Luke 12:48
New English Translation
48 But the one who did not know his master’s will[a] and did things worthy of punishment[b] will receive a light beating.[c] From everyone who has been given much, much will be required,[d] and from the one who has been entrusted with much,[e] even more will be asked.[f]
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- Luke 12:48 tn Grk “did not know”; the phrase “his master’s will” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the contemporary English reader.
- Luke 12:48 tn Grk “blows.”
- Luke 12:48 tn Grk “will receive few (blows).”
- Luke 12:48 tn Grk “required from him,” but the words “from him” are redundant in English and have not been translated.
- Luke 12:48 sn Entrusted with much. To be gifted with precious responsibility is something that requires faithfulness.
- Luke 12:48 tn Grk “they will ask even more.”
Leviticus 4:1-5
New English Translation
Sin-Offering Regulations
4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:[a] 2 “Tell the Israelites, ‘When a person sins by straying unintentionally[b] from any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, and violates any[c] one of them[d]—
For the Priest
3 “‘If the high priest[e] sins so that the people are guilty,[f] on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord[g] for a sin offering.[h] 4 He must bring the bull to the entrance of the Meeting Tent before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slaughter the bull before the Lord. 5 Then that high priest must take some of the blood[i] of the bull and bring it to the Meeting Tent.
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- Leviticus 4:1 sn The quotation introduced here extends from Lev 4:2 through 5:13, and encompasses all the sin offering regulations. Compare the notes on Lev 1:1 above, and 5:14 and 6:1 [5:20 HT] below.
- Leviticus 4:2 tn Heb “And a person, when he sins in straying.” The English translation of “by straying” (בִּשְׁגָגָה [bishgagah] literally, “in going astray; in making an error”) varies greatly, but almost all suggest that this term refers to sins that were committed by mistake or done not knowing that the particular act was sinful (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:228-29). See, e.g., LXX “involuntarily”; Tg. Onq. “by neglect”; KJV “through ignorance”; ASV, RSV, NJPS “unwittingly”; NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “unintentionally”; NAB, NEB “inadvertently”; NCV “by accident.” However, we know from Num 15:27-31 that committing a sin “by straying” is the opposite of committing a sin “defiantly” (i.e., בְּיַד רָמָה [beyad ramah] “with a raised hand,” v. 30). In the latter case the person, as it were, raises his fist in presumptuous defiance against the Lord. Thus, he “blasphemes” the Lord and has “despised” his word, for which he should be “cut off from among his people” (Num 15:30-31). One could not bring an offering for such a sin. The expression here in Lev 4:2 combines “by straying” with the preposition “from” which fits naturally with “straying” (i.e., “straying from” the Lord’s commandments). For sins committed “by straying” from the commandments (Lev 4 throughout) or other types of transgressions (Lev 5:1-6) there was indeed forgiveness available through the sin offering. See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:94-95.
- Leviticus 4:2 tn This is an emphatic use of the preposition מִן (min; see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 56-57, §325).
- Leviticus 4:2 tn The “when” clause (כִּי, ki) breaks off here before its resolution, thus creating an open-ended introduction to the following subsections, which are introduced by “if” (אִם [ʾim] vv. 3, 13, 27, 32). Also, the last part of the verse reads literally, “which must not be done and does from one from them.”
- Leviticus 4:3 tn Heb “the anointed priest” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). This refers to the high priest (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
- Leviticus 4:3 tn Heb “to the guilt of the people”; NRSV “thus bringing guilt on the people.”
- Leviticus 4:3 tn Heb “and he shall offer on his sin which he sinned, a bull, a son of the herd, flawless.”
- Leviticus 4:3 sn The word for “sin offering” (sometimes translated “purification offering”) is the same as the word for “sin” earlier in the verse. One can tell which rendering is intended only by the context. The primary purpose of the “sin offering” (חַטָּאת, khattaʾt) was to “purge” (כִּפֶּר, kipper, “to make atonement,” see 4:20, 26, 31, 35, and the notes on Lev 1:4 and esp. Lev 16:20, 33) the sanctuary or its furniture in order to cleanse it from any impurities and/or (re)consecrate it for holy purposes (see, e.g., Lev 8:15; 16:19). By making this atonement the impurities of the person or community were cleansed and the people became clean. See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:93-103.
- Leviticus 4:5 tn Heb “from the blood of the bull” (and similarly throughout this chapter).
Numbers 15:22-29
New English Translation
Rules for Unintentional Offenses
22 [a] “‘If you[b] sin unintentionally and do not observe all these commandments that the Lord has spoken to Moses— 23 all that the Lord has commanded you by the authority[c] of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses and continuing through your future generations— 24 then if anything is done unintentionally[d] without the knowledge of[e] the community, the whole community must prepare one young bull for a burnt offering—for a pleasing aroma to the Lord—along with its grain offering and its customary drink offering, and one male goat for a purification offering. 25 And the priest is to make atonement[f] for the whole community of the Israelites, and they will be forgiven, because it was unintentional and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, and their purification offering before the Lord, for their unintentional offense. 26 And the whole community[g] of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.
27 “‘If any person[h] sins unintentionally, then he must bring a yearling female goat for a purification offering. 28 And the priest must make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally—when he sins unintentionally before the Lord—to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 29 You must have one law for the person who sins unintentionally, both for the native-born among the Israelites and for the resident foreigner who lives among them.
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- Numbers 15:22 sn These regulations supplement what was already ruled on in the Levitical code for the purification and reparation offerings. See those rulings in Lev 4-7 for all the details. Some biblical scholars view the rules in Leviticus as more elaborate and therefore later. However, this probably represents a misunderstanding of the purpose of each collection.
- Numbers 15:22 tn The verb is the plural imperfect; the sin discussed here is a sin committed by the community, or the larger part of the community.
- Numbers 15:23 tn Heb “hand.”
- Numbers 15:24 tn The idea of לִשְׁגָגָה (lishgagah) seems to be that of “inadvertence” or “without intent.” The text gives no indication of how this offense might be committed, or what it might include. It probably describes any transgressions done in ignorance of the Law that involved a violation of tabernacle procedure or priestly protocol or social misdemeanor. Even though it was done unintentionally, it was still a violation and called for ritual purification.
- Numbers 15:24 tn Heb “[away] from the eyes of the community.”
- Numbers 15:25 tn The verb is the Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive (וְכִפֶּר, vekhipper) to continue the instruction of the passage: “the priest shall make atonement,” meaning the priest is to make atonement for the sin (thus the present translation). This verb means “to expiate,” “to atone for,” “to pacify.” It describes the ritual events by which someone who was separated from the holy Lord God could find acceptance into his presence through the sacrificial blood of the substitutionary animal. See Lev 1 and Num 16:41-50.
- Numbers 15:26 tn Again, rather than translate literally “and it shall be forgiven [to] them” (all the community), one could say, “they (all the community) will be forgiven.” The meaning is the same.
- Numbers 15:27 tn The Hebrew text has וְאִם־נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת (veʾim nefesh ʾakhat), sometime translated “and if any soul.” But the word describes the whole person, the soul in the body; it refers here to the individual who sins.
Deuteronomy 4:41-42
New English Translation
The Narrative Concerning Cities of Refuge
41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone[a] without hating him at the time of the accident[b] could flee to one of those cities and be safe.
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- Deuteronomy 4:42 tn Heb “the slayer who slew his neighbor without knowledge.”
- Deuteronomy 4:42 tn Heb “yesterday and a third (day).” The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing.
Acts 3:17
New English Translation
17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance,[a] as your rulers did too.
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- Acts 3:17 sn The ignorance Peter mentions here does not excuse them from culpability. It was simply a way to say “you did not realize the great mistake you made.”
1 Timothy 1:13
New English Translation
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant[a] man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,
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- 1 Timothy 1:13 tn Or “violent,” “cruel.”
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