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Psalm 118
New English Translation

Psalm 118[a]

118 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.[b]
2 Let Israel say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures.”
3 Let the family[c] of Aaron say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures.”
4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord[d] say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures.”
5 In my distress[e] I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place.[f]
6 The Lord is on my side;[g] I am not afraid.
What can people do to me?[h]
7 The Lord is on my side[i] as my helper.[j]
I look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take shelter[k] in the Lord
than to trust in people.
9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me.[l]
Indeed, in the name of the Lord[m] I pushed them away.[n]
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
12 They surrounded me like bees.
But they disappeared as quickly[o] as a fire among thorns.[p]
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
13 “You aggressively attacked me[q] and tried to knock me down,[r]
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me;[s]
he has become my deliverer.”[t]
15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly.[u]
The Lord’s right hand conquers.[v]
16 The Lord’s right hand gives victory;[w]
the Lord’s right hand conquers.
17 I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done.[x]
18 The Lord severely[y] punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple.[z]
I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the Lord’s gate—
the godly enter through it.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,
and have become my deliverer.
22 The stone that the builders discarded[aa]
has become the cornerstone.[ab]
23 This is the Lord’s work.
We consider it amazing![ac]
24 This is the day the Lord has brought about.[ad]
We will be happy and rejoice in it.
25 Please, Lord, deliver!
Please, Lord, grant us success![ae]
26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord[af] be blessed.
We will pronounce blessings on you[ag] in the Lord’s temple.[ah]
27 The Lord is God, and he has delivered us.[ai]
Tie the offering[aj] with ropes
to the horns of the altar.[ak]
28 You are my[al] God, and I will give you thanks.
You are my God and I will praise you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures.[am]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 118:1 sn Psalm 118. The psalmist thanks God for his deliverance and urges others to join him in praise.
  2. Psalm 118:1 tn Or “is forever.”
  3. Psalm 118:3 tn Heb “house.”
  4. Psalm 118:4 tn Heb “fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.
  5. Psalm 118:5 tn Heb “from the distress.” The noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:3. In Ps 116:3 מֵצַר should probably be emended to מְצָדֵי (metsade, “snares of”).
  6. Psalm 118:5 tn Heb “the Lord answered me in a wide open place.”
  7. Psalm 118:6 tn Heb “for me.”
  8. Psalm 118:6 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.
  9. Psalm 118:7 tn Heb “for me.”
  10. Psalm 118:7 tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.
  11. Psalm 118:8 tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
  12. Psalm 118:10 sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.
  13. Psalm 118:10 tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the Lord” means “by the Lord’s power.”
  14. Psalm 118:10 tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.
  15. Psalm 118:12 tn Heb “were extinguished.”
  16. Psalm 118:12 tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (doʿakhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (baʿaru, “they burned”). In that case the statement emphasizes their hostility.
  17. Psalm 118:13 tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”
  18. Psalm 118:13 tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”
  19. Psalm 118:14 tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the Lord.” The Hebrew term זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song” (“my strength and song [is] the Lord”) in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing). However, many recent commentators have argued that the noun זִמְרָת is here a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v.; cf. NEB “The Lord is my refuge and defence”; NRSV “my strength and my might.”
  20. Psalm 118:14 tn Or “salvation.”
  21. Psalm 118:15 tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”
  22. Psalm 118:15 tn Heb “does valiantly.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 108:13).
  23. Psalm 118:16 tn Heb “exalts.”
  24. Psalm 118:17 tn Heb “the works of the Lord.”
  25. Psalm 118:18 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.
  26. Psalm 118:19 tn Heb “the gates of justice.” The gates of the Lord’s temple are referred to here, as v. 20 makes clear. They are called “gates of justice” because they are the entrance to the just king’s palace. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  27. Psalm 118:22 tn Or “rejected.”
  28. Psalm 118:22 tn Heb “the head of the corner.”sn The metaphor of the stone…the builders discarded describes the way in which God’s deliverance reversed the psalmist’s circumstances. When he was in distress, he was like a stone which was discarded by builders as useless, but now that he has been vindicated by God, all can see that he is of special importance to God, like the cornerstone of the building.
  29. Psalm 118:23 tn Heb “it is amazing in our eyes.” The use of the plural pronoun here and in vv. 24-27 suggests that the psalmist may be speaking for the entire nation. However, it is more likely that vv. 22-27 are the people’s response to the psalmist’s thanksgiving song (see especially v. 26). They rejoice with him because his deliverance on the battlefield (see vv. 10-12) had national repercussions.
  30. Psalm 118:24 tn Heb “this is the day the Lord has made.” Though sometimes applied in a general way, this statement in its context refers to the day of deliverance which the psalmist and people celebrate.
  31. Psalm 118:25 sn A petition for deliverance and success seems odd in a psalm thanking God for deliverance, but it is not unique (see Ps 9:19-20). The people ask God to continue to intervene for them as he has for the psalmist.
  32. Psalm 118:26 sn The people refer here to the psalmist, who enters the Lord’s temple to thank him publicly (see vv. 19-21), as the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
  33. Psalm 118:26 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural, but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the following form) or enclitic, in which case the suffix may be taken as second masculine singular, referring to the psalmist.
  34. Psalm 118:26 tn Heb “from the house of the Lord.”
  35. Psalm 118:27 tn Heb “and he has given us light.” This may be an elliptical expression, with “his face” being implied as the object (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19). In this case, “his face has given us light” = “he has smiled on us,” or “he has shown us his favor.” Another option (the one reflected in the translation) is that “light” here symbolizes divine blessing in the form of deliverance. “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Some prefer to repoint the preterite form וַיָּאֶר (vayyaʾer, “he made light”) as a jussive וְיָאֵר (veyaʾer; “may he make light [for us]”).
  36. Psalm 118:27 tn The Hebrew noun חַג (khag) normally means “festival,” but here it apparently refers metonymically to an offering made at the festival. BDB 291 s.v. חַג 2 interprets the word in this way here, citing as comparable the use of later Hebrew חֲגִיגָה, which can refer to both a festival and a festival offering (see Jastrow 424 s.v. חֲגִיגָה).
  37. Psalm 118:27 tn The second half of v. 27 has been translated and interpreted in a variety of ways. For a survey of major views, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 122.
  38. Psalm 118:28 sn You are my God. The psalmist speaks again (see v. 21), responding to the words of the worshipers (vv. 22-27).
  39. Psalm 118:29 tn Or “is forever.”
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Psalm 117
Psalm 119
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Psalm 129
New English Translation

Psalm 129[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

129 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,”
let Israel say.
2 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not defeated me.
3 The plowers plowed my back;
they made their furrows long.
4 The Lord is just;
he cut the ropes of the wicked.”[c]
5 May all who hate Zion
be humiliated and turned back.
6 May they be like the grass on the rooftops,
which withers before one can even pull it up,[d]
7 which cannot fill the reaper’s hand,
or the lap of the one who gathers the grain.
8 Those who pass by will not say,[e]
“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!
We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 129:1 sn Psalm 129. Israel affirms God’s justice and asks him to destroy the enemies of Zion.
  2. Psalm 129:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
  3. Psalm 129:4 tn The background of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Perhaps the “ropes” are those used to harness the ox for plowing (see Job 39:10). Verse 3 pictures the wicked plowing God’s people as if they were a field. But when God “cut the ropes” of their ox, as it were, they could no longer plow. The point of the metaphor seems to be that God took away the enemies’ ability to oppress his people. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 187.
  4. Psalm 129:6 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁלַף (shalaf) normally means “to draw [a sword]” or “to pull.” BDB 1025 s.v. suggests the meaning “to shoot up” here, but it is more likely that the verb here means “to pluck; to pull up,” a nuance attested for this word in later Hebrew and Aramaic (see Jastrow 1587 s.v. שָׁלַף).
  5. Psalm 129:8 tn The perfect verbal form is used for rhetorical effect; it describes an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
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Psalm 128
Psalm 130
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Psalm 148
New English Translation

Psalm 148[a]

148 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the sky.
Praise him in the heavens.
2 Praise him, all his angels.[b]
Praise him, all his heavenly assembly.[c]
3 Praise him, O sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shiny stars.[d]
4 Praise him, O highest heaven,
and you waters above the sky.[e]
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he gave the command and they came into existence.
6 He established them so they would endure;[f]
he issued a decree that will not be revoked.[g]
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,
8 O fire and hail, snow and clouds,[h]
O stormy wind that carries out his orders,[i]
9 you mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars,
10 you animals and all you cattle,
you creeping things and birds,
11 you kings of the earth and all you nations,
you princes and all you leaders[j] on the earth,
12 you young men and young women,
you elderly, along with you children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty extends over the earth and sky.
14 He has made his people victorious,[k]
and given all his loyal followers reason to praise—
the Israelites, the people who are close to him.[l]
Praise the Lord!

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 sn Psalm 148. The psalmist calls upon all creation to praise the Lord, for he is the creator and sovereign king of the world.
  2. Psalm 148:2 tn Or “heavenly messengers.”
  3. Psalm 148:2 tn Heb “all his host.”
  4. Psalm 148:3 tn Heb “stars of light.”
  5. Psalm 148:4 sn The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. See also Ps 104:3. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 47.
  6. Psalm 148:6 tn Or “forever and ever.”
  7. Psalm 148:6 tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”
  8. Psalm 148:8 tn In Ps 119:83 the noun refers to “smoke,” but here, where the elements of nature are addressed, the clouds, which resemble smoke, are probably in view.
  9. Psalm 148:8 tn Heb “[that] does his word.”
  10. Psalm 148:11 tn Or “judges.”
  11. Psalm 148:14 tn Heb “and he lifted up a horn for his people.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Another option is to take the “horn” as a symbol for the Davidic king, through whom the Lord gives his people military victory.
  12. Psalm 148:14 tn “[there is] praise for all his loyal followers, to the sons of Israel, the people near him.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the victory that prompts it.
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Psalm 147
Psalm 149
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Psalm 149
New English Translation

Psalm 149[a]

149 Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song.
Praise him in the assembly of the godly.[b]
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Creator.
Let the people[c] of Zion delight in their King.[d]
3 Let them praise his name with dancing.
Let them sing praises to him to the accompaniment of the tambourine and harp.
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he exalts the oppressed by delivering them.[e]
5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication.[f]
Let them shout for joy upon their beds.[g]
6 May the praises of God be in their mouths
and a two-edged sword in their hands,
7 in order to take[h] revenge on the nations,
and punish foreigners.
8 The godly bind[i] their enemies’ kings in chains,
and their nobles in iron shackles,
9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies[j] have been sentenced.[k]
All his loyal followers will be vindicated.[l]
Praise the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 149:1 sn Psalm 149. The psalmist calls upon God’s people to praise him because he is just and avenges them.
  2. Psalm 149:1 tn Heb “his praise in the assembly of the godly ones.”
  3. Psalm 149:2 tn Heb “sons.”
  4. Psalm 149:2 sn The Lord is the King here, as the parallelism in the previous line (“their creator”) indicates.
  5. Psalm 149:4 tn Heb “he honors the oppressed [with] deliverance.”
  6. Psalm 149:5 tn Heb “in glory.” Here “glory” probably refers to the “honor” that belongs to the Lord’s people as a result of their deliverance (see v. 4).
  7. Psalm 149:5 tn The significance of the reference to “beds” is unclear. Perhaps the point is that they should rejoice at all times, even when falling asleep or awaking.
  8. Psalm 149:7 tn Heb “to do.”
  9. Psalm 149:8 tn Heb “to bind.”
  10. Psalm 149:9 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the enemies of the people of God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  11. Psalm 149:9 tn Heb “to do against them judgment [that] is written.”
  12. Psalm 149:9 tn Heb “it is honor for all his godly ones.” The judgment of the oppressive kings will bring vindication and honor to God’s people (see vv. 4-5).
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Psalm 148
Psalm 150
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Psalm 150
New English Translation

Psalm 150[a]

150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength![b]
2 Praise him for his mighty acts;
praise him for his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with the blast of the horn;
praise him with the lyre and the harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing;
praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
5 Praise him with loud cymbals;
praise him with clanging cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 150:1 sn Psalm 150. The Psalter concludes with a resounding call for praise from everything that has breath.
  2. Psalm 150:1 tn Heb “the sky of his strength.”
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Psalm 149
Proverbs 1
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Ezra 6:19-22
New English Translation

19 [a] The exiles[b] observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one,[c] and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues[d] the priests, and for themselves. 21 The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them[e] in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had changed the opinion[f] of the king of Assyria[g] toward them so that he assisted them[h] in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 6:19 sn At this point the language of the book reverts from Aramaic (4:8-6:18) back to Hebrew. Aramaic will again be used in Ezra 7:12-26.
  2. Ezra 6:19 tn Heb “the sons of the exile.” So also in v. 20.
  3. Ezra 6:20 tn Heb “as one.” The expression is best understood as referring to the unity shown by the religious leaders in preparing themselves for the observance of Passover. On the meaning of the Hebrew phrase see DCH 1:182 s.v. אֶחָד 3b. See also HALOT 30 s.v. אֶחָד 5.
  4. Ezra 6:20 tn Heb “brothers.”
  5. Ezra 6:21 tn Heb “who had separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them.”
  6. Ezra 6:22 tn Heb “heart.”
  7. Ezra 6:22 sn The expression “king of Assyria” is anachronistic, since Assyria fell in 612 b.c., long before the events of this chapter. Perhaps the expression is intended subtly to contrast earlier kings of Assyria who were hostile toward Israel with this Persian king who showed them favor.
  8. Ezra 6:22 tn Heb “to strengthen their hands.”
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Ezra 5
Ezra 7
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Zechariah 9
New English Translation

The Coming of the True King

9 This is an oracle,[a] the Lord’s message concerning the land of Hadrach,[b] with its focus on Damascus:[c]

The eyes of all humanity,[d] especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord, 2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, Tyre and Sidon, though they consider themselves to be very wise. 3 Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets. 4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications[e] into the sea—she will be consumed by fire. 5 Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up.[f] Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited. 6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. 7 I will take away their abominable religious practices;[g] then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God,[h] like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. 8 Then I will surround my temple[i] to protect it like a guard[j] from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.

9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you:
He is legitimate[k] and victorious,[l]
humble and riding on a donkey[m]—
on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
10 I will remove[n] the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be removed.
Then he will announce peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River[o] to the ends of the earth.

11 Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. 12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you. 13 I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow.[p] I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and I will make you, Zion,[q] like a warrior’s sword.

14 Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Sovereign Lord will blow the trumpet and will proceed[r] in the southern storm winds. 15 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will guard them, and they will prevail and overcome with sling stones. Then they will drink and will become noisy like drunkards,[s] full like the sacrificial basin or like the corners of the altar.[t] 16 On that day the Lord their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land. 17 How precious and fair![u] Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 tn See note at Isa 13:1.
  2. Zechariah 9:1 sn The land of Hadrach was a northern region stretching from Aleppo in the north to Damascus in the south (cf. NLT “Aram”).
  3. Zechariah 9:1 tn Heb “Damascus its resting place.” The third person masculine singular suffix on “resting place” (מְנֻחָתוֹ, menukhato), however, precludes “land” or even “Hadrach,” both of which are feminine, from being the antecedent. Most likely “word” (masculine) is the antecedent, i.e., the “word of the Lord” is finding its resting place, that is, its focus in or on Damascus.
  4. Zechariah 9:1 tc Though without manuscript and version support, many scholars suggest emendation here to clarify what, to them, is an unintelligible reading. Thus some propose עָרֵי אָרָם (ʿare ʾaram, “cities of Aram”; cf. NAB, NRSV) for עֵין אָדָם (ʿen ʾadam, “eye of man”) or אֲדָמָה (ʾadamah, “ground”) for אָדָם (ʾadam, “man”), “(surface of) the earth.” It seems best, however, to see “eye” as collective and to understand the passage as saying that the attention of the whole earth will be upon the Lord (cf. NIV, NLT).
  5. Zechariah 9:4 tn The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength, wealth”) can, with certain suffixes, look exactly like חֵל (khel, “fortress, rampart”). The chiastic pattern here suggests that not Tyre’s riches but her defenses will be cast into the sea. Thus the present translation renders the term “fortifications” (so also NLT) rather than “wealth” (NASB, NRSV, TEV) or “power” (NAB, NIV).
  6. Zechariah 9:5 tn The present translation presupposes a Hiphil perfect of יָבֵשׁ (yavesh, “be dry”; cf. NRSV “are withered”) rather than the usually accepted Hiphil of בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “be ashamed”; cf. KJV, ASV), a sense that is less suitable with the removal of hope.
  7. Zechariah 9:7 tn Heb “and I will take away their blood from their mouth and their abominations from between their teeth.” These expressions refer to some type of abominable religious practices, perhaps eating meat with the blood still in it (less likely NCV “drinking blood”) or eating unclean or forbidden foods.
  8. Zechariah 9:7 tn Heb “and they will be a remnant for our God”; cf. NIV “will belong to our God”; NLT “will worship our God.”
  9. Zechariah 9:8 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
  10. Zechariah 9:8 tn Though a hapax legomenon, the מִצָּבָה (mitsavah) of the MT (from נָצַב, natsav, “take a stand”) is preferable to the suggestion מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”) or even מִצָּבָא (mitsavaʾ, “from” or “against the army”). The context favors the idea of the Lord as a protector.
  11. Zechariah 9:9 tn The Hebrew term צַדִּיק (tsaddiq) ordinarily translated “righteous,” frequently occurs, as here, with the idea of conforming to a standard or meeting certain criteria. The Messianic king riding into Jerusalem is fully qualified to take the Davidic throne (cf. 1 Sam 23:3; Isa 9:5-6; 11:4; 16:5; Jer 22:1-5; 23:5-6).
  12. Zechariah 9:9 tn The Hebrew term נוֹשָׁע (noshaʿ) a Niphal participle of יָשַׁע (yashaʿ, “to save”) could mean “one delivered” or, if viewed as active, “one bringing salvation” (similar KJV, NIV, NKJV). It is preferable to take the normal passive use of the Niphal and understand that the king, having been delivered, is as a result “victorious” (so also NRSV, TEV, NLT).
  13. Zechariah 9:9 sn The NT understands this verse to be a prophecy of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and properly so (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15), but reference to the universal rule of the king in v. 10 reveals that this is a “split prophecy,” that is, it has a two-stage fulfillment. Verse 9 was fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly ministry but v. 10 awaits a millennial consummation (cf. Rev 19:11-16).
  14. Zechariah 9:10 tc The MT first person pronoun (“I”), which seems to shift the subject too abruptly, becomes third person masculine singular (“he”) in the LXX (הִכְרִית, hikhrit, presupposed for הִכְרַתִּי, hikhratti). However, the Lord is the subject of v. 8, which speaks of his protection of Jerusalem, so it is not surprising that he is the subject in v. 10 as well.tn Heb “cut off” (so NASB, NRSV; also later in this verse); NAB “banish”; NIV, CEV “take away.”
  15. Zechariah 9:10 tn Heb “the river.” The Hebrew expression typically refers to the Euphrates, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. Zechariah 9:13 tn The words “my arrow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify the imagery for the modern reader (cf. NRSV, NLT).
  17. Zechariah 9:13 tn The word “Zion” is not repeated here in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the statement refers to Zion and not to Greece.
  18. Zechariah 9:14 tn The verb הָלַך (halakh) means “to walk” or more generally “to go.” In this military setting it might be understood as marching (ESV, NASB, NIV), attacking (NLV), or sallying, which is making a sudden offensive thrust especially from a defensive position.sn This picture is part of a larger storm imagery associated with God. Elsewhere the Lord is said to “ride” (רָכַב, rakhav) on the heavens (Ps 68:33), on a cherub (Ps 18:11; parallel to “flying on the wings of the wind”), and on a cloud (Isa 19:1). The Lord also speaks to Job from the “whirlwind” (the same word for storm here).
  19. Zechariah 9:15 tn Heb “they will drink and roar as with wine”; the LXX (followed here by NAB, NRSV) reads “they will drink blood like wine” (referring to a figurative “drinking” of the blood of their enemies).
  20. Zechariah 9:15 sn The whole setting is eschatological as the intensely figurative language shows. The message is that the Lord will assume his triumphant reign over all the earth and will use his own redeemed and renewed people Israel to accomplish that work. The imagery of v. 15 is the eating and drinking of the flesh and blood of God’s enemies, that is, Israel’s complete mastery of them. Like those who drink too much wine, the Lord’s warriors will be satiated with the blood of their foes and will exult as though drunk.
  21. Zechariah 9:17 sn This expostulation best fits the whole preceding description of God’s eschatological work on behalf of his people. His goodness is especially evident in his nurturing of the young men and women of his kingdom.
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Zechariah 8
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