel!
Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace (shalom). The God of Israel (Elohim) will give you what you have asked (prayed) of him."
and he would stick it into the pan or pot or cauldron or vessel. Whatever the meat hook pulled up, the priest would take from there. They did this to all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
Eli was very old, and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel and how they had sexual relations with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
And did I choose him from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar and burn incense, and to wear an ephod before me? And did I give to the house of your fathers all the burnt offerings of the sons of Israel?
Why do you trample on my sacrifices and my grain offerings, which I commanded you in my dwelling place, and honor your sons above me, to make yourself fat with the best pieces of all the sacrifices of the people of Israel?
Therefore, the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), declares (says, proclaims): I have indeed said that your house and the house of your fathers shall walk before me forever (always), but now the Lord (Yahweh) declares (says, proclaims): Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be held in low esteem.
You will see the affliction of my dwelling in all the good that is done for Israel, and there will be no one who becomes an old man in my house in all the days to come.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "Behold, I am going to do a thing (Hebr. davar) in Israel, so that everyone who hears it will lose both ears. [Literally, it says that God will utter a word so that it materializes in the same way as when God spoke and it came into being in creation.]
And all Israel, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], knew that Samuel was becoming a prophet of the Lord (Yahweh).
[At this time, neither Egypt nor Assyria was a world power. Israel fought with its neighbors, the Philistines in the west and Moab and Ammon in the east. The Philistines, who were a seafaring people, had imported knowledge of ironworking and were militarily superior in this area. This, combined with increasing immigration from the west, led them to take over more territory. They were organized in five cities on the Mediterranean coast. The following passage describes how Eli's family is destroyed, the words that the Lord spoke to Samuel are fulfilled, see , . As earlier in history, disobedience has consequences, see ; . On this occasion, God uses a pagan people, the Philistines, see , , and in this way God shows his omnipotence over all peoples, even those outside the covenant.]
And Samuel's word came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to war against the Philistines and camped beside Even-Ezer [meaning "stone of help," perhaps Izbet Sartah], and the Philistines camped in Aphek [in the valley of Elah].
And the Philistines drew up in battle array against Israel, and as the battle raged, they defeated Israel before the Philistines, and they struck down their army in the field, about 4,000 men.
And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord (Yahweh) defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yahweh) from Shiloh to us, so that he may be among us and save (deliver) us from the hand of our enemies."
And when the ark of the Lord (Yahweh) came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a loud voice, so that the ground shook (vibrated with the sound).
And the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his tent. And there was a great slaughter, for 30,000 of Israel's foot soldiers fell.
And the one who brought the message answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and they have even struck down your two sons. Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and the ark of God (Elohim) has been taken."
And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God (Elohim), that he fell backward from his chair beside the gate, and his neck was broken, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy (Hebr. kaved). And he had judged Israel for 40 years.
And she named the child Ichabod [meaning: "no glory," "where is glory," or "woe—glory"] and said, "The glory [God's presence] has departed from Israel," because the ark of God (Elohim) had been taken [carried away] and because of her father-in-law and her husband. []
And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God (Elohim) has been taken."
And when the men of Ashdod saw that this was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel (Elohim) shall not remain with us, for his hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon."
So they sent and gathered all the leaders of the Philistines to them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God (Elohim) of Israel?" They replied, "Let the ark of the God (Elohim) of Israel be carried to Gath." So they carried the ark of the God (Elohim) of Israel there.
So they sent the ark of God (Elohim) to Ekron. And it came to pass, when the ark of God (Elohim) came to Ekron, that the inhabitants cried out, saying, "They have brought the ark of the God (Elohim) of Israel to us to slay us and our people."
So they sent for and gathered together the leaders of the Philistines, and they said, "Send away the ark of the God (Elohim) of Israel, and let it return to its place, so that it does not slaughter us and our people," for a deadly plague was rampant throughout the city, and the hand of God (Elohim) was very heavy there.
And they replied, "If you send away the ark of the God (Elohim) of Israel, do not send it empty, but send him a guilt offering in some way, and then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand has not been removed from you."
Therefore, make images of your hemorrhoids and images of your mice that have afflicted the land, and give glory to the God of Israel (Elohim). Perhaps he will then lighten his hand from you and from your possessions and from your land.
And it came to pass from that day that the ark remained in Kiriath Jearim for a long time, twenty years, and all the house of Israel longed for the Lord (Yahweh).
And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord (Yahweh) with all your heart, and remove the foreign gods and Asherahs [poles for idol worship] from among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord (Yahweh) and serve him only, then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."
Then the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Asherah poles [poles for idol worship] and served the Lord (Yahweh) alone.
And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to
Mitspah [just over 10 km north of Jerusalem], and I will pray for you to the Lord
(Yahweh)."
[Several cities share this name, which means "watchtower" and is used for various places that served as military posts. This mitspah has been identified with Tell en-Nasbeh, an 8-hectare city that guarded the main road from north to south between the Judean mountains and the mountains of Ephraim.]And they gathered together at
Mitspah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord
(Yahweh) and fasted that day and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord
(Yahweh)." And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mitspah.
And when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at
Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim) for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines."
And Samuel took a lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord (Yahweh). And Samuel cried out to the Lord (Yahweh) for Israel, and the Lord (Yahweh) answered him.
While Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, but the Lord (Yahweh) thundered with a great thunder over the Philistines that day and confused them (caused panic) that day, and they were struck down before Israel.
And the men of Israel went out from
Mitspah and pursued the Philistines and struck them until they came to Beit-Kar.
So the Philistines were subdued and did not come again within the border of Israel, and the hand of the Lord (Yahweh) was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
And the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and its border [about 10 km in a north-south direction from Ekron down toGath] was taken back by Israel from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life (as long as he lived).
And he went from year to year around to Bethel and Gilgal [just east of Jericho] and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.
And he returned to
Ramah, for there was his house, and there he judged Israel. And there he built an altar to the Lord
(Yahweh).
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
So the Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and give them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go, every man to his city."
He had a son named Saul (Hebr. Shaol) — young (chosen — Hebr. bachor) and handsome (handsome — Hebr. tóv), among the sons of Israel there was no one more handsome (more beautiful — Hebr. tóv) than he — from the shoulder upward he was taller than anyone in the whole people. [He was a head taller than anyone else.]
[The name Shaol means "desired"; he was a long-awaited and prayed-for son to Kish and his wife. The word "young" is often used for an unmarried young man (). The noun comes from the verb root to examine and to choose, so the phrase bachor v´tov can also mean "chosen and good/handsome." Saul is in his mid-thirties and married when he becomes king. His son, Jonathan, is commander in the first war (and must be around 17-20 years old at the time, see ). The Old Testament does not specify how long Saul reigns, but Paul writes 40 years (). This may be a symbolic time, but his successors David and Solomon each reigned for 40 years (; ). In that case, Saul is about 75 years old when he fights the Philistines at Gilboa (). See also .]
In the past in Israel, when a man went to ask God (Elohim), he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer." For the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.
"Tomorrow at this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel, and he shall save the people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me."
As for your donkeys that went missing three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And to whom does the desire of all Israel belong? Is it not to you and to all your father's house?"
And Saul answered and said, "Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family is the smallest of the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then do you speak to me in this way?"
And he said to the sons of Israel, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.
So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen [the lot fell on that tribe]. [Probably by casting lots, see ; .]
And the Ammonite Nahash said to them, "On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that everyone's right eye be put out, and I will put it as a reproach on all Israel." [Mutilating enemies was common among pagan peoples, see ; . The people would be able to see enough to function as laborers, but would be unable to become skilled warriors and revolt.]
And the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days to consider, so that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel, and if no one comes to help us, we will come out to you."
And he took a yoke of oxen and broke it in pieces and sent them throughout Israel by messengers, saying, "Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen." And the fear of the Lord (Yahweh) fell upon the people, and they went out as one man.
And he counted them in Bezek, and the sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000.
But Saul said, "No man shall be put to death today, for today the Lord (Yahweh) has given deliverance in Israel."
And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord (Yahweh) in Gilgal.
And Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set a king over you.
When Jacob came to Egypt [, ], your fathers cried out to the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and let you dwell in this place.
[Saul begins his reign as leader or king in several stages. Samuel first anoints Saul as prince of Israel in , the whole people choose him as king in , but some protest and everyone, including Saul, goes home. Some time later, during a war, they find Saul working with the oxen in the field (). He has already been chosen as king, but he has not yet acted as such. He then gathers Israel and leads them to victory. After that, the kingdom is renewed and everyone finally recognizes him as king in , and only then does he begin to reign in earnest.] Saul had reigned
[in practice] for one year, even though he had been
[formally] king of Israel for two years.
[The first half of the verse has caused some confusion. The reason is that it does not follow the "usual formula" of stating the king's age when he became king and how long he reigned (cf. , ; ; ; ; ). Many translations have attempted to "correct" the text so that it fits the age and reign formula. The verse is not included in the Septuagint, but some Greek manuscripts state that Saul was 30 years old, probably based on the ages of other kings, see . The Jewish historian Josephus states that Saul reigned for 20 years, see his work Antiquities of the Jews (book 6), but also suggests 40 years in other places, something that Paul mentions, see . It is incredible that any writer could have managed to corrupt both the age at which Saul became king and the length of his reign without anyone noticing that it said that Saul was one year old when he began to reign and then was king for two years. The most natural interpretation is that the verse describes how a year had passed since Saul was recognized by the people as king, but he had formally been king for two years.] And Saul chose for himself 3,000 men from Israel, of whom 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash [meaning: "hidden place"; probably present-day Mukmas, 11 km northeast of Jerusalem] and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with [his son] Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin [the city of Gibeah in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, see also ]. He sent the rest of the people each to his tent.
And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the Philistines, and that Israel had also made themselves odious to the Philistines. And the people gathered themselves together after Saul to Gilgal.
And the Philistines gathered [their forces] to fight against Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and people—as numerous as the sand on the seashore—in great numbers [; ], and they came up and encamped in Michmash east of Beit-Aven [near Bethel, see ].
And Israel saw that they were trapped (literally: "in a narrow or confined place") for the people were in distress, then the people hid in caves and in thickets and in rocks and in cavities and in pits (wells).
Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly [only priests were allowed to sacrifice], you have not kept (guarded, protected, preserved) the Lord (Yahweh), the commands (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot) of your God (Elohim) that he commanded (Hebrew tsavah) you [], for now the Lord (Yahweh) would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
There was no blacksmith in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords and spears."
So all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, their plow irons, their axes, and their pickaxes.
And the men in the camp spoke to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, saying, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." Then Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord (Yahweh) has given them into the hand of Israel."
And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God (Elohim)." For the ark of God (Elohim) was with the sons of Israel at that time.
And the Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to the camp around, they also turned (changed sides) and were with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
And all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also pursued them in the battle.
And the Lord (Yahweh) saved Israel that day, and the battle continued as far as Beit-Aven.
And the men of Israel were weary [exhausted, hard pressed] that day, but Saul implored the people, saying, "Cursed (utterly destroyed—Hebr. arar) be the man who eats any food before evening, and I have avenged myself on my enemies." So none of the people tasted any food.
So Saul asked God (Elohim) for advice: "Should I go down against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day.
For as the Lord (Yahweh) lives, who saves Israel, if it is through Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among the people who answered him.
So he said to all Israel, "You stand on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what is good in your eyes."
And Saul said to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), "Declare what is right." And the lot fell on Saul and Jonathan, but the people escaped.
But the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die? Who has given this great victory to Israel? Away with it, the Lord (Yahweh) lives, not a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has fought with God (Elohim) today."
After Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab and against the sons of Ammon and against Edom and against the kings of Zobah and against the Philistines. And wherever he turned himself, he struck them down.
He [Saul] acted bravely and defeated the Amalekites and delivered Israel from the hand of those who had oppressed them.
And Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord (Yahweh) has sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Israel; therefore, listen now to the voice of the word of the Lord (Yahweh).
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot): I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he stood in their way on the way when they came up out of Egypt. [; ]
And Saul said to the Kenites [; ; ; ]: "Go, depart, go down from the Amalekites, lest we destroy you with them, for you showed kindness (loving care) to all the house of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from the Amalekites.
And Samuel said, "Even though you are small in your own eyes, you are the head of the tribes of Israel. And the Lord (Yahweh) has anointed you king over Israel,
But Samuel replied to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) has rejected you from being king over Israel."
And Samuel said to him, "The Lord (Yahweh) has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else who is better than you.
And even Israel's Eternal One shall not lie or repent (Hebr. nacham), for he is not a man to repent (Hebr. nacham).
And he said, "I have sinned; now honor me, I beg you, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so that I may worship the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim).
And Samuel never saw Saul again until the day he died, for Samuel mourned (Hebr. ) for Saul. And the Lord (Yahweh) regretted (mourned-comforted – Hebr. nacham) that he had made Saul king over Israel. [See comment in .]
[The third unit in the Books of Samuel deals with how the young David comes to the throne. It consists of seven units that go from positive events to negative ones. The first four describe his anointing, his service as a harpist, his victory over Goliath, and his popularity and friendship with Jonathan. At the center, the narrative turns, and in a chiastic pattern, three stories follow that describe his struggles and how Saul becomes increasingly harsh toward David.]
The Lord (Yahweh) said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul? See, I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for myself from among his sons."
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and encamped in the
Valley of Elah (the Valley of Terebinth). They drew up in battle array against the Philistines.
The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another hill, with the narrow valley between them.
[Two different words for valley are used here. In , the word is emek, which is a wider valley, such as the Valley of Jezer, etc. In , however, the word gai is used, which describes a narrower section.]
And he [Goliath] stood and shouted to the army of Israel, saying to them, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man among you, and let him come down to me.
Then the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel today. Give me a man so we can fight together (duel)."
When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
[The most common attribute used to describe Saul is "very afraid," see ; ; ; ; , , ; ; , , . In comparison, David is mentioned as being afraid twice, of Achish (the king of Gath, see ) and of God ().]
and Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the
Valley of Elah (Valley of Terebinth), and are fighting with the Philistines.
And Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army.
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were very afraid.
And an Israelite man said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? He is coming up to defy Israel. And it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will give him great riches and give him his daughter and make his father's house blameless (tax-free) in Israel."
And David spoke to the man standing beside him and asked, "What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should reproach the army of the living God (Elohim)?"
David answered the Philistine: "You come against me with sword, spear, and javelin (lance, shorter curved sword – Hebr. kidon), but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaots), who is the God of the armies of Israel and whom you have mocked (blasphemed, ridiculed, spoken ill of).
Today the Lord (Yahweh) will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the entire Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God (Elohim),
And the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines until they came to Gai and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded Philistines fell along the road to
Shaarajim, all the way to Gat and to Ekron.
And the sons of Israel returned from pursuing the Philistines and destroyed their camp.
And it came to pass, when they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, that the women came out of the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy and with shalishim instruments. [The Hebrew word shalishim is used only here and has to do with the word "three," which some interpret as a three-stringed instrument. It may also be an onomatopoeic word describing an instrument that sounds "shal-shal-shal," and is some kind of rhythm instrument like a rattle.]
But all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them.
But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel [we are not a well-known family], that I should become the king's son-in-law?"
He has put his life in your hand and struck down the Philistine [Goliath, see ], and the Lord (Yahweh) gave a great victory to all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then do you want to sin against innocent blood and kill David without cause?"
There Jonathan said to David, "The Lord (Yahweh) is the God (Elohim) of Israel [he is my witness]—when I hear from my father at this time tomorrow or the day after [the third day], behold, if it is good toward David, shall I not send to you and reveal it to you?
And David said, "Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Qila to destroy the city for my sake.
Will the men of Qila deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), I beg you (appeal) to tell your servant."
Then the Lord (Yahweh) said, "He will come down."
And he said to him, "Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you, and you will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you. And my father Saul knows this too."
And Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats.
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom are you chasing? After a dead dog, after a flea!
And now, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be firmly established in your hand.
[This is the central passage in chapters 21-31.]
And [the prophet] Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him and buried him in his house in Ramah [in the hill country of Ephraim].
Then David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
Now that the Lord (Yahweh) has done all the good things he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel,
Then David said to Abigail (Hebr. Avigal) [here spelled Abigail (Hebr. Avigajil) without the ending jil, meaning "joy"]: "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), who has sent you this day to meet me,
But nevertheless (a sharp emphasis and contrast between something that was and something that is – Hebr. olam) as the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), lives, he who has restrained my hand from harming you. Had you not come so quickly to meet me, by the light of dawn not one male would have been left of all the men of Nabal." [The same derogatory expression as in is used again.]
And Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and took with him 3,000 chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
And David said to Abner, "Are you not a brave man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came to destroy the king, your lord."
And now, let not my blood fall to the ground far from the face of the Lord (Yahweh), for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, like one who hunts partridges in the mountains."
But David [was tired of constantly having to flee from Saul and] said in his heart (thought to himself): "One day I will be swept away (removed) by Saul's hand. There is nothing better for me than to flee to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up (grow weary of) searching for me throughout the borders of Israel, and I will escape his hand."
And Achish believed David and said, "He has made his people Israel utterly detest him, therefore he shall be my servant forever."
And it came to pass in those days [some time later] that the Philistines gathered their army for battle, to fight against Israel. Then Achish said to David, "You shall know for certain that you shall go out with me in the army, you and your men."
Samuel was now dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. Saul had removed (forbidden, eradicated) all the diviners who consulted spirits (demons) or family spirits (spiritists) from the land. [; ]
And the Philistines gathered themselves together and came and encamped at Shunem, and Saul gathered all Israel together and they encamped at
[Mount] Gilboa.
Moreover, the Lord (Yahweh) will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord (Yahweh) will deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."
And the Philistines gathered
(mobilized) their entire army at Aphek
(Ras el-Ain), and the Israelites camped at
the spring in Jezreel.
The leaders of the Philistines asked, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish replied to the leaders of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel? He has been with me for over a year (literally: 'days even years'), and I have found no fault in him since he came to me to this day?"
And so it was from that day on. He made it a statute (literally "things engraved") and a rule (binding legal decision) for Israel to this day.
And the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those who were beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.
David asked him, "Where do you come from?"
He answered him, "I have fled from the camp of Israel [in the Valley of Jezreel]."
And they lamented and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord (Yahweh) and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
Your beauty, Israel [referring to Saul and Jonathan], lies slain on your high places.
How the mighty have fallen!
Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul
who clothed you in scarlet [the most precious color; luxurious clothing] and splendor (jewels, jewelry; joy – Hebr. eden)
and put gold ornaments on your clothes.
and made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
[The name Ish-Bosheth means "man of shame"; in the Books of Chronicles he is called Eshbaal, which means "Baal is there" (). He is not an anointed king, but someone appointed as king over all eleven tribes, except Judah, where David reigns. For two years, there is a temporary division into a Northern and Southern Kingdom before David unites the nation again.]
The battle was very fierce that day, and Avner was struck down, and the men of Israel before David's servants.
So Joab blew the shofar, and the people stopped. They did not pursue Israel any further and ceased fighting.
to remove the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up David's throne over Israel and over Judah from Dan to Beersheba."
Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying, "Whose is the land?" And he said, "Make a covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you."
And Avner spoke to the elders of Israel and said, "Even before, even three days ago, you sought to make David king over you,
and now you are doing so. For the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken to David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.
And Avner also spoke in Benjamin's ears [privately with the Benjaminites, out of earshot of the others], and Avner also went and spoke in David's ears in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
And Avner said to David, "I will arise and go, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." And David sent Avner away, and he went in peace (shalom).
And all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king who was behind the killing of Avner, the son of Ner.
And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel today?
And when Saul's son [Ish-Bosheth, who ruled the 11 tribes (except Judah) from the city of Machanajim on the east side of the Jordan River, see ] heard that Abner [his commander] was dead in Hebron, his hands became weak (he lost both strength and courage) and all the Israelites were dismayed. [Abner had been murdered by Joab, see . The opposite expression, "strengthened hands," is found in .]
[After Saul's death, the kingdom was temporarily divided for two years. The tribe of Judah remained loyal to David, while Saul's commanders installed Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to rule the 11 other tribes from Mahanaim in the mountainous region of Gilead east of the Jordan River, see . Now representatives from all the tribes come together and David is anointed king. And all the tribes of Israel came to David, to Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón). And they spoke [to David], saying, "Here we are, your bones and your flesh.] Long ago, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and brought it in [, , ]. And the Lord (Yahweh) said to you, 'You shall feed (shepherd; be a shepherd to – Hebr. raah) my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.
And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord (Yahweh), and they anointed David king over Israel.
In Hebron, he ruled over Judah for seven years and six months
[ca. 1010–1002 BC], and in Jerusalem, he ruled over all of Israel and Judah for 33 years
[ca. 1002–970 BC].
[ Khirbet Qeiyafa – A city that shows David's growing kingdom
Until the discovery in Tell Dan in northern Israel in 1993, which mentions "the house of David," there was no archaeological evidence that David had existed. Excavations in 2007–2013 at Khirbet Qeiyafa, located in the Elah Valley (near Azeka, where David defeated Goliath), show how the united kingdom of Israel during David's time (c. 1010–970 BC) expanded and strengthened its position by building new fortified cities as a defense against the Philistines. The city was inhabited for only a short period of 20-30 years during the latter part of David's reign. The city was destroyed in 980-970 BC. Dating has often been done solely on the basis of ceramic finds, but in Khirbet Qeiyafa, about 20 olive pits were found that could be analyzed using the carbon-14 method, which enabled such an accurate dating. Another decisive factor in the dating was the fact that the city was inhabited for only a short period of time before being abandoned for a long time.
The city shows all the signs (type of wall, city planning, absence of pig bones, type of pottery, etc.) of being a Jewish city and not a Philistine or Canaanite one. The site is strategically important, located a day's march from both Jerusalem and Hebron. It is a border town with the Philistines (12 km to Gat to the west). The findings have enabled archaeologists to better identify cities from the same period at other excavations. Some of them are: Beit-Shemesh (layer 4), Tell en-Nasbeh, Chirvet ed-Davara, Chirvet al-Raj (2019) and Lachish (layer 5, 2023).
The wall is a so-called casemate wall (double wall). This technique was used in Israeli cities, but not in Philistine or Canaanite cities. Specific to Judah is that the wall was integrated into the dwellings where it could be used as a storage room. A thicker wall is certainly stronger, but the advantage of this hollow construction (in this case, the width of the outer wall was 1.5 meters and the inner wall 1 meter) is that it is quicker to build. Finds show that four groups built the wall, starting from each side of the two gates. Everything points to a central administration that planned the construction of the city.
Between 2007 and 2013, a quarter of the city has been excavated (which is a lot in archaeological terms). Over 400,000 clay shards and 693 handles from large clay vessels have been found. Such vessels were used by a central administration, where empty vessels were sent out to be filled, and served as a kind of taxation. Here in the Elah Valley, much of the grain needed to feed the growing empire was grown. Among the more spectacular finds is an inscription with the name Esh-Baal, the same name as Saul's fourth son (). Of the thousands of names found on other inscriptions from places in Israel, this is the first time this name has been discovered. It also fits in chronologically with the people in the Bible who have that name. Personal names containing Baal, which means "lord" but was also used for the Canaanite god, no longer appear in the Bible after the 9th century BC.
Twelve very small weights have also been found, all with a rounded top and a flat base. They were used to weigh precious materials such as metals, jewels, or spices. They are all different fractions of the (11.5 grams). Before this discovery, it was commonly believed that this precise system of measurement was first used in the 600s in Judah. Other signs that the city had an active and well-developed commerce include beautiful vessels from Cyprus and scarabs from Egypt. In addition, many metal objects have been found, including 15 daggers, 10 arrowheads, 3 swords, and a bronze axe.]And David knew
[he understood that when one of the great kings of the time sent a delegation and contributed to the palace] that the Lord
(Yahweh) had made him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
[Just over a hundred years after David's time, Mesha, king of Moab, wrote down his description of the war with the Israelites. The stone known as the Mesha Stele was found in Dibon, Jordan, in 1868. It dates back to 840 BC. The description is in full harmony with the Bible's version and has 34 lines. Lines 4-5 describe the battles with "Omri, king of Israel," who was the sixth king of the Northern Kingdom and reigned from 884 to 873 BC. Line 31 probably mentions "the house of David"; two of the five letters are damaged, but new 3D technology indicates that it does indeed say "the house of David." The stone is located in Paris at the Louvre.]When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, and David heard of it and went down to the stronghold (Hebr. matsodah).
[The Philistines came from the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast, and Ekron and Gath a little further inland from the coast, and moved uphill towards Jerusalem. Some believe that this stronghold refers to the one in Adullam near Bethlehem, which is at a lower altitude (), but based on the geographical position near Refaim and Givon (verses 18, 22, and 25), it is more likely that David moved his headquarters from the palace, which was now built at a higher elevation, down to the stronghold inside the walls of Jerusalem.]
[The Israelites had taken the ark with them into battle because they believed that God's power and presence would be with them, but instead it was taken as spoils of war by the Philistines (, ). For seven months it remained in Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron (), but when their god Dagon fell down and the inhabitants became ill with boils, they sent the ark to Beit-Shemesh. There, the people handle the ark in an unworthy manner, so it is sent on to Kirjat-Jearim (13 km west of Jerusalem, near Abu Gush), where it remains for 20 years in the house of Avinadav (). It remains there during Saul's reign (40 years) and for about 10 years into David's reign. In total, 70 years have passed since the ark left the tabernacle in Shiloh. Now David wants to bring the ark to Jerusalem. His speech to the assembled people is recorded in 1 Chron. 13:2-3. Once again, David gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000 men.]
And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord (Yahweh) with all manner of instruments made of cypress wood, and with kithara harps (Hebr. kinnor) and psalteries and tambourines and rattles and cymbals.
And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord (Yahweh) with shouting and with the sound of the shofar.
And he distributed among all the people, to the whole assembly of Israel, both men and women, to each one, a round loaf [bread cake, see ], a date cake (Hebr. eshpar, an unusual word, perhaps meat or bread baked in a mold) and a raisin cake [a sweet bread, see ; ]. And all the people departed, each to his own house. [1 Chron. 16:3]
Then David returned to bless his own household. And Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel has honored himself today, who has uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids, like one of the vain men who shamelessly uncover themselves!"
[David was not naked; he had taken off his royal robe in humility before God, see , and was like one of the people, which annoyed Michal because she enjoyed the status of being the king's wife.]
And David said to Michal, "In the presence of the Lord (Yahweh), who chose me over your father and over all his house, to appoint me prince over the Lord's (Yahweh's) people, over Israel, in the presence of the Lord (Yahweh) I rejoiced.
I have not lived in a house since the day I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt until today, but I have moved around in a tent, in a tabernacle.
Have I ever spoken to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I have led as shepherd of my people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?
Now you shall say this to my servant David, says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
It was I who took you from the pasture where you tended sheep,
to be prince over my people Israel.
I will prepare a place for my people Israel
and plant them so that they may dwell there and no longer be disturbed.
Evil people will no longer oppress them as before,
since the time I appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
And now the Lord (Yahweh) tells you that the Lord (Yahweh) will build a house (family, dynasty) for you.
Is there any other people on earth like your people Israel,
whom God (Elohim) himself came and redeemed as his own [],
to make his name known?
[The first three questions in verses 18 and 20 focused on David's personal relationship with God; here, in the fourth rhetorical question, the focus shifts to God's special relationship with the Israelites:]
You have done great things for them and wonderful things for your land and before the eyes of your people whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
You have made your people Israel your people forever, and you, Lord (Yahweh), have become their God (Elohim).
And let your name be glorified forever, so that it will be said,
'The Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) is God (Elohim) over Israel.' And the house of your servant David (David's dynasty) shall be established before you.
For you, Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), God (Elohim) of Israel, have revealed (revealed) to your servant and said:
'I will build you a house,' therefore your servant has taken it upon himself to pray this prayer to you.
And David ruled over all Israel, and David administered justice and righteousness to all his people.
Now when Joab saw that the enemy was arrayed against him both in front and behind [when he realized that it would be a two-front war], he chose some of Israel's best men [select warriors] and arrayed them against the Arameans,
And when the Arameans saw that things were going badly for Israel, they gathered themselves together.
And it was told David, and he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Chejlam. And the Arameans lined up in battle formation against David and fought him.
And the Arameans fled before Israel, and David slew of the Arameans seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shovach, the captain of their army, that he died there.
When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer [other cities in the northern region of Syria and on the other side of the Euphrates River] saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them [they became subject to Israel]. And the Arameans never again dared to rescue (help) the sons of Ammon.
[A year has now passed.] And it came to pass at the turn of the year (when the year returned, repeated itself) [the turn of the month of Adar/Nisan] at the time when kings go out [to battle, which usually happens in early spring, after the winter rains in March and before the harvest is gathered in May and all the labor is needed in the fields] that David sent Joab [as his general] and his servants (his army) with him. They destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah [present-day Amman, the capital of Jordan]. But David remained in Jerusalem.
And Orija said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my lord Joab and my lord's servants are camping in the open field. Should I go into my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing."
Nathan said to David, "You are that man. Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul,
and I gave you your master's house and your master's wife [Michal, Saul's daughter] into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that were too little, I would give you much more.
for you did this in secret, but I will do these things before all Israel in broad daylight (before the sun)."
And she said to him, "No, my brother, do not force me, for such a thing should not be done in Israel. [; , ; ; ] Do not do this reckless thing.
And I, how can I bear my shame? And you, you will be like one of the shameful fools in Israel. And now, speak, I beg you, to the king, for he will not refuse me from you."
In all Israel there was no one as handsome as Absalom; from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head there was no blemish (no fault) in him.
Absalom used to get up early and stand by the road leading to the gate [into Jerusalem], and if anyone had a matter to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call him and ask, "What city are you from?" And when he answered, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,"
Absalom did this to all Israel who came to the king for legal matters. In this way, Absalom stole (seduced) the hearts of the men of Israel.
But Avshalom sent spies to all the tribes of Israel, saying, "When you hear the sound of the shofar, say, 'Avshalom is king in Hebron.
And a messenger came to David and told him, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Avshalom."
The king asked, "Where is your master's son?"
Tsiva answered the king, "Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my father. [This was probably a lie from Tsiva, if Mephibosheth's account later on is correct, see .]
And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
And Choshai said to Avshalom, "No, but the one whom the Lord (Yahweh) and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, he shall be king, and with him I will be.
And Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened."
So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
And his word pleased Avshalom and all the elders of Israel.
and even the son of the warrior, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt completely, for all Israel knows (is well acquainted with) that your father is a mighty warrior and those who are with him are able warriors.
But I advise that all Israel gather to you from Dan to Beersheba, as numerous as the sand by the sea (impossible to count), and that you yourself (personally) go out to battle.
And if he withdraws to a city, all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we shall pull it down to the valley until not a single small stone is found there."
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Ahithophel the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel." For the Lord (Yahweh) had determined to thwart the advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord (Yahweh) might bring evil upon Absalom.
And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, "This and this is Ahithophel's counsel to Absalom and to the elders of Israel, and this is my counsel to them.
And David came to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
And Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Itra, an Israelite who had gone in to Abigail (Hebr. Avigal) [short form of Abigail], the daughter of Nahash, the sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab.
And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.
And the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
And the people of Israel were defeated there before David's servants, and there was a great slaughter that day, 20,000 men.
And Joab blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the people.
And they took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest and gathered a large pile of stones over him. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.
And the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told the people, saying, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate," and all the people came before the king. But Israel had fled, every man to his tent.
But all the people were quarreling (arguing) in all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, and he saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.
And King David sent messengers to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, saying, "Speak to the elders of Judah and say, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? For the word of Israel had come to the king, to bring him back to his house.
And David said, "What have I to do with you, Zerah's son, that you should be my advocate today? Shall any man be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that I am king of Israel today?"
And the king went over to Gilgal, and Kimham went over with him. And all the people of Judah brought the king over, and half the people of Israel.
And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, "Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household across the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?"
And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Since the king is a close relative of ours, why are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at the king's expense, or has any gift been given to us?"
And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, "We have ten parts (literally, ten hands are ours) of the king, and also in David more than you. Why do you despise us (make us light) and not let this matter be first to us to bring the king home?"
But the word of the men of Judah were harder than those of the men of Israel.
And there met them a worthless (useless – Hebr. belijaal) man whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a man of Benjamin. [Sheba was from the same tribe as Saul, perhaps even a relative, see .] And he blew the shofar and said, "We have no part in David, nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tent, Israel!"
Then all the men of Israel (literally: went up from following) David and followed [instead] Sheba, the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah remained loyal to their king [David], from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel and Beth-Maachah and all the Berites, and they gathered themselves together and went after him.
We are the most peaceful and faithful in Israel, and you are trying to destroy a mother city (important central city) in Israel. Why do you want to destroy the Lord's inheritance?
[This is the second enumeration of David's closest leaders in the Book of Samuel, see .]
And Joab commanded (was over) the whole army of Israel []
and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, commanded the Cherethites
and commanded the Pelethites,
And the king called the Gibeonites and said to them, "The Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but were a remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel had sworn to them, but Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah.
And the Gibeonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house. Nor is it our business to kill any man in Israel." And he said, "What do you say I should do for you?"
And they said to the king, "The man who destroyed us and conspired against us, so that we have ceased to be within any of the borders of Israel,
And the Philistines were again at war with Israel, and David went down and his servants [soldiers] with him and fought against the Philistines. But David grew weary.
But Avishai, the son of Zeruiah, helped him [David] and struck down the Philistine and killed him. And David's men swore to him, saying, "You shall not go out with us to battle again, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."
And when he taunted Israel [the army of Israel, in a similar way to Goliath earlier, see ], Jonathan, a son of David's brother Shimeah, struck him down. [; Shimeah was David's father Jesse's third son, see .]
These were David's last words:
Thus says (declares, proclaims) David, the son of Jesse,
thus says (declares, proclaims) the man who was highly exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the psalmist (leader of praise, song accompanied by instrumental music) of Israel.
The God of Israel (Elohim) said,
the Rock of Israel spoke to me:
"He who rules over men shall be righteous,
he who rules in the fear of God,
And after him [number two] was Elazar, the son of Dodo, the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they risked their lives against the Philistines who had gathered for battle, and the men of Israel had withdrawn.
[This passage is thematically related to the famine caused by Saul's war against the Gibeonites.]
And again the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel, and he [the Lord (Yahweh) allowed Satan] provoked (seduced, incited, stirred up) David against them, saying, "Go and count Israel and Judah."
[In the parallel reference (), it is an accuser (Hebr. Satan) who urged David to count the people, but it is also clear that the Lord (Yahweh) allows Satan to test David. It was permissible according to the Torah to conduct a census, but there is a warning of pestilence if it was not done properly (). Since it was permitted and sometimes even encouraged (; , ; ), this suggests that David's sin was not about counting the people. The problem was either David's motive for the census or the way in which it was carried out. Perhaps the purpose was to exalt himself and rely more on his own strength than on the Lord's. Alternatively, David did not fulfill the requirement that all registered men pay half a shekel as the ransom required (). What speaks in favor of the second alternative is that David had previously failed to follow all the regulations for an otherwise permissible act—the transport of the ark of the covenant—which had disastrous consequences ().]
And the king said to Joab, the commander of the army [commander in the singular], who was with him, "Go now and walk through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], and count the people, so that I may know the number of the people."
But the king's word stood firm (strong, sure) against Joab [David's general] and against the army commanders. And Joab and the army commanders went out from the king's presence (face) and counted the people of Israel.
And Joab gave the number of the people counted to the king, and there were in Israel 800,000 valiant men who could draw the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.
And the Lord (Yahweh) sent a plague on Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and the people died from Dan to Beersheba, 70,000 men.
And David built an altar to the Lord (Yahweh) there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. [] And the Lord (Yahweh) was moved by earnest prayer for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel.
So they searched throughout Israel for a young woman (Hebr. naarah) and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. [Avishag was from the city of Shunem in the valley of Jezreel near Mount Gilboa; the woman in the Song of Songs is also from Shunem, see Song of Songs 6:13.]
And you, my lord the king, all Israel is looking to you to tell them who will sit on my lord's throne, the king after him.
I have truly (indeed) sworn to you by the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, saying, 'Surely your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,' I will do this today."
And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon.
Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place, and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah.
And the king [David] also said, 'Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, who has given someone to sit on my throne today, and my eyes get to see it.'" [Jonathan's report here in verses 43-48 is written from the perspective of someone who was there and saw and heard what happened.]
so that the Lord (Yahweh) may confirm (ratify) his word that he has spoken about me, saying, "If your sons watch over their ways [live as I teach them] and walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, he promises that there will be no successor [from your line] on the throne of Israel. [, ]
And you [Solomon] also know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me—how he struck down (killed) two of Israel's commanders, Abner, the son of Ner [], and Amasa, the son of Jether []. In times of peace, he struck them down as if in battle; when he shed their blood as in battle, he stained his belt around his hips and his sandals on his feet. [The words used for belt and sandals in this verse are never used in war (), which reinforces that the killing did not take place in a battle context.]
And the days that David reigned over Israel were 40 years:
7 years he reigned in Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón) [when he reigned over Judah]
and 33 years he reigned in Jerusalem.
And he said, "You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel lifted up their faces to me to reign. But the kingdom has been changed and has become my brother's, for from the Lord (Yahweh) it is his. []
And the Lord (Yahweh) will return his blood upon his own head, because he struck down two men who were more righteous and better than he, and he killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know it. Abner, the son of Ner, commander of Israel [], and Amasa, the son of Jether, commander of Judah [].
When all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, they marveled at the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God (Elohim) was in him to execute justice.
And King Solomon was king over all Israel. [All later kings ruled only over parts of the country.]
And Solomon had 12 chiefs over all Israel, who provided food for the king's household, each man providing for one month each year.
Judah and Israel were as impossible to count as the sand by the sea [; ], they ate and drank and were merry.
And Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
And King Solomon levied a service tax on all Israel, and those who were conscripted were 30,000 men.
And it came to pass in the 480th year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv [corresponding to April/May], which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord (Yahweh).
[This verse, together with the 300 years in , indicates that the exodus took place in the 14th century BC. It is common to date the dedication of the temple to 966 BC, which then gives the year of the exodus as 1446 BC. Those who argue for a later date for the exodus (around 1260 BC) see the number 480 as symbolic of 12 generations of the twelve judges (40 x 12 = 480). The Greek translation Septuagint writes the number 440.
Here and in , the unusual name Ziv is used for the second month. The word comes from the word for light (Hebr. ohr) and alludes to the fact that it is becoming spring and lighter. The expression "second month" is otherwise used, see ; ; ; . In the modern Jewish calendar, the name Iyar is used.]
and I will dwell in it among the sons of Israel,
and I will not forsake my people Israel."
[This is the central chapter of chapters 3-11, which is a chiasm. Chapter 8 is also formed in a chiasm with seven sections, with Solomon's prayer as the central part:
A Introduction (verses 1-2)
B Dedication (verses 3-13)
C Solomon blesses the people (verses 14-21)
D Solomon's prayer (verses 22-54)
C´ Solomon blesses the people (verses 55-61)
B´ Dedication (verses 62-64)
A´ Conclusion (verses 65-66)
The completion of the temple is Solomon's greatest achievement. This building both embodies and symbolizes Israel's bond with God. In the midst of all this, it is also quite obvious that the God of heaven cannot dwell in a house built by humans, something that Solomon also mentions in his prayer, see and .]
At that time (since), Solomon gathered the elders of Israel and all the heads (leaders) of the tribes, the princes of the houses of the fathers of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yahweh) from the city of David, which is Zion.
And all the men of Israel gathered to King Solomon at the feast [Feast of Tabernacles] in the month (Hebr. jerach) of Ethanim [in the Canaanite calendar], which is [equivalent to] the 7th month (Hebr. chodesh) [Tishri – Sept/Oct]. [The dedication takes place 11 months after the temple was completed. This occurs during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which is the most joyful feast of all, see .]
And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up (lifted) the ark.
And King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel that was gathered with him were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted for they were so many.
There was nothing left in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses put there at Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [Mount Sinai], when the Lord (Yahweh) made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. [The Hebrew word for Horeb shares its root with cherev, which means sword.]
And the king turned his face and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, and the whole assembly of Israel stood.
And he said, "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my father and has fulfilled it with his hand. He said
From the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city from all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there, but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim).
And the Lord (Yahweh) has confirmed his word that he spoke, and I have risen up in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord (Yahweh) spoke (promised), and have built the house for the name of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim).
[The account in also tells us that Solomon stood on a pulpit.]
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord (Yahweh) in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven
and said: "Lord (Yahweh) God (Elohim) of Israel, there is no God (Elohim) like you in heaven above or on earth below, who keeps (guards, protects, preserves) covenant and mercy (loving kindness – Hebr. chesed) with your servants who walk before you with all their heart
And now, Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), keep (guard, protect, preserve) for your servant David, my father, what you have spoken to him, saying: 'There shall not fail thee a man (literally: cut off from thee a man) before me, sitting on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed (guard, protect, preserve) to their ways to walk before me, as thou hast walked before me.
And now, God of Israel (Elohim), let your words, I pray, be confirmed as you have spoken to your servant David, my father.
Answer the prayer of your servant and your people Israel when they turn toward this place in prayer. Hear (listen to) them from heaven, where you dwell. Hear (listen to) them and forgive them [their sin].
When your people Israel are defeated before their enemies, when they sin against you, if they turn back to you and confess your name and pray and plead with you in this house,
and you hear (listen) in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave their fathers.
and you hear (listen) in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and send rain upon the land which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
all the prayers, all the earnest prayers offered by all the people of your people Israel, each man knowing (being well acquainted with) the sickness (wound, affliction) of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house,
Strangers who do not belong to your people Israel shall come from distant lands because of your name (your reputation) [your presence].
[Lord] Hear (listen) from heaven, your dwelling place, and answer all the prayers of the foreigners. Then all the peoples of the earth will know (become intimately acquainted with) your name and, in reverent worship, fear you as your people Israel do, and understand that this temple I have built is consecrated to your name (belongs to you). [This is a prophetic prayer showing that the gospel will be preached to the whole world, as it was when the disciples fulfilled the Great Commission.]
Let your eyes be open to the prayers of your servants and the earnest prayers of your people Israel, to hear (listen) to them whenever they cry out to you.
And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:
"Blessed is the Lord (Yahweh) who has given rest (also meaning peace and comfort – Hebr. menocha) to his people Israel according to all his words (promises), not one word that he has spoken has failed (no promise has been unfulfilled, all words have come to pass), as he spoke through the hand of his servant Moses.
And let these my words, which I have prayed before the Lord (Yahweh), be near the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim) day and night, so that he may perform (uphold) the cause of his servant and may perform (uphold) the cause of his people Israel, as needed each day,
And the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord (Yahweh).
And Solomon offered peace offerings (communion offerings) which he offered to the Lord (Yahweh), 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel consecrated (dedicated) the house of the Lord (Yahweh).
And Solomon held a feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the
stream of Egypt, before the Lord our God
(Yahweh Elohim), seven days and seven days, fourteen days.
On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their tents joyful and with glad hearts, for all the goodness that the Lord (Yahweh) had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.
then I will establish your kingdom over Israel forever, as I spoke (promised) to David, your father, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man (literally: cut off from you a man) before me, sitting on the throne of Israel.' []
then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them, and this house that I have consecrated (set apart) for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
All the people who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the sons of Israel,
the sons who remained after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel could not utterly destroy, from them Solomon took tribute until this day.
But Solomon did not make any of the sons of Israel slaves; they were his warriors, his servants, his princes, his commanders, and the commanders of his chariots and horsemen.
Blessed is the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim) who leans toward you and has set you on the throne of Israel, because the Lord (Yahweh) loves Israel forever and has therefore made you king to do what is right and just."
from the peoples of whom the Lord (Yahweh) said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor shall they intermarry with you, for they will surely turn your hearts away after their gods [if you do so]." [; ] Solomon held fast to these [Canaanite women] in love.
And the Lord (Yahweh) was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, who had appeared (shown himself) to him twice,
for Joab and all Israel stayed there six months until he had destroyed (cut down) every man (all males) in Edom,
And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the troubles that Hadad caused, and he hated Israel and reigned over Aram.
And he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces, for thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you,
but he shall have one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,
And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel.
And this shall be if you listen to everything I command (Hebr. tsavah) you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes to keep (guard, protect, preserve) my statutes (literally "things engraved") and my commandments (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot), as David, my servant, did, I will be with you and will build you a stable house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.
And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
[This passage describes the first seven kings of the Northern Kingdom. Jeroboam is the first king of the Northern Kingdom. He reigned for 22 years () 931-910 BC]. And Rehoboam (Hebr. Rechavam) went to Shechem [present-day Nablus in Samaria, see ], for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
they sent and called him, so that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king and said,
"What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, Israel,
see to your own house, David." And Israel went to their tents.
But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam [still] reigned over them.
When King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of forced labor, all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam hurried to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
And Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.
And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and made him king over Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, save the tribe of Judah.
And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, gathered together to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Return, every man to his house, for this is from me." And they listened to the word of the Lord (Yahweh) and returned and went their way according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh).
And the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and he said to them, "You have gone up long enough to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
And he went up to the altar that he had made in
Bethel on the 15th day of the 8th month
[Chesvan – Oct/Nov], the month that he had determined in his own heart, and he commanded a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar and sacrificed.
[The biblical autumn feasts fall in the 7th month (Tishri), see , , .]Go and tell Jeroboam: 'This is what the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, says: Just as I have exalted you from among the people and made you prince over my people Israel,
Therefore, behold, I will bring evil (Hebr. raa) upon the house of Jeroboam, and I will cut off (cut off) from Jeroboam every male who urinates against the wall [a derogatory expression for a man; in the expression he is also likened to an unclean dog, see ]— [both] imprisoned and released – in Israel. I will burn the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung until it is completely gone (consumed).
And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall have a burial, because there was something good in him toward the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel.
And the Lord (Yahweh) will raise up a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. And what is it this time?
And the Lord (Yahweh) will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and he will rev Israel from the good land that he gave to their fathers, and scatter them beyond the river [east of the Euphrates], because they have made their Asherahs [poles for idol worship] to provoke the Lord (Yahweh).
And he shall forsake [lift his hand from] Israel because of the transgressions of Jeroboam, which he has committed, with which he has made Israel to transgress.'"
And all Israel buried him and mourned (literally tore their hair and beat their breasts, which is an expression of grief) for him, according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh) which he spoke by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.
The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he waged war and how he reigned, are written in the chronicles (books) of the kings of Israel. [This does not refer to the Books of Kings in the Bible, but to public records from which information was taken by the prophets and written down in the canonical books.]
[Rehoboam was the first ruler of the Southern Kingdom (reigned 930-913 BC).]
And Rehoboam, Solomon's son, reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord (Yahweh) had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there, and his mother [queen mother] was Naamah the Ammonite.
Yes, there were even male temple prostitutes (Hebr. qadesh) in the land, doing all the abominations that the nations had done, which the Lord (Yahweh) had driven out before the sons of Israel.
[Asa was the third ruler of the Southern Kingdom (reigned 905-874 BC).]
And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.
And there was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days.
And Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah and built Ramah to prevent anyone from coming to Asa, king of Judah.
"There is a covenant between me and you, and between my father and your father. See, I have sent you gifts of silver and gold. Go and break your covenant with Baasha, king of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
And Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and struck Ijon and Dan and Abel-Beth-Maacah and all Kinnereth [Galilee] with all the land of Naphtali.
[Second king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) – Nadab (903-902 BC)]
And Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, began to reign in Israel [the Northern Kingdom] in the second year of Asa king of Judah [Asa was the fourth king of the Southern Kingdom], and he reigned over Israel two years.
And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh) and walked in the ways of his father and in his transgressions, causing Israel to transgress.
And Baasha, the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belongs to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon.
for the transgressions of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel transgress, provoking the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, with them.
The rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
And there was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days.
[The third king of Israel (the northern kingdom) – Baasha (909-886 BC). His story is found in .] In the third year of Asa's reign in Judah, Baasha, the son of Ahijah, began to reign over all Israel in
Tirtsah [northeast of Shechem; present-day Tell el-Farah] and reigned for 24 years.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his transgressions, with which he made Israel to transgress.
"As much as I lifted you up from the dust and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the ways of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin and provoke me with their sins,
The rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his might, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. [In the same way that the chronicles of previous kings are written down, see .]
[Fourth king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) – Elah (886-885 BC)]
In the 26th year of Asa's reign over Judah, Elah, son of Baasha, began to reign over Israel in Tirzah [capital of the Northern Kingdom, northeast of Shechem], and he reigned for two years.
for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of his son Elah, which he sinned and caused Israel to sin and provoke the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, with their vanity (emptiness – Hebr. hevel) [idolatry].
The rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
And the people who were encamped heard it said, "Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king." Therefore, all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.
And Omri went up from Giveton, and all Israel with him, and they besieged
Tirtsah.
This was because of his sins which he sinned, when he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), in that he walked in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sins which he made Israel to sin.
The rest of Zimri's deeds and his treachery are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
[The sixth king of Israel (the northern kingdom) – Omri (884-873 BC)
The name Omri means "sheaf of grain."]
At that time, the people of Israel were divided into two parts, half of the people followed Tivni, the son of Ginath, and made him king, and the other half followed Omri.
In the 31st year of Asa, king of Judah
[4th king of the Southern Kingdom], Omri began to reign over Israel and reigned for 12 years, 6 years of which he reigned in
Tirtsah [northeast of Shechem; present-day Tell el-Farah].
And he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and in his sins, whereby he made Israel to sin and provoke the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, with their vanity (idolatry).
The rest of the acts of Omri, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
[The seventh king of Israel (the northern kingdom) – Ahab (874-853 BC)
His name Achav means "father's brother".]
Ahab (Hebr. Achav), son of Omri, became king of Israel [the eighth king of the northern kingdom]. This happened during the 38th year of Asa, king of Judah [the southern kingdom]. Ahab, son of Omri, reigned over Israel in Samaria for 22 years [874-853 BC].
And Ahab did much more to provoke the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Elijah the Tishbite [Hebr. Eliahu; meaning "Yahweh is my God"], from Tishbe in Gilead [east of the Jordan River], said to Ahab (Hebr. Achav): "As surely as the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, whom I serve, lives, there shall be neither dew nor rain in the coming years until I say so."
[Ahab had introduced the worship of Baal. Baal was a god of fertility and lord of the rain clouds. By saying that it would not rain, Elijah challenged the very core of this false religion.]
for thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: 'The flour in the jar shall not be used up, and the oil in the jug shall not be used up, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth again.
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is it you, O troubler of Israel (who causes disorder, brings disaster upon the land – Hebr. achar)?
And he [Elijah] answered, "It is not I who bring disaster (create chaos) in Israel, but you and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments (clear commands – Hebr. mitsvot) of the Lord (Yahweh) and you have followed the Baals.
Now send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah [1 Kings 14:15] who eat at Jezebel's table."
So Ahab [did as Elijah had suggested and] sent word to all the sons of Israel and gathered all the prophets at Carmel. [The traditional location for the following events is Muchraka on Mount Carmel.]
And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob [which symbolized the formerly united Israel, see ], to whom the word of the Lord (Yahweh) had come and said, "Israel shall be your name." []
And it came to pass, when it was time for the sacrifice [the evening sacrifice], that the prophet Elijah came near and said, "Lord (Yahweh), God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Israel, let it be known today that you are God (Elohim) in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all this at your words (because of all you have said).
Elijah replied, "I have been very zealous (loved with great zeal, been carried away) for the Lord (Yahweh), the God of hosts (Elohim Sebaot), even though the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."
He replied [again], "I have been completely devoted (zealous with great zeal, enthralled) to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of hosts (Elohim Sebaot), even though the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."
Jehu, the descendant (son, grandson) of Nimshi [], you shall anoint as king over Israel. Also anoint Elisha [which means "my God is salvation"], the son of Shaphath, from Abel Meholah [a city in the Jordan Valley], to be prophet and your successor.
And I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him."
And he sent messengers to Ahab (Hebr. Achav), king of Israel, into the city
The king of Israel answered him, "As you say, my lord the king, I am yours, and all that I have."
Then the king of Israel [Ahab] called all the elders of the land and said, "Know (take note), I beg you, and see how this [Ben-Hadad] wants to harm us. When he sent messengers to me and demanded my wives and my sons and my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him."
And the king of Israel [Ahab] answered and said, "Tell him, 'Let not him who girdeth on his armor boast as he who putteth it off (literally, as he who opens his armor).'"
And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh)."
And he counted the young men of the princes, and there were 232. And after them he counted all the people, all the sons of Israel, who were 7,000.
And they each struck their man, and the Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them, and Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, fled on a horse with horsemen.
And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and the chariots and slaughtered the Arameans with a great blow.
And the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Go and strengthen yourself (make yourself firm, secure, brave) and know and see what you have done, for when the year returns (the same time next year), the king of Aram will come up against you."
And it came to pass, when the year was come round again (a year had passed), that Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
And the sons of Israel were mustered and provisioned and went against them, and the sons of Israel camped before them like two small flocks of lambs, but the Arameans filled the land.
And a man of God came near to the king of Israel and said, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): Because the Arameans have said, 'The Lord (Yahweh) is a god of the mountains but he is not a god of the valleys,' therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh)."
And they camped opposite each other for seven days. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the battle began, and the sons of Israel slew of the Arameans 100,000 footmen in one day.
And his servants said to him, "Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel show mercy (loving kindness—Hebr. chesed), let us, we pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save thy life."
And they put sackcloth on their hips and ropes on their heads and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, 'I beg you, let me live.'" And he said, "Is he alive? He is my brother."
And while your servant was busy with one thing and another, he disappeared."
And the king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it."
And he hurried and took off the covering from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
And the king of Israel went to his house angry (bitter, sullen) and furious (stormy; breathing heavily—Hebr. ) and came to Samaria. [The phrase angry and furious recurs in .]
And Jezebel (Hebr. Izevel), his wife, said to him, "You, now you rule the kingdom of Israel! [Now you show who's boss!] Get up and eat bread and let your heart be glad [drink wine, same phrase as in ]. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
[In Jezebel's words to her husband Ahab, "you" (Hebr. atah) comes first in the sentence, which gives it emphasis. The Greek translation Septuagint interprets it as an ironic question: "Are you really the ruler of Israel?" Similarly, "I" (Hebr. ani) is emphasized in the last phrase.]
Go up, go down and meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
Behold, I will bring evil upon you and will utterly sweep away you and Ahab [his descendants], and I will cut off from Ahab [his descendants] every male in Israel, both bond and free [a derogatory term for a man; an unclean dog, ]. []
And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, son of Ahijah, for the evil you have done in provoking me and causing Israel to sin.
And he did many abominations in following idols, in all that the Amorites did, which the Lord (Yahweh) cast out before the children of Israel.
[Chapter 21 was an interruption, the chiastic center, and now comes a passage that is thematically related to and the war with Aram.]
And there was no war between Aram and Israel for three years.
And it came to pass in the third year [after the peace, see ] that Jehoshaphat, king of Judah [the 4th ruler of the Southern Kingdom], came down [from Jerusalem, which is high] to the king of Israel [in the north; Ahab was the 7th king of the Northern Kingdom].
And the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-Gilead is ours, and we are passive and do not take it from the hand of the king of Aram?"
And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-Gilead and fight?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel [Ahab], "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel [Ahab], "Ask first (today), I pray you, for the word of the Lord (Yahweh)."
And the king of Israel [Ahab] gathered the prophets, about 400 men, and said to them, "Shall I go up against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord (Yahweh) will give it into the king's hand."
And the king of Israel [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, "There is a man through whom we can inquire of the Lord (Yahweh), but I hate him because he does not prophesy good about me, but evil, Micah (Hebr. Michajho), the son of Imlah." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."
And the king of Israel [Ahab] called for a chamberlain and said, "Bring Micah the son of Imlah, quickly."
And the king of Israel [Ahab] and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, each sat on his throne, dressed in his robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied to them.
And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord (Yahweh) said, 'These have no master; let them return, each to his house, in peace (shalom).'"
And the king of Israel [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good about me, but evil?"
And the king of Israel [Ahab] said, "Take Micah and carry him back to Amon, the mayor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son,
And the king of Israel [Ahab] and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-Gilead.
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go out to battle, but put on your (royal) robes." And the king of Israel disguised himself and went out to battle.
And the king of Aram had commanded the 32 leaders of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight (duel) with anyone small or great except the king of Israel."
And it came to pass, when the chariot captains saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "Surely it is the king of Israel," and they turned and fought against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.
And it came to pass, when the charioteers saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
And a man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor and his breastplate. Therefore, he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn your hand and carry me out of the army, for I am badly wounded."
And the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
And Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel.
And Jehoshaphat had peace (shalom) with the king of Israel.
Ahaziah, son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the 70th year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.
And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), and walked in the ways of his father and in the ways of his mother, and in the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Thus he caused Israel to sin.
And he served Baal and worshipped him, and provoked the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), to anger, just as his father [Ahab] had done.
[The First and Second Books of Kings were originally one book. Here continues the passage that began in the previous four verses, see . Moab, east of the Dead Sea, had previously ruled over Israel (), but had been defeated by David (). Now, just over a hundred years later, the Moabites seize the opportunity and revolt when Ahab has just died. On the Mesha Stele (also called the "Moabite Stone"; found in Dibon in Jordan in 1868), which dates from 840 BC, there is a description of this war by Mesha, king of Moab, see also . The sixth king of the Southern Kingdom, Ahaziah, now faces adversity both politically and personally: Moab revolts and he is injured in an accident. Ahaziah was king of Israel for a short period from 853 to 852 BC.] And Moab
[east of the Dead Sea] rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab
(Hebr. Achav).
But an angel of the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: "Get up and go to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God (Elohim) in Israel that you are going to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?
And they said to him, "A man came out to meet us and said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you and say to him, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): Is it because there is no God (Elohim) in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you shall not come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you shall surely die."
And he spoke to him [Ahaziah]: "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is there no God (Elohim) in Israel? Therefore, you shall not come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you shall surely die."
The rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
While Elisha was watching this, he cried out, "My father, my father! You who are Israel's chariots and horsemen!" [Probably referring to Elijah, whose prophetic ministry was like an army protecting Israel.] Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two.
And Jehoram, son of Ahab (Hebr. Achav), began to reign in Israel in Samaria, in the 18th year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and reigned for 12 years. [Jehoram is the 9th king of the Northern Kingdom.]
Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin (miss the mark – Hebr. chata), and he did not forsake them. [Jehu was the first king of the Northern Kingdom, see .]
And Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheep breeder, and he gave the king of Israel the wool of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams.
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
And King Jehoram went out from Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.
So they set out—the king of Israel [Joram], the king of Judah [Jehoshaphat], and the king of Edom [a vassal king appointed by Joram, see ]—and they made a detour that took seven days, until finally there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. [They had hoped to find water in Wadi el Ahsy on the border of Moab.]
Then the king of Israel said, "Alas (oh no), it is the Lord (Yahweh) who has gathered these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab."
But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the Lord (Yahweh) here, that we may inquire of the Lord (Yahweh) through him?"
And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, "Elisha, the son of Shaphath, is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."
And Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the Lord (Yahweh) is with him." So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him.
And Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." And the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the Lord (Yahweh) has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."
And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them. And they struck the land of Moab mightily (powerfully, thoroughly, severely).
Then he took his eldest son, who was to reign in his place, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. And a great wrath came upon Israel, and they left him and returned to their own land.
Smaller military units of the Arameans had gone out on raids, and among the captives they took in Israel was a young girl (teenager – Hebr. naarah) who became a slave to Naaman's wife.
He [Naaman] went to his master and told him what the young girl from Israel had said.
The king of Aram replied, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him 10 talents [equivalent to 340 kg] of silver, 6,000 shekels [equivalent to 70 kg] of gold, and 10 changes of clothing.
And he gave the letter to the king of Israel and said, "Now that this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman, my servant, to you, that you may heal him of his skin disease."
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God (Elohim), to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his skin disease? But consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks a pretext against me."
And it came to pass, when the man of God, Elisha, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent [a messenger] to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know [personally experience] that there is a prophet in Israel."
Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage (upset).
He and his entire entourage returned to the man of God [a 25-mile journey back, delaying his return home by at least a day]. Naaman came and stood before him [unlike the first time when he did not get out of his chariot but arrogantly assumed that the prophet would serve him, see ]. He said, "Now I know for sure that there is no God (Elohim) in all the world except in Israel! Please accept a gift of gratitude from your servant."
Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. When he consulted with his servants and said, "In such and such a place I will encamp [with my army]." [When he gave the positions in order to attack.]
Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware (protect, preserve) yourself, lest you pass by such a place, for the Arameans are coming down there."
And the king of Israel sent this warning to the place that the man of God had told him about, and he guarded (protected, preserved) himself there. This did not happen just once or twice.
And the heart of the king of Aram was greatly troubled because of this, and he called his servants and said to them, "Can you not tell me which of us is keeping with the king of Israel?"
And one of his servants answered, "No, my lord the king, but Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."
And the king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw them, "Shall I really strike them, my father?"
And he prepared a great feast for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the army of Aram did not come into the land of Israel again.
And when the king of Israel was walking on the wall, a woman cried out to him and said, "Help, my lord the king!"
For the Lord (Adonai) had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots and the sound of horses and of a great army, and they said to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired (for a fee, hired against us) the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us."
But one of his servants answered and said, "Take [select some men], I beg you, and let them take five of the horses that remain in the city. Even if they are killed, their fate will be no different from that of the rest of the people of Israel (Literally: 'See, they are like the whole congregation of Israel that remains in it; see, they are like the whole congregation of Israel that is consumed'). So let us send them and see."
And Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" And he [Elisha] answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel; you will set fire to their strongholds, and you will slaughter their young men with the sword, and you will dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women."
[Jehoram reigned over Judah for eight years (848-841 BC). He sins by marrying Ahab's daughter Athaliah, .]
In the fifth year of Jehoram, son of Ahab, king of Israel [in the north], while Jehoshaphat was king of Judah [in the south], Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, became king of Judah.
And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he had Ahab's daughter [Athaliah] as his wife, and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh). [Athaliah was Jezebel's daughter; she would eventually seize power and seek to rule, just like her mother; see .]
[Ahaziah began to reign in 841 BC.]
And in the twelfth year of Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign. [In the first year, Joram reigned with his father Ahab, see also .]
Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's [queen mother's] name was Athaliah (Hebr. Ataljaho), daughter of Omri, king of Israel.
And take the bottle of oil and pour it on his head and say, 'Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): I have anointed you king over Israel. Then open the door and flee, and do not delay.
And he arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said to him, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord (Yahweh), over Israel.
And all the house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab [his descendants] every male in Israel, both bond and free [a derogatory term for a man; an unclean dog, ]. []
And they said, "You are lying! Tell us, we beg you." And he said, "This is what he said to me: 'Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): I have anointed you king over Israel.
And Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. And Joram guarded (protected, preserved) Ramoth-Gilead from Hazael, king of Aram.
And Joram said, "Get ready," and they prepared his chariot. And Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, went out and got into their chariots, and they went out to meet Jehu. They found him in the territory of Jezreel, in the land of Naboth.
And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshippers of Baal came, and there was not one left. They entered the temple of Baal (the house of Baal), and the temple of Baal was filled from one end to the other.
And Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel.
But he did not turn away from the sins that
[the first king of the Northern Kingdom] Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had caused Israel to sin, not from the golden calves that were in
Bethel and were in Dan.
[]And the Lord (Yahweh) said to Jehu, "Because you have done well (Hebr. tóv) and done what is right (straight – Hebr. jashar) in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel for four generations."
[Jehu both did what was good and what was right. So it is possible to do what is right, but not everyone is in harmony with God's heart and also does what is good. In the list of kings that follows, this combination with good is not used, but only with the word right six times, see ; ; , ; ; and once what is not right ().]
But Jehu was not careful (did not keep, guard, preserve – Hebr. lo shamar) to walk in the teaching (Hebr. torah) of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), with all his heart. He did not turn away from (did not turn away from) the sins Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. [Idolatry and syncretism, see 4.]
In those days the Lord (Yahweh) began to cut Israel short, and Hazael defeated them on all the borders of Israel,
The rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
[Jehoahaz reigned in the Northern Kingdom from 814 to 798 BC. He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord (), and God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Israel time and time again, drastically reducing Jehoahaz's army (). Jehoahaz prays to God, and God sends an anonymous deliverer (perhaps Elisha and Jehoash, see ). This is the only time it is mentioned that a king in the north receives an answer to prayer, see .]
In the 23rd year of Joash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned for 17 years.
And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh) and followed the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin. He did not turn away from them.
And the anger of the Lord (Yahweh) was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael, king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad, son of Hazael, all their days.
And Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord (Yahweh), and the Lord (Yahweh) listened to him, for he saw the affliction of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them.
And the Lord (Yahweh) gave Israel a savior, so that they could leave (literally: "go out from under") the hand of the Arameans, and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before. [The savior is not identified but may be Elisha, who is mentioned in . Another suggestion is Jehoash, see .]
Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he had caused Israel to sin, but walked in them. And even the Asherah [idol worship] in Samaria remained.
The rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
[Jehoash reigned over the Northern Kingdom from 798 to 782 BC.]
In the 37th year of Joash, king of Judah, Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned 16 years.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh). He did not forsake all the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin, but walked in them.
The rest of the acts of Joash, and what he did, and his might, how he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
And Elisha was sick with the sickness whereof he died, and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!"
And he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." And he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hand on the king's hand.
And he said, "Take the arrows." And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground." And he struck three times and stopped.
And Hazael, king of Aram, oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
But the Lord (Yahweh) showed them mercy (undeserved mercy – Hebr. chanan) and was gracious to them and turned his face toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and did not want to destroy them, nor had he cast them away from his presence until now.
And Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, took back from Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz, his father, by war. Three times he struck him and restored the cities of Israel.
[Amasja reigned for a total of 29 years. First alone for 4 years (796-792 BC) and then sharing his throne with his son Azarja (also known as Ussia) for the last 25 years, 792-767 BC.]
In the second year of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah (Hebr. amatsjaho), the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign.
Then Amaziah [king of the Southern Kingdom] sent messengers to Jehoash [12th ruler of the Northern Kingdom, see ], son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come (come here), let us meet face to face (literally: see each other's faces)."
And Jehoash, king of Israel, sent messengers to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife,' and the wild beasts that were in Lebanon trampled the thistle.
But Amaziah did not listen. And Jehoash, king of Israel, went up, and he and Amaziah, king of Judah, looked each other in the face [met eye to eye] at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
And Judah was defeated before Israel, and they fled, every man to his tent.
And Jehoash, king of Israel, took Amaziah, king of Judah, Jehoash's son, Ahaziah's son, at Beit-Shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate [on the north side of Jerusalem] to the Corner Gate [on the west side], 400 cubits [180 meters].
The rest of the acts of Jehoash, and what he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam (Hebr. Jarovam), his son, reigned in his place.
And Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.
[Jeroboam II was the grandson of Jehu and the son of Joash. He reigned 41 years (786-746 BC).]
In the 15th year of Amaziah, son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam (Hebr. Jarovam), son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned 41 years.
And he [Jeroboam II, son of Joash] did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh). He did not depart from any of the sins of [his ancestor] Jeroboam, son of Nebat, which caused [encouraged] Israel to sin (miss the mark – Hebr. chata). [Jeroboam I was the first king of the Northern Kingdom and the one who introduced idolatry, see , .]
He restored the borders of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, which he spoke through his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. [See Jonah 1:1]
For the Lord (Yahweh) saw the affliction of Israel, which was very bitter, and there was no end to their oppression, and there was no helper for Israel.
And the Lord (Yahweh) did not say that he would destroy Israel from under heaven (literally: "from under the heavens"), and (therefore) he saved them through the hand of Jeroboam, the son of Joash. [The destruction on earth is described from God's perspective – I will destroy from under the heavens.]
What else is there about Jeroboam's deeds, and all that he did, and his strength, how he fought, and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath for Judah in Israel, it is written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
And Jeroboam slept with his fathers with the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son reigned in his place.
[Azariah is the same person as Uzziah, see ; ; . He is the eighth king of Judah after the division and the tenth king after David. In this chapter, there are two spellings of his name in Hebr. Azarjah (verses 1, 7, 17, 23, 27) and Azarajaho (verses 6 and 8).]
In the 27th year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Azariah (Hebr. Azarjah) [Uzziah], son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign.
[Zechariah (Hebr. Zecharjaho) was the 14th king of Israel. He reigned for six months before being killed by his successor. The shorter form of his name, Zechariah, is used in ; .]
In the 38th year of Azariah (Hebr. Azarjaho) [Uzziah], king of Judah, Zechariah (Hebr. Zecharjaho), son of Jeroboam, reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months.
He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), as his father had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin.
The rest of the acts of Zechariah are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
This is the word of the Lord (Yahweh) that he spoke to Jehu, saying, "Your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." [] And so it came to pass.
The rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
[Menachem was the 16th king of the northern kingdom. His name means "comforter," which is ironic considering his violent rise to power. He reigned for 10 years (752-742 BC).]
In the 39th year of Azariah (Hebr. Azarjah) [Uzziah], king of Judah, Menachem, son of Gad, began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for ten years in Samaria.
And he [Menachem] did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh). He did not depart from any of the sins of [his ancestor] Jeroboam, son of Nebat, which caused [encouraged] Israel to sin (miss the mark – Hebr. chata). [Jehu was the first king of the Northern Kingdom, see .]
And Menachem taxed the silver over Israel, over all the mighty, warlike men, of every man 50 shekels [0.6 kg] of silver to give to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria returned and did not stay there in the land.
The rest of the acts of Menachem, and all that he did, are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
[Pecahiah (sometimes simplified in English to Pekahiah) means "Yahweh sees" or "Yahweh has opened." He is the 17th king of the northern kingdom and reigned for two years (742-740 BC). He is not mentioned in the Books of Chronicles. In the 50th year of Azariah (Hebr. Azarjah) [Uzziah], king of Judah, Pekahiah, son of Menahem, began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned for two years.]
And he [Pecahiah] did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh). He did not depart (turn away) from any of the sins of [his ancestor] Jeroboam, son of Nebat, which caused [encouraged] Israel to sin (miss the mark – Hebr. chata). [Jehu was the first king of the Northern Kingdom, see .]
The rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and what he did, behold, they are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
In the 52nd year of Azariah (Hebr. Azarjah) [Uzziah], king of Judah, Pekah, son of Remaliah, began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned 20 years.
And he [Pecah] did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh). He did not depart (turn away) from any of the sins of [his ancestor] Jeroboam, son of Nebat, which caused [encouraged] Israel to sin (miss the mark – Hebr. chata). [Jehu was the first king of the Northern Kingdom, see .]
In the days of Pekah, king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, came and took Ijon, Abel-Beth-Maacha, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried them away captive to Assyria.
The rest of the acts of Pekah, and what he did, behold, they are written in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
[Jotham was 25 years old when he became king and reigned over Judah (the Southern Kingdom) for 18 years (759-743 BC). He was co-regent with his leprous father until 742 BC, see .] In the second year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel [in the north], Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign [in the Southern Kingdom].
Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made his son pass through the fire according to the abominations of the nations, whom the Lord (Yahweh) had driven out before the sons of Israel.
Then King Rezin of Aram (Syria) [740-733 BC] and King Pekah, son of Remaliah, of Israel [Northern Kingdom, 752-732 BC] came up to Jerusalem to wage war, and they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him. []
And Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria [Tiglath-Pileser III], saying, "I am your servant and your son; come and save me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me."
[Hosea (Hebr. Hoshea) becomes the last king of Israel.]
In the twelfth year of Ahaz, king of Judah, Hosea, son of Elah, began to reign in Samaria and reigned over Israel nine years.
And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), but not like the kings of Israel who were before him.
In the ninth year of Hosea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
And this happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord (Yahweh), their God (Elohim), who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under (literally "from beneath") the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had followed other gods,
and walked after the statutes of the nations whom the Lord (Yahweh) had cast out before the children of Israel and before the kings of Israel, which they had done
And the sons of Israel had secret things that were not right before the Lord (Yahweh), their God (Elohim), and they built high places in all their cities, from the watchtowers to the fortified cities.
And the Lord (Yahweh) repeated in Israel and in Judah through the hand of all his prophets and all the seers (prophets – Hebr. chozeh) and said, "Turn away from your evil ways and keep (guard, protect, preserve) my commandments (clear commands) and my ordinances (literally: 'things engraved') in accordance with all the teaching (Hebr. Torah) that I commanded your fathers and that I sent to you through the hand of my servants the prophets."
And the Lord (Yahweh) was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence, and there was no one left except the tribe of Judah.
And Judah did not keep (guard, protect, preserve) the commandments (clear commands) of the Lord (Yahweh), their God (Elohim), but walked in the statutes of Israel as they did (practiced).
And the Lord (Yahweh) rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted (plagued) them and delivered them into the hand of destroyers until he had cast them out of his sight.
For he tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the Lord (Yahweh) and caused them to sin greatly.
And Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam that he did, and they did not forsake them
until the Lord (Yahweh) removed Israel from his presence, as he had spoken through the hand of all his servants the prophets. And Israel was carried away from their land to Assyria to this day.
And the king of Assyria brought men
from Babylon
and from Kota [city in Babylon]
and from Avah [unknown city]
and from Hamath [city in central Syria]
and Sepharvaim [Sefarvim (meaning: "the two scribes") – city in northern Syria on the eastern side of the Euphrates that Assyria had captured]
and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the sons of Israel, and they took Samaria and lived in its cities.
To this day they do so (follow their old customs). Nor do they fear the Lord (Yahweh), or do according to (follow) the statutes (literally "things engraved"), the ordinances (binding legal decisions), the teaching (Hebr. Torah) or the commandments (the clear commandments – Hebr. mitzvot) that the Lord (Yahweh) commanded (Hebr. tsavah) the sons of Jacob, whom he named Israel,
[Hezekiah reigned over Judah (the Southern Kingdom) for 29 years (726-697 BC).]
In the third year of the reign of Hoshea, son of Elah, in Israel, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
He removed the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles [poles for idol worship], and he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made [], for to this day the sons of Israel had been sacrificing to it, and it was called Nechushtan.
He trusted (relied on) the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), so that after him there was no one among the kings of Judah who was like him, nor among those who were before him.
And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up against Samaria and besieged it.
At the end of the third year [of the siege of the city], in the sixth year of Hezekiah's reign and the ninth year of Hoshea's reign as king of Israel, Samaria was captured.
And the king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of Media,
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord (Yahweh) and said, "Lord (Yahweh), God (Elohim) of Israel, who sits on the cherubim, you are God (Elohim), you alone to the kings of the lands, you have made the heavens and the earth.
Then Isaiah, the son of Amoz, sent word to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: As you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib, king of Assyria, I have heard you.
Whom have you mocked and blasphemed,
and against whom have you raised your voice?
You have raised your eyes high,
against the Holy One of Israel!
He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh), the abominations of the nations that the Lord (Yahweh) had cast out before the sons of Israel.
And he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down [], and he erected an altar to Baal and made an Asherah [a pole for idol worship, see ] as Ahab king of Israel had done, and he worshiped all the hosts of heaven (demonic powers) and served them.
And he placed the carved Asherah [pole for idol worship] that he had made in the house about which the Lord (Yahweh) had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name forever,
I will no longer let the feet of Israel wander [as refugees] out of the land I gave their fathers, if only they hold fast to (guard, protect, preserve) and do all that I have commanded them and all the teaching (Hebr. Torah) that my servant Moses commanded them."
But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do what is more evil than what the nations did whom the Lord (Yahweh) destroyed before the sons of Israel.
therefore, says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: Behold, I will bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears of it, both his ears shall tingle.
And she said to them, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): Tell the man who sent you to me,
But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord (Yahweh), you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): The word that you have heard,
And the high places that were in front of (east of) Jerusalem, to the right [the southern hill] of the Mount of Destruction [a play on words for "Mount of Anointing," i.e., the Mount of Olives], which Solomon, king of Israel, had built for
Ashtoret [Ishtar – goddess of love and war; queen of heaven and wife of Baal], the abomination of the Sidonians, King of Israel, had built for Ashtoreth [Ishtar – goddess of love and war; queen of heaven and wife of Baal], the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom [also called Molech], the abomination of the sons of Ammon,
the king defiled himself.
And also the altar that was in Bethel and the high places that Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high places he broke down, and he burned the high places and made them fine dust, and he burned the Asherah [pole for idol worship].
And all the houses of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke, Josiah (Hebr. Joshijaho) took away and did to them as he had done in Bethel.
For such a Passover had not been celebrated since the days when the judges ruled Israel, nor at any time during the reign of the kings of Israel and Judah.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said, "I will remove Judah from my sight as I have removed Israel, and I will cast away this city which I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, 'My name shall be there.
And he carried away all the treasures of the house of the Lord (Yahweh), and the treasures of the king's house, and broke in pieces all the vessels of gold that Solomon, king of Israel, had made in the temple of the Lord (Yahweh), which the Lord (Yahweh) had spoken (according to the Lord's instruction).
And Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac's sons were Esau and Israel.
These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before there was a king in Israel:
Bela, the son of Beor, and his city was called Dinhaba.
These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,
The son of Carmi was Achar, who brought disaster upon Israel when he treacherously stole what had been devoted to destruction.
Jabez cried out (prayed, invoked) to the God of Israel (Elohim) and said:
If only you would bless me greatly
expand my territory (my border).
Let your hand be with me (let me be close to you)
keep me from evil, so that I may not cause myself pain." God did as he requested (desired).
Reuben was the firstborn of Israel, for he was born first. But because he defiled his father's bed [by lying with Judah's concubine Bilhah, see ; ], his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, but not so that Joseph would be listed in the genealogy as the firstborn.
The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch (Enoch), Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
All these were recorded in the genealogical register in the days of King Jotham of Judah [750-735 BC in the southern kingdom] and King Jeroboam of Israel [793-735 BC in the northern kingdom].
Then the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of the Assyrian king Pul [Tiglath-Pileser III], that is, the spirit of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser. He carried the people away into captivity, both the Reubenites and the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh. He brought them to Halah, [the river] Habor, Hara, and the stream of Gozan [in present-day northern Iraq], where they are to this day.
son of Jishar, son of Kehat, son of Levi, son of Israel.
But Aaron and his descendants were in charge of the sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense. They took care of everything in the Most Holy Place and made atonement for Israel, just as Moses, the servant of God, had commanded.
The Israelites gave these cities and their pasturelands to the Levites.
But the children of Manasseh possessed Beit-Shan with its villages, Taanach with its villages, Megiddo with its villages, and Dor with its villages.
Here lived the children of Joseph, the son of Israel.
All Israel was recorded in genealogical registers, and they are listed in the book of the kings of Israel. [Refers to official lists of names and families kept in archives. Used for taxation and military service.]
Judah was taken away into captivity to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.
The first to settle in their ancestral possessions and in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
[Now follow stories from David's life. In comparison with the First Book of Samuel, events and stories in which he is described as weak or immoral are omitted. Material that is only found here is how David prepares for the construction of the temple (). David is likened to a "Moses" who receives instructions on how the temple service is to be performed ().]
The Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
When all the Israelites in the valley saw that their army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came and settled in them.
All Israel gathered around David in Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood.
Long ago, when Saul was still king, it was you [David] who was the leader and commander of Israel. And the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim), has said to you: You shall feed (shepherd; be a shepherd for – Hebr. raah) my people Israel, you shall be a prince over my people Israel."
When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord (Yahweh). Then they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through Samuel.
David went with all Israel to Jerusalem, that is,
Jebus (Jebus), where the Jebusites lived.
These are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, so that he was made king over Israel according to the word of the Lord.
from the sons of Issachar, men who understood the signs of the times and realized what Israel should do, 200 commanders and all their kinsmen under their command,
All these warriors came to Hebron, ready for battle, determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel also agreed to make David king.
Those who lived nearest to them, as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, also brought them food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen: flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep. There was joy in Israel.
Then David said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If you agree and if it is from the Lord (Yahweh), our God (Elohim), let us send word to all our brothers throughout the land of Israel and also to the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather to us.
David then gathered all Israel, from Shihor in Egypt to the place where the road goes to Hamath [in present-day southern Syria, not far from Tell Dan, see ], to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.
David went with all Israel to Baalah, to
Kiriath Jearim [13 km west of Jerusalem], which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of the Lord
(Yahweh), God
(Elohim), who sits enthroned above the cherubim and after whom it
[the ark] was named.
[]David and all Israel danced before the Lord with all their might, with songs and harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, for he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went up to search for David. When David heard this, he went out against them.
David gathered all Israel to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it.
and said to them, "You are the heads of the families of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.
So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.
So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with rejoicing.
All Israel [united, see ] brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yahweh) with shouts of joy and the sound of shofars. They blew trumpets and rang cymbals and played lyres and harps.
And to everyone in Israel, both men and women, he gave a loaf of bread [a round loaf, see ], a date cake (Hebr. eshpar, an unusual word, perhaps meat or bread baked in a mold) and a grape cake [a sweet bread, see ; ]. [Everyone joined in the festivities, see also .]
He appointed some Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord and to praise, thank, and bless the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel:
The seed of Abraham, his servant,
the sons (children) of Jacob, his chosen ones. []
He has confirmed it to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant.
Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim),
from everlasting to everlasting,
And all the people said,
"Amen!" and praised (blessed) the Lord (Yahweh).
[The first stanza is identical to . The exhortation in the second stanza that all peoples should say "Amen" is paraphrased and describes how all peoples now do so.]
to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering morning and evening, and to do everything that was written in the teaching that the Lord (Yahweh) had given Israel.
I have not lived in a house since the day I brought Israel up from Egypt until today, but I have moved from tent to tent, from tabernacle to tabernacle.
Have I ever, while moving about with all Israel, spoken and said to any of the judges of Israel, whom I appointed as shepherd of my people, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?
Now you shall say this to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people Israel.
I will prepare a place for my people Israel and plant them [; ] so that they may dwell there without fear (being shaken) anymore. Evil people will no longer oppress them as before [in Egypt, the desert wanderings]
and during the time (the days) when I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.
And I tell you that the Lord (Yahweh) will build a house for you.
And where on earth is there a nation like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem as his own people, to make a great and awesome name for yourself when you drove out the nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt?
You have made your people Israel your people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
Then your name will be established and magnified forever, so that it will be said, "The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is God over Israel." Then the house of your servant David will be established before you.
David now ruled over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness to all his people.
Joab saw that he had enemies both in front of him and behind him. He then selected some of Israel's best men and lined them up against the Arameans.
When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to the Arameans who were beyond the River. They came out under the command of Shophach, commander of Hadadezer's army.
When David was told, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan, and when he came to them, he drew up in battle array against them. David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, and they fought against him.
But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 7,000 of their charioteers and 40,000 of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach, their commander.
When Hadadezer's servants saw that they had been defeated by the Israelites, they made peace with David and became his servants. After this, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
When he taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, son of Shimea, David's brother.
But Satan (the Accuser, the adversary) rose up against Israel and incited (seduced, provoked, incited) David to number Israel.
[Hebr. Satan is used here in the indefinite form, in ; and the definite form ha-Satan is used. In the parallel passage in 2 Sam 24:1, Satan is not mentioned. According to the Torah, it was permissible to conduct a census, but there is a warning about pestilence if it was not done properly (Ex. 30:12). The fact that it was permitted and sometimes even encouraged (; , ; ) suggests that David's sin was not about counting the people. The problem was either David's motive for the census or the way in which it was carried out. Perhaps the purpose was to exalt himself and rely more on his own strength than on the Lord's. Alternatively, David did not fulfill the requirement that all registered men pay half a shekel as the ransom required (). What speaks in favor of the second alternative is that David had previously failed to follow all the regulations for an otherwise permissible act—the transport of the ark of the covenant—which had disastrous consequences ().]
Then David said to Joab and the commanders of the people, "Go and count Israel from
Beer-Sheva [in the south] to Dan
[in the north], and let me know how many there are."
Joab replied, "May the Lord increase his people a hundredfold! My lord and king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why does my lord ask this? Why bring guilt on Israel by doing this?"
But the king's word prevailed against Joab, and Joab went and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem.
Joab reported the results of the census to David: In Israel there were 1,100,000 men able to bear arms, and in Judah there were 470,000 men able to bear arms.
What had happened was evil in the sight of God, and he punished Israel.
Choose what you want: either three years of famine, or three months of destruction by your enemies, with no escape from the sword of your foes, or the sword of the Lord with pestilence in the land for three days, while the angel of the Lord spreads destruction throughout the land of Israel. Now decide what answer I should give to the one who sent me."
Then the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 people of Israel died.
David said, "Here shall be the house of the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) and here the altar for the burnt offerings of Israel."
And David commanded that the strangers who were in the land of Israel be gathered together. He appointed stonecutters to cut stones for building the house of God (Elohim).
He called his son Solomon and commanded him to build a house for the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel.
But behold, a son shall be born to you. He shall be a man of peace, and I will give him peace with all his enemies around him. His name shall be Solomon, and I will give Israel peace in his days.
He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever.
May the Lord only give you wisdom and understanding when he sets you over Israel, so that you keep the teaching of the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim).
Then you will succeed, if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances that the Lord commanded Moses to lay upon Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged.
Then David commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said:
When David was old and satisfied with life, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
He gathered all the princes of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
David said, "The Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he now dwells in Jerusalem forever.
This was the order in which they were to serve when they entered the house of the Lord (Yahweh), as prescribed for them by their father Aaron according to the commandment of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, which he had given him.
From among the Jasharites, Kenaniah and his sons were taken for the secular duties of Israel, to be overseers and judges.
Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brothers, 1,700 able-bodied men, were appointed to the administration of Israel on the other side of the Jordan, on the west side, for all kinds of work for the Lord and for the king's service.
This is the list of the children of Israel, according to their numbers, with the heads of their families and with the commanders and officers and their leaders, who served the king in all matters concerning the divisions of the army, which came and went in rotation for each of the months of the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men.
The leaders of the tribes of Israel were these:
The leader of the Reubenites was Eliezer, son of Zichri,
of the Simeonites, Shephatiah, son of Maacah,
for Dan, Asarel, son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
But David did not include those under twenty years of age in the census, because the Lord had promised to multiply Israel like the stars in the sky.
Joab, the son of Zeruiah, began the census but did not complete it, because wrath came upon Israel because of it. The number was not included in any list in the chronicles of King David.
David gathered all the leaders of Israel, the tribal leaders and commanders of the divisions, those who were in the king's service, the commanders and officers, and the overseers of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, as well as the courtiers, the mighty men, and all the brave warriors.
Nevertheless, the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as prince, and in the house of Judah, my father's house, and among my father's sons, he showed mercy (conditional mercy – Hebr. ratsah, he was pleased) to me and made me king over all Israel.
Among all my sons—for the Lord has given me many sons—he chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord and rule over Israel.
Now I say before all Israel, the assembly of the Lord (Yahweh), and before our God (Elohim) who hears it: Keep all the commandments of the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim), and follow them carefully so that you may possess the good land and leave it as an inheritance to your children after you forever.
The heads of families and the heads of the tribes of Israel, the commanders and the officers, and the leaders of the king's work brought their voluntary gifts.
[A collection has been made for the construction of the temple, and the people have first and foremost given themselves and their hearts to the Lord, see . They have then generously given of their resources for the construction. In addition to the large gift David has already given, there are now 168 tons of gold, 337 tons of silver, 606 tons of bronze, and 3,365 tons of iron, see .]
Therefore [overwhelmed by the people's devotion to the Lord and their generous gifts], David blessed the Lord (Yahweh) before the whole assembly. David said:
"Blessed are you, Lord (Yahweh), God (Elohim) of Israel, our father
from everlasting to everlasting.
Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, let the hearts and minds of your people be ready for such things forever, and turn their hearts to you.
The next day they slaughtered sacrifices for the Lord and offered burnt offerings to the Lord: 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs with their drink offerings, as well as sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.
So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king after his father David, and he prospered. All Israel obeyed him.
And the Lord made Solomon very great before all Israel and gave him such royal glory as no one before him had had as king over Israel.
David, the son of Jesse, had reigned over all Israel.
The time he reigned over Israel was 40 years [1010–970 BC].
He reigned 7 years in Hebron (Hebr. Chevrón)
and 33 years in Jerusalem. []
There is also written about his entire reign and his deeds and the events that befell him and Israel and all other countries and kingdoms.
Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders and officers, to the judges and to all the princes of Israel, the heads of the families.
After Solomon had been at the high place at Gibeon, he went from the tent of meeting to Jerusalem and reigned over Israel.
Behold, I intend to build a house for the Lord (Yahweh), the name of my God (Elohim), and consecrate it to him. There they shall burn fragrant incense before him and always have the showbread set out and offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, at the new moon and at the feasts of the Lord (Yahweh) our God (Elohim) [; ]. This is a statute forever for Israel.
And Hiram added:
"Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, the creator of heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who is so endowed with wisdom and understanding that he can build a house for the Lord and a house for himself as a royal residence.
Solomon counted all the foreigners in the land of Israel, just as his father David had done before him. It turned out that there were 153,600 of them.
[There is an interesting parallel in the first part of the number of workers to build the temple, which is 153, and the numerical value of Bezalel, the craftsman who built the tabernacle (), which is also 153. Jesus, who was called "the craftsman's son" (), is himself the ark and the atonement, see also where the number 153 recurs.]
Then Solomon gathered the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the heads of the families of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yahweh) from the city of David, that is, Zion.
All the men of Israel gathered before the king during the feast [the Feast of Tabernacles, the last of the autumn feasts celebrated on the 15th of Tishri and lasting seven days, see ] in the 7th month [Tishri – Sept/Oct; in the word etanim is used, which is the name of the 7th month in the Canaanite calendar].
When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites lifted up the ark. [This is done in the proper manner, see . Solomon had surely been instructed in this by his father David.]
And King Solomon stood before the ark with the whole assembly of Israel, which had gathered around him. They sacrificed sheep and oxen in such abundance that they could not be counted or estimated.
In the ark there was nothing but the two tablets [also manna and Aaron's rod, see ; ; ] that Moses had placed there at Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [Mount Sinai] when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt. [The Hebr. word for Horeb shares its root with cherev, which means sword.]
Then the king turned and blessed the whole assembly of Israel while all the people stood.
He said, "Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, who with his hands has accomplished what he promised with his mouth to my father David, saying:
From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any of the tribes of Israel to build a house in which my name would be, nor have I chosen any man to be prince over my people Israel.
But I have chosen Jerusalem for my name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule over my people Israel.
My father David had it in his heart to build a house for the name of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim).
And the Lord has kept his word that he spoke, for I have succeeded my father David and now sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord spoke (promised), and I have built the house for the name of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim).
There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant that the Lord made with the children of Israel."
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord (Yahweh) in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.
He had made a pulpit of bronze, five cubits [2.25 meters] long, five cubits [2.25 meters] wide, and three cubits [1.35 meters] high, and placed it in the middle of the outer courtyard, and he now stood on the pulpit. Then he knelt before the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven
and said [in prayer]: "Lord (Yahweh), God (Elohim) of Israel, there is no God (Elohim) like you, neither in heaven nor on earth, who keeps the covenant and preserves mercy (Hebr. chesed) toward your servants when they walk before you with all their heart.
Now, Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), keep what you promised your servant, my father David, when you said to him, 'You shall never lack a successor on the throne of Israel before me, if your children take heed to their way and walk in my statutes, as you have walked before me.
And now, Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), fulfill the word that you have spoken to your servant David.
Yes, hear the prayers that your servant and your people Israel send up when they turn toward this place. Hear them from the place where you dwell, from heaven. And when you hear, forgive.
If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, but they repent and praise your name and pray and plead before you in this house,
then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.
hear it in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, and teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
then if any man or all your people Israel pray and cry out to you, each in his affliction and in his pain, and they spread out their hands toward this house,
Even if a stranger, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, if he comes and prays toward this house,
then hear from heaven, where you live, and do everything the stranger asks of you. Then all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as your people Israel do, and understand that this house I have built is named after your name.
When all the children of Israel saw the fire come down and saw the glory of the Lord over the house [the temple], they fell down on the paved courtyard with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord and gave thanks [with open hands – praise, honor, and acknowledge] the Lord (Yahweh):
for he is good,
for his mercy (caring, faithful love) endures forever (eternally).
The priests stood in their places, and the Levites stood with the musical instruments of the Lord that King David had made, to give thanks to the Lord (Yahweh), for his mercy endures forever. David had the Levites perform the song of praise. The priests stood opposite them and blew trumpets while all Israel remained standing.
At that time, Solomon celebrated the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him. It was a very large assembly, from the place where the road goes to Hamath
[in present-day southern Syria, not far from Tell Dan, see ] all the way to
the brook of Egyptravine
[Wadi el-Arish, Israel's border with Sinai in the southwest, see ].
But on the 23rd day of the 7th month [Tishri – Sept/Oct], he sent the people home to their tents, and they were filled with joy and gladness over the good that the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.
then I will establish your royal throne forever, as I promised your father David, saying, 'You shall never lack a man to rule over Israel.
he built the cities that Hiram had given him, and he settled the children of Israel there.
All the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not Israelites,
the descendants of all those whom the Israelites had not destroyed but who remained in the land, Solomon made them subject to forced labor, as they are to this day.
But Solomon did not make any of the children of Israel slaves for his work, but they became warriors and commanders of his army, or commanders of his chariots and horses.
And Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter from the city of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David, king of Israel, for it is a holy place, since the ark of the Lord has come there."
Blessed be the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim), who has found such favor in you that he has set you on his throne to be king before the Lord (Yahweh), your God (Elohim)! Because your God (Elohim) loves Israel and wants to keep it in power forever, he has made you king over them, so that you may administer justice and righteousness."
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years.
[The rest of the book lists 20 rulers of the Southern Kingdom, 19 kings and one queen. Solomon's son Rehoboam reigned for 17 years (976-959 BC).] Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
And they sent messengers to call him back. Then Jeroboam came with all Israel and spoke to Rehoboam, saying
When all Israel realized that the king would not listen to them, the people gave him this answer:
"What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Go home to your tents, Israel!
Now look after your own house, David." Then all Israel went home.
And Rehoboam remained king only over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.
When King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor, the children of Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam himself had to hurry up into his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel rebelled against the house of David and has been separated from it to this day.
When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel and win back the kingdom for Rehoboam.
"Tell Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin:
[Verses 4-12 are the central section dealing with the temple. This section contains unique material.]
The priests and Levites throughout Israel came over to Rehoboam from all their territories.
And those from all the tribes of Israel who turned their hearts to seek the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, followed the Levites, and they came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of their fathers.
When Rehoboam's kingdom was established and he became powerful, he abandoned the teaching of the Lord. So did all Israel [the northern kingdom].
Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The Lord is righteous."
So King Rehoboam strengthened his power in Jerusalem and continued to reign. He was 41 years old when he became king, and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonite.
Abijah went up to Mount Zemarim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel!
Do you not know that it is the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, who has given the kingdom of Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, through a covenant of salt?
[Salt was used in all sacrifices, see . The function of salt to preserve and conserve alludes to the fact that the "covenant of salt" that is entered into is to be long-lasting and kept, see . Entering into a covenant of salt is considered a full equivalent to a covenant of blood, see .]
And behold, God is with us at our head, and we have his priests with the trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord (Yahweh), the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."
Then the men of Judah raised a battle cry, and when they did so, God (Elohim) caused Jeroboam [the first king of the Northern Kingdom] and all Israel to be defeated by Abijah and Judah.
The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.
Then Abijah and his people inflicted heavy casualties on them, so that 500,000 of Israel's young men were killed.
Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time, but the children of Judah were strong, for they relied on the Lord (Yahweh), the God of their fathers.
For a long time, Israel lived without the true God, without priests to teach them (Hebr. jarah) and without any teaching (instruction, Torah).
But in their distress they turned to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, and when they sought him, he let himself be found by them.
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the strangers from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who lived among them. Many from Israel had joined him when they saw that the Lord (Yahweh), his God (Elohim), was with him.
Anyone who did not seek the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, would be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.
However, the high places were not removed from Israel, but Asa's heart was devoted to God as long as he lived.
In the 36th year of Asa's reign, Basha, king of Israel, went up against Judah and began to fortify Ramah [just over a mile north of Jerusalem] to prevent anyone from coming to or from Asa, king of Judah.
"Let us make a treaty, you and I, as there was between my father and your father. Here I am sending you silver and gold. Therefore, break your treaty with Baasha, king of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa and sent his commanders against the cities of Israel and captured Ijon, Dan, and Abel-Majim, as well as all the storehouses in the cities of Naphtali.
The rest of the acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
[Jehoshaphat ruled Judah (the Southern Kingdom) for 25 years (915-893 BC).]
His [Asa's] son Jehoshaphat [meaning: "Yahweh judges"] became king after him [Asa]. He strengthened his power against Israel [the Northern Kingdom].
but sought the God of his father. He obeyed God's commands and did not do as Israel did.
Ahab, king of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?"
He replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people. I will be with you in the battle."
But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "First consult the Lord about this."
So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, 400 men, and asked them, "Should we go up to Ramoth Gilead to attack it, or should I refrain?" They replied, "Go up, for God will give it into the king's hand."
The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man here, Micah son of Imlah. We can inquire of the Lord through him. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, only bad." Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say that."
Then the king of Israel summoned a court official and said, "Bring Micah son of Imlah, here immediately."
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, were sitting on their thrones, dressed in their robes. They were sitting on a threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, while all the prophets prophesied before them.
Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, 'These have no master. Let them return home in peace, each to his own house (family).'"
Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only evil?"
And the Lord (Yahweh) said, 'Who will entice Ahab, king of Israel, to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? One said this, and another said that.
But the king of Israel said, "Take Micah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son,
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up to Ramoth Gilead.
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will go into battle in disguise, but you wear your own clothes." So the king of Israel disguised himself when they went into battle.
But the king of Aram had given orders to the commanders of the chariots, saying, "You shall not fight against anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel."
When the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "There is the king of Israel!" And they surrounded him to attack him. Then Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drove them away from him.
As soon as the commanders of the chariots realized that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back and left him alone.
But a man who was shooting at random with his bow hit the king of Israel in the joint of his armor. Then the king said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn the chariot around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded."
The battle grew fiercer that day, and the king of Israel remained standing in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. But at sunset he died.
In Jerusalem, too, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests and some of the heads of the families of Israel to judge according to the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. When they returned to Jerusalem,
Were you not, our God, the one who drove out the inhabitants of this land for your people Israel and gave the land to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever?
Now look at the people of Ammon, Moab, and the hill country of Seir! It was their territory that you did not allow Israel to pass through when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they took a detour away from them and did not destroy them.
And the Levites who belonged to the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up and praised the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, with a loud and powerful voice.
And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
After that, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, made a covenant with Ahaziah, king of Israel, even though Ahaziah was wicked.
[Jehoram/Joram reigned over Judah (the Southern Kingdom) for eight years (893-886 BC).]
Joram had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel.
When Joram had taken over his father's kingdom and strengthened his position, he killed all his brothers with the sword, as well as some of the princes of Israel.
But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for his wife was a daughter of Ahab. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and led the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem into idolatry, as the house of Ahab has done. You have killed your brothers [compatriots], those who belonged to your father's house and were better than you.
It was also their advice that he followed when he went out with Joram, king of Israel, the son of Ahab, and fought against Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth Gilead.
But Joram was wounded by the Arameans.
They then traveled throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the heads of the families of Israel. When they arrived in Jerusalem,
He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah every year and collect money from all Israel to repair the house of your God. And hurry with it." But the Levites did not hurry.
Then the king summoned the high priest Jehoiada and said to him, "Why have you not ensured that the Levites collect from Judah and Jerusalem the tax for the tabernacle of the testimony, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded the congregation of Israel?
And they proclaimed throughout Judah and Jerusalem that the tax which Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness should be paid to the Lord (Yahweh).
They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done what was good for Israel and for God and his house.
He also hired 100,000 brave warriors from Israel for 100 talents [3 tons] of silver.
But a man of God came to him and said, "O king! Do not let the army of Israel go out with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, nor with any of the children of Ephraim.
Amasya said to the man of God, "But what shall we do with the 100 talents [3 tons of silver] that I have given to the men of Israel?" The man of God replied, "The Lord can give you much more than that."
After Amaziah, king of Judah, had held consultations, he sent messengers to Joash, king of Israel, son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, saying, "Come, let us fight each other!"
But Joash, king of Israel, sent this reply to Amaziah, king of Judah: "The thorn bush in Lebanon once sent a message to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as his wife. But a wild beast in Lebanon walked over the thorn bush and trampled it down.
And Joash, king of Israel, rev, and they fought each other, he and Amaziah, king of Judah, at Beth-Shemesh in Judah.
Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled, each to his tent.
And Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, was captured [792 BC] at Beit-Shemesh by Joash, king of Israel. When he had brought him to Jerusalem, he broke down a section of the wall of Jerusalem, from the Ephraim Gate to the Ponem Gate, 400 cubits [about 200 meters, probably the northern and most vulnerable side].
But Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, king of Israel, the son of Jehoahaz.
The rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
The rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars, and the rest of his deeds, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He also made cast idols for the Baals.
He himself lit sacrificial fires in the Valley of Hos and burned his children in the fire, following the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
Therefore, the Lord (Yahweh), his God (Elohim), delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram. They defeated him and took many of his people captive and brought them to Damascus. Ahaz was handed over to the king of Israel, who inflicted a great defeat on him.
And the children of Israel took among their brethren 200,000 captives, namely, their wives, sons, and daughters. Moreover, they took great spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.
and said to them, "You shall not bring these captives here, for you are bringing guilt upon us before the Lord (Yahweh), and you are adding to our sins and our guilt even more. Our guilt is already great enough, and burning anger is upon Israel."
The Lord wanted to humiliate Judah because of Ahaz, the Israelite king, because he was the cause of licentiousness in Judah and was unfaithful to the Lord (Yahweh).
He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, thinking, "Since the gods of the Aramean kings have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me." But instead, they brought him and all Israel down.
The rest of his deeds, from first to last, are recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Jerusalem within the city, for they did not place him in the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.
[On the border between the mountainous region of Judah and the Negev in the south lies the strategically important Arad. New analyses in 2020 of the organic material found on two pillars in the temple during the first excavation in the 1960s have revealed traces of frankincense and cannabis. Mixed with the cannabis was dung, which was used to raise the temperature so that the cannabis smoke could produce smoke with hallucinogenic properties. The temple dates back to 750 BC. The temple was later destroyed, but not burned. This is consistent with Hezekiah's reforms, which began in 715 BC, see .]
They also shut the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and they did not burn incense or offer burnt offerings in the sanctuary to the God of Israel.
But now I have it in my mind to make a covenant with the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), so that his fierce anger may turn away from us.
The priests slaughtered them and sprinkled their blood on the altar as a sin offering for the whole community of Israel. The king had ordered that these burnt offerings and sin offerings be made for the whole community of Israel.
Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. As the sacrifice was being carried forward, the song of the Lord began to sound, accompanied by the trumpets, led by the instruments of David, king of Israel.
Hezekiah sent messengers to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the house of the Lord (Yahweh) in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel.
And they decided to proclaim throughout Israel, from
Beer-Sheva to Dan, that they should come and celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For most of them had not celebrated it as prescribed.
The messengers set out with the letters from the king and his princes, and they traveled throughout Israel and Judah according to the king's command. They said:
"O children of Israel, return to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then he will return to the remnant of you who have been saved from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
The children of Israel who were in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread with great joy for seven days. Every day the Levites and priests praised the Lord with loud instruments in honor of the Lord.
The whole assembly of Judah rejoiced with the priests and Levites, as did the entire assembly that had come from Israel, as well as the foreigners who had come from the land of Israel or who lived in Judah.
There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon, king of Israel, son of David, nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem.
When all this was finished, all the Israelites who had been there went out to the cities of Judah and broke down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh until they had destroyed them. Then all the children of Israel returned to their cities, each to his own inheritance.
When this command became known, the children of Israel gave a generous firstfruits offering of grain, wine, oil, honey, and all the produce of the field. They brought a generous tithe of everything.
And those of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought tithes of cattle and sheep, as well as tithes of the holy gifts consecrated to the Lord (Yahweh), their God (Elohim), and placed them in piles.
When Hezekiah and his princes came to see the piles, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.
He also wrote a letter to mock the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), saying about him: "Just as the gods worshipped by the peoples of other countries have not been able to save their peoples from my hand, so Hezekiah's God (Elohim) will not be able to save his people from my hand."
The rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his power, and how he found favor in the sight of God, are they not written in the book of the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?
He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of Hos.
He placed the idol he had made in the house of God, about which God had said to David and his son Solomon: "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.
I will no longer allow Israel to wander from the land I have assigned to your fathers, if only they hold fast to and follow all that I have commanded them according to the teaching (Hebr. Torah) and the statutes (literally: things engraved) and ordinances (binding legal decisions) that they have received through Moses."
But Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations whom the Lord (Yahweh) had destroyed before the children of Israel.
Then he set up the altar of the Lord (Yahweh) and offered peace offerings (communion offerings) and thank offerings on it, and urged Judah to serve the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel.
The rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God (Elohim), and the words that the seers (Hebr. chozeh) spoke to him in the name of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), are recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Israel. [This does not refer to the Books of Kings in the Bible, but to public records from which information was taken by the prophets and written down in the canonical books.]
After he had broken down the altars, smashed the Asherah poles and idols to dust, and cut down all the sun pillars throughout the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
They went to Hilkiah the high priest (Hebr. Chilqijaho) and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who guarded the threshold had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, and all the rest of Israel, as well as from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
"Go and inquire of the Lord (Yahweh) for me and for those who remain of Israel and Judah concerning what is written in the book that has now been found. The wrath of the Lord (Yahweh) is great, and it is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord (Yahweh) and have not done all that is written in this book."
Then she answered them, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me,
But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord (Yahweh), you shall say: Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel, concerning the words you have heard:
Josiah removed all the idols from the lands belonging to Israel and commanded all who were in Israel to serve the Lord (Yahweh), their God (Elohim). And as long as he lived, they did not turn away from the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of their fathers.
He said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were consecrated to the Lord (Yahweh): "Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, has built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim) and his people Israel.
Prepare yourselves according to your families, in your divisions, as King David of Israel and his son Solomon have prescribed.
The children of Israel who were present kept the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
An Easter celebration like this had not been held in Israel since the time of the prophet Samuel. None of Israel's kings had held such an Easter celebration as was now being celebrated by Josiah with the priests and Levites, all of Judah and those of Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And Jeremiah lamented (Lam.; sang monotonously and drawn out – Hebr. qinen) a lament (Hebr. qina) over Josiah. All the singers and songstresses spoke of Josiah in their lamentations, and still do so today. These songs became widely sung in Israel, and they are recorded among the "Lamentations."
and about other things he did during his early and late years, is written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
The rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominable things that he did, and what was found in him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin (Hebr. Jehojachin) became king after him.
And he rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God. He was stubborn and hardened his heart, so that he did not turn to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel.
Let everyone among you who belongs to his people be blessed by his God (Elohim). Let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel. He is the God (Elohim) who dwells in Jerusalem.
who came with Zerubbabel (Hebr. Zerobavel), Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rechom, Baana.
[The list given here bears great similarity to a corresponding list in . Many of the families are mentioned in both lists and the number of family members is often the same, but there are differences. Some consider these lists to be two different ones, but the chiastic pattern suggests that they are the same, but with different focuses. This list mentions just over 42,000 people, but the vast majority of the Jews never returned with Zerubbabel, Ezra, or Nehemiah, but remained in Babylon. Their descendants have remained there until modern times, when some of them moved back to Israel after the state was formed in 1948. Between 1948 and 2021, over 3 million Jews have made aliyah. In 2021, there were a total of 15 million Jews in the world (including about 15,000 in Sweden), and just under half (6.9 million) lived in Israel. In Sweden, rising anti-Semitism has led to more and more Jews choosing to move to Israel.]
The number of men of the people of Israel:
[Others:]
And there were those who came up from Tel-Melach, Tel-Charesha, Kerov, Addan, and Immer, but they could not tell (account for) which were their fathers' houses (which families they came from) and their seed (descendants), whether they were Israelites or not.
Now the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants settled in their own cities, and all the rest of Israel in their cities.
And when the seventh month [the autumn month of Tishri, falling in September/October; probably 538 BC] had come and the children of Israel had settled in their cities, the people gathered as one man (as a unit; in unison) in Jerusalem.
Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers, the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers rose up and built the altar to offer burnt offerings to the God of Israel (Elohim) as it is written in the teaching of Moses the man of God.
When the craftsmen had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord (Yahweh), they set up the priests in their robes and with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord (Yahweh) according to the instructions of David, king of Israel.
With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord (Yahweh):
For he is good,
for his mercy (caring, faithful love) endures forever (eternally) over Israel! [] And all the people gave a shout (cried out with a loud voice) when they praised the Lord (Yahweh) because the foundation of the house of the Lord (Yahweh) was laid.
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles had returned and were building a temple to the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim),
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other prominent leaders of Israel said to them: "It is not for you and us (together) to build a house for the Lord (Yahweh) our God (Elohim); we ourselves will build it for the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, just as Cyrus, king of Persia, has commanded us."
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.
This is the answer they gave us: We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that stood here many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.
The elders of the Jews continued to build and made progress in the work through the prophetic words of Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. They built and completed it as the God of Israel had commanded and as Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes (Hebr. Artachshaste) [who reigned from 465 to 424 BC, see , ], king of Persia, had commanded.
The children of Israel, the priests and Levites, and the others who had returned from captivity celebrated the dedication of the house with joy.
For the dedication of the house of God, they sacrificed 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs, and as a sin offering [] for all Israel, twelve goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
All the children (sons) of Israel who had returned from exile, together with all those who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations to seek the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel,
celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Hebr. chag matsah; see ; ] with joy for seven days, because the Lord (Yahweh) had given them joy and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of God (Elohim), the God (Elohim) of Israel.
[Between chapters 6 and 7, the events in the Book of Esther take place during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) (486-465 BC), see . Esther becomes queen around 479 BC.]
This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was skilled in the teachings of Moses (Hebr. ) that the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), had given. The king granted him everything he asked for, because the hand of the Lord (Yahweh), his God (Elohim), was upon him.
And some of the children (sons) of Israel and some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes (Hebr. Artachshasta). [Artaxerxes I came to power in 465 BC after the satrap Artabanos had murdered his father Xerxes I and his older brother Darius had also been killed. Seven years after this is the year 458 BC.]
For Ezra had wholeheartedly decided (had set his heart ) to seek and explore the teachings of the Lord (Yahweh) (Hebr. Torah), to live by them and to teach their statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Now this is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes (Hebr. Artachshasta) gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a teacher of the law of the Lord (Yahweh) and his statutes for Israel.
I now issue a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and Levites who live in my kingdom and who wish (of their own free will) to go to Jerusalem may travel with you.
You shall take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely given to the God of Israel, who dwells in Jerusalem.
and has extended his mercy (caring love – Hebr. chesed) toward me before the king and his counselors and all the mighty princes of the king. I have gained strength when the hand of the Lord (Yahweh) my God (Elohim) has been upon me, and I gathered together the leaders of Israel to go up with me.
Because the good hand of God (Elohim) was upon me, they sent Sherevja—son (descendant) of Machli, son of Levi, son of Israel—a man of insight (knowledge, understanding), and his sons and brothers [in total]: 18 men.
and I weighed out for them the silver and the gold and the vessels, along with the sacrifices to the house of our God (Elohim) that the king and his advisers and his princes and all Israel who were there had sacrificed.
Watch over them and keep them until you weigh them out before the leading priests and Levites and princes of the house of the fathers of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord (Yahweh)."
Then those who had returned from exile offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel (Elohim): 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and as a sin offering, 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord (Yahweh).
When these things had been accomplished, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, but are doing according to their abominations (following their ungodly customs and practices) just like the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
Then all gathered around me, trembling at the words of the God of Israel (Elohim) because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, and I sat down in horror until the evening sacrifice.
Lord (Yahweh), God of Israel (Elohim), you are righteous, for we are left, a remnant that has escaped, as it is this day. Behold, we are before your face in our guilt, because of which no one can stand before your face."
While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and prostrating himself (face down on the ground) before the house of God (Elohim), a very large crowd of Israelites, men, women, and children, gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly.
And Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God (Elohim) and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. Nevertheless, there is still hope (Hebr. miqveh) for Israel in this matter. [The Messiah is Israel's hope for purification and salvation, see ; .]
Then Ezra stood up and took the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, and made them swear an oath according to this word. They swore this oath.
And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful (broken your faith) and married foreign women to increase the guilt of Israel.
And from Israel, from the sons of Parosh, Ramah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Elazar, Malchijah, and Benayah.
Let your ears be attentive and your eyes open, so that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you this day, both day and night, on behalf of your servants, the children of Israel. I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have committed (sinned) against you. I and my father's house have sinned.
When the officials Sanvallat, the Horonite [probably from Beit-Choron, 30 km north of Jerusalem, governor of Samaria], and Tobiah (Hebr. Tovijaho), the Ammonite [probably governor of Ammon, see Ezra 2:60], heard this, they became very angry that a man had come seeking the welfare of the children of Israel.
Those who came with Zerubbabel (Hebr. Zerobavel) were Jeshoa, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispperet, Bigvai, Nechom, Baana.
The number of people of the people of Israel was:
These were the ones who went up from Tel-Melach, Cherov-Addon (Cherov, the strong one) and Immer, but they could not tell (account for) the houses of their fathers, not for their seed (genealogy), whether they were Israelites.
The rest of the people gave:
20,000 gold drachmas [170 kg of gold]
2,000 silver minas [1,000 kg of silver]
67 priestly garments
All the people gathered as one man in the open space in front of the Water Gate. They spoke to Ezra, the scribe, that he should bring out the book (scroll) with Moses' teaching, which the Lord (Yahweh) had established for Israel.
They found it written in the teaching (Hebr. Torah) that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast in the 7th month [15th-22nd of Tishri, falls in Sept/Oct, see Num. 29:12-38],
The whole assembly of those who had returned from captivity made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua, son of Nun, until that day, the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great joy.
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month [October 31, 445 BC – two days after the Feast of Tabernacles ended, see Lev. 23:34-37], the children of Israel gathered for fasting, dressed in mourning clothes and with ashes on their heads [to show their sorrow and repentance].
Those who were of the tribe of Israel separated themselves from all strangers [who lived among them] and came forward and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
for the showbread and the daily grain offering, for the daily burnt offering and the sacrifices on the Sabbaths, at the new moons and at the appointed feasts, for the thank offerings and the sin offerings for the atonement of Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
For both the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring their offerings of grain, wine, and oil into these chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary and the priests who minister, the gatekeepers, and the singers are.
We shall not neglect the house of our God.
These are the leaders of the province who lived in Jerusalem. But in the cities of Judah, each man lived in the city where he had his ancestral property: ordinary Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants, as well as the descendants of Solomon's servants.
The rest of the Israelites, the priests, and the Levites lived in all the other towns of Judah, each in his own inheritance.
In the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel gave the singers and gatekeepers their daily allowance. They gave the Levites their sacred portion, and the Levites gave the sons of Aaron their sacred portion.
for they had not met the children of Israel with food and drink, but had hired Balaam against them to curse them []. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.
When they had heard the teaching (Hebr. Torah), they separated all the mixed peoples (non-Jews) from Israel.
[No special holiday is specified, so this was probably the usual weekly reading of the Books of Moses. Over the course of a year, all five books of Moses are read, and now they had reached the end of the Fifth Book of Moses.]
Was it not because your fathers did such things that our God brought all these calamities upon us and upon this city? And now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by desecrating the Sabbath!"
Was it not just like this that Solomon, king of Israel, sinned? Among the many pagan peoples there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But even he was seduced into sin by foreign women.
O, that Israel's salvation
would come from Zion [poetic image of Jerusalem, the place of God's presence].
When the Lord (Yahweh) turns the fate of his people (restores his people, brings them back from captivity),
then Jacob shall rejoice and Israel be glad!
May he send you help (a helper – Hebr. ezer) from the sanctuary [holy place],
and support (uphold, help) you from Zion [poetic image of Jerusalem, the place of God's presence].
Our fathers trusted in you,
they trusted in you (relied on you, felt secure in you),
and you delivered (saved) them.
For he did not despise the affliction (imposed suffering) of the weak (poor, sick),
nor did he look upon him with disgust.
He did not hide his face from him,
but heard his cry (cry for help).
This is the generation that seeks him (devotedly/diligently seeks him):
those who seek your face (desire/long to be before you) are Jacob [the descendants of Jacob].
Selah. [Probably a break for an instrumental interlude, a pause to reflect on what has just been sung.]
Deliver (redeem) Israel, my God,
from its distress (affliction).
[An extra letter is added at the end. It is the seventeenth consonant and is already used in . The letter depicts an open mouth with a tongue inside. The word "Deliver" begins with that letter and, together with the previous verse, reinforces the cry for help and deliverance. Literally, it is a mouth crying out for help.]
[Chorus:] With your help we can strike down (beat) our enemies,
in your name we can trample our opponents.
Come, see (behold) the works (deeds) of the Lord (Yahweh)
– he (has done and will do) destruction (terrible deeds) on the earth [].
God has ascended (become exalted) amid [a clamorous] jubilation (shouting),
the Lord (Yahweh), amid [the loud] sound (voice – Hebr. qol) of the shofar (horn, trumpet).
[The same Hebrew word for to go up/ascend is also found in and can describe a king's victory/coronation. In the context of the psalm, God has descended to save his people, and when he ascends back to his throne, he deserves praise, see also ; . The text also alludes to how the Lord descended on Mount Sinai, see , . There is also a prophetic connection here to how Jesus descended in humility and won the victory on the cross, see also ; ; .]
[Verses 7-15 are addressed to the people at large:] Hear, O my people, and I will speak; Israel, and I will testify against you. God, your God (Elohim Elohim), that is me.
They return in the evening (at sunset), howling and growling like dogs
and walking around (surrounding) the city.
They return in the evening (sunset), they howl and growl like dogs
and walk around (surround) the city.
God (Elohim), you sent abundant rain upon your chosen people (your inheritance),
when they were weary, you gave them strength (you healed them).
There [in the victory procession, see ] goes Benjamin, the smallest, as a conqueror [as the one who defeated the enemy],
Judah the leader of the great multitude (literally "a great heap of stones"),
[together with] the leaders of Zebulun and the leaders of Naphtali.
[Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, which was the least, see . The land of Zebulun and Naphtali corresponds to upper and lower Galilee, the area where it is prophesied that Jesus would work, see .]
You are feared, God (Elohim), in your sanctuary,
you who are the God (El) of Israel,
who gives power and strength to his people,
blessed be God (Elohim).
For your sake I have endured reproach,
confusion has covered my face.
I will give thanks [with open hands – praise, honor, and acknowledge] you with the nebel [portable instrument, usually with twelve strings]
for your truth, my God (Elohim).
I will sing your praise with a kithara (Hebr. kinnor) [a smaller harp with brighter tones, see ]
Holy One of Israel.
[The second book ends with praise. The verse also recurs at the end of Books 1, 3, and 4, see ; ; .]
Blessed be the Lord God (Yahweh Elohim),
the God of Israel (Elohim) who alone does wonders!
Yes (truly), God (Elohim) is good to Israel,
to those who have pure hearts.
[Concluding words, probably God:]
I will cut off the horns of the wicked [which they have lifted up, see verses 5-6],
but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
[It is unclear whether the last verse is the psalmist's or God's words. Since the psalmist has made it clear that only God is the rightful judge, see , it is appropriate and most likely that it is God's words that conclude the psalm.]
In Salem [Jerusalem] stands his tabernacle
and his dwelling place is Zion [the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, see ].
You are indescribably wonderful, yes, you truly are!
Who can stand before your face in your presence, when you are angry?
The waters saw you, God (Elohim), the waters saw you.
They were in pain, even the depths shook.
For he has established a testimony in Jacob,
and chosen a teaching in Israel []
which he has commanded our fathers
to make known to their sons (children),
When the Lord (Yahweh) heard this, he became angry, and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and also against Israel.
when the wrath of the Lord (Elohim) rose up against them
and killed the most prosperous (fattest) among them
and struck down young men in Israel.
They returned (again and again they went back) to test God (El)
and limited (marked with a signature, carved; wounded – Hebr. ) the Holy One of Israel. []
[The verb tava is only used here in the OT. It comes from the last letter of the alphabet (Hebr. ). The pictogram for the letter is a cross, and the meaning can be to mark or stake out a path or boundary, hence the meaning of setting a limit. The word (when applied to a person) can also mean to wound and cause pain, based on the meaning of to scratch, see also ; .]
He drove out the pagan peoples before them
and assigned them (the pagan peoples' lands) as an inheritance
and let the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
[God's response:]
God (Elohim) heard
and became angry and turned his wrath against Israel.
from the nursing ewes.
He made him a shepherd for Jacob, his people,
and Israel, his inheritance.
For they have devoured Jacob
and laid waste his land.
Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh [three of the northern tribes] aroused your power
and came to save (rescue) us.
Take up a melody and let the tambourine sound [; ; ; ],
the beautiful kinnor harp (kithara – Hebr. kinnor) [small harp]
together with the nevel lyre [portable instrument usually with twelve strings, see ].
He established it in Joseph [who here represents the northern tribes] as a testimony,
when he went forth into the land of Egypt [the exodus; ].
[Jacob, see verses 2 and 5, represents all of Israel, all twelve tribes, before the split in 930 BC into the northern and southern kingdoms. Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, constituted the majority of the northern kingdom and are often used synonymously with the northern tribes, see also .]
[A prophetic voice speaks God's message. Verses 6b-11 follow a four-part pattern that is repeated in verses 12-17. The sections are indented and marked with A, B, C, and D.]
[A]
I heard a language (a voice) I did not know [had not heard before]:
[C]
There shall be no foreign god (Hebr. el) among you [],
nor shall you worship (bow down to) any unknown god (Hebr. el). [The first of the ten commandments in the Ten Commandments, see , ]
So I let them go after their own stubborn hearts,
so that they walk in their own counsels.
[C´]
I would quickly subdue their enemies,
and turn my hand against their adversaries.
They have conspired together with everyone's consent,
against you they have made a covenant.
God (Elohim), see our shield [figuratively, our leader],
look upon the face of your anointed [your anointed king, David, see ].
You removed (lifted away; forgave) the iniquity (guilt, sin, unrighteousness) of your people,
you covered (buried; concealed) all their sin.
Selah. [Probably a break for an instrumental interlude, a pause to reflect on what has just been sung.]
The Lord (Yahweh) loves the gates of Zion [Jerusalem]
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
[Verses 20-21, the center of the first chiasm:]
Then you [Lord] spoke through a vision (revelation)
to your faithful followers and said:
"I have put strength in (I help, assist) a warrior,
I have raised up a young man from among the people.
They say, "The Lord (Yah) will not see,
nor will the God of Jacob (Elohim) hear [what we are doing]."
He remembers his mercy (caring love) and faithfulness toward the people of Israel,
[people from] all corners of the earth see how our God (Elohim) saves (rescues).
The king's power (strength) loves justice.
You have established equality,
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
[This verse has similarities with the saying that "if you are strong, you must be kind"]
He showed his ways to Moses [],
his deeds to the people of Israel.
[Ways indicate intimacy and a close relationship.]
The seed of Abraham, his servant,
the sons (children) of Jacob, his chosen ones. []
He has confirmed it to Jacob as a decree (Hebr. choq),
to Israel as an everlasting covenant.
Israel also came to Egypt
and Jacob traveled to the land of Ham (Hebr. Cham) [Egypt, see ].
Blessed is the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim)
from everlasting to everlasting,
let all people say:
Amen! Praise the Lord (praise Yah – Hebr. )!
When Israel left Egypt,
when Jacob's family left behind a people with a foreign language,
then Judah became his holy one,
Israel his kingdom.
Tremble before (in the presence of) the Lord (Adonai, focus on God's greatness and power),
you earth, tremble before the God of Jacob (Eloha) [Elohim in the singular – the one God],
O Israel, trust in the Lord (Yahweh)!
He is your help (helper – Hebr. ezer) and your shield!
The Lord (Yahweh) has remembered us.
He will bless us,
he will bless the house of Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron [the priests],
Sing, O people of Israel,
for his mercy (caring, faithful love) endures forever (eternally).
No, he who preserves (protects; watches over) Israel
will neither rest (slumber) nor sleep.
There the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord (Yahweh),
as a testimony to Israel to give thanks [with open hands—to praise, honor, and acknowledge],
to give thanks to the name of the Lord (Yahweh).
If the Lord (Yahweh) had not been with us (on our side)
let Israel now say:
But those who turn aside on winding paths (crooked ways)
the Lord (Yahweh) will lead away with those who do evil.
Peace (shalom, all good) be upon Israel.
May you live and see your grandchildren.
Peace (shalom, all God's blessings) be upon Israel!
How often (many times) have they been hostile to me, ever since my youth,
let Israel now say:
Israel, trust (wait eagerly) in the Lord (Yahweh),
for with the Lord (Yahweh) there is mercy (caring love – chesed),
and with him there is full deliverance (complete ransom to buy us free from sin).
He will redeem (free) Israel
from all their sins (from the consequences of sin).
Israel [God's people],
trust (have faith and confidence) in the Lord (Yahweh),
now and forever!
and how he swore, made his vow to the Lord (Yahweh)
and his promises to the Mighty One of Jacob.
until I find a place for the Lord (Yahweh),
a resting place for the Mighty One of Jacob."
The Lord (Yah) has chosen Jacob [and his descendants] for himself,
and Israel as his own precious treasure.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to Israel, his people.
O house of Israel, bless the Lord (Yahweh);
O house of Aaron [the priests], bless the Lord (Yahweh);
To him who brought Israel out from among them [Egypt],
forever (eternally) his mercy (caring, faithful love) endures.
and let Israel pass through it [the Red Sea],
forever (eternally) his mercy (caring, faithful love) endures.
Yes, to an inheritance for his servant Israel,
forever (eternally) his mercy (caring, faithful love) endures.
Blessed (happy, fortunate) is the one who has the God of Jacob (El) as his helper [the one who relies on God's power],
the one who has his hope in the Lord (Yahweh), his God (Elohim).
The Lord (Yahweh) rebuilds Jerusalem,
he gathers the scattered (deported) Israel.
He tells [boldly and openly] his word to Jacob.
His decrees ("engraved commandments") and precepts for Israel.
He has raised up a horn for his people (given them power and success),
[a reason for] a song of praise for all your faithful (pious, loyal) followers,
for the children of Israel, the people who are close to him.
[The horn of a wild ox is a metaphor for military strength and victory, see , . There are also strong messianic undertones here, see ; . A total of 30 instances are mentioned that are to praise God, and here at the end, the finale is the Messiah, who was 30 years old when he began his ministry, see ; . Jesus is the Messiah, the reason for our praise!]
Praise the Lord (praise Yah – Hebr. )!
Let Israel rejoice in its Creator,
let the children of Zion be glad in their King.
[The Jewish people are created.]
These are proverbs (parables, images, sayings, truths – Hebr. mashal)
by Solomon, king of Israel, son of David.
[Now follows a passage in which the Preacher tries to understand the meaning of life. The style shifts from poetry to prose and from third person to first person. Seven areas are examined to see if they can provide the answer to the meaning of life, but all come to the same depressing conclusion. The mystery of the meaning of life remains.]
I, the Preacher (the teacher, the collector, the seeker – Hebr. Qohelet), am king over Israel in Jerusalem. [The title fits King Solomon.]
Behold, it is Solomon's litter,
60 warriors of the mighty men (heroes) of Israel walk around it.
[Some in front, some behind, and some on the sides in good order.]
The ox knows its owner
and the donkey its manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand."
[Isaiah has delivered the Lord's message in verses 2-3. Now he speaks to the people:] Woe (Hebr. hój), a sinful nation,
a people weighed down by transgressions,
the offspring (children) of those who do evil,
sons who act corruptly.
They have forsaken the Lord (Yahweh),
they have despised the Holy One of Israel.
They have turned their backs on him (literally: 'become strangers – backside/back'). [They have departed from God.]
Therefore, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord, the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh Sebaot),
the Mighty One of Israel:
"Woe! I will take vengeance on my enemies
and avenge myself on my adversaries.
Many peoples will come and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord (Yahweh),
to the house of the God (Elohim) of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.
For instruction will go forth from Zion (come, be proclaimed)
and the word of the Lord (Yahweh) from Jerusalem.
You of the house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord (Yahweh).
You have forsaken your people, house of Jacob. For they were filled with diviners,
and they have clasped hands [made a covenant] with the children of strangers.
On that day, the branch of the Lord (Yahweh) [greenery in the land or a title for the Messiah, see ; ] will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be excellent and pleasing to the survivors of Israel.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaots)
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his beloved planting (in which he finds pleasure).
And he sought (waited for, expected) justice (Hebr. mishpat),
but found bloodshed (acts of violence – Hebr. mispach),
[he sought] righteousness (Hebr. tsedaqah),
but found cries of distress (cries of distress/pain – Hebr. tseaqa) [chaos and riots].
[The verse begins with a chiastic structure framed by vineyard and plantation. This is followed by two pairs of words that sound similar in Hebrew but have opposite meanings. The rest of the chapter consists of six verses that conclude this section.]
They say, "Let him hurry,
let him do his work quickly,
so that we may see it,
and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come near,
so that we may know it."
Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble (the dry grass)
and as the chaff is devoured in the flames,
so shall their root be rotten
and their blossom shall fly away like dust (go up in smoke),
because they have rejected the teaching of the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaots)
teaching (Hebr. Torah) and despised the promise of the Holy One of Israel.
It happened in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah (Hebr. Uzzijaho), king of Judah [735-715 BC], that King Rezin of Aram (Syria) [740-733 BC] and King Pekah, son of Remaliah, of Israel [Northern Kingdom, 752-732 BC] went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it. [; ]
He shall be your holiness,
but a stumbling block [over which they stumble] and a rock of offense
to both houses of Israel
and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And I will wait for the Lord (Yahweh),
who hides his face from the house of Jacob,
and I will look for him.
Behold, I and the children whom the Lord (Yahweh) has given me shall be as a sign and a wonder in Israel, from the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) who dwells on Mount Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem].
The Lord (Adonai) sent a word against Jacob [the ten northern tribes],
and it strikes down [like lightning] in Israel,
the Arameans to the east and the Philistines to the west,
and they devour Israel with open mouths.
[Refrain:]
For all this, his anger is not turned away
but he still stretches out his hand.
[The phrase "For all this, his anger is not turned away" recurs three times in this chapter, see verses 17, 21. But also earlier in and later in .]
Therefore, the Lord (Yahweh) will cut off both head and tail,
palm branches and reed staffs from Israel in one (single) day.
And the light of Israel shall be as a fire,
and his Holy One as a flame,
and it shall burn and devour his thorns
and his briers in one day.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel
and those who have escaped of the house of Jacob,
shall no more again trust in him who smote them [the superpower Syria],
but shall truly trust in the Lord (Yahweh),
the Holy One of Israel.
A remnant shall return, the remnant of Jacob [],
to God the Mighty One (El Gibbor).
For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea [; ; ; ],
only a remnant of them shall return,
destruction is determined,
a deluge (flood) of righteousness.
He will raise a banner (a signal flag, give a clear sign) for the nations
and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will gather the scattered of Judah,
from all corners of the earth.
There shall be a highway (raised road) [without hindrance]
for the remnant of his people who have been saved from Assyria,
as it was for Israel
when they went up out of the land of Egypt.
[A new and greater exodus shall take place!]
Shout for joy and rejoice, O inhabitants of Zion [alluding to Miriam and the women's song and dance, see ],
for the Holy One of Israel is great among (close to) you."
The Lord will have mercy (eternal compassion, infinite mercy) on Jacob, and will choose Israel and will set (place, settle) them in their own land and the stranger with them, and they shall cling to the house of Jacob.
And the people shall take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land that is appointed for the servants of the Lord (Yahweh) and for the servants and handmaids, and they shall take captive those who were their captives, and they shall rule over their oppressors.
The fortresses shall disappear from Ephraim
and the kingdom from Damascus,
and the remnant of Aram shall be like the glory of the sons of Israel,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin (vanish like smoke, disappear like mist)
and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean (he shall become thin).
But there shall be left to gather,
as when one beats down an olive tree,
two or three olives at the top of the uppermost branch,
four or five branches on the fruitful tree,
declares (says, proclaims)the Lord (Yahweh),the God of Israel (Elohim).
On that day, man (Hebr. adam) will look to his Creator [instead of his strongholds, see ; ],
and his eyes will look upon the Holy One of Israel. [Literally: 'his two eyes']
On that day , her [man's, see ] strong citiesshall be like clearings and felled tree tops [the cities that the Amorites and Hivites abandoned] before the sons of Israel [when they conquered the land in Joshua's time]. Everything shall be (become) desolate.
[The Hebrew is not entirely clear here, horesh veamir, has to do with forests and mountain tops or the forests on them, the Greek translation reads "the Amorites and the Hivites".]
On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,
because the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) has blessed him and said, "Blessed is my people Egypt, and the work of my hands Assyria, and my inheritance Israel."
My threshed ones, like grain on the threshing floor [literally: 'You my threshing, and children of my threshing floor' – Judah had been crushed by Babylon],
what I have heard from the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim),
I have told you.
and the remnant of the number of archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, shall be diminished, for the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), has spoken."
Therefore, honor the Lord (Yahweh) in the lights (the lands of the east), on the islands of the sea [in the west],
the name of the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim).
In days to come (in future generations), Jacob will take root.
Israel will flourish and sprout
and fill the whole surface of the earth.
Therefore, Jacob's sin shall be atoned for by this,
and this is all the fruit of the removal of his sin,
when he breaks down all the stones of the altar,
like limestone broken into pieces,
so that the Asherah [pole for idol worship] and the sun god do not rise again.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord
(Yahweh) shall cause the flood
(flow) of the river to return
(stop, hinder) to the
stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye sons of Israel.
The oppressed (humble) will then rejoice more and more in the Lord (Yahweh),
and the poorest among the people will rejoice (sing and dance with joy) before the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore, the Lord (Yahweh), who delivered (redeemed) Abraham [], says concerning the house of Jacob:
"Jacob shall not be ashamed,
nor shall his face grow pale,
when he sees his children [even Gentiles, see ; ],
the work of my hands in his midst,
that they may sanctify my name,
yes, they shall sanctify my name, the Holy One in Jacob,
and shall stand in awe of the God of Israel (Elohim).
Depart from the way (get out of our way),
turn aside from the path,
make sure that the Holy One of Israel disappears (falls silent)
from our sight (before our faces)."
Therefore, says the Holy One of Israel:
Because you despise these words
and trust in oppression
and dishonesty and stand on (lean on) it,
[This is the central passage in chapters 28-35.]
Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), the Holy One of Israel:
"In (through) repentance (return) and rest [being deeply rooted]
you will be saved (rescued),
in quietness (stillness) and trust
is your strength, but you do not want it."
[The Hebrew words for repentance and quietness are rich words with multiple meanings. Repentance (Hebr. ) also means to return and to sit down. The word peace (Hebr. ) means to come down or to let something sink deep. In this context, it means that the Israelites should not rely on Egypt, but return to the Lord and become deeply rooted in him, see also .]
You shall have songs
like those sung at night when celebrating a holy feast,
and joy in your hearts
like when someone walks with a flute to come to the mountain of the Lord (Yahweh), the rock of Israel.
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for [to seek] help
and trust in their horses
and put their confidence in chariots, because they are many [],
and in horsemen because they are very powerful,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel [for deliverance]
nor seek the Lord (Yahweh).
Return (come back) to him from whom you have deeply strayed, O sons of Israel.
"Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), God (Elohim) of Israel, who sits above the cherubim. You are God (Elohim), you alone among all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth.
Then Isaiah, the son of Amoz, sent word to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib, king of Assyria,
Whom have you mocked and blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice?
Yes, you have lifted your eyes high against the Holy One of Israel.
How can you say, Jacob,
and speak thus, Israel [Jacob and Israel are used synonymously for the twelve tribes]:
"My way is hidden from the Lord (Yahweh),
and my judgment passes by my God (Elohim)."
[The words may refer to the coming exile to Babylon, see . In times of trial and suffering, questions may arise as to whether the Lord sees what I am going through and whether he will bring justice?]
Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen [],
descendant of Abraham, my friend [; ; ; ],
Fear not (never be afraid), O worm Jacob,
and you men of Israel,
I will help you, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
your Redeemer—the Holy One of Israel.
You shall blow on them, and the wind shall carry them away,
and the whirlwind shall scatter them,
but you shall rejoice in the Lord (Yahweh).
In the Holy One of Israel shall be your glory.
The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none,
and their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the Lord (Yahweh), will answer them.
I, the God of Israel (Elohim), will never forsake them.
So that they may see and know (deep, intimate knowledge)
and consider and understand together,
that it is the hand of the Lord (Yahweh)
that has done this, and that it is the Holy One of Israel who has created it.
Present (construct) your case, says the Lord (Yahweh),
put forward your reasons (causes, explanations), says the King of Jacob.
Who gave Jacob as prey and Israel to be plundered?
Was it not the Lord (Yahweh)?
He against whom we have sinned and whose ways they did not walk,
nor were they obedient to his teaching (Hebr. Torah).
Now the Lord (Yahweh) says,
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [from captivity].
I have called you by name, you are mine.
For I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim),
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt [to Babylon] as ransom (payment) for you,
Cush [present-day Ethiopia/Sudan] and Seba [a province in Ethiopia, probably not the same as Sheba] in exchange for you [so that you might be free].
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh),
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake, I have sent [an army] against Babylon,
and I will put them to flight (break down their locked gates),
the Chaldeans (Babylonians) in ships that were their joy [pride].
[This describes how Babylon will be defeated by Cyrus, and how they will try to flee by boat along the Euphrates to the Persian Gulf.]
I am the Lord (Yahweh), your Holy One.
The creator of Israel, your King.
Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,
nor have you labored (tired yourself) on my behalf, O Israel.
Therefore, I have profaned the princes in the sanctuary
and I have delivered Jacob to destruction
and Israel to reproach.
But now listen [even though you have sinned, see ], O Jacob, my servant,
O Israel, whom I have chosen.
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh),
who created you,
who formed you in the womb and who helps you:
Fear not, my servant Jacob,
you Jesurun, whom I have chosen. [Jesurun is a loving poetic title for Israel, probably meaning "the righteous one."]
Then one [of these returning Jews] will say, "I belong to the Lord (Yahweh),"
another will be called [by others] by the name of Jacob,
another will write with his hand [as when signing a contract]: "The Lord's own,"
and be addressed [by others] with the honorable (highly esteemed) name Israel.
[The Jewish people shall no longer be mocked and despised.]
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
I am the first and I am the last [I am eternal],
besides (beside) me there is no God (Elohim).
Remember these things, Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant.
I have formed (created) you,
you are my own servant Israel,
you shall not forget me.
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord (Yahweh) has done it,
shout, O depths of the earth (the lowest places of the earth),
break forth into song, O mountains
and forests and every tree in them,
for the Lord (Yahweh) has redeemed Jacob
and glorifies himself in Israel.
and I will give you the treasures of darkness [hidden in windowless rooms that existed in Babylon and Sardis, among other places],
and hidden riches from secret places,
so that you may know (be familiar with, understand, be intimately acquainted with)
that I am the Lord (Yahweh) who calls you by your name,
the God of Israel (Elohim).
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
and Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
I have named you,
though you do not know (are not intimately acquainted with) me.
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the Holy One of Israel and its Creator:
"Ask me about things to come, concerning my sons,
and concerning the work of my hands, command me.
Truly, you are a God (El) who hides himself,
the God (Elohim) of Israel, the Savior.
Israel, who is saved (rescued) by the Lord (Yahweh) with an everlasting salvation,
you shall not be put to shame or be confused, not for all eternity.
I have not spoken in secret,
in a place of darkness,
I did not say to the seed of Jacob:
"Seek me in vain (formless; as in chaos – Hebr. tóho)".
I, the Lord (Yahweh), speak righteousness,
I declare what is right (reveal justice).
In the Lord, all the seed of Israel shall be justified and glorified.
Listen to me, house of Jacob
and remnant of the house of Israel,
you who are carried by me from birth,
who are carried from the womb.
My righteousness is near,
it will not be far off,
and my salvation will not be delayed.
And I will place salvation in Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem],
my glory in Israel.
[This is a promise about Jesus giving us his salvation and righteousness when he goes to the cross in Jerusalem.]
Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot),
his name is the Holy One of Israel!
Listen to this, O house of Jacob,
named after the name of Israel
and descended from the sources of Judah [from the tribe of Judah],
who swear by the name of the Lord (Yahweh)
and use the name of the God of Israel (Elohim),
but not in truth (in an honest way), and not in righteousness.
For you call (name) yourselves after the holy city [Jerusalem]
and you lean on (rely on) the God of Israel (Elohim).
The Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) is his name.
Listen to me, Jacob
and Israel, my called ones (chosen ones, set apart ones).
"I am He.
I am the first, and even more (truly) the last." [; ; ; ; ]
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh) your Redeemer—the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim),
who teaches you to gain profit (for prosperity, gain—Hebr. jaal) [the only time the word is used positively, cf. ; ]
and guide you in the way you should go.
Go out from Babylon,
flee from the Chaldeans [Babylonians].
Proclaim with a singing voice,
tell this,
say it to the ends of the earth,
say: 'The Lord (Yahweh) has redeemed his servant Jacob,
And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel [the ideal image of Israel; Hebr. – God triumphs],
in whom I will be honored (glorified)."
Now the Lord (Yahweh) says, he who created me as his servant while I was still in my mother's womb,
that I may bring Jacob back so that Israel may be gathered to him.
[In the Hebrew worldview, prophecies have multiple fulfillments. The Jews would be brought back from Babylonian captivity, but the prophecy also has a fulfillment that we see in our time when the Jews are back in the land of Israel. There is also a prophecy here to be brought back from the greatest captivity of them all—sin.]
I want to be honored in the eyes of the Lord, for the Lord is the source of my strength.
[Even if the servant were to be misunderstood, despised, and rejected by the people, he has his honor and strength in the Lord (Yahweh).]
He [the Lord now speaks prophetically about his servant Messiah and] says:
"It is not enough for you, my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back the survivors of Israel.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
so that you may bring my salvation (deliverance) to the ends of the earth."
[Paul and Barnabas quote this verse in .]
This is what the Lord (Yahweh),
the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One,
says to the one whom men despise,
whom the nations abhor,
a servant under rulers:
"Kings shall see [Jesus become a light to the Gentiles] and arise,
princes shall bow down,
because of the Lord (Yahweh) who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you."
And I will feed those who oppressed you with their own flesh,
and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine,
and all flesh [all people] shall know (be well acquainted with; be intimately familiar with) that I, the Lord (Yahweh), am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
You shall not go out in haste [as during the exodus from Egypt, see , ]
nor shall you flee (as one flees for one's life, in panic)
for the Lord (Yahweh) walks before you
and the God of Israel (Elohim) is your rear guard [protecting you from attacks from behind and ambushes].
[During the exodus from Egypt, God protected the Israelites from Pharaoh's attack when they crossed the Red Sea, see . He also led them through the desert. Here it is prophesied how they will return from Babylon, how the Lord will go before and behind them.]
For he [masculine plural] who is your husband (lord) [owns the right to you] is he [masculine plural] who created (who creates) you [is your Creator],
the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) is his name.
Your Redeemer (Hebr. goel) is the Holy One of Israel, he who is called the God (Elohim) of all the earth.
Behold, you [Israel] shall call upon a nation you do not know,
and a people you do not know shall come running to you,
for the sake of the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim), the Holy One of Israel,
who has given you your glory.
Thus says (declares, proclaims) the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh)
who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
I will gather still more
besides those who are already gathered.
Cry aloud (with a strong voice, at the top of your lungs), do not hold back,
lift up your voice like a shofar (ram's horn)
and tell my people of their transgressions
and the house of Jacob of their sins.
then you shall rejoice in the Lord (Yahweh)
and I will let you ride over the heights of the earth
and I will satisfy you with the inheritance of your father Jacob,
for thus has the mouth of the Lord (Yahweh) spoken.
A Redeemer will come to Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem]
and to those who turn from their transgressions in Jacob,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
Surely the islands shall wait for me
and the ships of Tarshish shall come first
to bring your sons from afar,
their silver and their gold with them,
for the name of the Lord (Yahweh) your God (Elohim)
and for the Holy One of Israel,
because he has glorified you.
[Verses 14-16 are thematically related to verses 8-9]
The sons of your tormentors shall come and bow down before you,
and all those who despised you shall bow down at your feet,
and they shall call you the city of the Lord (Yahweh),
Zion—the Holy One of Israel.
You will suck the milk of nations,
and you will suck the breasts of kings,
and you will know (be familiar with; be intimately acquainted with) that I, the Lord (Yahweh), am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. []
I will remember (keep in mind, as a memorial) the Lord's (Yahweh's) mercy (caring love, faithfulness),
the Lord's praise [plural],
for all that the Lord has richly bestowed (granted) upon us
and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has bestowed (granted) upon them,
abundant mercy (compassion – Hebr. rachamim) [plural] and the abundance of grace (loving kindness – Hebr. chesed) [plural].
[It is unusual for both rachamim and chesed to be in the plural, but this only emphasizes the total abundance and boundlessness of both kinds of grace mentioned here.]
For you are our Father,
for Abraham did not know us
and Israel did not honor us.
You, Lord (Yahweh), are our Father,
our Redeemer from eternity is your name.
I will bring forth a seed from Jacob
and from Judah an heir to my mountains,
and my chosen ones shall inherit it
and my servant shall dwell there.
They shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord (Yahweh), on horses and in chariots, on litters and on mules and on swift animals, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the sons of Israel bring their offerings in clean vessels into the house of the Lord (Yahweh).
Israel is the Lord's (Yahweh's) holy (set apart) portion,
his firstfruits of the harvest.
[Both belong to the Lord, see ; ; ; . Jerusalem is the apple of God's eye (), see also ; .]
All who devour it shall be held guilty,
evil shall befall them,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
Hear the word of the Lord (Yahweh), O house of Jacob
and all the families of the house of Israel.
Is Israel a servant?
Is he a slave born in the house []? [Of course not, see verses 2-3]
Why then has he become prey?
As the thief is ashamed when he is found (caught red-handed),
so is the house of Israel in shame,
they, their kings, their princes, and
their priests and their prophets.
Generation (this race), see the word of the Lord (Yahweh).
Have I been a desert to Israel
or a land of thick darkness?
For what reason does my people say:
"We have broken away (we want to be free to wander around – Hebr. rod),
we will no longer come to you!"
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to me in the days of King Josiah: Have you seen what apostate Israel is doing? She goes up on every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and there she engages in prostitution.
And I saw that because Israel has taken every opportunity to commit adultery, I have rejected her and given her a certificate of divorce. Nevertheless, her deceitful sister Judah did not fear, but she too committed adultery.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to me: Apostate Israel has proven to be more righteous than her deceitful sister Judah.
Go and proclaim these words to the north and say:
Return, you apostate Israel, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
I will not hide my face from you,
for I am gracious (caring love – Hebr. chesed), declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
I will not be angry forever.
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together from the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to their fathers.
Truly, as a deceitful wife leaves her husband,
so you have acted deceitfully toward me, O house of Israel,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
A voice (listen)! On the bare heights
a pleading cry is heard from the sons of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways,
they have forgotten the Lord their God (Yahweh Elohim).
Truly, to falsehood (Hebr. sheqer)
from the hills [with idol temples] – the tumult (noise, rumbling) on the mountains.
[May refer to many worshippers, many idols or priests, see ].
Truly, in the Lord our God (Yahweh Elohim)
is Israel's salvation.
If you are willing to return, Israel,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
return to me
and if you are willing to cast away your distasteful things from my sight
and are not willing to waver,
Because the house of Israel and the house of Judah have acted treacherously against me,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
Behold, I will bring a nation from afar over you [from Babylon, see ], O house of Israel,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
It is a tough people,
it is an ancient people,
a people whose language you do not know
and you do not understand what they say.
Tell this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah, saying:
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
One shall surely gather
the remnant of Israel like grapes.
Turn your hand like a grape picker
over the shoots (the new branches).
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot),
the God of Israel (Elohim):
Change your ways and your deeds (make a radical change in your lives; do good),
and I will dwell among you in this place [in the temple and in the land of Israel].
Now go, I beg you [Israel], to my place that was in Shiloh [40 km north of Jerusalem], where I first let my name dwell [where the tabernacle stood for 300 years], and see what I have done to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat the meat.
[The burnt offering was to be burned completely and nothing was to be eaten (). The other sacrifices were to be burned partially, while selected parts were to be eaten. With sarcasm, the Lord says that he does not care about the sacrifices, as they no longer make any difference to the evil that is already being done, see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .]
Therefore, thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them gall to drink.
Against Egypt and against Judah and against Edom and against the sons of Ammon and against Moab and against all who have cut the corners of their hair, who dwell in the desert. [The Greek historian Herodotus mentions Arab desert peoples who cut the corners of their hair (see the work History, 3:8 – from the 4th century BC). The hairstyle is an outward sign of idolatry, see ; ; ; .] For all nations are uncircumcised, but the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart [].
Hear the word that the Lord (Yahweh) speaks to you, O house of Israel.
Jacob's portion is not like these,
for he is the Creator of all,
and Israel is his inheritance,
the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) is his name.
[Verses 12-16 recur in .]
Pour out your wrath upon the nations
that do not know you
and upon the families that do not call upon your name,
for they have devoured Jacob,
they have swallowed him up and consumed him
and have destroyed his dwelling place.
and say to them: Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): Cursed (nullified – Hebr. aror) is the man who does not hear (actively listen to) the words of the covenant,
They have returned to the sins of their fathers, who refused to listen to my prov, and have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers.
And the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), who planted you, has spoken evil against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves by provoking me to anger (provoking me) with their sacrifices to [the idol] Baal.
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
Concerning all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance that I have given my people Israel to inherit, behold, I will uproot them from their land and will uproot the house of Judah from among them.
For as a belt is bound around a man's waist, so I have bound myself to the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, declares the Lord (Yahweh), that they may be my people, my renown, my praise, and my glory. But they would not listen.
And you shall say these words to them:
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel:
"Every jar is filled with wine."
And when they say to you:
"Do we not know that every jar is filled with wine?"
The hope of Israel (Hebr. miqveh),
our savior in times of need,
why should you be a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stops for the night?
Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Behold, I will cause to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord (Yahweh), when it shall no longer be said, 'As the Lord (Yahweh) lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,'
but instead, 'The Lord (Yahweh) lives, who brought the sons of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the other lands where he had brought them. And I will bring them back to their land that I gave to their fathers.
The hope of Israel (Hebr. miqveh), the Lord (Yahweh),
all who forsake you shall be ashamed,
those who leave you shall be written on the ground [and disappear, in contrast to forever in stone, see ; ],
because they abandon the source of the water of life, the Lord (Yahweh).
As the potter shapes (sculpts – Hebr. yatsar), could I not do the same (in the same way) with you, O house of Israel, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh)? As the clay is shaped in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Therefore, the Lord (Yahweh) says this:
Ask, I beg you, among the nations,
who has heard such a thing?
Something very terrible
has been done by the virgin of Israel.
and say: Hear the word of the Lord (Yahweh), kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Behold, I will bring evil upon this place; whoever hears, his ears shall tingle
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her cities all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks, refusing to hear my words.
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): Behold, I will turn back (turn loose) the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls, and I will gather them into the midst of this city.
Therefore, says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), to the shepherds who tend my people [whose mission was to lead the people to good pastures and fresh water]: You have scattered my flock and driven them away, and have not taken care of them. Behold, I will visit upon you your evil deeds, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
In his days Judah will be saved (rescued)
and Israel will once again be a safe place to live.
The name he will be given is:
"The Lord our righteousness (Hebr. Yahweh Tsidqeno)".
[In the Old Testament, the prophecies about Jesus are clear. Here in Jeremiah, he is called the shoot of "King David"; in , he is referred to as the shoot "my servant"; in , the shoot "a man"; and finally, in , "the root shoot of the Lord." This corresponds to the four ways in which the Gospels describe Jesus.
Matthew – King Jesus,
Mark – Servant Jesus,
Luke – Son of Man Jesus,
John – Jesus Son of God.]
Behold, the days are coming, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord, when they shall no longer say, "As the Lord lives, who brought the children of Israel out of [slavery in] the land of Egypt,"
but: "As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and brought them back from all the countries where I had driven them." Then they shall dwell [safely] in their land.
And I have seen something distasteful [Hebr. tiflah – without salt ; ; ]
among the prophets of Samaria,
they prophesy through Baal
and cause my people Israel to stumble (go astray, wander, end up in a dead end).
"Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): 'As these good figs [in one basket], so I regard the captives of Judah whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans [Babylon]—as something good (Hebr. tovah).
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim), to me: Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand and make all the nations to whom I have sent you drink it. [; ; ]
And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Drink and be drunk and vomit (puke) and fall and not rise again because of the sword that I will send among you.
and give them a mission to their lord, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Thus shall you say to your lords:
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim), concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord (Yahweh) and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem:
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim), he says: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
For thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. They shall serve him, and I have also given him the animals of the field.
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim), to all the exiles whom I have carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
For thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim):
"Do not let your prophets and diviners who are among you deceive you (lead you astray, deceive, trick, and exploit you), and do not listen to the dreams that you [or the false prophets/diviners] dream
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim), to Ahab, son of Qolijah, and to Zedekiah (Hebr. Tsidqijaho), the son of Maaseiah, who prophesied a lie in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall smite them before your eyes,
Because they have done foolish things in Israel and committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have spoken lies in my name, which I commanded them not to do. And I am the one who knows (has intimate knowledge of) and am a witness, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel:
Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem and to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying:
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: Write in a book all the word that I have spoken to you.
For behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord (Yahweh), when I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah, declares the Lord (Yahweh), and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.
And these are the provisions that the Lord (Yahweh) spoke concerning Israel and Judah.
Woe! For this is a great day,
there is none like it,
and it is time for Jacob's distress,
but he [my people] shall be saved (redeemed) from it.
And do not fear, O Jacob, my servant,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
do not be dismayed, O Israel, for behold,
I will save (rescue) you from afar and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob shall return and have peace and tranquility,
and no one shall make him afraid (disturb him with fear of any kind).
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
Behold, I will turn the captivity of Jacob's tents
and have mercy (compassion - Hebr. rachamim) on his dwellings,
and the city [Jerusalem, and every city in the land] shall be built upon its own ruins (height created by repeated settlement – Hebr. tel)
and the palace shall stand in its proper place [according to plan].
At that time, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
I will be God (Elohim) to all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people [].
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): "The people who were left by the sword have found mercy (undeserved love) in the wilderness, where I went to give Israel rest."
I will restore you (build you up),
and you will be restored, O virgin Israel.
Once again you will take up your tambourine,
and go out dancing among those who are joyful (laughing, having fun).
For thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
Sing with joy for Jacob,
and shout at the head of the nations [Israel],
proclaim, praise, and say:
"Lord (Yahweh), save your people, the remnant of Israel."
They will come back weeping [in repentance for past sins],
and I will bring them back in prayer for mercy (undeserved love).
I will lead them along streams of water [],
on a smooth path where they will not stumble.
I will do this because I am a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
Listen to the word of the Lord (Yahweh), you nations,
and tell it in distant coastal lands.
Say, "He who scattered Israel will also gather them,
and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock (feeds, protects)."
[; ; ; ]
For the Lord (Yahweh) has delivered Jacob
and redeemed him from one stronger than he.
Set up road signs for yourself,
make yourself signposts,
set your heart on the high roads,
even on the roads you walked,
come back (return), virgin of Israel,
return to these cities of yours.
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel: Once again this word shall be spoken in the land of Judah and its cities, when I have restored their captives (from exile):
May the Lord (Yahweh) bless you [],
you dwelling place of righteousness,
you holy mountain.
[Now follow three sections, all beginning with the same phrase: "Behold, days are coming," see verses 27, 31, 38.]
Behold, days are coming, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of men and with the seed of beasts.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord (Yahweh),
when I will make a new covenant [; ; ] with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah;
But this is the covenant that I will make (conclude) with the house of Israel
after those days, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
I will put my law (Hebr. Torah) within them,
and I will write it on their hearts [; ],
and I will be their God (Elohim),
and they will be my people,
If this decree ceases before me,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
then the seed of Israel shall also cease
to be a people before me forever.
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
If the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,
then I will also cast away all the seed of Israel
for all that they have done,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel: Take these agreements, this purchase contract, both the sealed one and this open one, and put them in a clay jar so that they may be preserved for many days.
For thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.
who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt to this day, and in Israel, and among mankind, and made a name for himself to this day,
and brought forth your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders and with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror,
Because the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have done only what is evil in my sight from their youth, because the sons of Israel have provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, declares the Lord (Yahweh),
because of all the evil that the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have done to provoke me, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And now, therefore, says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, thus concerning this city, of which you say, "It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence":
For thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, concerning the houses of the city and the houses of the king of Judah, which are broken down to heaps and to ramparts,
And I will bring back the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel, and will build them up as they were in the beginning.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord (Yahweh), when I will fulfill the good (wonderful, gracious) word (promise) that I have spoken to the house of Israel [in the north] and to the house of Judah [in the south].
For thus says the Lord (Yahweh): There shall never be cut off a descendant of David who sits on the throne of the house of Israel.
then I will also reject the seed of Jacob and my servant David, so that I will not take his seed to reign over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for I will bring back their captives and will have mercy on them (eternal mercy and compassion – Hebr. rachamim).
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): Go and speak to Zedekiah (Hebr. Tsidqijaho), king of Judah, and say to him: Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire,
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim): I made a covenant with your fathers on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (slavery), saying:
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel: Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Will you not receive correction and listen to my words? declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
therefore, says the Lord (Yahweh), God of hosts (Sebaot Elohim), God of Israel (Elohim): Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not listened. I called to them, but they did not answer.
And to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah says: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of your father Jonadab and kept (guarded, protected, preserved) all his commandments (clear commands) and done according to all that he commanded you,
therefore, says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): There shall never be cut off from Jonadab, the son of Rechab, a descendant who stands before me every day (forever).
"Take a scroll and write in it all the words that I have spoken against Israel and against Judah and against all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, to this day.
"Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me: Behold, Pharaoh's army, which has come to help you, shall return to its own land, Egypt.
And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of hosts (Elohim Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): If you go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, then you (your soul) shall live, and this city [Jerusalem] shall not be burned with fire, and you shall live, you and your house.
Go and speak to Ebed-Melech (meaning the king's servant), the Cushite, and say, "Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day.
And the cistern (well) into which Ishmael threw all the dead bodies of the men he had killed beside Gedaliah was the one that King Asa had made out of fear of Baasha, king of Israel. Ishmael, the son of Netanyahu, filled it with those who had been killed.
and said to them, "Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, to those who sent me to present your prayers before him:
so now, listen to the word of the Lord (Yahweh), you remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): If you really set your face to go to Egypt and go there and dwell there,
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): As my anger and my wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt, and you will become an object of horror and astonishment, a curse and a reproach, and you will never see this place again.
and say to them, 'This is what the Lord (Yahweh), the God of hosts (Sebaot Elohim), the God of Israel (Elohim), says: Behold, I will send for and bring Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal pavilion over them.
"Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): You have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem and upon the cities of Judah, and behold, this day they are desolate, and no one dwells in them
And now the Lord (Yahweh), the God of hosts (Elohim Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim), says: Why have you committed this great evil against yourselves (your own souls)? You are cutting off (cutting away) men and women, children and infants from the midst of Judah, leaving none remaining.
Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): I have set my face against you for evil, and to cut off (cut down) all Judah.
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim): Both you and your wives have spoken with your mouths, and with your hands you have fulfilled it, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed to sacrifice to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her. You will certainly fulfill your vows and certainly carry out your promises.
"Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, concerning you, Baruch:
The Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim), says: Behold, I will punish Amon [an Egyptian sun god] of No [Thebe, present-day Luxor] and Pharaoh and Egypt with her gods and her kings, Pharaoh and those who trust in him.
But fear not, Jacob, my servant.
Do not be dismayed, Israel,
for behold, I will save you from afar,
and your seed (your descendants) from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob shall be quiet again
and at ease, and no one shall disturb him.
Fear not, Jacob, my servant, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
for I am with you,
I will utterly destroy all the nations
where I have driven you,
but I will not utterly destroy you,
and I will discipline you in measure,
but I will not destroy you completely.
To Moab.
Thus says the Lord of hosts
(Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel
(Elohim):
Woe to
[the city of] Nebo! For it is doomed.
Qirjatim must be ashamed, it is taken.
Misgav must be ashamed and terrified.
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh
as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
Was not Israel a laughingstock to you?
Was he found among thieves?
For as often as you spoke of him,
you shook your head.
To the sons of Ammon. Thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
Does Israel have no sons,
or does he have no heir?
Why does Malkam take possession of Gad
and his people dwell in its cities?
Therefore, behold, days are coming,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
when I will sound a battle cry
against Rabbah, the sons of Ammon,
and it will come and it will become a ruin (a mound created by repeated settlement – Hebr. tel)
and her daughters will be burned with fire.
Then Israel shall dispossess those
who have dispossessed him,
says the Lord (Yahweh).
In those days and at that time,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
the sons of Israel shall come and the sons of Judah together,
they shall go weeping and seek the Lord their God (Yahweh Elohim).
Israel is a scattered flock,
the lions have driven him away.
First the king of Assyria devoured him,
and finally Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, crushed his bones.
Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim):
Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land,
as I punished the king of Assyria.
I will bring Israel back to its pasture,
and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan,
and his soul will be satisfied
in the mountains of Ephraim and in Gilead.
In those days and at that time,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh),
they shall seek the sin of Israel,
but it shall not be found,
and the sin of Judah,
but it shall not be found,
for I will forgive those whom I have left as a remnant.
Gather the archers against Babylon,
all who draw the bow,
encamp against her all around,
let none of them escape,
repay her according to her deeds,
according to all she has done, do [the same] to her.
For she has been proud (arrogant) against the Lord (Yahweh),
against the Holy One of Israel.
Thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot):
The sons of Israel
and the sons of Judah are oppressed together,
and all who have taken them captive
hold them fast and will not let them go.
For Israel shall not be forsaken (like a widow), nor shall Judah be forsaken,
by their God (Elohim), by the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaoth),
for their [the Babylonians'] land is full of guilt
towards the saints of Israel.
Jacob's part is not like these,
for he is the one who formed (sculpted, designed – Hebr. jatsar) everything,
and his inheritance tribe, the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot)
is his name.
For thus says the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim):
The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor
at the time when it is trodden,
a little while and the time of harvest will come to her.
As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall,
so shall the slain of Babylon fall throughout the land.
Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem] spreads out her hands (in a gesture of resignation)
there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord (Yahweh) has commanded concerning Jacob
that those around him shall become his enemies.
Jerusalem is like an unclean []
among them.
[The seventeenth Hebrew letter is: פ – . The sign depicts a mouth. Often symbolizes speech and relationships. Here, it is the word "spreads out" that begins with this letter, reinforcing the sense of resignation. It becomes like an extra sigh.]
Alas (woe, how, why) [], the Lord (Yahweh) has in his anger
covered the daughter of Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem] with a cloud.
He has cast down the glory of Israel
from heaven to earth;
he forgot his footstool [the temple or the ark, see ; ]
on the day of his anger.
[The first Hebrew letter is: א – alef. The sign represents an ox. The letter symbolizes strength, the leader, the first and the most important. In this verse, it is the word "Ack" that begins with this letter. This reinforces the feeling of sorrow. It is sorrow that takes command and characterizes everything both in this verse and throughout the book.]
The Lord (Adonai) mercilessly devoured all the inhabitants of Jacob. In his wrath, he has struck down all the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has broken them down to the ground and humiliated the kingdom and its leaders. [The second Hebrew letter is: ב – bet. The character depicts a house with only one door. It symbolizes a home and total trust. The word for "devoured" begins with this letter. Here it reinforces how all houses and homes, both the temple and other buildings, have been reduced to ruins.]
In burning anger, he has cut off
all the horns of Israel [horns symbolize power].
He has withdrawn his right arm
in front of the enemy. [God no longer protects from the enemy.]
He has set Jacob ablaze like a flaming fire
that consumes and devours everything around it.
[The third Hebrew letter is: ג – . The character depicts a camel. It often symbolizes endurance; a camel walks through the desert in heat and cold, regardless of circumstances, holding its head high and moving forward. The first word in Hebrew is "cut off." This means that when God removes His protection, the source of our ability to remain steadfast and upright in circumstances disappears; the very driving force behind us has been cut off, severed.]
The Lord (Adonai) has become like an enemy;
he has devoured Israel.
He has devoured all her palaces,
he has destroyed all her strongholds
and he has multiplied the sorrow
and lamentation among the daughters of Judah.
[The fifth Hebrew letter is: ה – he. The character depicts a person with outstretched hands. The meaning of the letter is to see, look, breathe, and to gain revealed insight into something great and important that has been pointed out. It often symbolizes seeing and having perspective. In this verse, it is the words "has become" that begin with this letter, illustrating that one can no longer see God as giving our lives the right perspective. Instead, one sees only everything that causes sorrow. Now even God is an enemy, further intensifying the sorrow.]
He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to the house of Israel, to the people who rebel against me. Both they and their fathers have rebelled against me to this day,
And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go and speak to the house of Israel." []
And he said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them,
for you are not sent to a people of obscure speech and sluggish tongue, but to the house of Israel,
But the house of Israel will not agree to listen to you, for they will not agree to listen to me, because the whole house of Israel has a stubborn forehead and a stiff neck.
"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman [whose task was to watch and warn of approaching danger – Hebr. tsafa] for the house of Israel, and when you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them the warning from me. [A watchman was stationed on the wall and his task was to keep watch and warn the leadership of dangers, see ; ; . Failure to carry out this task was often punishable by death. See also ; ; .]
And take an iron plate and set it as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Israel.
And you shall lie on your left side and lay the sin of the house of Israel upon it; according to the number of days that you lie on it, you shall bear their sin.
And I have given them the years of their sin to be a number of days to you, 390 days. So you shall bear the sin of the house of Israel.
And the Lord (Yahweh) said [added]: "In this way the sons of Israel shall eat their bread unclean [] among the nations where I drive them."
And of them you shall take (some) and throw them into the middle of the fire and burn them in the fire, from there a fire shall spread throughout the house of Israel.
"Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel [where they have built places of sacrifice to idols, see ] and prophesy against them
and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord (Adonai Yahweh): Thus says the Lord (Adonai Yahweh) to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys: Behold, I will come upon you with the sword and I will destroy your high places. [; ]
And I will lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars.
Thus says the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh): Strike with your hand and stamp with your foot, and say, "Woe (Hebr. ach) [expression of pain, used only here and in ; ]! For all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence [Ezek. 5:1-3; 12; Lev. 26:25-26].
And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh) to the land of Israel:
An end (Hebr. qets)
is coming (Hebr. bo)
the end (Hebr. ha´qets) [is coming] upon the four corners of the land.
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel (Elohim) was there, just as in the vision I saw in the field.
And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing? The great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here, so that I must go far away from my sanctuary? But you will see even greater abominations."
So I went in and looked, and behold, [there were] all kinds of disgusting creeping things [unclean animals, see ] and animals and all the idols that the house of Israel had depicted on the wall all around. [Such images were idols, see ; . These were worshipped in Egypt and are depicted on their chamber walls.]
And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazanjaho, the son of Shafan, each man with his censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense rose up.
And he said to me, "Have you seen, son of man, what the elders of the sons of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in his idol chamber? For they say, 'The Lord (Yahweh) does not see us, the Lord (Yahweh) has forsaken the land.
And the glory of the God of Israel (Elohim) had risen from the cherubim
where it had been and (moved) to the threshold of the house, and he called to the man who was dressed in white linen with a scribe's writing case at his side [verses 2 and 11].
And it came to pass, when they slew, that I was left (alone at the temple), and I fell on my face and cried out, saying, "Alas (oh no), Lord of Lords (Adonai Yahweh), will you destroy all that remains of Israel when you pour out your wrath on Jerusalem?"
And he said to me, "The sin of the house of Hos and Judah is very great, and the land is full of blood, and the city is full of corruption, for they say, 'The Lord (Yahweh) has forsaken the land, and the Lord (Yahweh) does not see.
And the cherubim lifted up their wings and rose from the earth before my eyes, and they went forward, and the wheels beside them, and they stood in the opening of the east gate of the house of the Lord (Yahweh), and the glory of the God of Israel (Elohim) was above them.
These are the living creatures that I saw under the God of Israel (Elohim) by the river Chebar, and I knew that they were cherubim.
And the Spirit of the Lord (Yahweh) fell upon me [stronger expression than ; ] and he said to me, "Speak: 'Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): You, O house of Israel, have said (thought) this, for I know what you are thinking (I know what is in your spirit). []
You shall fall by the sword, and I will judge you at the border of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh).
Though this city shall not be your pot, you shall be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel,
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Ah (oh no), Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh), will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?"
"Son of man, your brothers, your brothers [], the men of your redemption, and the whole house of Israel, to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Go far away from the Lord (Yahweh). This land has been given to us as a possession.
Therefore, say: 'Thus says the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh): I will gather you from among the peoples and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel (Elohim) was above them.
In front of their eyes, you shall carry it on your shoulders and carry it away in the darkness. You shall cover your face so that you do not see the ground, for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel."
Son of man, has not the rebellious house of Israel said to you, 'What are you doing?
Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Concerning the princes, this message (prophetic word, this burden) applies to Jerusalem and to the whole house of Israel among whom you are.
And say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh) to those who dwell in Jerusalem in the land of Israel. They shall eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with dread, for her land shall be desolate from all who are there, because of the violence of all who dwell there.
Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails'?
Therefore, say to them: Thus says the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh): I will make this proverb disappear, and they shall no longer use it as a proverb in Israel. But speak to them: The days are revealed, and the words in all visions.
There shall be no more vain visions, no flattering divinations in the house of Israel.
Son of man, behold those of the house of Israel who say, "The vision he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own hearts: Hear the word of the Lord (Yahweh):
Your prophets, O Israel, have become like foxes in the wilderness.
You have not gone up to the breaches (cracks in the wall) and have not repaired the ramparts (defensive structures) of the house of Israel, to stand in battle on the day of the Lord (Yahweh).
And my hand shall be against the prophets who see emptiness (falsehood, vanity) and who prophesy lies. They shall not be in my people's council, nor shall they be written in the chronicles of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel, and they shall know that I am the Lord of Lords (Adonai Yahweh).
the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and see visions of peace (shalom), but there is no peace (shalom), declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of Lords (Adonai Yahweh).
[Chapter 14 contains two prophecies. The first (verses 1-11) is the conclusion to the message against false prophets/prophetesses in .]
And some of the elders of Israel came and sat before me.
Therefore, speak to them and say: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh): Every man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols over his heart and places the stumbling block of his sins before his face and comes to the prophet, I, the Lord (Yahweh), will answer him in proportion to the multitude of his idols (according to the multitude of his idols),
so that I will take the house of Israel in their own hearts, because they have all turned away from me to their idols.
Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Return and repent from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.
For every man of the house of Israel, or the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh idols to his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of sin before his face, and cometh to the prophet to seek (follow, ask, worship) me from him, I myself will answer him,
And the prophet who is led astray and speaks a word, I, the Lord (Yahweh), have led astray the prophet who prophesies, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among the people of Israel.
so that the house of Israel may no longer stray from me and no longer defile themselves with their transgressions, but they may become my people and I may become their God (Elohim), declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh).
Son of man, present a riddle (Hebr. chod childah) and tell a parable (liken in a parable – Hebr. meshól mashal) to the house of Israel
In the mountains of Israel's heights I will plant it, and it shall sprout branches and bear fruit and become a majestic cedar. And under it birds of every kind (literally wings) shall dwell in its shade, and in its branches they shall dwell.
What do you mean by using this proverb in the land of Israel and saying:
The fathers have eaten sour (unripe) grapes
and the sons' teeth are set on edge (are on edge, worn, blunt – Hebr. qahah) [and thus sore]?
[Jeremiah has used the same proverb before ( and also in a similar form in ). The proverb probably has its origin in how Adam ate the forbidden fruit, see . Jeremiah also shows that this proverb does not apply (the taste in someone's mouth cannot be inherited). It is wrong to blame previous generations for their sins. The proverb shows man's tendency to want to be an innocent victim before an unjust God and not take responsibility for his own sin, see .]
As surely as I live, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of Lords (Adonai Yahweh), you will no longer have reason to use this proverb in Israel.
and does not [sacrifice and] eat [meat to idols] on the mountains [part of the meat was sacrificed to idols on these high places, the rest was eaten by the worshipper or priest, see ; ; ; ]
and does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel
and does not defile his neighbor's wife []
and does not approach a woman in her uncleanness [],
does not [sacrifice meat to idols and] eat on the mountains, does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
does not defile his neighbor's wife,
And you say, "The way of the Lord (Yahweh) is not just." Hear (listen) now, O house of Israel: Are my ways unjust? Are not your ways unjust?
But the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord (Yahweh) is not just." O house of Israel, are my ways unjust? Are not your ways unjust?
Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one according to his deeds, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh, the supreme almighty God, who despite his greatness is still present among his people). Turn back (come back)! Turn away from your crimes, so that they do not cause you to fall.
Cast away all your transgressions that you have committed against me. Create for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why would you choose to die, O house of Israel?
And you, raise a lament for the princes of Israel
And they put him in a cage
with hooks and brought him to the king of Babylon
and put him in secure custody
so that his voice could no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.
[Ezekiel's fourth collection of messages dates from the 7th to the 9th year after the exile, see and . As before, it focuses on Judah's guilt and impending judgment. Each of the seven messages begins with the phrase, "The word of the Lord came to me," and ends with the phrase, "declares the Lord," or a variation thereof, see , ; ; ; ; , .]
And it came to pass in the 7th year [after Jehoiachin's captivity, see ; ] in the 5th month [of] on the 10th day of the month [August 15, 591], some of the elders of Israel came to seek (ask, appear before, worship – Hebr. darash) the Lord (Yahweh) and sat before me.
Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Have you come to seek (ask, worship) me? As I live, I will not be sought by you, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh).
And say to them: Thus says the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh): On the day when I chose Israel and lifted up my hand to the seed of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up my hand to them and said, I am the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim),
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not walk in my statutes (literally, "things engraved") and they rejected my ordinances (binding legal decisions) that when a person does them, he shall live by them, and they greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said that I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness to consume them.
Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): In this your fathers have blasphemed me when they have acted treacherously against me (literally, when they have been treacherous traitors against me).
Therefore, speak to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): When you defiled yourselves in the ways of your fathers and followed their abominations,
and when you offered your gifts and let your sons pass through the fire, you defiled yourselves with all your idols to this day. Shall I then be held accountable by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), I will not be held accountable by you.
And I will purge from among you the rebels and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they have been staying, but they shall not enter the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh).
And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Go, every one of you, to his own idol, for you will not listen to me. But my holy name shall no longer be profaned by your gifts and your idols.
For on my holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), there the whole house of Israel, they shall all serve me in the land. There I will show them mercy (conditional mercy – Hebr. ratsa) and there I will accept your offerings and the first of your gifts and all your holy things.
And you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh) when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land that I raised my hand to give to your fathers.
And you shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh). I have done this for the sake of my name, not for your evil ways and not for your corrupt deeds, you house of Israel, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh).
Son of man, set (turn) your face toward Jerusalem and preach toward the sanctuary and prophesy against the land of Israel
and say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord (Yahweh): Behold, I am against you and will draw my sword [the Babylonian army] from its sheath and cut off both the righteous and the wicked from you.
Cry and lament, O daughter of man,
for it is over my people,
it is over the princes of Israel,
they are struck down by the sword
[together] with my people,
therefore beat your breasts (hips).
And you, evil leader of Israel, condemned to death, soon the day will come when it is time for sin to come to an end.
Behold, the princes of Israel, every man according to his power [his own arbitrary authority], have been with you [Jerusalem] and shed blood.
"Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; they are all copper, tin, iron, and lead in the midst of the furnace. They are all dross of silver.
Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh): Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the longing of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind shall fall by the sword.
And say to the sons of Ammon: Hear the word of the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh):
Because you say, "Haha! (Hebr. heach – an expression of schadenfreude) over my sanctuary when it was desecrated, and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste, and over the house of Judah when they went into captivity,
Thus says the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh): Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all your soul in your contempt (mockery – Hebr. sheat) over the land of Israel,
And I will execute my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my fury, and they shall know my vengeance, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh).
Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They traded for your market with wheat from Minnit and baked goods and honey and oil and balm.
And there shall be no more a pricking brier against the house of Israel, nor a piercing thorn of any that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord (Adonai Yahweh).
Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified among them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.
And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh), because they have become a rod of reed for the house of Israel.
And it shall no longer happen that the house of Israel shall trust in sin when they turn after them, and they shall know that I am the Lord (Adonai Yahweh).
On that day I will cause a horn to sprout up for the house of Israel, and I will give you the power to speak in their midst, and they shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh).
And you, son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore, when you hear a word from my mouth, you shall warn (enlighten, teach – Hebr. zahar) them from me.
Son of man, say to the house of Israel:
You say, "Our transgressions and sins weigh us down (have overtaken us), and we are perishing (rotting, decaying) because of them. How can we live (come back to life)?"
Answer them: As I live, declares the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from their ways and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! Why should you choose to die [when you can live], O house of Israel?
Yet you say, "The way of the Lord (Adonais) is not balanced (fair, equal for all). House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his way."
"Son of man, those who dwell in this desolate land in the land of Israel speak and say, 'Abraham was one (person, one household), and he inherited the land, but we are many; the land has been given to us as an inheritance.
And I will make the land even more desolate, and the pride of her strength shall disappear, and the mountains of Israel shall become desolate so that no one passes by.
"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, and say to them, to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Woe to you, shepherds of Israel, who feed yourselves! Should not a shepherd feed the sheep?
I will bring them out from among the nations and gather them from foreign lands. I will bring them to their own land. I will shepherd (lead, feed) them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and in the inhabited places of the land.
I will let them eat in good pastures. The high mountains of Israel will be their pasture (home). There they will lie down in lush pastures, and they will eat succulent pasture on the mountains of Israel.
They shall know (understand, realize) that I, the Lord (Yahweh), their God (Elohim), am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh).
Because you have always hated and wielded the power of the sword against the sons of Israel in times of their misfortune [; ], at the time of the fulfillment (end) of sin [either when the transgression had reached its limit, or they received their full punishment].
And you shall know that I, the Lord (Yahweh), have heard all your blasphemies that you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'They are laid waste; they have been given to us to devour.
As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You shall be destroyed, O mountains of Seir, and all Edom, and all that is in it. And they shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh).
And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say to them: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord (Yahweh):
Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh)
to the mountains and to the hills
to the ravines and to the valleys
and to the ruined ruins
and to the abandoned cities
which have become a prey and a laughingstock to the countries around them.
[Six different words are used to describe the whole country.]
Therefore, prophesy over the land of Israel (country, earth – Hebr. adama) and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys: Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Behold, I have spoken in my zeal and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.
But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your shoots and bring forth your fruit for me, O people of Israel, for they are about to come.
and I will multiply people over you, the whole house of Israel, yes, the whole [land]. Yes, the cities will be inhabited and the wasted places will be rebuilt,
I will let people tread upon you, my people Israel, and they shall occupy you, and you shall become their inheritance, and you shall no longer be childless.
Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity.
But I had mercy on my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they came.
Therefore, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): I am not doing this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you came.
[Verses 32-38 form a chiasm, with at its center.] Not for your sake do I do this, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh), let it be known to you (be intimately familiar with). The house of Israel shall be ashamed and confounded for their ways (the way you have acted).
Thus says the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh): I will again be asked by the house of Israel to do this for them. I will multiply them with people like a flock of sheep.
And he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. See, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off [like branches from a tree]. [Literally: 'cut off from us'. The bones are cut off and separated from each other. A completely impossible situation is described, see also where the same unusual word for 'cut off' is used about the Messiah.]
Therefore, prophesy and say to them: "Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): I will open your graves and bring you up from them, my people, and bring you home to the land of Israel.
Son of man, take a wooden rod and write on it [as was done before, see ]:
"For Judah and all the Israelites who belong to him." [The Southern Kingdom – the tribe of Judah together with some northern tribes (Benjamin, Levi, and parts of Simeon).] Then take another wooden rod and write on it:
"For Joseph, Ephraim, and all the Israelites who belong to him." [The Northern Kingdom – represented by Joseph or Ephraim () together with Manasseh.]
Speak to them: "Thus says the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh, the supreme almighty God, who despite his greatness is still present among his people): Behold, I will take the rod of Joseph that is in the hand of Ephraim and all the Israelites who belong to him, and I will put it on the rod of Judah, and make them one rod—they shall be one in my hand."
Then speak to them: This is what the Lord of lords (Adonai Yahweh) says: Behold, I will bring the Israelites from the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all sides and bring them to their land.
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king shall reign over them all. They shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to my servant Jacob, where your fathers dwelt, and they shall dwell there, they and their children and their children's children forever. And my servant David shall be their prince forever.
And the nations shall know that I am the Lord (Yahweh) who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forever.
After a long time, you will be called to service. In the coming years, you will march into a land that has been at peace from the sword. [Israel will live in peace.] Those who live there have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which have long been desolate. They have been brought out from among the nations, and all now live there in safety.
Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: Thus says the Lord God: In that day, when my people Israel dwells securely, you shall know it.
You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. In the days to come, this will happen. I will let you come against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you, Gog.
Thus says the Lord God: Are you not the one I spoke of in former times through my servants, the prophets of Israel? Year after year they prophesied that I would let you come upon them.
And it shall come to pass in the day when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh), that my fury shall come up within me.
For in my zeal and in the fire of my wrath I have spoken: Surely, on that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel,
and I will turn you around and lead (draw; drive) you onward, and I will bring you from the farthest (remote) parts of the north, and I will bring you up on the mountains of Israel,
You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, all your armies and the people who are with you. I will give you to all kinds of ravenous birds, and the beasts of the field shall devour you.
And I will make known (make intimate knowledge of) my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer allow my holy name to be profaned (blasphemed), and the nations shall know (be familiar with, be intimately acquainted with) that I am the Lord (Yahweh), the Holy One in Israel.
Those who live in the cities of Israel shall go out and make fires with the weapons and use them as fuel, both the large shields and the small shields, the bows and arrows, and the daggers and spears, and they shall burn them for seven years (uninterrupted fire),
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place for burial in Israel, their valley that passeth on the east of the sea [probably east of the Dead Sea and the king's highway from Amman, via Petra to Egypt], and it shall hinder (stop) those who pass by, and there they shall bury Gog and his multitudes, and they shall call (name) it "Hamon Gog's valley." [Hebr. hamon means "large quantity" but also noise, tumult, roar, and thunder. The meaning could be the valley where Gog's entire numerous army is buried, or the valley where Gog's last roar was heard.]
For seven months the house of Israel shall bury them, so that the land may be (ritually) clean.
Son of man, thus says the Lord God: Say to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: Assemble yourselves, come here, and gather from every direction to my sacrifice, to a great sacrifice that I am preparing for you on the mountains of Israel. You shall eat flesh and drink blood.
The people of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day and forever.
The nations shall know that the people of Israel were taken into captivity for their iniquity, because they were unfaithful to me, so that I had to hide my face from them. I then delivered them into the hands of their enemies, so that they all fell by the sword.
Therefore, says the Lord God, I will now put an end to Jacob's captivity and have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.
I will no longer hide my face from them, for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God."
In visions from God, he brought me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. On this mountain, to the south, was something that resembled a city.
The man spoke to me: "Son of man, see with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I may show you this. Tell the house of Israel everything you see."
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne, the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the children of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no longer defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their whoring and the corpses of their kings and their high places.
But you, son of man, tell the house of Israel [about this temple] so that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them measure its [the building's] perfection.
The Lord (Yahweh) said to me, "This gate shall remain closed and shall not be opened, and no one shall enter through it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore, it shall remain closed.
Say to the rebellious house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Now enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel.
Thus says the Lord God: No stranger with an uncircumcised heart and uncircumcised flesh shall enter my sanctuary, none of the strangers who are among the children of Israel.
Even the Levites who abandoned me when Israel went astray, those who themselves went astray and abandoned me and followed their idols, must bear their iniquity.
Because they served them before their idols and thus were a cause of sin for the people of Israel, therefore I have sworn with my hand raised, declares the Lord God, that they shall bear their iniquity.
But the Levitical priests who served at my sanctuary, namely the sons of Zadok, when the other Israelites went astray and departed from me, they shall come before me to serve me. They shall stand before me to offer me fat and blood, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh).
He shall not take a widow or a divorced woman as his wife, but only a virgin of the tribe of Israel. However, he may take a widow if she is the widow of a priest.
This shall be their inheritance, that I myself am their inheritance. You shall give them no property in Israel, for I myself am their property.
They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and everything in Israel that is devoted to destruction shall belong to them.
You shall give the city an area 5,000 cubits [2.6 km] wide and 25,000 cubits [13 km] long, bordering the holy sacrificial area. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel.
This shall be his possession in Israel. My princes shall no longer oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel keep their land as it has been divided among their tribes.
Thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh): Enough, O princes of Israel! Cease your violence and oppression, and act justly and righteously. Drive my people no longer from their homes, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh):
In addition, from the water-rich pastures of Israel, from every flock of 200 small livestock, you shall give one [sheep] for a food offering, a burnt offering, and a fellowship offering to make atonement for the people, says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh).
All the people of the land must give this offering to the prince of Israel.
But the prince must bring the burnt offering, grain offering, and drink offering on the high holidays, new moons, and Sabbaths, on all the appointed feasts of Israel. He shall provide the sin offering, grain offering, burnt offering, and fellowship offering to make atonement for the house of Israel.
This is what the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh) says: These are the boundaries (territory) that shall apply when you divide the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.
On the eastern side, the border shall begin between Havran and Damascus and run between Gilead and the land of Israel, consisting of the Jordan River. From the northern border down to the eastern sea, you shall measure it out. This is the eastern side.
You shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.
You shall divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves and for the strangers who live among you and bear children among you. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel. They shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
It shall belong to the priests, the sons of Zadok, who have been consecrated and who have served me and who did not go astray as the Levites did when the other Israelites went astray.
The workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel shall cultivate it.
This is the land that you shall divide by lot as an inheritance for the tribes of Israel.
These shall be their tribal lots, declares (says, proclaims) the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh).
and of the gates of the city, named after the tribes of Israel, three shall be on the north: the first is the gate of Reuben, the second the gate of Judah, and the third the gate of Levi.
The king [Nebuchadnezzar] commanded Ashpenaz, his chief of staff (leader of the eunuchs), to select some of the young men of Israel [aged 13-15] of royal descent or of noble birth [whom he had taken with him as captives].
Lord (Adonai), you are righteous—we are disgraced (ashamed). [The Hebrew has a strong contrast: literally 'to you righteousness—to us shame'. Since the captivity and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, Israel has been publicly disgraced among the nations. So it is today with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both those who are near and those who are far away in all the countries where you have driven them, because they were unfaithful to you.]
The whole people of Israel abandoned your teaching (crossed a boundary) and turned away [from your way], refusing to obey (listen to your voice). That is the reason for the curse and oath in the teaching (Hebr. Torah) of Moses, God's servant [], because we have sinned against you.
While I was still speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel before the Lord my God, and presenting my prayer before the holy mountain of God
The word of the Lord (Yahweh) that came to [the prophet] Hosea (Hebr. Hoshea; meaning: salvation), son of Beeri, in the days of
Uzziah (Hebr. Uzzijaho) [10th ruler of the Southern Kingdom; reigned 788-736 BC],
Jotham [11th ruler of the Southern Kingdom; reigned approx. 758-742 BC, first ten years together with his leprous father (), then alone, and finally three years with his son Ahaz],
Ahaz [12th ruler of the Southern Kingdom; reigned c. 742-726 BC, the last years together with his son Hezekiah]
and Hezekiah (Hebr. Jechizqijah) [13th king of the Southern Kingdom; reigned 726-697 BC]
were kings of Judah [the Southern Kingdom]
and the days when
Jeroboam [the second, reigned 793-753 BC] was king of Israel [the 13th king of the Northern Kingdom].
[Hosea served as a prophet in the northern kingdom for about 40 years (760-722 BC). Only Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom is mentioned here. The last six kings are: Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hosea. They reigned from about 750 to 722 BC, when the capital Samaria was captured by the Assyrian ruler Sargon II and the population of the country was deported to Assyria.]
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to him,
"Name him Jezreel [meaning: 'God sows', see ],
for yet a little while
and I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu
and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. [Jehu was the one who killed Ahab's family, see , , . There is also an allusion here to the fertility god Baal, see ; .]
And it shall come to pass in that day
that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." [Jezreel is a symbolic name that sounds similar to the name Israel. Jezreel is the valley in Galilee where Jehu defeated Omri and the current rule of Jeroboam II (the 13th king of the Northern Kingdom) began. See .]
And she [Hosea's wife Gomer] became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And he [the Lord] said to him [Hosea], "Name her Lo-Ruchamah [meaning 'No Mercy'] because I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, so that I will in any way forgive them.
[The situation is not hopeless; God wants to reunite his people. now mentions that the day of Jezreel will be great. In the next verse (), Hosea's youngest son Ammi and his daughter Ruhama are mentioned without the Hebrew negative particle lo before their names!]
Even though the number of Israel's sons will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted [; ], it will happen that instead of what was said to them, "you are not my people," it will be said to them, "you are the sons of the living God (Hebr. El)."
And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be united (gathered) together, and they shall appoint for themselves a head (a leader). And they shall grow up (literally: "rise up out of") the ground (the land – Hebr. ha-erets), for great shall be the day of Jezreel. [Jizreel means "God plants/sows," alluding to how the land will be reborn, see verses 4-5 and .]
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to me, "Go again! Love—a woman loved by her friend [Hosea himself] and who commits adultery; as the Lord (Yahweh) loves the sons of Israel even though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes [which were used in Mesopotamian sacrificial rites, see ]."
[The Hebrew text is deliberately ambiguous. Again can refer to "the Lord says again" (a second time, the first being in ) or to go and "love again." The word "a woman" may refer to Gomer, or a second wife. However, it is most likely that it refers to Gomer, who abandoned him and was sold as a concubine to another man.]
For the sons of Israel shall sit alone for many days, without a king and without a leader, without sacrifices and without obelisks [used for idol worship, see ; ; ] and without an ephod [; ] or household gods [].
Then the sons of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God (Yahweh Elohim) and David their king, and shall come to the Lord (Yahweh) and tremble, and to his goodness at the end of days (literally after the days, that is, when no new days are counted as eternity takes over after time).
[In chapters 4-7, the number three recurs many times in enumerations. In a book that speaks much about wisdom (), the choice of the number three is not random. It probably connects to Hosea's three children: Jezreel, Lo-Ruhama, and Lo-Ammi.]
Hear the word of the Lord (Yahweh), O sons of Israel, for the Lord (Yahweh) has a case (raises a legal dispute) with the inhabitants
of the land,
for there is no truth (faithfulness – Hebr. emet),
no mercy (loving care – Hebr. chesed),
no [close, personal, and intimate] knowledge of God (Elohim)
is found in the land.
[Three words are used here: truth, mercy, and knowledge. Mercy is central and framed by truth and knowledge. Here in this chiasm, the main point of the indictment against the people of Israel is emphasized – they lack loving care for one another.]
If Israel is a prostitute,
do not blame Judah
and do not come to Gilgal
[meaning "ring of stones," a cultic sacrificial site (; ; ; ), probably located just northeast of Jericho, see ],
do not go up to Beit Aven
[literally: "house of wickedness"; a reference to Bethel meaning "house of God" where a golden calf was worshipped, see ] and do not swear "As the Lord
(Yahweh) lives."
For Israel is stiff-necked
like a stiff-necked heifer.
Will the Lord (Yahweh) now feed them
like a lamb in an open field?
Hear this, you priests of Israel!
And listen
(pay attention), you house of Israel!
And the house of the king, give your ear
(listen carefully),
for judgment belongs to you,
for you have been a snare to Mitspah
[meaning "watchtower," there are various locations, but here it is Tel en-nasbeh in Benjamin, 10 km north of Jerusalem] and a spread net over Tabor
[Mount Tabor in the Jezreel Valley].
I know (am intimately acquainted with) Ephraim [the leading tribe of the ten in the Northern Kingdom]
and Israel [the actions of the other nine northern tribes] is not hidden from me.
For Ephraim, you have committed adultery,
Israel is defiled.
But the pride of Israel will testify against him,
and Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their sin.
Judah will also stumble with them.
Ephraim will be destroyed on the day of punishment.
Among the tribes of Israel, I will make the truth known (let everyone know what will really happen).
In the house of Israel, I have seen terrible things; their prostitution is in Ephraim; Israel is defiled.
When I heal Israel,
then the sin of Ephraim will be exposed and the wickedness of Samaria,
for they have acted deceitfully
and thieves break in
and robbers raid without warning.
The pride of Israel testifies against his face,
but they have not returned to the Lord (Yahweh) their God (Elohim),
nor sought him in all this.
They [Israel] shall cry out to me:
"My God (Elohim). We, Israel, know (are intimately acquainted with) you." [These may be short prayers that were offered on these sacrificial heights. They were sure that they knew the Lord, which they did not at all, see .]
Israel has cast off what is good,
the enemy shall pursue him.
For from Israel also this [calf] is [made],
the craftsman makes it,
but it is not God.
The calf of Samaria
shall be broken in pieces.
Israel is swallowed up,
now they have become among the heathen peoples
like useless tools.
For Israel has forgotten its Creator
and built palaces
and Judah has multiplied fortified cities,
but I will send a fire upon its cities
and it shall devour its fortresses.
Do not rejoice, Israel,
like the nations in triumph,
for you have strayed from your God (Elohim),
you have loved a paid prostitute on every threshing floor.
The days of punishment have come,
the days of reckoning have come
– Israel shall know (be familiar with, become intimately acquainted with) it.
The prophets are fools,
the spirit of man is mad,
for the multitude of your transgressions
the enmity is great.
I found Israel
like wine in the wilderness,
I saw your fathers
as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree in its first spring,
but as soon as they came to Baal-Peor
they separated themselves to shameful things
and became as detestable as the things they love.
Israel is a lush vine
that bears fruit generously,
as his fruit multiplies
so do his altars multiply,
the more his land prospers
the more his obelisks prosper.
It [the cast idol calf in Bethel] too shall be carried away to Assyria,
as a gift to King Jarev.
Ephraim shall receive shame
and Israel shall be ashamed of its own counsel.
[Beit] The high places of Aven shall be destroyed,
as shall the sin of Israel.
Thorns and thistles shall come up over their altars,
and they shall say to the mountains, "Cover us,"
and to the hills, "Fall on us."
From the days of Gibeah [when the Benjamites sinned, see ], you have sinned, Israel,
there they stood,
no battle overtook them at Gibeah,
no arrogant sons.
And Ephraim is a heifer that loves to thresh
and I have passed over her neck [put a yoke upon it].
I will make Ephraim a rider,
Judah shall plow,
Jacob shall break his clods.
So has
Bethel done to you
because of your great wickedness,
when dawn turns to day
(is cut off) [and the light breaks forth] it is all over with
(cut off is then) the king of Israel.
[The word cut off is repeated. It becomes a play on words that also reinforces the meaning.]When Israel was a young man, I loved him [as a firstborn son, see ],
and out of Egypt (siege, confinement – Hebr. Mitsrajim) I called my son. []
How can I abandon (let go of) you, Ephraim?
How can I leave you, Israel?
How can I make you like [the city of] Admah?
How can I make you like [the city of] Zeboiim? [Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela were cities mentioned together with Sodom and Gomorrah, see ]
My heart turns within me (my feelings surge; I change my decision),
all my compassion is aroused (literally: 'my mercy is kindled').
Ephraim surrounds me with denial (hypocrisy – Hebr. kachash)
and the house of Israel with deceit (Hebr. mirmah)
and Judah is constantly unfaithful to (wants to break away from; stray from; be homeless from – Hebr. rod) God (El)
yes, to the Holy One, the faithful one (he who stands firm – Hebr. aman).
The Lord (Yahweh) has a case against Judah
and will punish Jacob according to his ways
and in accordance with his actions he will repay him.
And Jacob fled to the fields of Aram
and Israel served for a wife
and for a wife he guarded (protected, preserved – Hebr. shamar) sheep. []
And through a prophet the Lord (Yahweh) brought Israel up out of Egypt,
and through a prophet he was preserved (guarded, protected – Hebr. shamar).
[Verses 1-3 are the central part of the last section of Hosea, chapters 11-14.]
When Ephraim spoke, people trembled,
he exalted himself in Israel
but was found guilty through Baal and he died.
It is your destruction, Israel,
that you are against me, against your helper (Hebr. ezer).
Take words [plural] with you
and return to the Lord (Yahweh),
say to him: "Forgive all transgressions and accept what is good,
and we will replace (make amends for) bulls with our lips [give the sacrifice of praise instead of sacrificed bulls]. []
His new shoots shall grow and spread out,
his splendor shall be like that of the olive tree [which bears rich fruit],
and his fragrance like that of Lebanon [cedar trees].
Then you will know that I am in Israel.
Yes, I am the Lord your God (Yahweh Elohim),
there is no other.
Never again shall my people be put to shame.
I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat [meaning "the Lord has judged," perhaps the Kidron Valley].
There I will judge them
on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel,
whom they have scattered among the nations
and divided up my land.
The Lord (Yahweh) roars (like a lion) from Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem]
and utters his voice from Jerusalem—
the heavens and the earth shall tremble.
But the Lord (Yahweh) will be a refuge for his people
and a stronghold (a safe place, a defense) for the children (sons) of Israel.
Prov of Amos, one of the shepherds from Tekoa [a small town in the hill country of Judah, 16 km south of Jerusalem]. This is what he saw concerning Israel [the northern kingdom] when
Uzziah (Hebr. Uzzijaho) was king of Judah [783-742 BC] and
Jeroboam, Joash's son, was king of Israel [786-746 BC],
two years before the earthquake.
[The earthquake is also mentioned in . During excavations in 2021 on the eastern slopes of the City of David, a large number of broken vessels, bowls, and lamps were found. The findings are consistent with similar findings in northern Israel that indicate an earthquake during the reign of King Uzziah in the mid-700s BC.
Amos, who is from Judah (the southern kingdom), is thus writing to Israel (the northern kingdom). In 722 BC, the northern kingdom falls to Assyria, so these words are written about 40 years before this event.]
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
"For three transgressions of Israel [the northern kingdom],
yes, for four, I will not change my mind, because they sold justice for silver (money) [accepted bribes, which was a violation of ]
and the needy (poor) for a pair of shoes (sandals).
Among your [young] children (sons) I raised up prophets
and among your young men Nazirites. Is this not so, O children (sons) of Israel?" declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
[A key word in this chapter is Hebr. , which means that a superior examines and inspects a subordinate. It is used in the sense of counting, see . The meaning can be to reward or punish depending on the result of the summing up of the accounts. The word is used here to frame this section, see verses 2 and 14 (twice). The chapter has seven sections that form a chiasm:
A The Lord will inspect/punish, verses 1-2
B Coming destruction – lions and prey, verses 3-8
C Foreign palace (Hebr. ),
D Central verse: Israel does not do right,
C´ Israel's palace (Hebr. ),
B´ Coming destruction – lions and prey,
A´ The Lord will inspect/punish, verses 13-15]
Hear (listen to, obey) this word that the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken against you, children (sons) of Israel, over the whole family [all tribes, both Judah and Israel] that I brought up out of the land of Egypt when I said:
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
"As a shepherd saves two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth,
so shall the children (sons) of Israel who dwell in Samaria flee
with the corner of a bed and the damask (a piece/corner of the leg) of a couch (daybed)."
"Listen and testify against the house of Jacob,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), God of hosts (Elohim Sebaot).
"In those days when I will punish
(to settle accounts with) Israel's transgressions,
I will also punish
(to settle accounts with) Bethel's altar
and the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.
Offer a thank offering
of what is leavened (with sourdough) []
and proclaim voluntary offerings
and make them known, for you love to do so, you sons of Israel,"
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
"Therefore, I will treat you this way [let judgment fall upon you], Israel [because all attempts to make you repent have failed, see verses 4-11].
Since I am going to do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, Israel."
[Verses 1-17 are the central part of the entire book of Amos.]
Hear (listen to, obey) this word that I raise as a lament over you, O house of Israel:
"The virgin of Israel has fallen,
she will not rise again,
she has been thrown down on the ground
and there is no one to raise her up."
Therefore, thus says the Lord God (Adonai Yahweh):
"The city that went out with a thousand
shall have a hundred left,
and the city that went out with a hundred
shall have ten left of the house of Israel."
For thus says the Lord (Yahweh) to the house of Israel:
"Seek me and you shall live.
Did you bring me sacrifices and food offerings
for forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
Woe to those who are carefree (who do not care and live comfortably) in Zion [Jerusalem]
and those who are secure (safe) on the mountains of Samaria,
the leaders [elite; the famous men] of the foremost people,
to whom the house of Israel belongs (literally: comes).
The Lord God (Adonai Yahweh) has sworn by himself, the Lord (Yahweh), God of hosts (Elohim Sebaot), declares (says, proclaims):
"I detest Jacob's pride
and hate his palaces
and I will shut down (close) the city
and everything in it."
"Behold, I will rise up against you, O house of Israel,"
declares
(says, proclaims) the Lord
(Yahweh), God of hosts
(Elohim Sebaot),
"a heathen people that shall afflict
(torment, plague) you from
Chamath's entrance
[the northern border] to
the brook of Arava [the southern border]."
[These two places are used to show Jeroboam II the northern and southern borders of Israel, see .]When they (the locusts) had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, "Lord (Adonai), Lord (Yahweh), forgive, I beg you. How will Jacob stand (remain standing, be preserved)? For he is small."
Then I said, "Lord (Adonai), Lord (Yahweh), stop, I beg you. How will Jacob stand (remain standing, be preserved)? For he is small."
And the Lord (Yahweh) said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I answered, "A plumb line."
Then the Lord (Adonai) said, "Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I will not forgive them any longer,
and the high places of Isaac and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."
[The first king of the Northern Kingdom, Jeroboam, had established the worship of the idol Baal in the city of Bethel, see . Amaziah is the leading priest there, who also seems to have had political influence in that region. Amos has just delivered three prophecies, the last of which mentions that the high places of sacrifice will be laid waste, see . This angers Amaziah, the priest of Baal.] Amaziah
(Hebr. Amatsjaho), the priest of Bethel, sent this message to King Jeroboam
[the 13th king of the Northern Kingdom] of Israel: "Amos is conspiring against you in the heart of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words
[prophecies].
For thus says Amos: 'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall be led away captive from their land. '" [Amos prophesied this in .]
but the Lord (Yahweh) took me from the flock, and the Lord said to me, 'Go and prophesy to my people Israel.
Therefore, hear now the word of the Lord (Yahweh), you who say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.
Therefore, thus says the Lord (Yahweh):
"Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword
and your land shall be divided with a measuring line,
and you yourself shall die in a (ritually) unclean land
and Israel shall surely be led away captive,
out of this land."
And He said to me, "Amos, what do you see?"
And I answered, "A basket of summer fruit."
Then the Lord (Yahweh) said to me, "The end has come for my people Israel; I will not forgive them again.
The Lord has sworn by [himself, he who is] the pride of Jacob. I will never forget any of their [rebellious] deeds.
[Verses 7-15 are included in the designated Sabbath reading that was read in all synagogues throughout the world on the same Sabbath that the State of Israel was proclaimed in 1948.] Are you not like the children
(sons) of Cush
[the Ethiopians] to me, O children
(sons) of Israel?
declares
(says, proclaims) the Lord
(Yahweh).
Did I not bring Israel up out of the land of Egypt,
and the Philistines from
Kaftor [Crete, see ] and
Aram (Syria) from
Kir?
[Hebr. kir means wall and is a place or area in Mesopotamia.] Behold, the eyes of the Lord of hosts (Adonai Yahweh)
are upon the sinful kingdom
and I will destroy it
from the face of the earth,
yet I will save
and not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh).
For behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among the nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet not a single grain shall fall to the ground.
And I will bring back my people (my covenant people/property people – Hebr. ammi) Israel from captivity [end their captivity and restore them],
and they shall rebuild [their] cities that have been in ruins and dwell in them [again].
And they shall plant vineyards
and drink wine from them
and plant (literally: make) gardens
and eat [enjoy] fruit from them.
Because of the violence you have done to your brother Jacob [the Israelites],
shame will cover you,
and you will be cut off (cut down) forever.
[Just as the two previous prophetic books, Joel and Amos, described what would happen after the Day of the Lord, it is now described how God will raise up the house of David, see and .]
But on Mount Zion [the temple mount in Jerusalem] there will be a remnant (a saved group; a deliverance)
and it will be holy [again],
and the house of Jacob will reoccupy
its possessions (return and live in its territories).
The house of Jacob shall be a fire
and the house of Joseph a flame [Joseph's sons are Ephraim and Manasseh, they are Jacob's grandsons and represent the northern kingdom]
and the house of Esau shall be like sticks
that are kindled and they shall be consumed (by the fire). Nothing shall remain of the house of Esau, for the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken.
The captives of the sons of Israel
who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath [near Sidon, see ]
and the captives of Jerusalem
who are in Sepharad [far from Israel]
shall possess the cities of the south (Negev).
[This is the only time the word Sepharad is used, and there are various suggestions, but the main point of the mention is that it is a place far away. In modern Hebrew, Spain is Sephar and Spanish Jews are called Sephardim. Jonathan's Targum also associates Sepharad with Spain, although this is doubtful. Another alternative is that Sefarad may be "Saparda" from certain Assyrian inscriptions, which places the city in Media. Sardis in Asia Minor is another possibility, since its name in Lydian is Sfard.]
All this is for Jacob's transgressions
and the sins of the house of Israel.
What is Jacob's transgression?
Is it not Samaria?
And what are Judah's high places?
Is it not Jerusalem?
Harness the chariot to the trotters (fast horses – Hebr. rechesh) you inhabitants of Lachish ["Horse-chariot City"],
she was the beginning of the sin of the daughter of Zion [Jerusalem],
because the transgressions of Israel were found in her.
Therefore, you shall give a farewell gift
to Moresheth-Gath.
[Moresheth-Gath was probably Mic.'s hometown, see ; the name means "in the possession of Gath"; some interpret it not as a city but as David's family, those who came to inherit Gath.]
The house of Achziv ["House of Treachery"]
shall be a deceitful thing (Hebr. achsav) to the kings of Israel.
I will bring to you, inhabitants of Mareshah [meaning "top of a mountain" – impregnable],
the one who will occupy (take – Hebr. jarash) you.
The glory of Israel
shall also come upon Adullam [a city in the western hill country of Judea; meaning "the justice of the people"].
Am I changeable, O house of Jacob?
Is the Spirit of the Lord (Yahweh) impatient?
Are these his deeds?
Does my word not do good to those who walk uprightly?
I will surely gather Jacob, all of them.
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel.
I will gather those who are in the fold,
like a flock in the midst of their pasture.
They will make a great noise because they are a great multitude of people.
And I said:
"Listen, I implore you,
you leaders of Jacob and you who rule over the house of Israel,
are you not the ones who should know (be intimately familiar with) justice?
But I [Mic.] am filled
with the power of the Spirit of the Lord,
and I am completely devoted to justice.
This gives me the strength [courage] to tell Jacob about his transgression
and Israel about his sin.
Hear this, I implore you, you leaders of the house of Jacob
and you who rule over the house of Israel,
who despise what is right
and pervert all justice,
Many nations will come and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord (Yahweh),
up to the house of the God (Elohim) of Jacob,
he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths (live according to his instructions)."
For instruction (Hebr. Torah) shall go forth from Zion,
the word of the Lord (Yahweh) from Jerusalem.
Now carve (gather – Hebr. gadad) yourself,
daughter of the multitudes [Jerusalem].
[The meaning is not entirely clear. The word gadad usually means to carve and invoke idols (). Since the Israelites were forbidden to indulge in such occult practices (), the exhortation may be ironic. The word can also be used to mean "to gather armies," see , and then becomes an exhortation to prepare for battle.]
They have besieged us,
they have struck the judges of Jerusalem with a rod on the cheek.
But you,
Bethlehem, Ephrathah,
you are so small
(insignificant) among the clans of Judah
(thousands) [groups of a thousand people into which Israel was divided].
From you shall come
one who will rule in Israel.
His origin is from before time,
from the days of eternity.
[There are two Bethlehems in Israel, one in the land of Zebulun in the north, and one in the south just outside Jerusalem in the region of Ephrathah. The prophetic prov is so perfect that 700 years before it happens, it predicts that Jesus will be born in the southern village of Bethlehem, which was so insignificant that it was not included in Josh. 15's list of cities, see .]Then the Lord will abandon them [deliver the people of Israel to their enemies]
until the time comes for the woman to give birth,
then the rest of his countrymen will return
and be united with the people of Israel.
And the remnant of Jacob
shall be among the peoples,
like dew from the Lord (Yahweh),
like showers upon the grass,
which no man expects
or the sons of men desire.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,
with many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it passes through, tramples and tears in pieces,
and there is no one to deliver.
Hear, O mountains, the Lord's (Yahweh's) case (reasoning, cause),
and you eternal rocks, foundations of the earth,
for the Lord (Yahweh) is bringing his people to trial
and he will judge (correct, with the aim of training and helping) Israel.
You will show faithfulness (steadfastness, truth, trustworthiness, reliability) to Jacob
and mercy (caring love) to Abraham –
as you swore to our ancestors
in days of old.
[The liturgy for the synagogue service on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur; the biblical name is Yom Hakippurim – literally "Day of Atonements") includes verses 18-20, after the entire Book of Jonah has been read.]
The Lord (Yahweh) takes away the pride of Jacob
as well as the pride of Israel,
for the plunderers have plundered them of everything
and destroyed their vines.
Therefore, as surely as I live,
declares (says, proclaims) the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot), the God of Israel (Elohim),
Moab shall be like Sodom
and Ammon like Gomorrah
they shall become a possession for weeds and a salt pit,
an eternal desolation.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them;
the remnant of my people shall depopulate them.
Those who remain in Israel will no longer sin.
They will not speak lies,
and no deceitful tongue will be found in their mouths.
Yes, they will graze peacefully like sheep in green pastures and lie down,
without any danger (without trembling with fear).
Shout (sing), daughter of Zion [a loving title for the city of Jerusalem]!
Raise a battle cry (shout loudly), Israel!
Be glad and rejoice (triumph, leap for joy) with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord (Yahweh) has removed the judgments against you,
he has cast out the enemy.
The Lord (Yahweh), the King of Israel, dwells among (close to) you,
you shall no longer fear (experience) any evil."
Then I asked the angel (the messenger) who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He said to me, "These are the horns [mighty powers, superpowers] that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
It shall come to pass that just as you were a curse (something to be taken lightly, mocked, despised) among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so shall you be a blessing (something to be admired, looked up to). Fear not, let your hands be strong.
[This describes Alexander the Great's ravages in Syria.]
A message (prophecy, this burden), the word of the Lord (Yahweh) [same expression as in ] concerning (literally: in) the land of Chadrach [Chadrach means "surrounded" (an ancient name for the area in western Syria) surrounded by mountains],
and [it concerns the city] Damascus its [the message/burden] resting place [as it concerns].
because the eyes of all [singular] – all the tribes of Israel –
[are directed toward, turned] to the Lord (Yahweh).
Then I broke my second staff, Unity (Harmony), so that the brotherhood between Judah and Israel was broken.
A message (prophecy, this burden), the word of the Lord (Yahweh) concerning (literally: in) Israel. Thus says (declares, proclaims) the Lord (Yahweh), who stretches out (expands – Hebr. natah) the heavens (universe) and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.
[This suggests an expanding universe and multiple dimensions, see .]
This message (prophetic word, this burden) is the word of the Lord (Yahweh) to Israel through the hand of Malachi.
[The Hebrew word massa that begins Malachi is a common term in prophetic literature that introduces a message from God, see ; . The word comes from a verb meaning "to carry," which implies that the message is also demanding and, to some extent, burdensome.]
[In verses 2-5, the Lord speaks in the first person and quotes some of the arguments against him. Verses 2-4 are linked by several well-woven antithetical (opposite) chiastic structures.]
I love [have loved and will always love] you,
declares (says, proclaims) The Lord (Yahweh).
But you say (yet you ask):
"How do you love [have loved and will always love] us?"
Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother?
Is it really the word of the Lord (Yahweh) that
I loved
Jacob
Then you will see and say, "May the Lord (Yahweh) be exalted and great far beyond the borders of Israel."
[ ties in with , where the Lord quoted Israel's accusatory question to him, "How do you love us?" uses similar wording and suggests what a more appropriate answer would be—praise both within and beyond Israel's borders!]
Judah has acted unfaithfully, an abomination done in Israel, even in Jerusalem. For Judah has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord (Yahweh), whom he loves, and has married the daughters of foreign gods (Hebr. el).
The Lord (Yahweh) will separate (exclude, cut off) the man who does this, until he is cast out from Jacob's tent [society] and from the possibility of offering a gift to the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
I hate divorce,
says the Lord (Yahweh), the God of Israel (Elohim),
and he who covers his cloak in unrighteousness,
says the Lord of Hosts (Yahweh Sebaot).
So protect and preserve your spirit so that you are not unfaithful (deceive and be unfaithful).
For I am the Lord (Yahweh), and I do not change. You sons (children) of Jacob, you are not finished.
Remember (consider) the teaching (Hebr. Torah) of my servant Moses [the five books of Moses with instructions] that I commanded him at Horeb (Hebr. Chorev) [Mount Sinai], the statutes (literally "things engraved" – Hebr. chuqim) and the ordinances (binding legal decisions – Hebr. mishpatim) for all Israel.
[The word Chorev shares its root with the word for dry/desolate (Hebr. charev), which describes the area around Mount Sinai. The word also shares its root with the word cherev, which means sword. This takes on a deeper meaning when we know that God's word is described as a sword () and the covenant that was made here, see .]
[The first part has fourteen links between Abraham and David. Thirty names are mentioned, including repetitions and Serach, see , who is not included in the family tree. Of these, 27 are men and three are women.]
Abraham begot Isaac,
Isaac begot Jacob,
Jacob begot Judah and his brothers,
I tell you: Many will come from the east and west [Gentiles from all corners of the earth] and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens).
'I am [not was] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living!"
But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses [, which was the part of the Bible they believed in] about [the burning] bush, how God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
He will reign as King over the house of Jacob [Israel] forever (through the ages);
there will be no end to his kingdom.”
son to Jacob,
son of Isaac,
son of Abraham,
son of Terah (Terach),
son of Nahor (Nachor),
There you will weep and gnash your teeth (there will be anguish, hatred, and evil), when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, while you yourselves are cast out. [Many Jews considered themselves to belong to the kingdom of God because they were born Jude, while Jesus teaches that one must be born again.]
Moses has clearly shown (he has revealed something that is hidden) that the dead are resurrected in the story of the burning bush []. Here Moses calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob [even though they were not living here on earth when Moses said this].
Therefore, he came to a town in
Samaria called
Sychar, near the field that
Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
[Joseph was buried near Shechem, see .].
There was
Jacob's well [just over a kilometer outside the town]. Tired from walking, Jesus sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour
(midday).
[Jewish time was counted from sunrise at six in the morning. It was midday, but not the hottest time of day, which is three in the afternoon. It is not an unusual time to fetch water. One example is Zipporah and her sisters. They come home earlier than usual when Moses helps them draw water at midday, see .]Are you greater than our father (ancestor) Jacob? He gave us this well and drank from it himself, and so did his sons and livestock."
No [it was not us who performed the miracle], the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the God of our fathers – has glorified his servant (son) Jesus. [It is through Jesus that the man has been healed.] You handed him over and denied him before Pilate when he had decided to release him.
He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
[The circumcision of Jewish boys is a sign of God's eternal covenant with Abraham, see . Already in Moses' time, God made it clear that the physical sign was not enough – the heart also needed to be circumcised, see ; ; . The ceremony is performed on the eighth day and is called brit mila, see also .]
When
Jacob heard that there was grain in
Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.
Joseph then sent word and had his father Jacob and his entire family, seventy-five people, brought to him. [As a Greek-speaking Jude, Stephen uses the Greek translation of , which includes Joseph's grandchildren and has the number seventy-five. The Hebrew text has seventy without Joseph's grandchildren.]
Jacob went down to
Egypt, and there he died, as did our fathers.
'I am the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' [] Then Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
He found favor with God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
It is written: Jacob [who later receives the name Israel] I loved, but Esau I hated. []
[The expression "hate" does not mean to hate mercilessly, but is a Hebrew expression of comparison where someone is chosen and thus becomes more loved. Esau is also blessed, see , and the Edomites, who are descendants of Esau, are a brother people to Jacob, see .
These two examples with Isaac and Jacob raise the question of whether God is truly just. In the third example, Paul shows that God has the right to show mercy and compassion to whomever He wants. The same principle is found in the parable Jesus told where all the workers in the vineyard received the same wage, and God has the right to show His goodness to whomever He wants, see .]
This is how all Israel will be saved, as it is written
[; ]:
From
Zion the Savior will come
and take away the wickedness of
Jacob.
Before certain people from James arrived, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when the men
[from Jerusalem] arrived, he gradually withdrew
[from the Gentiles], because he feared those who were for circumcision
[the group of Jude who taught that a Gentile had to be circumcised before becoming a Christian].
By faith he settled in the promised land as in a foreign country. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were co-heirs to the same promise,
In faith, Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob and Esau for the times to come [].
In faith, the dying Jacob blessed Joseph's two sons []. Then he worshiped, bowing toward the end of his staff [].
