2:9a–b
In this verse, the LORD responds to Israel’s refusal to acknowledge him as the source of their blessings. Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
9a Therefore I will take back My grain in its time,
9b and My new wine in its season;
There is an ellipsis (a deliberately omitted word) in 2:9b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing verb from 2:9a. For example:
9b and ⌊I will take back ⌋ My new wine in its season;
in its time and…in its season: These parallel phrases are more literally “at its appropriate time…at its appointed time.” These phrases refer to the different times/seasons of the year when the grain and grapes were ripe and ready to be harvested.
Here are some other ways to translate these phrases:
at harvest time (New Century Version)
-or-
when it is the right season/time
2:9a
Therefore: This word introduces the result of the people’s refusal to acknowledge the LORD.
Here are some other ways to introduce this result:
That is why (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
So (Good News Translation)
Use a natural way in your language to introduce a result in this context.
I will take away: This phrase indicates here that the LORD will withhold the products that he intended to provide for the nation of Israel. It probably means that he will keep Israel from harvesting or using these products that they previously enjoyed.
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
I will withhold ⌊from Israel ⌋
-or-
I will prevent ⌊the people of Israel ⌋ ⌊from harvesting ⌋
2:9b
new wine: See the note on 2:8b. Here (in 2:9b) it refers by metonymy to the crop of grapes that is ready to be harvested and made into wine. For example:
the ripe grapes ⌊that they usually ⌋ made into new wine
General Comment on 2:9a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts in these two lines. For example:
So I’ll hold back the harvest of grain and grapes. (Contemporary English Version)
2:9c
I will take away My wool and linen: See the note on 2:5d for wool and linen. In Hebrew, the verb I will take away is more literally “I will snatch away.” It means that the LORD will forcibly withdraw the materials that the nation of Israel needed for clothing.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
I will snatch away my wool and my flax (New American Bible)
-or-
I shall withdraw my wool and my flax (New Jerusalem Bible)
which were given to cover her nakedness: In Hebrew, the form of the verb cover that is used here implies the intention to cover. The Berean Standard Bible has made this explicit by saying which were given to.
Here is another way to translate this idea:
that I gave her to cover her naked body (God’s Word)
Use a natural way in your language to indicate intention.
her nakedness: If it is not natural in your language to say that clothing “covers nakedness,” here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
which I have provided in order to clothe her (NET Bible)
-or-
I gave her for clothing (Good News Translation)
© 2021 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.