“Yahweh will turn
The hearts of parents
To their children.
He would turn
The hearts of children
To their parents.
Thus,
I will not come
To strike
The land
With a curse.”
Yahweh will make sure that there would be one big happy family. He was going to turn the hearts of parents towards their children, and vice versa, the children towards their parents. Thus, Yahweh would not strike the land with a curse. So, the Old Testament prophets end on an upbeat note of the happy family, and not a curse.
“Then the remnant of Jacob,
Surrounded by many people,
Shall be
Like dew from Yahweh,
Like showers on the grass.
They do not depend
Upon people,
Nor wait for any mortal.
The remnant of Jacob,
Among the nations,
Surrounded by many people,
Shall be
Like a lion
Among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion
Among the flocks of sheep.
When it goes through,
It treads down.
It tears in pieces.
No one would deliver them.
Your hand shall be lifted up
Over your adversaries.
All your enemies
Shall be cut off.”
The remnant of Jacob, those in captivity, would be both a blessing and a curse to those around them. They would be surrounded by many people from different countries. However, they would be independent of other people, since they would be like the gentle dew from Yahweh or quiet rain showers on the grass. However, they could also be like a lion among the beasts of the forest or a lion attacking a flock of sheep. If they were attacking sheep, they would tread on them and tear them to pieces. They would surely act like lions against their enemies. Thus, the remnant of Jacob could be a force for goodness or an attacking lion.
“Therefore
Thus says Yahweh God!
‘Woe to the bloody city!
I will even make
The pile great!
Heap up the logs!
Kindle the fire!
Boil the meat well!
Mix in the spices!
Let the bones
Be burned!
Stand it empty
Upon the coals!
Thus it may become hot.
Its copper will glow.
Its filth
Will melt in it.
Its rust
Will be consumed.’”
Once again Yahweh, via Ezekiel, pronounced a curse against the bloody city of Jerusalem. Yahweh was going to pile up logs and kindle a fire. He wanted to boil the meat with lots of spices. He wanted this meal so well cooked that even the bones would be burned. He wanted this pot to stand empty on the hot coals until its copper glowed. He had hoped that the filth would melt out of this pot. That way, all the rust would be consumed and gone, since this burning pot was Jerusalem.
“The children of sinners
Are abominable children.
They frequent
The haunts of the ungodly.
The inheritance
Of the children of sinners
Will perish.
On their posterity
Will be a perpetual reproach.
Children will blame
An ungodly father.
They suffer disgrace
Because of him.
Woe to you!
The ungodly!
You have forsaken
The law of the Most High God!
If you have children,
Calamity will be theirs.
You will beget them
Only for groaning.
When you stumble,
There is lasting joy.
When you die,
A curse is your lot.
Whatever comes from earth,
Returns to earth.
Thus the ungodly go
From curse to destruction.”
Sirach draws a clear line from parent to child when it comes to sinners. The children of sinners are abominable. These children will live among the ungodly, since their inheritance will be lost. These children of sinners will blame their sinful ungodly father because they suffer a perpetual disgrace due to him. Then Sirach turns directly to these ungodly folks claiming that they have forsaken the law of the Most High God. Calamity and groaning will come to their children. When they stumble, everyone will be happy. When they die, they will receive a curse. Whatever comes from earth returns there. Thus the ungodly will go from a curse to total destruction.
“My days pass away like smoke.
My bones burn like a furnace.
My heart is stricken.
My heart is withered like grass.
I am too wasted to eat my bread.
Because of my loud groaning
My bones cling to my flesh.
I am like an owl of the wilderness.
I am like a little owl of the waste places.
I lie awake.
I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
All day long my enemies taunt me.
Those who deride me
Use my name for a curse.
I eat ashes like bread.
I mingle tears with my drink.
Because of your indignation and anger,
You have lifted me up,
You have thrown me aside.
My days are like an evening shadow.
I wither away like grass.”
This psalmist is in a terrible situation. His days are passing away like smoke. His bones are burning. His heart is broken and withering like grass. He cannot even eat. His bones are clinging to his skin since he is all skin and bones. He is like an owl or a lonely bird since he cannot sleep. His enemies taunt him every day as they use his name as a curse word. He eats ashes instead of bread. He drinks his own tears. Yahweh seems to be angry and indignant as he has been thrown aside. His days are like evening shadows and withering grass. He is in over all bad shape.
“O my God!
Make them like whirling dust!
Make them like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest,
As the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
So pursue them with your tempest!
Terrify them with your hurricane!
Fill their faces with shame!
Thus they may seek your name.
Yahweh!
Let them be put to shame!
Let them be dismayed forever!
Let them perish in disgrace!
Let them know that you alone,
Whose name is Yahweh,
Are the Most High over all the earth.”
This psalm ends with a call for Yahweh to do as he had done in the past. Very specifically this psalmist wants Yahweh to make all the Israelite enemies like whirling dust or chaff before the wind. He wanted them burned like a forest or mountain fire. He wanted them pursued and terrified like in a hurricane. They were to be filled with shame. They were to die in disgrace. They were to know that there was only one God, Yahweh, who ruled the earth. In a certain sense, this prayer was a curse to the present and traditional enemies of Israel.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 