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2 Samuel 12

Nathan the Prophet Confronts David

12 So the Lord sent Nathan^[a] to David. When he came to David,^[b] Nathan^[c] said,^[d] “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. ²The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. ³But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children.^[e] It used to^[f] eat his food,^[g] drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms.^[h] It was just like a daughter to him.

⁴“When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home,^[i] he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed^[j] the traveler who had come to visit him.^[k] Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked^[l] it for the man who had come to visit him.”

⁵Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!^[m] ⁶Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!”^[n]

⁷Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I chose^[o] you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. ⁸I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms.^[p] I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! ⁹Why have you shown contempt for the Lord’s decrees^[q] by doing evil in my^[r] sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your own wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’ ¹¹This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you^[s] from inside your own household!^[t] Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion.^[u] He will go to bed with^[v] your wives in broad daylight!^[w] ¹²Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’”^[x]

¹³Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven^[y] your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt^[z] in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”

¹⁵Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.^[aa] ¹⁶Then David prayed to^[ab] God for the child and fasted.^[ac] He would even^[ad] go and spend the night lying on the ground. ¹⁷The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.

¹⁸On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to us^[ae] when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!”^[af]

¹⁹When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he^[ag] realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.” ²⁰So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate.

²¹His servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While^[ah] the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!” ²²He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought,^[ai] ‘Perhaps^[aj] the Lord will show pity and the child will live.’ ²³But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back at this point? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!”

²⁴So David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He came to her^[ak] and went to bed with her.^[al] Later she gave birth to a son, and David^[am] named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved the child^[an] ²⁵and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah^[ao] for the Lord’s sake.

David’s Forces Defeat the Ammonites

²⁶^[ap] So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. ²⁷Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.^[aq] ²⁸So now assemble the rest of the army^[ar] and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.”

²⁹So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. ³⁰He took the crown of their king^[as] from his head—it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds,^[at] and held a precious stone—and it was placed on David’s head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder. ³¹He removed^[au] the people who were in it and made them labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work^[av] at the brick kiln. This was his policy^[aw] with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

2 Samuel 12:1 tc A few medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta add “the prophet.” The words are included in a few modern English version (e.g., TEV, CEV, NLT).
2 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Nathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 12:1 tn The Hebrew text repeats “to him.”
2 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “his sons.”
2 Samuel 12:3 tn The three Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this sentence have a customary nuance; they describe past actions that were repeated or typical.
2 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “from his morsel.”
2 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “and on his chest [or perhaps, “lap”] it would lie.”
2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “came to the rich man.” In the translation “arrived at the rich man’s home” has been used for stylistic reasons.
2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “and he refused to take from his flock and from his herd to prepare [a meal] for.”
2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “who had come to him” (also a second time later in this verse). The word “visit” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
2 Samuel 12:4 tn Heb “and prepared.”
2 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “the man doing this [is] a son of death.” See 1 Sam 20:31 for another use of this expression, which must mean “he is as good as dead” or “he deserves to die,” as 1 Sam 20:32 makes clear.
2 Samuel 12:6 tc With the exception of the Lucianic recension, the Old Greek translation has here “sevenfold” rather than “fourfold,” a reading that S. R. Driver thought probably to be the original reading (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 291). However, Exod 22:1 [21:37 HT] specifies fourfold repayment for a stolen sheep, which is consistent with 2 Sam 12:6. Some mss of the Targum and the Syriac Peshitta exaggerate the idea to “fortyfold.”tn Heb “the lamb he must repay fourfold because he did this thing and because he did not have compassion.”
2 Samuel 12:7 tn Heb “anointed.”
2 Samuel 12:8 tn Heb “and the wives of your lord into your chest [or “lap”].” The words “I put” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
2 Samuel 12:9 tn Or “word, message.” The “word of the Lord” sometimes refers to a prophetic message from God and sometimes to his past revelation. Here it refers to the Lord’s laws which David has violated.
2 Samuel 12:9 tc So the Qere; the Kethib has “his.”
2 Samuel 12:11 tn Heb “raise up against you disaster.”
2 Samuel 12:11 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV); NCV, TEV, CEV “family.”
2 Samuel 12:11 tn Or “friend.”
2 Samuel 12:11 tn Heb “will lie down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can be a euphemism for going to bed for sexual relations.
2 Samuel 12:11 tn Heb “in the eyes of this sun.”
2 Samuel 12:12 tn Heb “and before the sun.”
2 Samuel 12:13 tn Heb “removed.”
2 Samuel 12:14 tc The MT has here “because you have caused the enemies of the Lord to treat the Lord with such contempt.” This is one of the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” According to this ancient tradition, the scribes changed the text in order to soften somewhat the negative light in which David was presented. If that is the case, the MT reflects the altered text. The present translation departs from the MT here. Elsewhere the Piel stem of this verb means “treat with contempt,” but never “cause someone to treat with contempt.”
2 Samuel 12:15 tn Heb “and the Lord struck the child…and he was ill.” It is necessary to repeat “the child” in the translation to make clear who became ill, since “the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became very ill” could be understood to mean that David himself became ill.
2 Samuel 12:16 tn Heb “sought” or “searched for.”
2 Samuel 12:16 tn Heb “and David fasted.”
2 Samuel 12:16 tn The three Hebrew verbs that follow in this verse are perfects with prefixed vav. They may describe repeated past actions or actions which accompanied David’s praying and fasting.
2 Samuel 12:18 tn Heb “to our voice.”
2 Samuel 12:18 tn Heb “he will do harm.” The object is not stated in the Hebrew text. The statement may be intentionally vague, meaning that he might harm himself or them!
2 Samuel 12:19 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
2 Samuel 12:21 tc For the MT בַּעֲבוּר (baʿavur, “for the sake of”) we should probably read בְּעוֹד (b^eʿod, “while”). See the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum.
2 Samuel 12:22 tn Heb “said.”
2 Samuel 12:22 tn Heb “Who knows?”
2 Samuel 12:24 tn The combination of the verb בּוֹא (boʾ; “to come, enter”) and the preposition אֶל (ʾel; “to”) means “to approach, to come to” (HALOT 1:113). This common expression is also used as a euphemism for coming together for sexual relations. Although some take the phrase to be a graphic depiction of a man actions in sexual relations with a woman, certain factors clarify that it is a euphemism. First, the phrase also describes a woman approaching a man for sexual relations (2 Sam 11:4), a situation where this phrase cannot be explicitly descriptive. Second, the phrase is paired here with שָׁכַב (shakhav), “to lie down,” which only makes sense if the two are complementary (compare also Gen 19:33-34 which uses both verbs of Lot’s daughters, but without the preposition). The verb שָׁכַב can imply lying down for sleep or for sexual relations. When בּוֹא אֶל (boʾ ʾel) is used with שָׁכַב (shakhav), they state the natural progression of approaching and then lying with. Hebrew can use the two together, or either separately, as a euphemism for sexual relations. But if the phrase בּוֹא אֶל were already an explicit depiction of sex, then the latter phrase with שָׁכַב, “to lie with,” would be pointless. So 2 Sam 11:4 and 2 Sam 12:24 are important evidence for how this phrase really works, and it is appropriate to also use euphemisms in translation.
2 Samuel 12:24 tn Heb “and he lay with her.” The phrase is a euphemism for sexual relations.
2 Samuel 12:24 tc The Kethiv reads “he named” while the Qere reads “she named.”tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. While some translations render the pronoun as third person plural (“they”), implying that both David and Bathsheba together named the child, it is likely that the name “Solomon,” which is related to the Hebrew word for “peace” (and may be derived from it) had special significance for David, who would have regarded the birth of a second child to Bathsheba as a confirming sign that God had forgiven his sin and was at peace with him.
2 Samuel 12:24 tn Heb “him,” referring to the child.
2 Samuel 12:25 sn The name Jedidiah means “loved by the Lord.”
2 Samuel 12:26 sn Here the narrative resumes the battle story that began in 11:1 (see 11:25). The author has interrupted that story to give the related account of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He now returns to the earlier story and brings it to a conclusion.
2 Samuel 12:27 sn The expression translated the water supply of the city (Heb “the city of the waters”) apparently refers to that part of the fortified city that guarded the water supply of the entire city. Joab had already captured this part of the city, but he now defers to King David for the capture of the rest of the city. In this way the king will receive the credit for this achievement.
2 Samuel 12:28 tn Heb “people.” So also in vv. 29, 31.
2 Samuel 12:30 tn Part of the Greek tradition wrongly understands Hebrew מַלְכָּם (malkam, “their king”) as a proper name (“Milcom”). Some English versions follow the Greek here, rendering the phrase “the crown of Milcom” (so NRSV; cf. also NAB, CEV). TEV takes this as a reference not to the Ammonite king but to “the idol of the Ammonite god Molech.”
2 Samuel 12:30 tn Heb “and its weight [was] a talent of gold.” The weight of this ornamental crown was approximately 75 lbs (34 kg). See P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 313.
2 Samuel 12:31 tn Heb “brought out.”
2 Samuel 12:31 tnHeb “to pass through.”
2 Samuel 12:31 tn Heb “and so he would do.”

John 16

16 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.^[a] ²They will put you out of^[b] the synagogue,^[c] yet a time^[d] is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.^[e] ³They^[f] will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.^[g] ⁴But I have told you these things^[h] so that when their time^[i] comes, you will remember that I told you about them.^[j]

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.^[k] ⁵But now I am going to the one who sent me,^[l] and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’^[m] ⁶Instead your hearts are filled with sadness^[n] because I have said these things to you. ⁷But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate^[o] will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸And when he^[p] comes, he will prove the world wrong^[q] concerning sin and^[r] righteousness and^[s] judgment— ⁹concerning sin, because^[t] they do not believe in me;^[u] ¹⁰concerning righteousness,^[v] because^[w] I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; ¹¹and concerning judgment,^[x] because^[y] the ruler of this world^[z] has been condemned.^[aa]

¹²“I have many more things to say to you,^[ab] but you cannot bear^[ac] them now. ¹³But when he,^[ad] the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide^[ae] you into all truth.^[af] For he will not speak on his own authority,^[ag] but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you^[ah] what is to come.^[ai] ¹⁴He^[aj] will glorify me,^[ak] because he will receive^[al] from me what is mine^[am] and will tell it to you.^[an] ¹⁵Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit^[ao] will receive from me what is mine^[ap] and will tell it to you.^[aq] ¹⁶In a little while you^[ar] will see me no longer; again after a little while, you^[as] will see me.”^[at]

¹⁷Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying,^[au] ‘In a little while you^[av] will not see me; again after a little while, you^[aw] will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”^[ax] ¹⁸So they kept on repeating,^[ay] “What is the meaning of what he says,^[az] ‘In a little while’?^[ba] We do not understand^[bb] what he is talking about.”^[bc]

¹⁹Jesus could see^[bd] that they wanted to ask him about these things,^[be] so^[bf] he said to them, “Are you asking^[bg] each other about this—that I said, ‘In a little while you^[bh] will not see me; again after a little while, you^[bi] will see me’? ²⁰I tell you the solemn truth,^[bj] you will weep^[bk] and wail,^[bl] but the world will rejoice; you will be sad,^[bm] but your sadness will turn into^[bn] joy. ²¹When a woman gives birth, she has distress^[bo] because her time^[bp] has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being^[bq] has been born into the world.^[br] ²²So also you have sorrow^[bs] now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.^[bt] ²³At that time^[bu] you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth,^[bv] whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.^[bw] ²⁴Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it,^[bx] so that your joy may be complete.

²⁵“I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech;^[by] a time^[bz] is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you^[ca] plainly^[cb] about the Father. ²⁶At that time^[cc] you will ask in my name, and I do not say^[cd] that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.^[ce] ²⁸I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn,^[cf] I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”^[cg]

²⁹His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly^[ch] and not in obscure figures of speech!^[ci] ³⁰Now we know that you know everything^[cj] and do not need anyone^[ck] to ask you anything.^[cl] Because of this^[cm] we believe that you have come from God.”

³¹Jesus replied,^[cn] “Do you now believe? ³²Look, a time^[co] is coming—and has come—when you will be scattered, each one to his own home,^[cp] and I will be left alone.^[cq] Yet^[cr] I am not alone, because my Father^[cs] is with me. ³³I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering,^[ct] but take courage^[cu]—I have conquered the world.”^[cv]

Footnotes

John 16:1 tn Grk “so that you will not be caused to stumble.” sn In Johannine thought the verb σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō) means to trip up disciples and cause them to fall away from Jesus’ company (John 6:61, 1 John 2:10). Similar usage is found in Didache 16:5, an early Christian writing from around the beginning of the 2nd century a.d. An example of a disciple who falls away is Judas Iscariot. Here and again in 16:4 Jesus gives the purpose for his telling the disciples about coming persecution: He informs them so that when it happens, the disciples will not fall away, which in this context would refer to the confusion and doubt which they would certainly experience when such persecution began. There may have been a tendency for the disciples to expect immediately after Jesus’ victory over death the institution of the messianic kingdom, particularly in light of the turn of events recorded in the early chapters of Acts. Jesus here forestalls such disillusionment for the disciples by letting them know in advance that they will face persecution and even martyrdom as they seek to carry on his mission in the world after his departure. This material has parallels in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25) and the synoptic parallels.
John 16:2 tn Or “expel you from.”
John 16:2 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
John 16:2 tn Grk “an hour.”
John 16:2 sn Jesus now refers not to the time of his return to the Father, as he has frequently done up to this point, but to the disciples’ time of persecution. They will be excommunicated from Jewish synagogues. There will even be a time when those who kill Jesus’ disciples will think that they are offering service to God by putting the disciples to death. Because of the reference to service offered to God, it is almost certain that Jewish opposition is intended here in both cases rather than Jewish opposition in the first instance (putting the disciples out of synagogues) and Roman opposition in the second (putting the disciples to death). Such opposition materializes later and is recorded in Acts: The stoning of Stephen in 7:58-60 and the slaying of James the brother of John by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:2-3 are notable examples.
John 16:3 tn Grk “And they.” 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 16:3 sn Ignorance of Jesus and ignorance of the Father are also linked in 8:19; to know Jesus would be to know the Father also, but since the world does not know Jesus, neither does it know his Father. The world’s ignorance of the Father is also mentioned in 8:55; 15:21, and 17:25.
John 16:4 tn The first half of v. 4 resumes the statement of 16:1, ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν (tauta lelalēka humin), in a somewhat more positive fashion, omitting the reference to the disciples being caused to stumble.
John 16:4 tn Grk “their hour.”
John 16:4 tn The words “about them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
John 16:4 sn This verse serves as a transition between the preceding discussion of the persecutions the disciples will face in the world after the departure of Jesus, and the following discussion concerning the departure of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit-Paraclete. Jesus had not told the disciples these things from the beginning because he was with them.
John 16:5 sn Now the theme of Jesus’ impending departure is resumed (I am going to the one who sent me). It will also be mentioned in 16:10, 17, and 28. Jesus had said to his opponents in 7:33 that he was going to the one who sent him; in 13:33 he had spoken of going where the disciples could not come. At that point Peter had inquired where he was going, but it appears that Peter did not understand Jesus’ reply at that time and did not persist in further questioning. In 14:5 Thomas had asked Jesus where he was going.
John 16:5 sn Now none of the disciples asks Jesus where he is going, and the reason is given in the following verse: They have been overcome with sadness as a result of the predictions of coming persecution that Jesus has just spoken to them in 15:18-25 and 16:1-4a. Their shock at Jesus’ revelation of coming persecution is so great that none of them thinks to ask him where it is that he is going.
John 16:6 tn Or “distress” or “grief.”
John 16:7 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklētos). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.
John 16:8 tn Grk “when that one.”
John 16:8 tn Or “will convict the world,” or “will expose the world.” The preposition περί (peri) is used in 16:8-11 in the sense of “concerning” or “with respect to.” But what about the verb ἐλέγχω (elenchō)? The basic meanings possible for this word are (1) “to convict or convince someone of something”; (2) “to bring to light or expose something; and (3) “to correct or punish someone.” The third possibility may be ruled out in these verses on contextual grounds since punishment is not implied. The meaning is often understood to be that the Paraclete will “convince” the world of its error, so that some at least will repent. But S. Mowinckel (“Die Vorstellungen des Spätjudentums vom heiligen Geist als Fürsprecher und der johanneische Paraklet,” ZNW 32 [1933]: 97-130) demonstrated that the verb ἐλέγχω did not necessarily imply the conversion or reform of the guilty party. This means it is far more likely that conviction in something of a legal sense is intended here (as in a trial). The only certainty is that the accused party is indeed proven guilty (not that they will acknowledge their guilt). Further confirmation of this interpretation is seen in John 14:17 where the world cannot receive the Paraclete and in John 3:20, where the evildoer deliberately refuses to come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed for what they really are (significantly, the verb in John 3:20 is also ἐλέγχω). However, if one wishes to adopt the meaning “prove guilty” for the use of ἐλέγχω in John 16:8 a difficulty still remains: While this meaning fits the first statement in 16:9—the world is ‘proven guilty’ concerning its sin of refusing to believe in Jesus—it does not fit so well the second and third assertions in vv. 10-11. Thus R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:705) suggests the more general meaning “prove wrong” which would fit in all three cases. This may be so, but there may also be a developmental aspect to the meaning, which would then shift from v. 9 to v. 10 to v. 11.
John 16:8 tn Grk “and concerning.”
John 16:8 tn Grk “and concerning.”
John 16:9 tn Or “that.” It is very difficult to determine whether ὅτι (hoti; 3 times in 16:9, 10, 11) should be understood as causal or appositional/explanatory: Brown and Bultmann favor appositional or explanatory, while Barrett and Morris prefer a causal sense. A causal idea is preferable here, since it also fits the parallel statements in vv. 10-11 better than an appositional or explanatory use would. In this case Jesus is stating in each instance the reason why the world is proven guilty or wrong by the Spirit-Paraclete.
John 16:9 sn Here (v. 9) the world is proven guilty concerning sin, and the reason given is their refusal to believe in Jesus. In 3:19 the effect of Jesus coming into the world as the Light of the world was to provoke judgment, by forcing people to choose up sides for or against him, and they chose darkness rather than light. In 12:37, at the very end of Jesus’ public ministry in John’s Gospel, people were still refusing to believe in him.
John 16:10 tn There are two questions that need to be answered: (1) what is the meaning of δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosunē) in this context, and (2) to whom does it pertain—to the world, or to someone else? (1) The word δικαιοσύνη occurs in the Gospel of John only here and in v. 8. It is often assumed that it refers to forensic justification, as it does so often in Paul’s writings. Thus the answer to question (2) would be that it refers to the world. L. Morris states, “The Spirit shows men (and no-one else can do this) that their righteousness before God depends not on their own efforts but on Christ’s atoning work for them” (John [NICNT], 699). Since the word occurs so infrequently in the Fourth Gospel, however, the context must be examined very carefully. The ὅτι (hoti) clause which follows provides an important clue: The righteousness in view here has to do with Jesus’ return to the Father and his absence from the disciples. It is true that in the Fourth Gospel part of what is involved in Jesus’ return to the Father is the cross, and it is through his substitutionary death that people are justified, so that Morris’ understanding of righteousness here is possible. But more basic than this is the idea that Jesus’ return to the Father constitutes his own δικαιοσύνη in the sense of vindication rather than forensic justification. Jesus had repeatedly claimed oneness with the Father, and his opponents had repeatedly rejected this and labeled him a deceiver, a sinner, and a blasphemer (John 5:18; 7:12; 9:24; 10:33, etc.). But Jesus, by his glorification through his return to the Father, is vindicated in his claims in spite of his opponents. In his vindication his followers are also vindicated as well, but their vindication derives from his. Thus one would answer question (1) by saying that in context δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosunēs) refers not to forensic justification but vindication, and question (2) by referring this justification/vindication not to the world or even to Christians directly, but to Jesus himself. Finally, how does Jesus’ last statement in v. 10, that the disciples will see him no more, contribute to this? It is probably best taken as a reference to the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, who cannot come until Jesus has departed (16:7). The meaning of v. 10 is thus: When the Spirit-Paraclete comes he will prove the world wrong concerning the subject of righteousness, namely, Jesus’ righteousness which is demonstrated when he is glorified in his return to the Father and the disciples see him no more (but they will have instead the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, whom the world is not able to receive).
John 16:10 tn Or “that.”
John 16:11 sn The world is proven wrong concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Jesus’ righteousness before the Father, as proven by his return to the Father, his glorification, constitutes a judgment against Satan. This is parallel to the judgment of the world which Jesus provokes in 3:19-21: Jesus’ presence in the world as the Light of the world provokes the judgment of those in the world, because as they respond to the light (either coming to Jesus or rejecting him) so are they judged. That judgment is in a sense already realized. So it is here, where the judgment of Satan is already realized in Jesus’ glorification. This does not mean that Satan does not continue to be active in the world, and to exercise some power over it, just as in 3:19-21 the people in the world who have rejected Jesus and thus incurred judgment continue on in their opposition to Jesus for a time. In both cases the judgment is not immediately executed. But it is certain.
John 16:11 tn Or “that.”
John 16:11 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
John 16:11 tn Or “judged.”
John 16:12 sn In what sense does Jesus have many more things to say to the disciples? Does this imply the continuation of revelation after his departure? This is probably the case, especially in light of v. 13 and following, which describe the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding the disciples into all truth. Thus Jesus was saying that he would continue to speak (to the twelve, at least) after his return to the Father. He would do this through the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. It is possible that an audience broader than the twelve is addressed, and in the Johannine tradition there is evidence that later other Christians (or perhaps, professed Christians) claimed to be recipients of revelation through the Spirit-Paraclete (1 John 4:1-6).
John 16:12 tn Or (perhaps) “you cannot accept.”
John 16:13 tn Grk “that one.”
John 16:13 tn Or “will lead.”
John 16:13 sn Three important points must be noted here. (1) When the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide the disciples into all truth. What Jesus had said in 8:31-32, “If you continue to follow my teaching you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” will ultimately be realized in the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit to the disciples after Jesus’ departure. (2) The things the Holy Spirit speaks to them will not be things which originate from himself (he will not speak on his own authority), but things he has heard. This could be taken to mean that no new revelation is involved, as R. E. Brown does (John [AB], 2:714-15). This is a possible but not a necessary inference. The point here concerns the source of the things the Spirit will say to the disciples and does not specifically exclude originality of content. (3) Part at least of what the Holy Spirit will reveal to the disciples will concern what is to come, not just fuller implications of previous sayings of Jesus and the like. This does seem to indicate that at least some new revelation is involved. But the Spirit is not the source or originator of these things—Jesus is the source, and he will continue to speak to his disciples through the Spirit who has come to indwell them. This does not answer the question, however, whether these words are addressed to all followers of Jesus, or only to his apostles. Different modern commentators will answer this question differently. Since in the context of the Farewell Discourse Jesus is preparing the twelve to carry on his ministry after his departure, it is probably best to take these statements as specifically related only to the twelve. Some of this the Holy Spirit does directly for all believers today; other parts of this statement are fulfilled through the apostles (e.g., in giving the Book of Revelation the Spirit speaks through the apostles to the church today of things to come). One of the implications of this is that a doctrine does not have to be traced back to an explicit teaching of Jesus to be authentic; all that is required is apostolic authority.
John 16:13 tn Grk “speak from himself.”
John 16:13 tn Or will announce to you.”
John 16:13 tn Grk “will tell you the things to come.”
John 16:14 tn Grk “That one.”
John 16:14 tn Or “will honor me.”
John 16:14 tn Or “he will take.”
John 16:14 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 16:14 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
John 16:15 tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 16:15 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 16:15 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
John 16:16 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
John 16:16 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
John 16:16 sn The phrase after a little while, you will see me is sometimes taken to refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus departs, but (as at 14:19) it is much more probable that it refers to the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. There is no indication in the context that the disciples will see Jesus only with “spiritual” sight, as would be the case if the coming of the Spirit is in view.
John 16:17 tn Grk “What is this that he is saying to us.”
John 16:17 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
John 16:17 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
John 16:17 sn These fragmentary quotations of Jesus’ statements are from 16:16 and 16:10, and indicate that the disciples heard only part of what Jesus had to say to them on this occasion.
John 16:18 tn Grk “they kept on saying.”
John 16:18 tn Grk “What is this that he says.”
John 16:18 tn Grk “A little while.” Although the phrase τὸ μικρόν (to mikron) in John 16:18 could be translated simply “a little while,” it was translated “in a little while” to maintain the connection to John 16:16, where it has the latter meaning in context.
John 16:18 tn Or “we do not know.”
John 16:18 tn Grk “what he is speaking.”
John 16:19 tn Grk “knew.”sn Jesus could see. Supernatural knowledge of what the disciples were thinking is not necessarily in view here. Given the disciples’ confused statements in the preceding verses, it was probably obvious to Jesus that they wanted to ask what he meant.
John 16:19 tn The words “about these things” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 16:19 tn Καί (kai) has been translated as “so” here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus’ observation in v. 19a.
John 16:19 tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”
John 16:19 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
John 16:19 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
John 16:20 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 16:20 tn Or “wail,” “cry.”
John 16:20 tn Or “lament.”
John 16:20 tn Or “sorrowful.”
John 16:20 tn Grk “will become.”
John 16:21 sn The same word translated distress here has been translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).
John 16:21 tn Grk “her hour.”
John 16:21 tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).
John 16:21 sn Jesus now compares the situation of the disciples to a woman in childbirth. Just as the woman in the delivery of her child experiences real pain and anguish (has distress), so the disciples will also undergo real anguish at the crucifixion of Jesus. But once the child has been born, the mother’s anguish is turned into joy, and she forgets the past suffering. The same will be true of the disciples, who after Jesus’ resurrection and reappearance to them will forget the anguish they suffered at his death on account of their joy.
John 16:22 tn Or “distress.”
John 16:22 sn An allusion to Isa 66:14 LXX, which reads: “Then you will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like the new grass; and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but he will be indignant toward his enemies.” The change from “you will see [me]” to I will see you places more emphasis on Jesus as the one who reinitiates the relationship with the disciples after his resurrection, but v. 16 (you will see me) is more like Isa 66:14. Further support for seeing this allusion as intentional is found in Isa 66:7, which uses the same imagery of the woman giving birth found in John 16:21. In the context of Isa 66 the passages refer to the institution of the messianic kingdom, and in fact the last clause of 66:14 along with the following verses (15-17) have yet to be fulfilled. This is part of the tension of present and future eschatological fulfillment that runs throughout the NT, by virtue of the fact that there are two advents. Some prophecies are fulfilled or partially fulfilled at the first advent, while other prophecies or parts of prophecies await fulfillment at the second.
John 16:23 tn Grk “And in that day.”
John 16:23 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 16:23 sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.
John 16:24 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 16:25 tn Or “in parables”; or “in metaphors.” There is some difficulty in defining παροιμίαις (paroimiais) precisely: A translation like “parables” does not convey accurately the meaning. BDAG 779-80 s.v. παροιμία suggests in general “proverb, saw, maxim,” but for Johannine usage “veiled saying, figure of speech, in which esp. lofty ideas are concealed.” In the preceding context of the Farewell Discourse, Jesus has certainly used obscure language and imagery at times: John 13:8-11; 13:16; 15:1-17; and 16:21 could all be given as examples. In the LXX this word is used to translate the Hebrew mashal which covers a wide range of figurative speech, often containing obscure or enigmatic elements.
John 16:25 tn Grk “an hour.”
John 16:25 tn Or “inform you.”
John 16:25 tn Or “openly.”
John 16:26 tn Grk “In that day.”
John 16:26 tn Grk “I do not say to you.”
John 16:27 tc A number of early mss (א¹ B C* D L co) read πατρός (patros, “Father”) here instead of θεοῦ (theou, “God”; found in P⁵ א*^,2 A C³ W Θ Ψ 33 ƒ^1,13 M). Although externally πατρός has relatively strong support, it is evidently an assimilation to “I came from the Father” at the beginning of v. 28, or more generally to the consistent mention of God as Father throughout this chapter (πατήρ [patēr, “Father”] occurs eleven times in this chapter, while θεός [theos, “God”] occurs only two other times [16:2, 30]).
John 16:28 tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.
John 16:28 sn The statement I am leaving the world and going to the Father is a summary of the entire Gospel of John. It summarizes the earthly career of the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, on his mission from the Father to be the Savior of the world, beginning with his entry into the world as he came forth from God and concluding with his departure from the world as he returned to the Father.
John 16:29 tn Or “openly.”
John 16:29 tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”sn How is the disciples’ reply to Jesus now you are speaking plainly and not in obscure figures of speech to be understood? Their claim to understand seems a bit impulsive. It is difficult to believe that the disciples have really understood the full implications of Jesus’ words, although it is true that he spoke to them plainly and not figuratively in 16:26-28. The disciples will not fully understand all that Jesus has said to them until after his resurrection, when the Holy Spirit will give them insight and understanding (16:13).
John 16:30 tn Grk “all things.”
John 16:30 tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”
John 16:30 tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 16:30 tn Or “By this.”
John 16:31 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
John 16:32 tn Grk “an hour.”
John 16:32 tn Grk “each one to his own”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The phrase “each one to his own” may be completed in a number of different ways: “each one to his own property”; “each one to his own family”; or “each one to his own home.” The last option seems to fit most easily into the context and so is used in the translation.
John 16:32 sn The proof of Jesus’ negative evaluation of the disciples’ faith is now given: Jesus foretells their abandonment of him at his arrest, trials, and crucifixion (I will be left alone). This parallels the synoptic accounts in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27 when Jesus, after the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane, foretold the desertion of the disciples as a fulfillment of Zech 13:7: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Yet although the disciples would abandon Jesus, he reaffirmed that he was not alone, because the Father was still with him.
John 16:32 tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).
John 16:32 tn Grk “the Father.”
John 16:33 tn The one Greek term θλῖψις (thlipsis) has been translated by an English hendiadys (two terms that combine for one meaning) “trouble and suffering.” For modern English readers “tribulation” is no longer clearly understandable.
John 16:33 tn Or “but be courageous.”
John 16:33 tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”sn The Farewell Discourse proper closes on the triumphant note I have conquered the world, which recalls 1:5 (in the prologue): “the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.” Jesus’ words which follow in chap. 17 are addressed not to the disciples but to his Father, as he prays for the consecration of the disciples.

Psalm 119:65-80

ט (Tet)

⁶⁵You are good^[a] to your servant,
O Lord, just as you promised.^[b]
⁶⁶Teach me proper discernment^[c] and understanding.
For I consider your commands to be reliable.^[d]
⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I used to stray off,^[e]
but now I keep your instructions.^[f]
⁶⁸You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes.
⁶⁹Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies,^[g]
but I observe your precepts with all my heart.
⁷⁰Their hearts are calloused,^[h]
but I find delight in your law.
⁷¹It was good for me to suffer,
so that I might learn your statutes.
⁷²The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.^[i]

י (Yod)

⁷³Your hands made me and formed me.^[j]
Give me understanding so that I might learn^[k] your commands.
⁷⁴Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me,^[l]
for I find hope in your word.
⁷⁵I know, Lord, that your regulations^[m] are just.
You disciplined me because of your faithful devotion to me.^[n]
⁷⁶May your loyal love console me,
as you promised your servant.^[o]
⁷⁷May I experience your compassion,^[p] so I might live.
For I find delight in your law.
⁷⁸May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me.^[q]
But I meditate on your precepts.
⁷⁹May your loyal followers^[r] turn to me,
those who know your rules.
⁸⁰May I be fully committed to your statutes,^[s]
so that I might not be ashamed.

Proverbs 16:4-5

⁴The Lord has worked^[a] everything for his own ends^[b]—
even the wicked for the day of disaster.^[c]
⁵The Lord abhors^[d] every arrogant person;^[e]
rest assured^[f] that they will not go unpunished.^[g]

Footnotes

Proverbs 16:4 tn The Hebrew verb פָּעַל (paʿal) means “to work out; to bring about; to accomplish.” As the perfect form of a dynamic root, it is past or perfective. By using a past nuance, the proverb asserts that this is not just something that will work out some day. It affirms that God has done so and views this action as prototypical of what God does. Elsewhere with this verb, the preposition ל (lamed) indicates the purpose of the work (when followed by an infinitive, e.g. Exod 15:7), or who the action was for/against (when followed by a person, e.g. Isa 26:12). In the only other case where the verb פָּעַל (paʿal) has a direct object and the preposition ל (lamed) it means to make, or modify, the thing into something else (Ps 7:13). Applying that same syntax here could mean “God has turned everything to his own purpose.” God has done so by turning what was meant to harm into good (as with Joseph, Gen 50:20) and here by preparing the wicked for disaster. If it means to turn one thing into another, then the verse affirms God’s sovereignty while not making him directly responsible for evil acts chosen by the wicked.
Proverbs 16:4 tc The Latin Vulgate implies the form לְמַעֲנֵהוּ (l^emaʿanehu) “for his/its sake/purpose” rather than the Masoretic text’s לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ (lammaʿanehu) “for his/its purpose/answer.” Both are reading the same consonantal text but understanding the vowels differently. tn At the core of the phrase לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ (lammaʿanehu) in the Masoretic text, lies the word מַעֲנֶה (maʿaneh), which is proposed to mean “answer” or “purpose.” HALOT proposes that they are two homonyms (HALOT I, 614) going back to different homonymous verbal roots. If this is the noun meaning “answer,” it may imply the consequence. God ensures that everyone’s actions and the consequences of those actions correspond—certainly the wicked for the day of calamity. In God’s order there is just retribution for every act.
Proverbs 16:4 sn This is an example of synthetic parallelism (“A, what’s more B”). The A-line affirms a truth, and the B-line expands on it with a specific application about the wicked—whatever disaster comes their way is an appropriate correspondent for their life.
Proverbs 16:5 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (y^ehvah, “the Lord”) is a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”
Proverbs 16:5 tn Heb “everyone of proud of heart.” The noun לֵב (lev, “heart, mind”) represents what one does with the לֵב, i.e., thinking and feeling, and here refers to the attitude of someone’s spirit. It acts as a genitive of specification, “proud in the heart.” The phrase refers to that class of people who are arrogant, those who set themselves presumptuously against God (e.g., 2 Chr 26:16; Ps 131:1; Prov 18:12).
Proverbs 16:5 tn Heb “hand to hand.” This idiom means “you can be assured” (e.g., Prov 11:21).
Proverbs 16:5 tn The B-line continues the A-line, stating the eventual outcome of the Lord’s abhorrence of arrogance—he will punish them. “Will not go unpunished” is an understatement (tapeinosis) to stress first that they will certainly be punished; whereas those who humble themselves before God in faith will not be punished.tc The LXX has inserted two couplets here: “The beginning of a good way is to do justly, // and it is more acceptable with God than to do sacrifices; // he who seeks the Lord will find knowledge with righteousness, // and they who rightly seek him will find peace.” C. H. Toy reminds the reader that there were many proverbs in existence that sounded similar to those in the book of Proverbs; these lines are in the Greek OT as well as in Sirach (Proverbs [ICC], 321-22).

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Nathan the Prophet Confronts David

David’s Forces Defeat the Ammonites

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ט (Tet)

י (Yod)

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