3:15a

So now: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as So now introduces a conclusion. One way to make this connection clearer would be to translate something like this: “Therefore we have concluded that…”

we call the arrogant blessed: The Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as call…blessed is the same one used in 3:12a. See the note on 3:12a. You may be able to translate it here also in a similar way. For example:

As we see it, proud people are the ones who are happy. (Good News Translation)

This statement implied that God was acting unfairly. In the people’s opinion, he was actually blessing arrogant people even more than he blessed the people who were humbly repentant (3:14).

we call: That is, we think/count/consider.

3:15b–c

Not only…even: The Hebrew expression which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Not only…even is gam…gam in Hebrew. The first gam makes the first statement emphatic. The second gam makes the following statement even more emphatic than the first one. Some English versions simply join the two statements with “and” or with a combination like “not only…but” (Revised Standard Version). Others use emphatic words like “indeed,” “even,” or “in fact.” For example:

Not only are evildoers encouraged, they even test God and get away with it. (God’s Word)
-or-

Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape. (New International Version)

Use an option which is natural in your language.

3:15c

they even test God: That means that these people acted wickedly to test God. The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as test is the same word that was translated “test” in 3:10c. There God asked them to test whether he would bless them or not. Here they tested God’s patience, to see if he would punish them or not.

escape: That is, escape punishment. No matter how badly they behaved, God did not seem to punish them as they deserved.

Paragraph 3:16–18

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