10:30
Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:
30a
The righteous will never be shaken,
30b but the wicked will not inhabit the land.
Together the parallel lines imply that righteous people will live securely in the land. Wicked people will be forcibly removed.
10:30a–b
The righteous…the wicked: In Hebrew, the word righteous is singular. The word wicked is plural. Both words refer to categories of people who share the same character. Use a natural way in your language to refer to one or more people who are in the same category.
10:30a
The righteous: The word righteous refers to a person who obeys or conforms to God’s moral standard. The same word occurs in 10:31a and 10:32a.
will never be shaken: In Hebrew, this verb phrase means “will never be shaken, overthrown or moved from one’s place.” The parallel contrast in the second line implies here that righteous people will never be forcibly removed ⌊from the land⌋ . In English versions, “from the land” is left implicit. For example:
A righteous person will never be moved (God’s Word)
In some languages, it may be clearer to make this idea explicit in 10:30a. See the meaning lines in the Display.
Some versions also express the meaning positively. For example:
Righteous people will always have security (Good News Translation)
In languages which do not use passive verbs, another way to translate this line is:
No one will be able to remove a righteous person ⌊from his location⌋
10:30b
but the wicked will not inhabit the land: The phrase the land may refer specifically to the land of Israel. It may also refer more generally to “the earth.” See the notes on 2:21a–b and 2:22a–b.
will not inhabit the land: This phrase may imply either that the wicked will be exiled from their own land or that they will die. If they die, they will no longer be in their own land or on the earth.
If possible, translate in a way that implies either exile or death. Some ways that English versions have translated this line are:
but the wicked will be removed from the land (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
but the wicked will not survive in the land (Good News Translation)
-or-
but wicked people will not continue to live in the land (God’s Word)
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