7:16a
They turn, but not to the Most High: There is a textual issue here:
(1) The Masoretic Text is literally “they turn ⌊to ⌋ not height.” This clause probably means that the people turn to something that is not the Most High God. It implies that they do not turn to God. For example:
They did not turn to the Most High God. (New Century Version)
(2) Some English versions have “they turn to Baal.” For example:
They turn to Baal (Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions and scholars. Here are some other ways to translate this option:
They keep on turning away from me to a god that is powerless. (Good News Translation)
-or-
They turn to a false god
-or-
They don’t return to the Most High (God’s Word)
-or-
They return, but not upward (English Standard Version)
In some languages, words such as turn or “return” refer only to physical movement, not to a change of belief.
If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this clause:
They refuse to worship the Most High God.
-or-
They decide to trust a god who does not really exist.
7:16b
they are like a faulty bow: This clause is a simile. It compares the people of Israel to a bow that is used to shoot arrows at enemy soldiers. The similarity between the people and a bow depends on the meaning of the Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faulty bow. This phrase is more literally “deceitful/treacherous bow” or “slack bow.” There are two main ways to interpret this phrase:
(1) The word faulty comes from a Hebrew word that means “deceitful” or “treacherous.” It refers to a bow that is unreliable, perhaps because it is warped. It cannot be trusted to shoot an arrow accurately and hit the target. The simile indicates that the people were untrustworthy and deceitful. God could not rely on them to worship him sincerely and do what he wanted. For example:
they are like an unreliable bow (NET Bible)
-or-
They are like a defective bow. (God’s Word)
(2) The word faulty comes from a Hebrew word that means “slack.” It refers to a bow that has a loose bowstring. It is weak or useless, because the arrows do not reach their target. The simile indicates that the people were weak and helpless as a nation. For example:
They are like a loose bow that can’t shoot. (New Century Version)
The Display will follow interpretation (1), but both interpretations are appropriate similes for the people of Israel.
In the Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible, and God’s Word, the way in which the bow is “deceitful” is left implied. Some versions are more specific. For example:
They are as unreliable as a crooked bow. (Good News Translation)
Some versions allow or combine aspects of both interpretations. For example:
They are as useless as a crooked bow. (New Living Translation (2004))
If you can translate in a similar way, it will be very acceptable.
If a term for bow is not known in your language area, you may use a general term. For example:
They are like a broken weapon
7:16c
Their leaders: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as leaders probably refers to government or military rulers or officials. See the notes on 7:3a–b and 7:5a, where the Berean Standard Bible translated the same Hebrew word as “princes.”
will fall by the sword: This phrase means that someone will use a sword to kill their leaders. The leaders will probably be assassinated or else killed in battle. Some versions state explicitly that they will die in battle, but the verse itself does not make that explicit. It is better to leave this detail unstated in the translation, as the Berean Standard Bible has done.
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
they will die a violent death (Good News Translation)
the cursing of their tongue: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “the indignation of their tongue.” This phrase refers to the anger expressed by their words. In this context, it is likely that the leaders’ anger was associated with their arrogance and was directed against the LORD. The Berean Standard Bible above is one way to describe this anger.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
their angry talk (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the insolence of their tongues (New American Bible)
-or-
their leaders talk arrogantly (Good News Translation)
7:16d
for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt: This clause indicates that people in Egypt will mock or laugh at the misfortune of the Israelites after the leaders of Israel are killed.
for this: The pronoun this refers to the death of the leaders of Israel. In some languages, the pronoun reference may need to be made explicit. For example:
Because of their death, the Egyptians will ridicule them
they will be ridiculed: This is a passive clause. In some languages, it may be preferable to change this into an active clause. For example:
Egyptians will laugh at them. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt. (NET Bible)
in the land of Egypt: This phrase indicates that the Egyptians are the ones who will ridicule the Israelites. It does not imply that the leaders were killed in Egypt. To make this clear some versions use a phrase such as “The Egyptians” instead of the phrase in the land of Egypt. For example:
The Egyptians will laugh (Good News Translation)
-or-
The people in Egypt will ridicule them for this. (God’s Word)
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