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Job 20
New English Translation

Zophar’s Second Speech[a]

20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:

2 “This is why[b] my troubled thoughts bring me back[c]—
because of my feelings[d] within me.
3 When[e] I hear a reproof that dishonors[f] me,
then my understanding[g] prompts me to answer.[h]
4 “Surely you know[i] that it has been from old,

ever since humankind was placed[j] on the earth,
5 that the elation of the wicked is brief,[k]
the joy of the godless[l] lasts but a moment.[m]
6 Even though his stature[n] reaches to the heavens
and his head touches the clouds,
7 he will perish forever, like his own excrement;[o]
those who used to see him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8 Like a dream he flies away, never again to be found,[p]
and like a vision of the night he is put to flight.
9 People[q] who had seen him will not see him again,
and the place where he was
will recognize him no longer.
10 His sons must recompense[r] the poor;
his own hands[s] must return his wealth.
11 His bones[t] were full of his youthful vigor,[u]
but that vigor will lie down with him in the dust.
12 “If[v] evil is sweet in his mouth

and he hides it under his tongue,[w]
13 if he retains it for himself
and does not let it go,
and holds it fast in his mouth,[x]
14 his food is turned sour[y] in his stomach;[z]
it becomes the venom of serpents[aa] within him.
15 The wealth that he consumed[ab] he vomits up,
God will make him throw it out[ac] of his stomach.
16 He sucks the poison[ad] of serpents;[ae]
the fangs[af] of a viper[ag] kill him.
17 He will not look on the streams,[ah]
the rivers that are the torrents[ai]
of honey and butter.[aj]
18 He gives back the ill-gotten gain[ak]
without assimilating it;[al]
he will not enjoy the wealth from his commerce.[am]
19 For he has oppressed the poor and abandoned them;[an]
he has seized a house which he did not build.[ao]
20 For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite;[ap]
he does not let anything he desires[aq] escape.[ar]
21 “Nothing is left for him to devour;[as]
that is why his prosperity does not last.[at]
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency,[au]
distress overtakes[av] him.
The full force of misery will come upon him.[aw]
23 “While he is[ax] filling his belly,
God[ay] sends his burning anger[az] against him,
and rains down his blows upon him.[ba]
24 If he flees from an iron weapon,
then an arrow[bb] from a bronze bow pierces him.
25 When he pulls it out[bc] and it comes out of his back,
the gleaming point[bd] out of his liver,
terrors come over him.
26 Total darkness waits to receive his treasures;[be]
a fire that has not been kindled[bf]
will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
27 The heavens reveal his iniquity;
the earth rises up against him.
28 A flood will carry off his house,
rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.
29 Such is the lot God allots the wicked,
and the heritage of his appointment[bg] from God.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 20:1 sn Zophar breaks in with an impassioned argument about the brevity and prosperity of the life of the wicked. But every statement that he makes is completely irrelevant to the case at hand. The speech has four sections: after a short preface (2-3) he portrays the brevity of the triumph of the wicked (4-11), retribution for sin (12-22), and God’s swift judgment (23-29). See further B. H. Kelly, “Truth in Contradiction, A Study of Job 20 and 21,” Int 15 (1961): 147-56.
  2. Job 20:2 tn The ordinary meaning of לָכֵן (lakhen) is “therefore,” coming after an argument. But at the beginning of a speech it is an allusion to what follows.
  3. Job 20:2 tn The verb is שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”), but in the Hiphil, “bring me back,” i.e., prompt me to make another speech. The text makes good sense as it is, and there is no reason to change the reading to make a closer parallel with the second half—indeed, the second part explains the first.
  4. Job 20:2 tn The word is normally taken from the root “to hasten,” and rendered “because of my haste within me.” But K&D 11:374 proposed another root, and similarly, but closer to the text, E. Dhorme (Job, 289-90) found an Arabic word with the meaning “feeling, sensation.” He argues that from this idea developed the meanings in the cognates of “thoughts” as well. Similarly, Gordis translates it “my feeling pain.” See also Eccl 2:25.
  5. Job 20:3 tn There is no indication that this clause is to be subordinated to the next, other than the logical connection, and the use of the ו (vav) in the second half.
  6. Job 20:3 tn See Job 19:3.
  7. Job 20:3 tn The phrase actually has רוּחַ מִבִּינָתִי (ruakh mibbinati, “a spirit/wind/breath/impulse from my understanding”). Some translate it “out of my understanding a spirit answers me.” The idea is not that difficult, and so the many proposals to rewrite the text can be rejected. The spirit of his understanding prompts the reply.
  8. Job 20:3 tn To take this verb as a simple Qal and read it “answers me,” does not provide a clear idea. The form can just as easily be taken as a Hiphil, with the sense “causes me to answer.” It is Zophar who will “return” and who will “answer.”
  9. Job 20:4 tn The MT has “Do you not know?” The question can be interpreted as a rhetorical question affirming that Job must know this. The question serves to express the conviction that the contents are well-known to the audience (see GKC 474 §150.e).
  10. Job 20:4 tn Heb “from the putting of man on earth.” The infinitive is the object of the preposition, which is here temporal. If “man” is taken as the subjective genitive, then the verb would be given a passive translation. Here “man” is a generic, referring to “mankind” or “the human race.”
  11. Job 20:5 tn The expression in the text is “quite near.” This indicates that it is easily attained, and that its end is near.
  12. Job 20:5 tn For the discussion of חָנֵף (khanef, “godless”) see Job 8:13.
  13. Job 20:5 tn The phrase is “until a moment,” meaning it is short-lived. But see J. Barr, “Hebrew ʿad, especially at Job 1:18 and Neh 7:3, ” JSS 27 (1982): 177-88.
  14. Job 20:6 tn The word שִׂיא (siʾ) has been connected with the verb נָשָׂא (nasaʾ, “to lift up”), and so interpreted here as “pride.” The form is parallel to “head” in the next part, and so here it refers to his stature, the part that rises up and is crowned. But the verse does describe the pride of such a person, with his head in the heavens.
  15. Job 20:7 tn There have been attempts to change the word here to “like a whirlwind,” or something similar. But many argue that there is no reason to remove a coarse expression from Zophar.
  16. Job 20:8 tn Heb “and they do not find him.” The verb has no expressed subject, and so here is equivalent to a passive. The clause itself is taken adverbially in the sentence.
  17. Job 20:9 tn Heb “the eye that had seen him.” Here a part of the person (the eye, the instrument of vision) is put by metonymy for the entire person.
  18. Job 20:10 tn The early versions confused the root of this verb, taking it from רָצַץ (ratsats, “mistreat”) and not from רָצָה (ratsah, “be please with”). So it was taken to mean, “Let inferiors destroy his children.” But the verb is רָצָה (ratsah). This has been taken to mean “his sons will seek the favor of the poor.” This would mean that they would be reduced to poverty and need help from even the poor. Some commentators see this as another root רָצָה (ratsah) meaning “to compensate; to restore” wealth their father had gained by impoverishing others. This fits the parallelism well, but not the whole context that well.
  19. Job 20:10 tn Some commentators are surprised to see “his hands” here, thinking the passage talks about his death. Budde changed it to “his children,” by altering one letter. R. Gordis argued that “hand” can mean offspring, and so translated it that way without changing anything in the text (“A note on YAD,” JBL 62 [1943]: 343).
  20. Job 20:11 tn “Bones” is often used metonymically for the whole person, the bones being the framework, meaning everything inside, as well as the body itself.
  21. Job 20:11 sn This line means that he dies prematurely—at the height of his youthful vigor.
  22. Job 20:12 tn The conjunction אִם (ʾim) introduces clauses that are conditional or concessive. With the imperfect verb in the protasis it indicates what is possible in the present or future. See GKC 496 §159.q).
  23. Job 20:12 sn The wicked person holds on to evil as long as he can, savoring the taste or the pleasure of it.
  24. Job 20:13 tn Heb “in the middle of his palate.”
  25. Job 20:14 tn The perfect verb in the apodosis might express the suddenness of the change (see S. R. Driver, Tenses in Hebrew, 204), or it might be a constative perfect looking at the action as a whole without reference to inception, progress, or completion (see IBHS 480-81 §30.1d). The Niphal perfect simply means “is turned” or “turns”; “sour” is supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.
  26. Job 20:14 tn The word is “in his loins” or “within him.” Some translate more specifically “bowels.”
  27. Job 20:14 sn Some commentators suggest that the ancients believed that serpents secreted poison in the gall bladder, or that the poison came from the gall bladder of serpents. In any case, there is poison (from the root “bitter”) in the system of the wicked person; it may simply be saying it is that type of poison.
  28. Job 20:15 tn Heb “swallowed.”
  29. Job 20:15 tn The choice of words is excellent. The verb יָרַשׁ (yarash) means either “to inherit” or “to disinherit; to dispossess.” The context makes the figure clear that God is administering the emetic to make the wicked throw up the wealth (thus, “God will make him throw it out…”), but since wealth is the subject there is a disinheritance meant here.
  30. Job 20:16 tn The word is a homonym for the word for “head,” which has led to some confusion in the early versions.
  31. Job 20:16 sn To take the possessions of another person is hereby compared to sucking poison from a serpent—it will kill eventually.
  32. Job 20:16 tn Heb “tongue.”
  33. Job 20:16 tn Some have thought this verse is a gloss on v. 14 and should be deleted. But the word for “viper” (אֶפְעֶה, ʾefʿeh) is a rare word, occurring only here and in Isa 30:6; 59:5. It is unlikely that such a rare word would be used in a gloss. But the point is similar to v. 14—the wealth that was greedily sucked in by the wicked proves to be their undoing. Either this is totally irrelevant to Job’s case, a general discussion, or the man is raising questions about how Job got his wealth.
  34. Job 20:17 tn The word פְּלַגּוֹת (pelaggot) simply means “streams” or “channels.” Because the word is used elsewhere for “streams of oil” (cf. 29:6), which makes good parallelism here, some supply “oil” (cf. NAB, NLT). But the second colon of the verse is probably in apposition to the first. The verb “see” followed by the preposition bet (which would mean “to look on; to look over”) means “to enjoy as a possession,” an activity of the victor.
  35. Job 20:17 tn The construct nouns here have caused a certain amount of revision. It says “rivers of, torrents of.” The first has been emended by Klostermann to יִצְהָר (yitshar, “oil”) and connected to the first colon. Older editors argued for a נָהָר (nahar) that meant “oil,” but that was not convincing. On the other hand, there is support for having more than one construct together serving as apposition (see GKC 422 §130.e). If the word “streams” in the last colon is a construct, that would mean three of them, but that one need not be a construct. The reading would be “He will not see the streams, [that is] the rivers [which are] the torrents of honey and butter.” It is unusual, but workable.
  36. Job 20:17 sn This word is often translated “curds.” It is curdled milk, possibly a type of butter.
  37. Job 20:18 tn The idea is the fruit of his evil work. The word יָגָע (yagaʿ) occurs only here; it must mean ill-gotten gains. The verb is in 10:3.
  38. Job 20:18 tn Heb “and he does not swallow.” In the context this means “consume” for his own pleasure and prosperity. The verbal clause is here taken adverbially.
  39. Job 20:18 sn The expression is “according to the wealth of his exchange.” This means he cannot enjoy whatever he gained in his business deals. Some mss have the preposition ב (bet), making the translation easier, but this is evidence of a scribal correction.
  40. Job 20:19 tc The verb indicates that after he oppressed the poor he abandoned them to their fate. But there have been several attempts to improve on the text. Several have repointed the text to get a word parallel to “house.” Ehrlich came up with עֹזֵב (ʿozev, “mud hut”), Kissane had “hovel” (similar to Neh 3:8). M. Dahood did the same (“The Root ʿzb II in Job,” JBL 78 [1959]: 306-7). J. Reider came up with עֶזֶב (ʿezev, the “leavings”), what the rich were to leave for the poor (“Contributions to the Scriptural text,” HUCA 24 [1952/53]: 103-6). But an additional root עָזַב (ʿazav) is questionable. And while the text as it stands is general and not very striking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Dhorme reverses the letters to gain בְּעֹז (beʿoz, “with force [or violence]”).
  41. Job 20:19 tn The last clause says, “and he did not build it.” This can be understood in an adverbial sense, supplying the relative pronoun to the translation.
  42. Job 20:20 tn Heb “belly,” which represents his cravings, his desires and appetites. The “satisfaction” is actually the word for “quiet; peace; calmness; ease.” He was driven by greedy desires, or he felt and displayed an insatiable greed.
  43. Job 20:20 tn The verb is the passive participle of the verb חָמַד (khamad) which is one of the words for “covet; desire.” This person is controlled by his desires; there is no escape. He is a slave.
  44. Job 20:20 tn The verb is difficult to translate in this line. It basically means “to cause to escape; to rescue.” Some translate this verb as “it is impossible to escape”; this may work, but is uncertain. Others translate the verb in the sense of saving something else: N. Sarna says, “Of his most cherished possessions he shall save nothing” (“The Interchange of the Preposition bet and min in Biblical Hebrew,” JBL 78 [1959]: 315-16). The RSV has “he will save nothing in which he delights”; NIV has “he cannot save himself by his treasure.”
  45. Job 20:21 tn Heb “for his eating,” which is frequently rendered “for his gluttony.” It refers, of course, to all the desires he has to take things from other people.
  46. Job 20:21 sn The point throughout is that insatiable greed and ruthless plundering to satisfy it will be recompensed with utter and complete loss.
  47. Job 20:22 tn The word שָׂפַק (safaq) occurs only here; it means “sufficiency; wealth; abundance (see D. W. Thomas, “The Text of Jesaia 2:6 and the Word שׂפק,” ZAW 75 [1963]: 88-90).
  48. Job 20:22 tn Heb “there is straightness for him.” The root צָרַר (tsarar) means “to be narrowed in straits, to be in a bind.” The word here would have the idea of pressure, stress, trouble. One could say he is in a bind.
  49. Job 20:22 tn Heb “every hand of trouble comes to him.” The pointing of עָמֵל (ʿamel) indicates it would refer to one who brings trouble; LXX and Latin read an abstract noun עָמָל (ʿamal, “trouble”) here.
  50. Job 20:23 tn D. J. A. Clines observes that to do justice to the three jussives in the verse, one would have to translate “May it be, to fill his belly to the full, that God should send…and rain” (Job [WBC], 477). The jussive form of the verb at the beginning of the verse could also simply introduce a protasis of a conditional clause (see GKC 323 §109.h, i). This would mean, “if he [God] is about to fill his [the wicked’s] belly to the full, he will send….” The NIV reads “when he has filled his belly.” These fit better, because the context is talking about the wicked in his evil pursuit being cut down.
  51. Job 20:23 tn “God” is understood as the subject of the judgment.
  52. Job 20:23 tn Heb “the anger of his wrath.”
  53. Job 20:23 tn Heb “rain down upon him, on his flesh.” Dhorme changes עָלֵימוֹ (ʿalemo, “upon him”) to “his arrows”; he translates the line as “he rains his arrows upon his flesh.” The word בִּלְחוּמוֹ (bilkhumo, “his flesh”) has been given a wide variety of translations: “as his food,” “on his flesh,” “upon him, his anger,” or “missiles or weapons of war.”
  54. Job 20:24 tn Heb “a bronze bow pierces him.” The words “an arrow from” are implied and are supplied in the translation; cf. “pulls it out” in the following verse.
  55. Job 20:25 tn The MT has “he draws out [or as a passive, “it is drawn out/forth”] and comes [or goes] out of his back.” For the first verb שָׁלַף (shalaf, “pull, draw”), many commentators follow the LXX and use שֶׁלַח (shelakh, “a spear”). It then reads “and a shaft comes out of his back, a sword flash comes out of his liver.” But the verse could also be a continuation of the preceding.
  56. Job 20:25 tn Possibly a reference to lightnings.
  57. Job 20:26 tn Heb “all darkness is hidden for his laid up things.” “All darkness” refers to the misfortunes and afflictions that await. The verb “hidden” means “is destined for.”
  58. Job 20:26 tn Heb “not blown upon,” i.e., not kindled by man. But G. R. Driver reads “unquenched” (“Hebrew notes on the ‘Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach’,” JBL 53 [1934]: 289).
  59. Job 20:29 tn For the word אִמְרוֹ (ʾimro) some propose reading “his appointment,” and the others, “his word.” Driver shows that “the heritage of his appointment” means “his appointed heritage” (see GKC 440 §135.n).
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Job 21
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Job 21
New English Translation

Job’s Reply to Zophar[a]

21 Then Job answered:

2 “Listen carefully[b] to my words;
let this be[c] the consolation you offer me.[d]
3 Bear with me[e] and I[f] will speak,
and after I have spoken[g] you may mock.[h]
4 Is my[i] complaint against a man?[j]
If so,[k] why should I not be impatient?[l]
5 Look[m] at me and be appalled;
put your hands over your mouths.[n]
6 For, when I think about[o] this, I am terrified[p]
and my body feels a shudder.[q]

The Wicked Prosper

7 “Why do the wicked go on living,[r]
grow old,[s] even increase in power?
8 Their children[t] are firmly established in their presence,[u]
their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are safe[v] and without fear;[w]
and no rod of punishment[x] from God is upon them.[y]
10 Their bulls[z] breed[aa] without fail;[ab]
their cows calve and do not miscarry.
11 They allow their children to run[ac] like a flock;
their little ones dance about.
12 They sing[ad] to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp,
and make merry to the sound of the flute.
13 They live out[ae] their years in prosperity
and go down[af] to the grave[ag] in peace.
14 So they say to God, ‘Turn away from us!
We do not want to know your ways.[ah]
15 Who is the Almighty, that[ai] we should serve him?
What would we gain
if we were to pray[aj] to him?’[ak]
16 But their prosperity is not their own doing.[al]
The counsel of the wicked is far from me![am]

How Often Do the Wicked Suffer?

17 “How often[an] is the lamp of the wicked extinguished?
How often does their[ao] misfortune come upon them?
How often does God apportion pain[ap] to them[aq] in his anger?
18 How often[ar] are they like straw before the wind,
and like chaff swept away[as] by a whirlwind?
19 You may say,[at] ‘God stores up a man’s[au] punishment for his children!’[av]
Instead let him repay[aw] the man himself[ax]
so that[ay] he may be humbled![az]
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction;[ba]
let him drink of the anger of the Almighty.
21 For what is his interest[bb] in his home
after his death,[bc]
when the number of his months
has been broken off?[bd]
22 Can anyone teach[be] God knowledge,
since[bf] he judges those that are on high?[bg]

Death Levels Everything

23 “One man dies in his full vigor,[bh]
completely secure and prosperous,
24 his body[bi] well nourished,[bj]
and the marrow of his bones moist.[bk]
25 And another man[bl] dies in bitterness of soul,[bm]
never having tasted[bn] anything good.
26 Together they lie down in the dust,
and worms cover over them both.

Futile Words, Deceptive Answers

27 “Yes, I know what you are thinking,[bo]
the schemes[bp] by which you would wrong me.[bq]
28 For you say,
‘Where now is the nobleman’s house,[br]
and where are the tents in which the wicked lived?’[bs]
29 Have you never questioned those who travel the roads?
Do you not recognize their accounts[bt]—
30 that the evil man is spared
from the day of his misfortune,
that he is delivered[bu]
from the day of God’s wrath?
31 No one denounces his conduct to his face;
no one repays him for what[bv] he has done.[bw]
32 And when he is carried to the tombs,
and watch is kept[bx] over the funeral mound,[by]
33 The clods of the torrent valley[bz] are sweet to him;
behind him everybody follows in procession,
and before him goes a countless throng.
34 So how can you console me with your futile words?
Nothing is left of your answers but deception!”[ca]

Footnotes

  1. Job 21:1 sn In this chapter Job actually answers the ideas of all three of his friends. Here Job finds the flaw in their argument—he can point to wicked people who prosper. But whereas in the last speech, when he looked on his suffering from the perspective of his innocence, he found great faith and hope, in this chapter when he surveys the divine government of the world, he sinks to despair. The speech can be divided into five parts: he appeals for a hearing (2-6), he points out the prosperity of the wicked (7-16), he wonders exactly when the godless suffer (17-22), he shows how death levels everything (23-26), and he reveals how experience contradicts his friends’ argument (27-34).
  2. Job 21:2 tn The intensity of the appeal is again expressed by the imperative followed by the infinitive absolute for emphasis. See note on “listen carefully” in 13:17.
  3. Job 21:2 tc The LXX negates the sentence, “that I may not have this consolation from you.”
  4. Job 21:2 tn The word תַּנְחוּמֹתֵיכֶם (tankhumotekhem) is literally “your consolations,” the suffix being a subjective genitive. The friends had thought they were offering Job consolation (Job 15:11), but the consolation he wants from them is that they listen to him and respond accordingly.
  5. Job 21:3 tn The verb נָשָׂא (nasaʾ) means “to lift up; to raise up,” but in this context it means “to endure; to tolerate” (see Job 7:21).
  6. Job 21:3 tn The conjunction and the independent personal pronoun draw emphatic attention to the subject of the verb: “and I on my part will speak.”
  7. Job 21:3 tn The adverbial clauses are constructed of the preposition “after” and the Piel infinitive construct with the subjective genitive suffix: “my speaking,” or “I speak.”
  8. Job 21:3 tn The verb is the imperfect of לָעַג (laʿag). The Hiphil has the same basic sense as the Qal, “to mock; to deride.” The imperfect here would be modal, expressing permission. The verb is in the singular, suggesting that Job is addressing Zophar; however, most of the versions put it into the plural. Note the singular in 16:3 between the plural in 16:1 and 16:4.
  9. Job 21:4 tn The addition of the independent pronoun at the beginning of the sentence (“Is it I / against a man / my complaint”) strengthens the pronominal suffix on “complaint” (see GKC 438 §135.f).
  10. Job 21:4 sn The point seems to be that if his complaint were merely against men he might expect sympathy from other men, but no one dares offer him sympathy when his complaint is against God. So he will give free expression to his spirit (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 147).
  11. Job 21:4 tn On disjunctive interrogatives, see GKC 475 §150.g.
  12. Job 21:4 tn Heb “why should my spirit/breath not be short” (see Num 21:4; Judg 16:16).
  13. Job 21:5 tn The verb פְּנוּ (penu) is from the verb “to turn,” related to the word for “face.” In calling for them to turn toward him, he is calling for them to look at him. But here it may be more in the sense of their attention rather than just a looking at him.
  14. Job 21:5 tn The idiom is “put a hand over a mouth,” the natural gesture for keeping silent and listening (cf. Job 29:9; 40:4; Mic 7:16).
  15. Job 21:6 tn The verb is זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”). Here it has the sense of “to keep in memory; to meditate; to think upon.”
  16. Job 21:6 tn The main clause is introduced here by the conjunction, following the adverbial clause of time.
  17. Job 21:6 tn Some commentators take “shudder” to be the subject of the verb, “a shudder seizes my body.” But the word is feminine (and see the usage, especially in Job 9:6 and 18:20). It is the subject in Isa 21:4; Ps 55:6; and Ezek 7:18.
  18. Job 21:7 sn A. B. Davidson (Job, 154) clarifies that Job’s question is of a universal scope. In the government of God, why do the wicked exist at all? The verb could be translated “continue to live.”
  19. Job 21:7 tn The verb עָתַק (ʿataq) means “to move; to proceed; to advance.” Here it is “to advance in years” or “to grow old.” This clause could serve as an independent clause, a separate sentence, but it more likely continues the question of the first colon and is parallel to the verb “live.”
  20. Job 21:8 tn Heb “their seed.”
  21. Job 21:8 tn The text uses לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם (lifnehem ʿimmam, “before them, with them”). Many editors think that these were alternative readings, and so omit one or the other. Dhorme moved עִמָּם (ʿimmam) to the second half of the verse and emended it to read עֹמְדִים (ʿomedim, “abide”). Kissane and Gordis changed only the vowels and came up with עַמָּם (ʿammam, “their kinfolk”). But Gordis thinks the presence of both of them in the line is evidence of a conflated reading (p. 229).
  22. Job 21:9 tn The word שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace, safety”) is here a substantive after a plural subject (see GKC 452 §141.c, n. 3).
  23. Job 21:9 tn The form מִפָּחַד (mippakhad) is translated “without fear,” literally “from fear”; the preposition is similar to the alpha privative in Greek. The word “fear, dread” means nothing that causes fear or dread—they are peaceful, secure. See GKC 382 §119.w.
  24. Job 21:9 tn Heb “no rod of God.” The words “punishment from” have been supplied in the translation to make the metaphor understandable for the modern reader by stating the purpose of the rod.
  25. Job 21:9 sn In 9:34 Job was complaining that there was no umpire to remove God’s rod from him, but here he observes no such rod is on the wicked.
  26. Job 21:10 tn Heb “his bull,” but it is meant to signify the bulls of the wicked.
  27. Job 21:10 tn The verb used here means “to impregnate,” and not to be confused with the verb עָבַר (ʿavar, “to pass over”).
  28. Job 21:10 tn The use of the verb גָּעַר (gaʿar) in this place is interesting. It means “to rebuke; to abhor; to loathe.” In the causative stem it means “to occasion impurity” or “to reject as loathsome.” The rabbinic interpretation is that it does not emit semen in vain, and so the meaning is it does not fail to breed (see E. Dhorme, Job, 311; R. Gordis, Job, 229).
  29. Job 21:11 tn The verb שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to send forth,” but in the Piel “to release; to allow to run free.” The picture of children frolicking in the fields and singing and dancing is symbolic of peaceful, prosperous times.
  30. Job 21:12 tn The verb is simply “they take up [or lift up],” but the understood object is “their voices,” and so it means “they sing.”
  31. Job 21:13 tc The Kethib has “they wear out” but the Qere and the versions have יְכַלּוּ (yekhallu, “bring to an end”). The verb כָּלָה (kalah) means “to finish; to complete,” and here with the object “their days,” it means that they bring their life to a (successful) conclusion. Both readings are acceptable in the context, with very little difference in the overall meaning (which according to Gordis is proof the Qere does not always correct the Kethib).
  32. Job 21:13 tc The MT has יֵחָתּוּ (yekhattu, “they are frightened [or broken]”), taking the verb from חָתַת (khatat, “be terrified”). But most would slightly repoint it to יֵחָתוּ (yekhatu), an Aramaism, “they go down,” from נָחַת (nakhat, “go down”). See Job 17:16.
  33. Job 21:13 tn The word רֶגַע (regaʿ) has been interpreted as “in a moment” or “in peace” (on the basis of Arabic rajaʿa, “return to rest”). Gordis thinks this is a case of talhin— both meanings present in the mind of the writer.
  34. Job 21:14 sn Contrast Ps 25:4, which affirms that walking in God’s ways means to obey God’s will—the Torah.
  35. Job 21:15 tn The interrogative clause is followed by ki, similar to Exod 5:2, “Who is Yahweh, that I should obey him?”
  36. Job 21:15 tn The verb פָּגַע (pagaʿ) means “to encounter; to meet,” but also “to meet with request; to intercede; to interpose.” The latter meaning is a derived meaning by usage.
  37. Job 21:15 tn The verse is not present in the LXX. It may be that it was considered too blasphemous and therefore omitted.
  38. Job 21:16 tn Heb “is not in their hand.”sn The implication of this statement is that their well-being is from God, which is the problem Job is raising in the chapter. A number of commentators make it a question, interpreting it to mean that the wicked enjoy prosperity as if it is their right. Some emend the text to say “his hands”—Gordis reads it, “Indeed, our prosperity is not in his hands.”
  39. Job 21:16 sn Even though their life seems so good in contrast to his own plight, Job cannot and will not embrace their principles—“far be from me their counsel.”
  40. Job 21:17 tn The interrogative “How often” occurs only with the first colon; it is supplied for smoother reading in the next two.
  41. Job 21:17 tn The pronominal suffix is objective; it re-enforces the object of the preposition, “upon them.” The verb in the clause is בּוֹא (boʾ) followed by עַל (ʿal), “come upon [or against],” may be interpreted as meaning attack or strike.
  42. Job 21:17 tn חֲבָלִים (khavalim) can mean “ropes” or “cords,” but that would not go with the verb “apportion” in this line. The meaning of “pangs (as in “birth-pangs”) seems to fit best here. The wider meaning would be “physical agony.”
  43. Job 21:17 tn The phrase “to them” is understood and thus is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  44. Job 21:18 tn To retain the sense that the wicked do not suffer as others, this verse must either be taken as a question or a continuation of the question in v. 17.
  45. Job 21:18 tn The verb used actually means “rob.” It is appropriate to the image of a whirlwind suddenly taking away the wisp of straw.
  46. Job 21:19 tn These words are supplied. The verse records an idea that Job suspected they might have, namely, that if the wicked die well God will make their children pay for their sins (see Job 5:4; 20:10; as well as Exod 20:5).
  47. Job 21:19 tn The text simply has אוֹנוֹ (ʾono, “his iniquity”), but by usage, “the punishment for the iniquity.”
  48. Job 21:19 tn Heb “his sons.”
  49. Job 21:19 tn The verb שָׁלַם (shalam) in the Piel has the meaning of restoring things to normal, making whole, and so reward, repay (if for sins), or recompense in general.
  50. Job 21:19 tn The text simply has “let him repay [to] him.”
  51. Job 21:19 tn The imperfect verb after the jussive carries the meaning of a purpose clause, and so taken as a final imperfect: “in order that he may be humbled.”
  52. Job 21:19 tn The common verb יָדַע (yadaʿ) means “to know.” Among homophonous roots DCH includes יָדַע II meaning “be quiet, at rest; be submissive, humbled” (cf. Prov 5:6; Isa 45:4; Jer 14:18; Hos 9:7).
  53. Job 21:20 tc This word occurs only here. The word כִּיד (kid) was connected to Arabic kaid, “fraud, trickery,” or “warfare.” The word is emended by the commentators to other ideas, such as פִּיד (pid, “[his] calamity”). Dahood and others alter it to “cup”; Wright to “weapons.” A. F. L. Beeston argues for a meaning “condemnation” for the MT form, and so makes no change in the text (Mus 67 [1954]: 315-16). If the connection to Arabic “warfare” is sustained, or if such explanations of the existing MT can be sustained, then the text need not be emended. In any case, the sense of the line is clear.
  54. Job 21:21 tn Heb “his desire.” The meaning is that after he is gone he does not care about what happens to his household (“house” meaning “family” here).
  55. Job 21:21 tn Heb “after him,” but clearly the meaning is “after he is gone.”
  56. Job 21:21 tc The rare word חֻצָּצוּ (khutsatsu) is probably a cognate of hassa in Arabic, meaning “to cut off.” There is also an Akkadian word “to cut in two” and “to break.” These fit the context here rather well. The other Hebrew words that are connected to the root חָצַץ (khatsats) do not offer any help.
  57. Job 21:22 tn The imperfect verb in this question should be given the modal nuance of potential imperfect. The question is rhetorical—it is affirming that no one can teach God.
  58. Job 21:22 tn The clause begins with the disjunctive vav (ו) and the pronoun, “and he.” This is to be subordinated as a circumstantial clause. See GKC 456 §142.d.
  59. Job 21:22 tc The Hebrew has רָמִים (ramim), a plural masculine participle of רוּם (rum, “to be high; to be exalted”). This is probably a reference to the angels. But M. Dahood restores an older interpretation that it refers to “the Most High” (“Some Northwest Semitic words in Job,”Bib 38 [1957]: 316-17). He would take the word as a singular form with an enclitic mem (ם). He reads the verse, “will he judge the Most High?”
  60. Job 21:23 tn The line has “in the bone of his perfection.” The word עֶצֶם (ʾetsem), which means “bone,” is used pronominally to express “the same, very”; here it is “in the very fullness of his strength” (see GKC 449 §139.g). The abstract תֹּם (tom) is used here in the sense of physical perfection and strengths.
  61. Job 21:24 tn The verb עָטַן (ʿatan) has the precise meaning of “press olives.” But because here it says “full of milk,” the derived meaning for the noun has been made to mean “breasts” or “pails” (although in later Hebrew this word occurs—but with olives, not with milk). Dhorme takes it to refer to “his sides,” and repoints the word for “milk” (חָלָב, khalav) to get “fat” (חֶלֶב, khelev)—“his sides are full of fat,” a rendering followed by NASB. However, this weakens the parallelism.
  62. Job 21:24 tn This interpretation, adopted by several commentaries and modern translations (cf. NAB, NIV), is a general rendering to capture the sense of the line.
  63. Job 21:24 tn The verb שָׁקָה (shaqah) means “to water” and here “to be watered thoroughly.” The picture in the line is that of health and vigor.
  64. Job 21:25 tn The expression “this (v. 23)…and this” (v. 25) means “one…the other.”
  65. Job 21:25 tn The text literally has “and this [man] dies in soul of bitterness.” Some simply reverse it and translate “in the bitterness of soul.” The genitive “bitterness” may be an attribute adjective, “with a bitter soul.”
  66. Job 21:25 tn Heb “eaten what is good.” It means he died without having enjoyed the good life.
  67. Job 21:27 tn The word is “your thoughts.” The word for “thoughts” (from חָצַב [khatsav, “to think; to reckon; to plan”]) has more to do with their intent than their general thoughts. He knows that when they talked about the fate of the wicked they really were talking about him.
  68. Job 21:27 tn For the meaning of this word, and its root זָמַם (zamam), see Job 17:11. It usually means the “plans” or “schemes” that are concocted against someone.
  69. Job 21:27 tn E. Dhorme (Job, 321) distinguishes the verb חָמַס (khamas) from the noun for “violence.” He proposes a meaning of “think, imagine”: “and the ideas you imagined about me.”
  70. Job 21:28 sn The question implies the answer will be “vanished” or “gone.”
  71. Job 21:28 tn Heb “And where is the tent, the dwellings of the wicked.” The word “dwellings of the wicked” is in apposition to “tent.” A relative pronoun must be supplied in the translation.
  72. Job 21:29 tc The LXX reads, “Ask those who go by the way, and do not disown their signs.”tn The idea is that the merchants who travel widely will talk about what they have seen and heard. These travelers give a different account of the wicked; they tell how he is spared. E. Dhorme (Job, 322) interprets “signs” concretely: “Their custom was to write their names and their thoughts somewhere at the main cross-roads. The main roads of Sinai are dotted with these scribblings made by such passers of a day.”
  73. Job 21:30 tn The verb means “to be led forth.” To be “led forth in the day of trouble” means to be delivered.
  74. Job 21:31 tn The expression “and he has done” is taken here to mean “what he has done.”
  75. Job 21:31 tn Heb “Who declares his way to his face? // Who repays him for what he has done?” These rhetorical questions, which expect a negative answer (“No one!”) have been translated as indicative statements to bring out their force clearly.
  76. Job 21:32 tn The verb says “he will watch.” The subject is unspecified, so the translation is passive.
  77. Job 21:32 tn The Hebrew word refers to the tumulus, the burial mound that is erected on the spot where the person is buried.
  78. Job 21:33 tn The clods are those that are used to make a mound over the body. And, for a burial in the valley, see Deut 34:6. The verse here sees him as participating in his funeral and enjoying it. Nothing seems to go wrong with the wicked.
  79. Job 21:34 tn The word מָעַל (maʿal) is used for “treachery; deception; fraud.” Here Job is saying that their way of interpreting reality is dangerously unfaithful.
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Job 20
Job 22
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Proverbs 20
New English Translation

20 Wine[a] is a mocker[b] and strong drink is a brawler;
whoever goes astray by them is not wise.[c]
2 The king’s terrifying anger[d] is like the roar of a lion;
whoever provokes him[e] sins against himself.[f]
3 It is an honor for a person[g] to cease[h] from strife,
but every fool quarrels.[i]
4 The sluggard will not plow[j] during the planting season,[k]
so at harvest time he asks[l] for grain[m] but has nothing.
5 Counsel[n] in a person’s heart[o] is like[p] deep water,[q]
but an understanding person[r] draws it out.
6 Many people profess their loyalty,[s]
but a faithful person[t]—who can find?[u]
7 The righteous person[v] behaves in integrity;[w]
blessed are his children after him.[x]
8 A king sitting on the throne to judge[y]
separates out[z] all evil with his eyes.[aa]
9 Who can say,[ab] “I have kept my heart[ac] clean;[ad]
I am pure[ae] from my sin”?
10 Diverse weights and diverse measures[af]—
the Lord abhors[ag] both of them.
11 Even a young man[ah] is known[ai] by his actions,
whether his activity is pure and whether it is right.[aj]
12 The ear that hears and the eye that sees[ak]—
the Lord has made them both.[al]
13 Do not love sleep,[am] lest you become impoverished;
open your eyes so that[an] you might be satisfied with food.[ao]
14 “It’s worthless! It’s worthless!”[ap] says the buyer,[aq]
but when he goes on his way, he boasts.[ar]
15 There is gold, and an abundance of rubies,
but[as] words of knowledge[at] are like[au] a precious jewel.
16 Take a man’s[av] garment[aw] when he has given security for a stranger,[ax]
and hold him[ay] in pledge on behalf of strangers.
17 Bread gained by deceit[az] tastes sweet to a person,[ba]
but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.[bb]
18 Plans[bc] are established by counsel,
so[bd] make war[be] with guidance.
19 The one who goes about gossiping[bf] reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate[bg] with someone who is always opening his mouth.[bh]
20 The one who curses[bi] his father and his mother,
his lamp[bj] will be extinguished in the blackest[bk] darkness.
21 An inheritance gained easily[bl] in the beginning
will not be blessed[bm] in the end.[bn]
22 Do not say,[bo] “I will pay back[bp] evil!”
Wait[bq] for the Lord, so that he may vindicate you.[br]
23 The Lord abhors[bs] differing weights,
and dishonest scales are wicked.[bt]
24 The steps of a person[bu] are ordained by[bv] the Lord—
so how can anyone[bw] understand his own[bx] way?
25 It is a snare[by] for a person[bz] to rashly cry,[ca] “Holy!”
and only afterward to consider[cb] what he has vowed.[cc]
26 A wise king separates out[cd] the wicked;
he turns the threshing wheel over them.[ce]
27 The human spirit[cf] is like[cg] the lamp[ch] of the Lord,
searching all his innermost parts.[ci]
28 Loyal love and truth[cj] preserve a king,
and his throne is upheld by loyal love.[ck]
29 The glory[cl] of young men is their strength,
and the splendor[cm] of old men is gray hair.[cn]
30 Beatings and wounds cleanse away[co] evil,
and floggings cleanse[cp] the innermost being.[cq]

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:1 sn The drinks are wine and barley beer (e.g., Lev 10:9; Deut 14:26; Isa 28:7). These terms here could be understood as personifications, but better as metonymies for those who drink wine and beer. The inebriated person mocks and brawls.
  2. Proverbs 20:1 tn The two participles לֵץ (lets, “mocker”) and הֹמֶה (homeh, “brawler”) are substantives; they function as predicates in the sentence. Excessive use of intoxicants excites the drinker to boisterous behavior and aggressive attitudes—it turns them into mockers and brawlers.
  3. Proverbs 20:1 sn The proverb does not prohibit the use of wine or beer; in fact, strong drink was used at festivals and celebrations. But intoxication was considered out of bounds for a member of the covenant community (e.g., 23:20-21, 29-35; 31:4-7). To be led astray by their use is not wise.
  4. Proverbs 20:2 tn Heb “the terror of a king” (so ASV, NASB); The term “terror” is a metonymy of effect for cause: the anger of a king that causes terror among the people. The term “king” functions as a possessive genitive: “a king’s anger” (cf. NIV “A king’s wrath”; NLT “The king’s fury”).
  5. Proverbs 20:2 tn The verb מִתְעַבְּרוֹ (mitʿabbero) is problematic; in the MT the form is the Hitpael participle with a pronominal suffix, which is unusual, for the direct object of this verb usually takes a preposition first: “is angry with.” The LXX rendered it “angers [or, irritates].”
  6. Proverbs 20:2 sn The expression “sins against himself” has been taken by some to mean “forfeits his life” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “endangers his life” (cf. NCV, NLT). That may be the implication of getting oneself in trouble with an angry king (cf. TEV “making him angry is suicide”).
  7. Proverbs 20:3 tn Heb “man.”
  8. Proverbs 20:3 tn Heb “cessation” (שֶׁבֶת, shevet); NAB “to shun strife”; NRSV “refrain from strife.”sn One cannot avoid conflict altogether, but the proverb is instructing that at the first sign of conflict the honorable thing to do is to find a way to end it.
  9. Proverbs 20:3 tn Heb “breaks out.” The Hitpael of the verb גָּלַע (galaʿ, “to expose; to lay bare”) means “to break out; to disclose oneself,” and so the idea of flaring up in a quarrel is clear. But there are also cognate connections to the idea of “showing the teeth; snarling” and so quarreling viciously.
  10. Proverbs 20:4 sn The act of plowing is put for the whole process of planting a crop.
  11. Proverbs 20:4 tn Heb “from winter.” The preposition מִן (min) may designate the starting point “from winter [onward]” or the cause “due to” (so ASV “by reason of the winter”). The noun “winter” refers to the time for sowing seed and having the early growth of crops. The right time for planting was after the autumn harvest and the rainy season of autumn and winter began.
  12. Proverbs 20:4 tc The Kethib reads a Qal imperfect, while the Qere reads a vav plus Qal perfect consecutive. Both forms would be future; the Qere more overtly states this as a consequence.tn The basic meaning of the Qal verb שָׁאַל (shaʾal) is “to ask;” by extension it sometimes means “to wish for; to desire; to borrow” and perhaps “to beg.” The Piel can mean “to beg” and does not require emending the consonantal text. Because he did not plant, or did not do it at the right time, he is reduced to begging and will have nothing (cf. KJV, ASV; NASB “he begs during the harvest”).
  13. Proverbs 20:4 tn The phrase “for grain” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  14. Proverbs 20:5 sn The noun means “advice, counsel”; it can have the connotation of planning or making decisions. Those with understanding can sort out plans.
  15. Proverbs 20:5 tn The Hebrew term לֶב (lev) refers to the “mind” (NRSV) as well as the “heart” (KJV, NIV, NASB). The expression refers to unspoken thoughts.
  16. Proverbs 20:5 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
  17. Proverbs 20:5 sn The motives or plans of a person are “difficult to fathom”; it takes someone with understanding to discover and surface them (the verb in the last colon continues the figure with the sense of bringing the plans to the surface and sorting them out).
  18. Proverbs 20:5 tn Heb “a man of understanding”; TEV “someone with insight”; NLT “the wise.”
  19. Proverbs 20:6 tn Heb “many a man calls/proclaims a man of his loyal love.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 20:6 render the verb as passive: “many are called kind.” Other suggestions include: “most men meet people who will do them occasional kindnesses” (RSV); “many men profess friendship” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 384); “many men invite only the one who has shown them kindness.” The simplest interpretation in this context is “many proclaim [themselves to be] a kind person (= a loyal friend).” The contrast is between many who claim to be loyal friends and the one who actually proves to be faithful.
  20. Proverbs 20:6 tn The shift to the expression “a man of faithfulness[es]” in the second line indicates that of all those who claim to show faithful love, it is rare to find one who is truly reliable (as the word אֱמוּנִים [ʾemunim] indicates clearly); cf. NAB, NRSV “one worthy of trust.”
  21. Proverbs 20:6 sn The point of the rhetorical question is that a truly faithful friend is very difficult to find.
  22. Proverbs 20:7 sn Two terms describe the subject of this proverb: “righteous” and “integrity.” The first describes the person as a member of the covenant community who strives to live according to God’s standards; the second emphasizes that his lifestyle is blameless.
  23. Proverbs 20:7 tn Heb “walks in his integrity” (so NASB); cf. NIV “leads a blameless life.” The Hitpael participle of הָלַךְ (halakh) means “to walk about; to walk to and fro.” The idiom of walking representing living is intensified here in this stem. This verbal stem is used in scripture to describe people “walking with” God.
  24. Proverbs 20:7 sn The nature and the actions of parents have an effect on children (e.g., Exod 20:4-6); if the parents are righteous, the children will enjoy a blessing—the respect and the happiness which the parent reflects on them.
  25. Proverbs 20:8 tn The infinitive construct דִּין (din, “to judge”) indicates purpose (so NIV, NCV), even though it does not have a preposition with it.
  26. Proverbs 20:8 tn The second line uses the image of winnowing (cf. NIV, NRSV) to state that the king’s judgment removes evil from the realm. The verb form is מְזָרֶה (mezareh), the Piel participle. It has been translated “to sift; to winnow; to scatter” and “to separate”—i.e., separate out evil from the land. The text is saying that a just government roots out evil (cf. NAB “dispels all evil”), but few governments have been consistently just.
  27. Proverbs 20:8 sn The phrase with his eyes indicates that the king will closely examine or look into all the cases that come before him.
  28. Proverbs 20:9 sn The verse is a rhetorical question; it is affirming that no one can say this because no one is pure and free of sin.
  29. Proverbs 20:9 tn The noun לֵב (lev) commonly translated “heart” includes the “mind” and embraces both motives and thoughts.
  30. Proverbs 20:9 tn In the Qal this verb, זָכָה (zakhah), means to be (morally) “clean; pure.” Here in the Piel it is factitive to “make clean” (so NRSV) or “keep clean” (so NIV). This verb only appears 8 times in the Bible, but this phrase “to cleanse the heart/mind” also occurs in Ps 73:13, where Asaph despairs of having cleansed his heart (or kept it clean). Ps 119:9 remarks that one can keep your path clean by carefully observing God’s word. And Isa 1:16 advises cleansing oneself by putting away and ceasing to do evil. In an ultimate sense, no one has kept a clean heart in every regard. However these other passages suggest that one can repent in order to cleanse the heart and attend to God’s word to keep it clean. The question thus points out the inherent lack of purity and poses the obligation to take steps to safeguard purity. In other words, since my heart is not (natively) pure, what do I need to do to keep it pure (as in being true to God not in a sense of works adding up to purity)?
  31. Proverbs 20:9 sn The Hebrew verb (טָהֵר, taher) means to “be clean; pure” and may refer to physical cleanliness or the absence of disease, mildew, infectants, or blemishes. As a Levitical term it normally refers to cleanness from infectants or religious ceremonial cleanness (though often the two are related). The term is applied morally (specifically “clean from sin” as in this verse) in Lev 16:30 as part of the Day of Atonement. After the High Priest confesses the sins of the people and makes the sacrifice on their behalf, the people are considered “clean.” So on the one hand, the question sounds rhetorical—no one can claim to be pure on their own merit. On the other hand, the cultic answer would be those who have confessed sin and offered a sacrifice are cleansed.
  32. Proverbs 20:10 tn The construction simply uses repetition to express different kinds of weights and measures: “a stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah.”
  33. Proverbs 20:10 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The phrase features a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.” sn Behind this proverb is the image of the dishonest merchant who has different sets of weights and measures which are used to cheat customers. The Lord hates dishonesty in business transactions.
  34. Proverbs 20:11 sn In the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs the Hebrew term נַעַר (naʿar) referred to an adolescent, a young person whose character was being formed in his early life.
  35. Proverbs 20:11 sn The Hebrew verb נָכַר (nakhar) means “to recognize” more than simply “to know.” Certain character traits can be recognized in a child by what he does (cf. NCV “by their behavior”).
  36. Proverbs 20:11 sn Character is demonstrated by actions at any age. But the emphasis of the book of Proverbs would also be that if the young child begins to show such actions, then the parents must try to foster and cultivate them; if not, they must try to develop them through teaching and discipline.
  37. Proverbs 20:12 sn The first half of the verse refers to two basic senses that the Lord has given to people. C. H. Toy, however, thinks that they represent all the faculties (Proverbs [ICC], 388). But in the book of Proverbs seeing and hearing come to the fore. By usage, “hearing” also means obeying (15:31; 25:12), and “seeing” also means perceiving and understanding (Isa 6:9-10).
  38. Proverbs 20:12 sn The verse not only credits God with making these faculties of hearing and sight and giving them to people, but it also emphasizes their spiritual use in God’s service.
  39. Proverbs 20:13 sn The proverb uses antithetical parallelism to teach that diligence leads to prosperity. It contrasts loving sleep with opening the eyes, and poverty with satisfaction. Just as “sleep” can be used for slothfulness or laziness, so opening the eyes can represent vigorous, active conduct. The idioms have caught on in modern usage as well—things like “open your eyes” or “asleep on the job.”
  40. Proverbs 20:13 tn The second line uses two imperatives in a sequence (without the vav [ו]): “open your eyes” and then (or, in order that) you will “be satisfied.”
  41. Proverbs 20:13 tn Heb “bread” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV), although the term often serves in a generic sense for food in general.
  42. Proverbs 20:14 tn Heb “[It is] bad, [it is] bad.” Since “bad” can be understood in some modern contexts as a descriptive adjective meaning “good,” the translation uses “worthless” instead—the real point of the prospective buyer’s exclamation.
  43. Proverbs 20:14 sn This proverb reflects standard procedure in the business world. When negotiating the transaction the buyer complains how bad the deal is for him, or how worthless the prospective purchase, but then later brags about what a good deal he got. The proverb will alert the inexperienced as to how things are done.
  44. Proverbs 20:14 tn The Hitpael imperfect of הָלַל (halal) means “to praise”—to talk in glowing terms, excitedly. In this stem it means “to praise oneself; to boast.”
  45. Proverbs 20:15 tn The verse is usually taken as antithetical parallelism: There may be gold and rubies but the true gem is knowledge. However, C. H. Toy arranges it differently: “store of gold and wealth of corals and precious vessels—all are wise lips” (Proverbs [ICC], 388). But this uses the gems as metaphors for wise speech, and does not stress the contrast between wealth and wisdom.
  46. Proverbs 20:15 tn Heb “lips of knowledge.” The term “lips” is a metonymy for speaking, and “knowledge” could be either an attributive genitive or objective genitive: “knowledgeable lips.” Lips that impart knowledge are the true jewel to be sought.
  47. Proverbs 20:15 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  48. Proverbs 20:16 tn Heb “his garment.”
  49. Proverbs 20:16 sn Taking a garment was the way of holding someone responsible to pay debts. In fact, the garment was the article normally taken for security (Exod 22:24-26; Deut 24:10-13). People normally had few changes of clothes, so a garment represented giving a necessity as collateral. (In the case of a poor person the cloak should be returned for the nighttime to keep them warm.)
  50. Proverbs 20:16 tc The Kethib has the masculine plural form, נָכְרִים (nokhrim), suggesting a reading “strangers.” But the Qere has the feminine form נָכְרִיָּה (nokhriyyah), “strange woman” or “another man’s wife” (e.g., 27:13). The parallelism would suggest “strangers” is the correct reading, although theories have been put forward for the interpretation of “strange woman” (see below).tn M. Dahood argues that the cloak was taken in pledge for a harlot (cf. NIV “a wayward woman”). Two sins would then be committed: taking a cloak and going to a prostitute (“To Pawn One’s Cloak,” Bib 42 [1961]: 359-66; also Snijders, “The Meaning of זָר,” 85-86). In the MT the almost identical proverb in 27:13 has a feminine singular form here.sn The one for whom the pledge is taken is called “a stranger” and “foreign.” These two words do not necessarily mean that the individual or individuals are non-Israelite—just outside the community and not well known.
  51. Proverbs 20:16 tn Or “hold it” (so NIV, NCV).
  52. Proverbs 20:17 tn Heb “bread of deceit” (so KJV, NAB). This refers to food gained through dishonest means. The term “bread” is a synecdoche of specific for general, referring to anything obtained by fraud, including food.
  53. Proverbs 20:17 tn Heb “a man.”
  54. Proverbs 20:17 sn The image of food and eating is carried throughout the proverb. Food taken by fraud seems sweet at first, but afterward it is not. To end up with a mouth full of gravel (a mass of small particles; e.g., Job 20:14-15; Lam 3:16) implies by comparison that what has been taken by fraud will be worthless and useless and certainly in the way (like food turning into sand and dirt).
  55. Proverbs 20:18 tn The noun form is plural, but the verb is singular, suggesting either an abstract plural or a collective plural is being used here.
  56. Proverbs 20:18 tn The clause begins with vav (ו) on “with guidance.” But the clause has an imperative for its main verb. One could take the imperfect tense in the first colon as an imperfect of injunction, and then this clause would be also instructional. But the imperfect tense is a Niphal, and so it is better to take the first colon as the foundational clause and the second colon as the consequence (cf. NAB): If that is true, then you should do this.
  57. Proverbs 20:18 sn There have been attempts by various commentators to take “war” figuratively to mean life’s struggles, litigation, or evil inclinations. But there is no need and little justification for such interpretations. The proverb simply describes the necessity of taking counsel before going to war.
  58. Proverbs 20:19 sn The word describes a slanderer (NASB), a tale-bearer (KJV, ASV), or an informer. BDB 940 s.v. רָכִיל says the Hebrew expression “goers of slander” means slanderous persons. However, W. McKane observes that these people are not necessarily malicious—they just talk too much (Proverbs [OTL], 537).
  59. Proverbs 20:19 tn The form is the Hitpael imperfect (of prohibition or instruction) from עָרַב (ʿarav). BDB 786-88 lists six roots with these radicals. The first means “to mix,” but only occurs in derivatives. BDB 786 lists this form under the second root, which means “to take on a pledge; to exchange.” The Hitpael is then defined as “to exchange pledges; to have fellowship with [or, share].” The proverb is warning people to have nothing to do with gossips.
  60. Proverbs 20:19 tn The verb פֹּתֶה (poteh) is a homonym, related to I פָּתָה (patah, “to be naive; to be foolish”; HALOT 984-85 s.v. I פתה) or II פָּתָה (“to open [the lips]; to chatter”; HALOT 985 s.v. II פתה). So the phrase וּלְפֹתֶה שְׂפָתָיו may be understood either (1) as HALOT 985 s.v. II פתה suggests, “one opens his lips” = he is always talking/gossiping, or (2) as BDB suggests, “one who is foolish as to his lips” (he lacks wisdom in what he says; see BDB 834 s.v. II פָּתָה, noted in HALOT 984 s.v. I פתה 1). The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause for what is said: gossip. If such a person is willing to talk about others, he will be willing to talk about you, so it is best to avoid him altogether.
  61. Proverbs 20:20 tn The form is the Piel participle of קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light”; in the Piel stem it means “to take lightly; to treat as worthless; to treat contemptuously; to curse.” Under the Mosaic law such treatment of parents brought a death penalty (Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9; Deut 27:16).
  62. Proverbs 20:20 tn “His lamp” is a figure known as hypocatastasis (an implied comparison) meaning “his life.” Cf. NLT “the lamp of your life”; TEV “your life will end like a lamp.”sn For the lamp to be extinguished would mean death (e.g., 13:9) and possibly also the removal of posterity (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 115).
  63. Proverbs 20:20 tc The Kethib, followed by the LXX, Syriac, and Latin, has בְּאִישׁוֹן (beʾishon), “in the pupil of the eye darkness,” the dark spot of the eye. But the Qere has בֶּאֱשׁוּן (beʾeshun), probably to be rendered “pitch” or “blackest,” although the form occurs nowhere else. The meaning with either reading is approximately the same—deep darkness, which adds vividly to the figure of the lamp being snuffed out. This individual’s destruction will be total and final.
  64. Proverbs 20:21 tc The Kethib reads מְבֻחֶלֶת (mebukhelet), “gotten by greed” (based on a cognate Syriac verb, “to be greedy”), but the Qere is מְבֹהֶלֶת (mevohelet), “gotten hastily [or, quickly].” A large number of mss and the ancient versions read with the Qere (cf. KJV, ASV “gotten hastily”; NAB “gained hastily”; NIV “quickly gained”; NRSV “quickly acquired”).sn If the inheritance is obtained quickly, it could mean prematurely (e.g., Luke 15:12) or cruelly (Prov 19:26). The inheritance is gained without labor or without preparation.
  65. Proverbs 20:21 tn The form is the Pual imperfect, “will not be blessed,” suggesting that divine justice is at work. sn The Hebrew verb means “enriched, made fruitful, prospered.” Whatever the inheritance was, it will not reach its full potential or even remain permanent.
  66. Proverbs 20:21 tn Heb “in its end”; KJV, ASV “the end thereof.”
  67. Proverbs 20:22 tn The verse is directly instructive; it begins with the negated jussive in the first colon, and follows with the imperative in the second. It warns that the righteous should not take vengeance on the wicked, for only God can do that.
  68. Proverbs 20:22 tn The form is the Piel cohortative of resolve—“I am determined to pay back.” The verb שָׁלֵם (shalem) means “to be complete; to be sound.” In this stem, however, it can mean “to make complete; to make good; to requite; to recompense” (KJV, ASV). The idea is “getting even” by paying back someone for the evil done.
  69. Proverbs 20:22 sn To “wait” (קַוֵּה, qavveh) on the Lord requires faith in him, reliance on divine justice, and patience. It means that the wrongs done to a person will have to be endured for a time.
  70. Proverbs 20:22 tn After the imperative, the jussive is subordinated in a purpose or result clause: “wait for the Lord so that he may deliver you.” The verb יֹשַׁע (yoshaʿ) means “to save (KJV, ASV, NASB); to deliver (NIV); to give victory”; in this context it means “deliver from the evil done to you,” and so “vindicate” is an appropriate connotation. Cf. NCV “he will make things right.”
  71. Proverbs 20:23 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” This expression features a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”
  72. Proverbs 20:23 tn Heb “not good.” This is a figure known as tapeinosis—a deliberate understatement to emphasize a worst-case scenario: “it is wicked!” (e.g., 11:1; 20:10).
  73. Proverbs 20:24 tn Heb “the steps of a man,” but “man” is the noun גֶּבֶר (gever, in pause), indicating an important, powerful person. BDB 149-50 s.v. suggests it is used of men in their role of defending women and children; if that can be validated, then a translation of “man” would be appropriate here. But the line seems to have a wider, more general application. The “steps” represent (by implied comparison) the course of life (cf. NLT “the road we travel”).
  74. Proverbs 20:24 tn Heb “from the Lord”; NRSV “ordered by the Lord”; NIV “directed by the Lord.”sn To say that one’s steps are ordained by the Lord means that one’s course of actions, one’s whole life, is divinely prepared and sovereignly superintended (e.g., Gen 50:26; Prov 3:6). Ironically, man is not actually in control of his own steps.
  75. Proverbs 20:24 tn The verse uses an independent nominative absolute to point up the contrast between the mortal and the immortal: “and man, how can he understand his way?” The verb in the sentence would then be classified as a potential imperfect; and the whole question rhetorical. It is affirming that humans cannot understand very much at all about their lives.
  76. Proverbs 20:24 tn Heb “his way.” The referent of the third masculine singular pronoun is unclear, so the word “own” was supplied in the translation to clarify that the referent is the human individual, not the Lord.
  77. Proverbs 20:25 sn It would be a “snare” because it would lead people into financial difficulties; Leviticus 27 talks about foolish or rash vows.
  78. Proverbs 20:25 tn Heb “a man.”
  79. Proverbs 20:25 tn The verb is from לוּע (luʿ) or לָעַע (laʿaʿ); it means “to talk wildly” (not to be confused with the homonym “to swallow”). It occurs here and in Job 6:3. sn This refers to speaking rashly in dedicating something to the sanctuary by calling it “Holy.”
  80. Proverbs 20:25 tn Heb “reflect on.” The person is to consider the vows before making them, to ensure that they can be fulfilled. Too many people make their vow or promise without thinking, and then later worry about how they will fulfill their vows.
  81. Proverbs 20:25 tn Heb “the vows” (so NASB); CEV “promises.”
  82. Proverbs 20:26 tn Heb “winnows” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). The sage draws on the process of winnowing to explain how the king uncovers and removes wickedness. The verb from which the participle מְזָרֶה (mezareh) is derived means “to separate; to winnow; to scatter”; the implied comparison means that the king will separate good people from bad people like wheat is separated from chaff. The image of winnowing is also used in divine judgment. The second line of the verse uses a detail of the process to make the point. Driving a wheel over the wheat represents the threshing process; the sharp iron wheels of the cart would easily serve the purpose (e.g., Isa 28:27-28).
  83. Proverbs 20:26 tn The king has the wisdom/ability to destroy evil from his kingdom. See also D. W. Thomas, “Proverbs 20:26, ” JTS 15 (1964): 155-56.
  84. Proverbs 20:27 sn The expression translated “the human spirit” is the Hebrew term נִשְׁמַת (nishmat), a feminine noun in construct. This is the inner spiritual part of human life that was breathed in at creation (Gen 2:7) and that constitutes humans as spiritual beings with moral, intellectual, and spiritual capacities.
  85. Proverbs 20:27 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
  86. Proverbs 20:27 tn The “lamp” is the metaphor in the line; it signifies that the human spirit functions as a conscience, enabling people to know and please God, and directing them in choices that will be life-giving. E. Loewenstamm unnecessarily reads נִיר (nir, “to plow”) instead of נֵר (ner, “lamp”) to say that God plows and examines the soul (“Remarks on Proverbs 17:12 and 20:27, ” VT 37 [1967]: 233). The NIV supplies a verb (“searches”) from the second half of the verse, changing the emphasis somewhat.
  87. Proverbs 20:27 tn Heb “all the chambers of the belly.” This means “the inner parts of the body” (BDB 293 s.v. חֶדֶר); cf. NASB “the innermost parts of his being.”
  88. Proverbs 20:28 tn The first line uses two Hebrew words, חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (khesed veʾemet, “loyal love and truth”), to tell where security lies. The first word is the covenant term for “loyal love; loving-kindness; mercy”; and the second is “truth” in the sense of what is reliable and dependable. The two words often are joined together to form a hendiadys: “faithful love.” That a hendiadys is intended here is confirmed by the fact that the second line uses only the critical word חֶסֶד.
  89. Proverbs 20:28 sn The emphasis is on the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:11-16; Ps 89:19-37). It is the Lord and his faithful love for his covenant that ultimately makes the empire secure. But the enjoyment of divine protection requires the king to show loyal love as well.
  90. Proverbs 20:29 tn The Hebrew term תִּפְאֶרֶת (tifʾeret) means “beauty; glory”; in a context like this it means “honor” in the sense of glorying or boasting (BDB 802 s.v. 3.b).
  91. Proverbs 20:29 tn The Hebrew term הֲדַר (hadar), the noun in construct, means “splendor; honor; ornament.” The latter sense is used here, since grey hair is like a crown on the head.
  92. Proverbs 20:29 sn Gray hair is a metonymy of adjunct; it represents everything valuable about old age—dignity, wisdom, honor, experience, as well as worry and suffering of life. At the very least, since they survived, they must know something. At the most, they were the sages and elders of the people.
  93. Proverbs 20:30 tc The verb מָרַק (maraq) means “to polish; to scour”; in the Hiphil it means “to cleanse away,” but it is only attested here, and that in the Kethib reading of תַּמְרִיק (tamriq). The Qere has תַּמְרוּק (tamruq, “are a means of cleansing”). The LXX has “blows and contusions fall on evil men, and stripes penetrate their inner beings”; the Latin has “the bruise of a wound cleanses away evil things.” C. H. Toy suggests emending the text to read “stripes cleanse the body, and blows the inward parts” or “cosmetics purify the body, and blows the soul” (Proverbs [ICC], 397). Cf. CEV “can knock all of the evil out of you.”
  94. Proverbs 20:30 tn The term “cleanse” does not appear in this line but is supplied in the translation in the light of the parallelism.
  95. Proverbs 20:30 sn Physical punishment may prove spiritually valuable. Other proverbs say that some people will never learn from this kind of punishment, but in general this may be the only thing that works for some cases.
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1 Peter 1
New English Translation

Salutation

1 From Peter,[a] an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those temporarily residing[b] abroad[c] (in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia,[d] and Bithynia) who are chosen[e] 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling[f] with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure![g]

New Birth to Joy and Holiness

3 Blessed be[h] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 that is,[i] into[j] an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 This brings you great joy,[k] although you may have to suffer[l] for a short time in various trials. 7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith,[m] which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away[n]—and will bring praise[o] and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.[p] 8 You[q] have not seen him, but you love him. You[r] do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice[s] with an indescribable and glorious[t] joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation,[u] the prophets[v] who predicted the grace that would come to you[w] searched and investigated carefully. 11 They probed[x] into what person or time[y] the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ[z] and his subsequent glory.[aa] 12 They were shown[ab] that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things angels long to catch a glimpse of.

13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action[ac] by being fully sober, and set your hope[ad] completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.[ae] 14 Like obedient children, do not comply with[af] the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance,[ag] 15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.”[ah] 17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here[ai] in reverence. 18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 20 He was foreknown[aj] before the foundation of the world but[ak] was manifested in these last times[al] for your sake. 21 Through him you now trust[am] in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 You have purified[an] your souls by obeying the truth[ao] in order to show sincere mutual love.[ap] So[aq] love one another earnestly from a pure heart.[ar] 23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For

all flesh[as] is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of the grass;[at]
the grass withers and the flower falls off,
25 but the word of the Lord[au] endures forever.[av]

And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “Peter.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
  2. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Or “to those living as resident foreigners,” “to the exiles.” This term is used metaphorically of Christians who live in this world as foreigners, since their homeland is heaven.
  3. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles. But here it is probably metaphorical, used of Gentile Christians spread out as God’s people in the midst of a godless world.
  4. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
  5. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Or “to the chosen sojourners…” On this reading the phrases in v. 2 describe their entire existence as sojourners, etc., not just their election.
  6. 1 Peter 1:2 sn For obedience and for sprinkling indicates the purpose of their choice or election by God.
  7. 1 Peter 1:2 tn Grk “be multiplied to you.”
  8. 1 Peter 1:3 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (eulogētos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. Two factors of the author’s style come into play. At this point the author is describing the reality of believers’ salvation and will soon explain believers’ necessary response; this is in emulation of Pauline style which generally follows the same logical order (although the author here discusses the reality in a much more compressed fashion). On the other hand, when imitating the Pauline greeting, which is normally verbless, the author inserts the optative (see v. 2 above). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the fact that the author in the immediate context has used the optative when imitating a Pauline stylized statement would argue for the optative here. The translation uses the term “blessed” in the sense “worthy of praise” as this is in keeping with the traditional translation of berakah psalms. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3.
  9. 1 Peter 1:4 tn The phrase “that is” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the imperishable inheritance is in apposition to the living hope of v. 3.
  10. 1 Peter 1:4 tn Grk “into,” continuing the description of v. 3 without an “and.”
  11. 1 Peter 1:6 tn Grk “in which you exult.”
  12. 1 Peter 1:6 tc ‡ The oldest and best witnesses lack the verb (א* B, along with 1448 1611 syh), but most mss (P72 א2 A C P Ψ 048 33 1739 M) have ἐστίν here (estin, “[if] it is [necessary]”). The verb looks to be an explanatory gloss. But if no verb is present, this opens up the time frame in the author’s mind even more, since the conditional particle for both the first class condition and the fourth class condition is εἰ (ei). That may well be what was on the author’s mind, as evidenced by some of his other allusions to suffering in this little letter (3:14, 17). NA27 has the verb in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity, while NA28 omits the brackets altogether.tn Grk “Though now, for a little while if necessary, you may have to suffer.”
  13. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Or “genuineness,” the result of testing. On the other hand it may denote the process of testing: “that the proving of your faith…may bring praise.”sn The author is not asserting that the quality of the readers’ faith is in doubt and will be proven by future trials. He declares their faith to be a present reality in v. 5 and 9, so in context v. 8 affirms that their faith is indeed genuine.
  14. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Grk “which is passing away but is tested by fire,” describing gold in a lesser-to-greater comparison with faith’s proven character.
  15. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Grk “that the testing of your faith…may be found unto praise,” showing the result of the trials mentioned in v. 6.
  16. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 13).
  17. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “whom not having seen, you love.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  18. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “in whom not now seeing…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  19. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “in whom not now seeing but believing, you exult.” The participles have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  20. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “glorified.”
  21. 1 Peter 1:10 tn Grk “about which salvation.”
  22. 1 Peter 1:10 sn Prophets refers to the OT prophets.
  23. 1 Peter 1:10 tn Grk “who prophesied about the grace that is to/for you.”
  24. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Grk “probing.” The participle continues the sentence from v. 10 but has been translated as an indicative for English style.
  25. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Or “time or circumstances,” focusing not on the person but on the timing and circumstances of the fulfillment.sn The OT prophets wondered about the person and the surrounding circumstances (time) through which God would fulfill his promised salvation.
  26. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Grk “the sufferings unto Christ,” i.e., sufferings directed toward him, what he was destined to suffer.
  27. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Grk “the glories after these things.”
  28. 1 Peter 1:12 tn Grk “to whom [pl.] it was revealed.”
  29. 1 Peter 1:13 tn Grk “binding up the loins of your mind,” a figure of speech drawn from the Middle Eastern practice of gathering up long robes around the waist to prepare for work or action.
  30. 1 Peter 1:13 tn Grk “having bound up…, being sober, set your hope…”
  31. 1 Peter 1:13 tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 7).
  32. 1 Peter 1:14 tn Or “do not be conformed to”; Grk “not being conformed to.”
  33. 1 Peter 1:14 tn Grk “the former lusts in your ignorance.”
  34. 1 Peter 1:16 sn A quotation from Lev 19:2.
  35. 1 Peter 1:17 tn Grk “the time of your sojourn,” picturing the Christian’s life in this world as a temporary stay in a foreign country (cf. 1:1).
  36. 1 Peter 1:20 tn Grk “who was foreknown,” describing Christ in v. 19. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  37. 1 Peter 1:20 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.
  38. 1 Peter 1:20 tn Grk “at the last of the times.”
  39. 1 Peter 1:21 tc Although there may be only a slight difference in translation, the term translated as “trust” is the adjective πιστούς (pistous). This is neither as common nor as clear as the verb πιστεύω (pisteuō, “believe, trust”). Consequently, most mss have the present participle πιστεύοντας (pisteuontas; P72 א C P Ψ 5 81 436 442 1175 1243 1611 1739 1852 2492 M), or the aorist participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusantes; 33 2344), while A B 307c 1735 vg have the adjective. Though the external evidence on its behalf is not in itself compelling, internally πιστούς is to be preferred. In the NT the adjective is routinely taken passively in the sense of “faithful” (BDAG 820 s.v. πιστός 1). That may be part of the force here as well: “you are now faithful to God,” although the primary force in this context seems to be that of trusting. Nevertheless, it is difficult to separate faith from faithfulness in NT descriptions of Christians’ dependence on God.tn Grk “who through him [are] trusting,” describing the “you” of v. 20. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  40. 1 Peter 1:22 tn Grk “having purified,” as the preparation for the love described in the second half of the verse.
  41. 1 Peter 1:22 tc Most later mss (P M) have διὰ πνεύματος (dia pneumatos, “through the Spirit”) after ἀληθείας (alētheias, “truth”), while the words are lacking in a broad spectrum of early and significant witnesses (P72 א A B C Ψ 33 81 323 945 1241 1739 vg sy co). On external grounds, the shorter reading cannot be easily explained if it were not autographic. The longer reading is clearly secondary, added to show more strongly God’s part in man’s obedience to the truth. But the addition ignores the force that the author gives to “purified” and ruins the balance between v. 22 and v. 23 (for in v. 23 the emphasis is on God’s part; here, on mankind’s).
  42. 1 Peter 1:22 tn Grk “for sincere brotherly love.”
  43. 1 Peter 1:22 tn Verses 22-23 are a single sentence in the Greek text. To improve clarity (and because contemporary English tends to use shorter sentences) these verses have been divided into three sentences in the translation. In addition, “So” has been supplied at the beginning of the second English sentence (v. 22b) to indicate the relationship with the preceding statement.
  44. 1 Peter 1:22 tc A few mss (A B 1852 vg) lack καθαρᾶς (katharas, “pure”) and read simply καρδίας (kardias, “from the heart”) ”) or καρδίας ἀληθινῆς (kardias alēthinēs, “from a true heart,” found in א2 vgms), but there is excellent ms support (P72 א* C P Ψ 33 1739 M co) for the word. The omission may have been accidental. In the majuscule script (kaqaras kardias) an accidental omission could have happened via homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. καθαρᾶς should be considered the initial reading. The NA28 prints καθαρᾶς καρδίας with a diamond, indicating that the decision was a toss-up or, in the words of the preface, “there are two variants which in the editors’ judgement could equally well be adopted in the reconstructed initial text.”
  45. 1 Peter 1:24 sn Here all flesh is a metaphor for humanity—human beings as both frail and temporary.
  46. 1 Peter 1:24 tn Or “a wildflower.”
  47. 1 Peter 1:25 sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rhēma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logos tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8; 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
  48. 1 Peter 1:25 sn A quotation from Isa 40:6, 8.
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