Conventions that have been used

Sometimes two exegetical alternatives are noted—places where there are differences in meaning that are well supported in commentaries. In such cases the second alternative, in parentheses, is introduced by ‘R’. The author recommends the first alternative.

Sometimes lexical alternatives—where the meaning is perhaps only slightly different or can be expressed in a clearer way—are given and separated by a slash line. We have tried to indicate the beginning of an alternative by a ‘◄’ and the ending of each alternative by a ‘►’.

Alternatives which are embedded in another alternative are encased by ‘‹’ and ‘›’.

For each rhetorical question there is given, usually first, a rendering in a question form, and then one using a non-question form.

All first person plural pronouns are to be considered inclusive unless otherwise marked by ‘(exc)’. All second person pronouns are to be considered plural unless otherwise marked as ‘(sg)’.

In this translation, we have indicated the agent of the action wherever a passive construction occurs. We have written in italics the words ‘by____’ to indicate the agent, if it is implicit. Translators who choose to use a passive construction in their translation will need to use their natural idiom and translate a reference to the agent in those places they consider it useful.

We have identified the different figures of speech where each occurs in the text, but these symbols are hidden in the data-file.

[APO] = apostrophe

[CHI] = chiasmus

[DOU] = doublet

[EUP] = euphemism

[HEN] = hendiadys

[HYP] = hyperbole

[IDM] = idiom

[IRO] = irony

[LIT] = litotes

[MET] = metaphor

[MTY] = metonymy

[PRS] = personification

[RHQ] = rhetorical question

[SIM] = simile

[SYM] = symbol

[SAR] = sarcasm

[SYN] = synecdoche

[TRI] = triple