◀ All Reading Plans / The Daily Audio Bible / 1 Samuel 29-31; John 11:55-12:19; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 15:24-26 (New English Translation)

Prev Day

May 21, 2017

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

May 2017
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Return to today's reading

The Daily Audio Bible

This reading plan is provided by Brian Hardin from Daily Audio Bible.

Duration: 731 days

Today's audio is from the ESV. Switch to the ESV to read along with the audio.

1 Samuel 29-31

David Is Rejected by the Philistine Leaders

29 The Philistines assembled all their troops^[a] at Aphek, while Israel camped at the spring that is in Jezreel. ²When the leaders of the Philistines were passing in review at the head of their units of hundreds and thousands,^[b] David and his men were passing in review in the rear with Achish.

³The leaders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time?^[c] I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!”^[d]

⁴But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said^[e] to him, “Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don’t let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become^[f] our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?^[g] ⁵Isn’t this David, of whom they sang as they danced,^[h]

‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands’?”

⁶So Achish summoned David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you are an honest man, and I am glad to have you^[i] serving^[j] with me in the army.^[k] I have found no fault with you from the day that you first came to me until the present time. But in the opinion^[l] of the leaders, you are not reliable.^[m] ⁷So turn and leave^[n] in peace. You must not do anything that the leaders of the Philistines consider improper!”^[o]

⁸But David said to Achish, “What have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day that I first came into your presence until the present time, that I shouldn’t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?” ⁹Achish replied to David, “I am convinced that you are as reliable^[p] as the angel of God! However, the leaders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us in the battle.’ ¹⁰So get up early in the morning along with the servants of your lord who have come with you.^[q] When you get up early in the morning, as soon as it is light enough to see, leave.”^[r]

¹¹So David and his men got up early in the morning to return^[s] to the land of the Philistines, but the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David Defeats the Amalekites

30 On the third day David and his men came to Ziklag. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They attacked Ziklag and burned it.^[t] ²They took captive the women and all^[u] who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest, but they did not kill anyone. They simply carried them off and went on their way.

³When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned.^[v] Their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. ⁴Then David and the men^[w] who were with him wept loudly^[x] until they could weep no more.^[y] ⁵David’s two wives had been taken captive—Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the Carmelite, Nabal’s widow. ⁶David was very upset, for the men^[z] were thinking of stoning him;^[aa] each man grieved bitterly^[ab] over his sons and daughters. But David drew strength from the Lord his God.

⁷Then David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ⁸David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Should I pursue this raiding band? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them and carry out a rescue!”

⁹So David went, accompanied by his 600 men. When he came to the Wadi Besor, those who were in the rear stayed there.^[ac] ¹⁰David and 400 men continued the pursuit, but 200 men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there.

¹¹Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave him bread to eat and water to drink. ¹²They gave him a slice of pressed figs and two bunches of raisins to eat. This greatly refreshed him,^[ad] for he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. ¹³David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” The young man said, “I am an Egyptian, the servant of an Amalekite man. My master abandoned me when I was ill for three days. ¹⁴We conducted a raid on the Negev of the Kerethites, on the area of Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb. We burned Ziklag.”^[ae] ¹⁵David said to him, “Can you take us down to this raiding party?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party.”

¹⁶So he took David^[af] down, and they found them spread out over the land. They were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves because of all the loot^[ag] they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷But David struck them down from twilight until the following evening. None of them escaped, with the exception of 400 young men who got away on camels.^[ah] ¹⁸David retrieved everything the Amalekites had taken; he^[ai] also rescued his two wives. ¹⁹There was nothing missing, whether small or great. He retrieved sons and daughters, the plunder, and everything else they had taken.^[aj] David brought everything back. ²⁰David took all the flocks and herds and drove them in front of the rest of the animals. People were saying, “This is David’s plunder!”

²¹Then David approached the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go with him,^[ak] those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing. ²²But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Since they didn’t go with us,^[al] we won’t give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!”

²³But David said, “No! You shouldn’t do this, my brothers. Look at what the Lord has given us!^[am] He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. ²⁴Who will listen to you in this matter? The portion of the one who went down into the battle will be the same as the portion of the one who remained with the equipment! Let their portions be the same!”

²⁵From that time onward it was a binding ordinance^[an] for Israel, right up to the present time.

²⁶When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah who were his friends, saying, “Here’s a gift^[ao] for you from the looting of the Lord’s enemies!” ²⁷The gift was for those in the following locations:^[ap] for those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir; ²⁸for those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, ²⁹and Racal; for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; ³⁰for those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, ³¹and Hebron; and for those in whatever other places David and his men had traveled.

The Death of Saul

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. The men of Israel fled from the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa. ²The Philistines stayed right on the heels^[aq] of Saul and his sons. They^[ar] struck down Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. ³Saul himself was in the thick of the battle;^[as] the archers^[at] spotted him and wounded him severely.

⁴Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and stab me with it! Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come, stab me, and torture me.” But his armor-bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. ⁵When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. ⁶So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that day.

⁷When the men of Israel who were in the valley and across the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his three sons lying dead^[au] on Mount Gilboa. ⁹They cut off Saul’s^[av] head and stripped him of his armor. They sent messengers to announce the news in the temple of their idols and among their people throughout the surrounding land of the Philistines. ¹⁰They placed Saul’s armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths^[aw] and hung his corpse on the city wall of Beth Shan.

¹¹When the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹²all their warriors set out and traveled throughout the night. They took Saul’s corpse and the corpses of his sons from the city wall of Beth Shan and went^[ax] to Jabesh, where they burned them. ¹³They took the bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh; then they fasted for seven days.

Footnotes

1 Samuel 29:1 tn Heb “camps.”
1 Samuel 29:2 tn Heb “passing by with respect to hundreds and thousands.” This apparently describes a mustering of troops for the purpose of inspection and readiness.
1 Samuel 29:3 tn Heb “these days or these years.”
1 Samuel 29:3 tn Heb “from the day of his falling [away] until this day.”
1 Samuel 29:4 tn Heb “and the leaders of the Philistines said.”
1 Samuel 29:4 tn Heb “so that he might not become.”
1 Samuel 29:4 tn Or perhaps, “our men.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.e.
1 Samuel 29:5 tn Heb “in dances.”
1 Samuel 29:6 tn Heb “it is good in my eyes.” Cf. v. 7.
1 Samuel 29:6 tn Heb “your going forth and your coming in.” The expression is a merism.
1 Samuel 29:6 tn Heb “camp.”
1 Samuel 29:6 tn Heb “eyes.”
1 Samuel 29:6 tn Heb “good.”
1 Samuel 29:7 tn Heb “go.”
1 Samuel 29:7 tn Heb “and you must not do evil in the eyes of the leaders of the Philistines.”
1 Samuel 29:9 tn Heb “I know that you are good in my eyes.”
1 Samuel 29:10 tc The LXX and a couple of Old Latin mss include here the following words: “and you shall go to the place that I have appointed you. Don’t place an evil thing in your heart, for you are good before me.”
1 Samuel 29:10 tn Heb “when you get up early in the morning and you have light, go.”
1 Samuel 29:11 tc Heb “to go in the morning to return.” With the exception of Origen and the Lucianic recension, the Old Greek tradition lacks the phrase “in the morning.” The Syriac Peshitta also omits it.
1 Samuel 30:1 tn The Hebrew text adds “with fire.”
1 Samuel 30:2 tc The MT omits “and all,” while the LXX includes it. That the next verse refers to the children as well as the women argues in favor of it.
1 Samuel 30:3 tn Heb “and David and his men came to the city, and look, it was burned with fire.”
1 Samuel 30:4 tn Heb “people.”
1 Samuel 30:4 tn Heb “lifted up their voice and wept.”
1 Samuel 30:4 tn Heb “until there was no longer in them strength to weep.”
1 Samuel 30:6 tn Heb “people.”
1 Samuel 30:6 tn Heb “said to stone him.”
1 Samuel 30:6 tn Heb “for bitter was the soul of all the people, each one.”
1 Samuel 30:9 tn Heb “stood.” So also in v. 10.
1 Samuel 30:12 tn Heb “his spirit returned to him.”
1 Samuel 30:14 tn The Hebrew text adds “with fire.”
1 Samuel 30:16 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
1 Samuel 30:16 tn Heb “because of all the large plunder.”
1 Samuel 30:17 tn Heb “who rode on camels and fled.”
1 Samuel 30:18 tn Heb “David.” The pronoun (“he”) has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
1 Samuel 30:19 tn Heb “there was nothing missing to them, from the small even unto the great, and unto sons and daughters, and from loot even unto all which they had taken for themselves.”
1 Samuel 30:21 tn Heb “David.” The pronoun (“him”) has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
1 Samuel 30:22 tc Heb “with me.” The singular is used rather than the plural because the group is being treated as a singular entity, in keeping with Hebrew idiom. It is not necessary to read “with us,” rather than the MT “with me,” although the plural can be found here in a few medieval Hebrew mss. See also the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate, although these versions may simply reflect an understanding of the idiom as found in the MT rather than a different textual reading.
1 Samuel 30:23 tc This clause is difficult in the MT. The present translation accepts the text as found in the MT and understands this clause to be elliptical, with an understood verb such as “look” or “consider.” On the other hand, the LXX seems to reflect a slightly different Hebrew text, reading “after” where the MT has “my brothers.” The Greek translation yields the following translation: “You should not do this after the Lord has delivered us.” Although the Greek reading should be taken seriously, it seems better to follow the MT here.
1 Samuel 30:25 tn Heb “a statute and a judgment.” The expression is a hendiadys.
1 Samuel 30:26 tn Heb “blessing.”
1 Samuel 30:27 tn This sentence is not in the Hebrew text. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
1 Samuel 31:2 tn Heb “stuck close after.”
1 Samuel 31:2 tn Heb “the Philistines.”
1 Samuel 31:3 tn Heb “and the battle was heavy against Saul.”
1 Samuel 31:3 tn Heb “the shooters, men with the bow.”
1 Samuel 31:8 tn Heb “fallen.”
1 Samuel 31:9 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity (likewise in the following verse).
1 Samuel 31:10 sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.
1 Samuel 31:12 tc The translation follows the MT, which vocalizes the verb as a Qal. The LXX, however, treats the verb as a Hiphil, “they brought.”

John 11:55-12:19

⁵⁵Now the Jewish Feast of Passover^[a] was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually.^[b] ⁵⁶Thus they were looking for Jesus,^[c] and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts,^[d] “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” ⁵⁷(Now the chief priests and the Pharisees^[e] had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus^[f] was should report it, so that they could arrest^[g] him.)^[h]

Jesus’ Anointing

12 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he^[i] had raised from the dead. ²So they prepared a dinner for Jesus^[j] there. Martha^[k] was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table^[l] with him. ³Then Mary took three quarters of a pound^[m] of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard^[n] and anointed the feet of Jesus. She^[o] then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.)^[p] ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him)^[q] said, ⁵“Why wasn’t this oil sold for 300 silver coins^[r] and the money^[s] given to the poor?” ⁶(Now Judas^[t] said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box,^[u] he used to steal what was put into it.)^[v] ⁷So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial.^[w] ⁸For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!”^[x]

⁹Now a large crowd of Judeans^[y] learned^[z] that Jesus^[aa] was there, and so they came not only because of him^[ab] but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too,^[ac] ¹¹for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem^[ad] were going away and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

¹²The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³So they took branches of palm trees^[ae] and went out to meet him. They began to shout,^[af] “Hosanna!^[ag] Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!^[ah] Blessed is^[ai] the king of Israel!” ¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey^[aj] and sat on it, just as it is written, ¹⁵“Do not be afraid, people of Zion;^[ak] look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!”^[al] ¹⁶(His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened,^[am] but when Jesus was glorified,^[an] then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened^[ao] to him.)^[ap]

¹⁷So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it.^[aq] ¹⁸Because they had heard that Jesus^[ar] had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. ¹⁹Thus the Pharisees^[as] said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”

Footnotes

John 11:55 tn Grk “the Passover of the Jews.” This is the final Passover of Jesus’ ministry. The author is now on the eve of the week of the Passion. Some time prior to the feast itself, Jerusalem would be crowded with pilgrims from the surrounding districts (ἐκ τῆς χώρας, ek tēs chōras) who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.
John 11:55 tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).
John 11:56 tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”
John 11:56 tn Grk “in the temple.”
John 11:57 tn The phrase “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26.
John 11:57 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 11:57 tn Or “could seize.”
John 11:57 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 12:1 tn Grk “whom Jesus,” but a repetition of the proper name (Jesus) here would be redundant in the English clause structure, so the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.
John 12:2 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.
John 12:2 tn Grk “And Martha.” The connective καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation because it would produce a run-on sentence in English.
John 12:2 tn Grk “reclining at the table.”sn 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
John 12:3 tn Or “half a liter”; Grk “a pound” (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).
John 12:3 tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). The adjective πιστικῆς (pistikēs) is difficult with regard to its exact meaning; some have taken it to derive from πίστις (pistis) and relate to the purity of the oil of nard. More probably it is something like a brand name, “pistic nard,” the exact significance of which has not been discovered.sn Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This aromatic oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.
John 12:3 tn Grk “And she.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
John 12:3 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. With a note characteristic of someone who was there and remembered, the author adds that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil. In the later rabbinic literature, Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.1.1 states “The fragrance of good oil is diffused from the bedroom to the dining hall, but a good name is diffused from one end of the world to the other.” If such a saying was known in the 1st century, this might be the author’s way of indicating that Mary’s act of devotion would be spoken of throughout the entire world (compare the comment in Mark 14:9).
John 12:4 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 12:5 tn Grk “300 denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth a standard day’s wage, so the value exceeded what a laborer could earn in a year (taking into account Sabbaths and feast days when no work was done).
John 12:5 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).
John 12:6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 12:6 tn Grk “a thief, and having the money box.” Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.
John 12:6 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. This is one of the indications in the gospels that Judas was of bad character before the betrayal of Jesus. John states that he was a thief and had responsibility for the finances of the group. More than being simply a derogatory note about Judas’ character, the inclusion of the note at this particular point in the narrative may be intended to link the frustrated greed of Judas here with his subsequent decision to betray Jesus for money. The parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark seem to indicate that after this incident Judas went away immediately and made his deal with the Jewish authorities to deliver up Jesus. Losing out on one source of sordid gain, he immediately went out and set up another.
John 12:7 tn Grk “Leave her alone, that for the day of my burial she may keep it.” The construction with ἵνα (hina) is somewhat ambiguous. The simplest way to read it would be, “Leave her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” This would imply that Mary was going to use the perfumed oil on that day, while vv. 3 and 5 seem to indicate clearly that she had already used it up. Some understand the statement as elliptical: “Leave her alone; (she did this) in order to keep it for the day of my burial.” Another alternative would be an imperatival use of ἵνα with the meaning: “Leave her alone; let her keep it.” The reading of the Byzantine text, which omits the ἵνα and substitutes a perfect tense τετήρηκεν (tetērēken), while not likely to be the reading of the initial text, probably comes close to the meaning of the text, and that has been followed in this translation.
John 12:8 tc A few isolated witnesses omit v. 8 (D sy^s), part of v. 8 (P⁷⁵), or vv. 7-8 ({0250}). The latter two omissions are surely due to errors of sight, while the former can be attributed to D’s sometimes erratic behavior. The verse is secure in light of the overwhelming evidence on its behalf.tn In the Greek text of this clause, “me” is in emphatic position (the first word in the clause). To convey some impression of the emphasis, an exclamation point is used in the translation.
John 12:9 tn Grk “of the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding area who by this time had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus and were curious to see him.
John 12:9 tn Grk “knew.”
John 12:9 tn Grk “he”; normal English clause structure specifies the referent first and substitutes the pronoun in subsequent references to the same individual, so the referent (Jesus) has been specified here.
John 12:9 tn Grk “Jesus”; normal English clause structure specifies the referent first and substitutes the pronoun in subsequent references to the same individual, so the pronoun (“him”) has been substituted here.
John 12:10 sn According to John 11:53 the Jewish leadership had already planned to kill Jesus. This plot against Lazarus apparently never got beyond the planning stage, however, since no further mention is made of it by the author.
John 12:11 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem who had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus and as a result were embracing Jesus as Messiah. See also the note on the phrase “Judeans” in v. 9.
John 12:13 sn The Mosaic law stated (Lev 23:40) that branches of palm trees were to be used to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. Later on they came to be used to celebrate other feasts as well (1 Macc. 13:51, 2 Macc. 10:7).
John 12:13 tn Grk “And they were shouting.” An ingressive force for the imperfect tense (“they began to shout” or “they started shouting”) is natural in this sequence of events. The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) is left untranslated to improve the English style.
John 12:13 tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (hōsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” As in Mark 11:9 the introductory ὡσαννά is followed by the words of Ps 118:25, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου (eulogēmenos ho erchomenos en onomati kuriou), although in the Fourth Gospel the author adds for good measure καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (kai ho basileus tou Israēl). In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.sn Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.
John 12:13 sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
John 12:13 tn Grk “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” The words “Blessed is” are not repeated in the Greek text, but are repeated in the translation to avoid the awkwardness in English of the ascensive καί (kai).
John 12:14 sn The author does not repeat the detailed accounts of the finding of the donkey recorded in the synoptic gospels. He does, however, see the event as a fulfillment of scripture, which he indicates by quoting Zech 9:9.
John 12:15 tn Grk “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion” (the phrase “daughter of Zion” is an idiom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “people of Zion”). The idiom “daughter of Zion” has been translated as “people of Zion” because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.
John 12:15 sn A quotation from Zech 9:9.
John 12:16 tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”
John 12:16 sn When Jesus was glorified, that is, glorified through his resurrection, exaltation, and return to the Father. Jesus’ glorification is consistently portrayed this way in the Gospel of John.
John 12:16 tn Grk “and that they had done these things,” though the referent is probably indefinite and not referring to the disciples; as such, the best rendering is as a passive (see ExSyn 402-3; R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:458).
John 12:16 sn The comment His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened (a parenthetical note by the author) informs the reader that Jesus’ disciples did not at first associate the prophecy from Zechariah with the events as they happened. This came with the later (postresurrection) insight which the Holy Spirit would provide after Jesus’ resurrection and return to the Father. Note the similarity with John 2:22, which follows another allusion to a prophecy in Zechariah (14:21).
John 12:17 tn The word “it” is not included in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
John 12:18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 12:19 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

Psalm 118:1-18

Psalm 118^[a]

118 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.^[b]
²Let Israel say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures.”
³Let the family^[c] of Aaron say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures.”
⁴Let the loyal followers of the Lord^[d] say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures.”
⁵In my distress^[e] I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place.^[f]
⁶The Lord is on my side;^[g] I am not afraid.
What can people do to me?^[h]
⁷The Lord is on my side^[i] as my helper.^[j]
I look in triumph on those who hate me.
⁸It is better to take shelter^[k] in the Lord
than to trust in people.
⁹It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
¹⁰All the nations surrounded me.^[l]
Indeed, in the name of the Lord^[m] I pushed them away.^[n]
¹¹They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
¹²They surrounded me like bees.
But they disappeared as quickly^[o] as a fire among thorns.^[p]
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
¹³“You aggressively attacked me^[q] and tried to knock me down,^[r]
but the Lord helped me.
¹⁴The Lord gives me strength and protects me;^[s]
he has become my deliverer.”^[t]
¹⁵They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly.^[u]
The Lord’s right hand conquers.^[v]
¹⁶The Lord’s right hand gives victory;^[w]
the Lord’s right hand conquers.
¹⁷I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done.^[x]
¹⁸The Lord severely^[y] punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.

Footnotes

Psalm 118:1 sn Psalm 118. The psalmist thanks God for his deliverance and urges others to join him in praise.
Psalm 118:1 tn Or “is forever.”
Psalm 118:3 tn Heb “house.”
Psalm 118:4 tn Heb “fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.
Psalm 118:5 tn Heb “from the distress.” The noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:3. In Ps 116:3 מֵצַר should probably be emended to מְצָדֵי (m^etsade, “snares of”).
Psalm 118:5 tn Heb “the Lord answered me in a wide open place.”
Psalm 118:6 tn Heb “for me.”
Psalm 118:6 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.
Psalm 118:7 tn Heb “for me.”
Psalm 118:7 tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.
Psalm 118:8 tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
Psalm 118:10 sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.
Psalm 118:10 tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the Lord” means “by the Lord’s power.”
Psalm 118:10 tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.
Psalm 118:12 tn Heb “were extinguished.”
Psalm 118:12 tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (doʿakhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (baʿaru, “they burned”). In that case the statement emphasizes their hostility.
Psalm 118:13 tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”
Psalm 118:13 tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”
Psalm 118:14 tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the Lord.” The Hebrew term זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song” (“my strength and song [is] the Lord”) in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing). However, many recent commentators have argued that the noun זִמְרָת is here a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v.; cf. NEB “The Lord is my refuge and defence”; NRSV “my strength and my might.”
Psalm 118:14 tn Or “salvation.”
Psalm 118:15 tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”
Psalm 118:15 tn Heb “does valiantly.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 108:13).
Psalm 118:16 tn Heb “exalts.”
Psalm 118:17 tn Heb “the works of the Lord.”
Psalm 118:18 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.

Proverbs 15:24-26

²⁴The path of life is upward^[a] for the wise person,^[b]
to^[c] keep him from going downward to Sheol.^[d]
²⁵The Lord tears down the house of the proud,^[e]
but he maintains the boundaries of the widow.^[f]
²⁶The Lord abhors^[g] the plans^[h] of the wicked,^[i]
but pleasant words^[j] are pure.^[k]

Footnotes

Proverbs 15:24 tn There is disagreement over the meaning of the term translated “upward.” The verse is usually taken to mean that “upward” is a reference to physical life and well-being (cf. NCV), and “going down to Sheol” is a reference to physical death, that is, the grave, because the concept of immortality is said not to appear in the book of Proverbs. The proverb then would mean that the wise live long and healthy lives. But W. McKane argues (correctly) that “upwards” in contrast to Sheol, does not fit the ways of describing the worldly pattern of conduct and that it is only intelligible if taken as a reference to immortality (Proverbs [OTL], 480). The translations “upwards” and “downwards” are not found in the LXX. This has led some commentators to speculate that these terms were not found in the original, but were added later, after the idea of immortality became prominent. However, this is mere speculation.
Proverbs 15:24 tn Heb “to the wise [man],” because the form is masculine.
Proverbs 15:24 tn The term לְמַעַן (l^emaʿan, “in order to”) introduces a purpose clause; the path leads upward in order to turn the wise away from Sheol.
Proverbs 15:24 tn Heb “to turn from Sheol downward”; cf. NAB “the nether world below.”
Proverbs 15:25 sn The “proud” have to be understood here in contrast to the widow, and their “house” has to be interpreted in contrast to the widow’s territory. The implication may be that the “proud” make their gain from the needy, and so God will set the balance right.
Proverbs 15:25 sn The Lord administers justice in his time. The Lord champions the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the needy. These people were often the prey of the proud, who would take and devour their houses and lands (e.g., 1 Kgs 21; Prov 16:19; Isa 5:8-10).
Proverbs 15:26 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (y^ehvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”
Proverbs 15:26 tn The noun מַחְשְׁבוֹת (makhsh^evot) means “thoughts” (so KJV, NIV, NLT), from the verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to think; to reckon; to devise”). So these are intentions, what is being planned (cf. NAB “schemes”).
Proverbs 15:26 tn The word רַע (raʿ, “evil, wicked”) is a genitive of source or subjective genitive, meaning the plans that the wicked devise—“wicked plans.”
Proverbs 15:26 sn The contrast is between the “thoughts” and the “words.” The thoughts that are designed to hurt people the Lord hates; words that are pleasant (נֹעַם, noʿam), however, are pure (to him). What is pleasant is delightful, lovely, enjoyable.
Proverbs 15:26 tc The MT simply has “but pleasant words are pure” (Heb “but pure [plural] are the words of pleasantness”). Some English versions add “to him” to make the connection to the first part (cf. NAB, NIV). The LXX has: “the sayings of the pure are held in honor.” The Vulgate has: “pure speech will be confirmed by him as very beautiful.” The NIV has paraphrased here: “but those of the pure are pleasing to him.”

New English Translation (NET)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

The Daily Audio Bible

David Is Rejected by the Philistine Leaders

David Defeats the Amalekites

The Death of Saul

Footnotes

Jesus’ Anointing

The Triumphal Entry

Footnotes

Psalm 118[a]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 118^[a]