Sunday, February 22, 2009

Tel Aviv and Ethiopia

I'm enjoying my go-slow project of reading through the ESV Study Bible, after having read rapidly through other versions and packagings over the past few three years.

This morning I found this interesting comment at Ezekiel 3:15
The term Tel-abib means “mound of the flood,” but its precise location has not been determined. It was near the “Chebar canal,” and therefore it should not be confused with modern Tel Aviv in Israel.

I had always assumed Tel Aviv is Tel Aviv. I think all Bibles should have a footnote there, so that we aren't misled.

Another thing I've discovered is that the biblical Ethiopia is in northern Africa and is not to be confused with modern Ethiopia. I think the Bible calls its Ethiopia Cush.
Also interesting was the note about Ezekiel 3:14
The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the n hand of the Lord being strong upon me.

It is tempting to think of going in bitterness in the heat of my spirit simply as a state of agitation following this traumatic encounter, and the translation “in the heat” leaves open this possibility. But this idiom appears 30 times in the OT, and the esv generally translates it “in wrath” or “in fury” or the like. Probably this nuance also applies here. Ezekiel has gained a divine perspective on his people's sin, and his anger reflects that shared viewpoint.


I'd be interested to trace these other instances, but have been unable to use BibleWorks software to do so. But it should be possible, shouldn't it?

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