◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 140 142; Ps. 141 143:1–11 (12); Ezek. 39:21–29; 1 John 3:1–10; Matt. 10:24–33 (New English Translation)

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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

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Psalm 140

Psalm 140^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

140 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men.^[b]
Protect me from violent men,^[c]
²who plan ways to harm me.^[d]
All day long they stir up conflict.^[e]
³Their tongues wound like a serpent;^[f]
a viper’s^[g] venom is behind^[h] their lips. (Selah)
⁴O Lord, shelter me from the power^[i] of the wicked.
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over.^[j]
⁵Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men^[k] spread a net by the path.
They set traps for me. (Selah)
⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy.
⁷O Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,^[l]
you shield^[m] my head in the day of battle.
⁸O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way.^[n]
Do not allow their^[o] plan to succeed when they attack.^[p] (Selah)
⁹As for the heads of those who surround me—
may the harm done by^[q] their lips overwhelm them.
¹⁰May he rain down^[r] fiery coals upon them.
May he throw them into the fire.
From bottomless pits they will not escape.^[s]
¹¹A slanderer^[t] will not endure on^[u] the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.^[v]
¹²I know^[w] that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor.^[x]
¹³Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.

Footnotes

Psalm 140:1 sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
Psalm 140:1 tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
Psalm 140:1 tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
Psalm 140:2 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
Psalm 140:2 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (y^egaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
Psalm 140:3 tn Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
Psalm 140:3 tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:3 tn Heb “under.”
Psalm 140:4 tn Heb “hands.”
Psalm 140:4 tn Heb “to push down my steps.”
Psalm 140:5 tn Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khov^elim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).
Psalm 140:7 tn Heb “the strength of my deliverance.”
Psalm 140:7 tn Heb “cover.”
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).
Psalm 140:9 tn Heb “harm of their lips.” The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm.
Psalm 140:10 tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.
Psalm 140:10 tn Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition ב (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “be established in.”
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:12 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.
Psalm 140:12 tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”

Psalm 142

Psalm 142^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by David, when he was in the cave;^[c] a prayer.

142 To the Lord I cry out;^[d]
to the Lord I plead for mercy.^[e]
²I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about^[f] my troubles.
³Even when my strength leaves me,^[g]
you watch my footsteps.^[h]
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see.
No one cares about me.^[i]
I have nowhere to run;^[j]
no one is concerned about my life.^[k]
⁵I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security^[l] in the land of the living.”
⁶Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble.^[m]
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
⁷Free me^[n] from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble,^[o]
for you will vindicate me.^[p]

Psalm 141

Psalm 141^[a]

A psalm of David.

141 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me.
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you.
²May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering.^[b]
³O Lord, place a guard on my mouth.
Protect the opening^[c] of my lips.^[d]
⁴Do not let me have evil desires,^[e]
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly.^[f]
I will not eat their delicacies.^[g]
⁵May the godly strike me in love and correct me.
May my head not refuse^[h] choice oil.^[i]
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.^[j]
⁶They will be thrown over the side of a cliff by their judges.^[k]
They^[l] will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷As when one plows and breaks up the soil,^[m]
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
⁸Surely I am looking to you,^[n] O Sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger.^[o]
⁹Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set.^[p]
¹⁰Let the wicked fall^[q] into their^[r] own nets,
while I escape.^[s]

Footnotes

Psalm 141:1 sn Psalm 141. The psalmist asks God to protect him from sin and from sinful men.
Psalm 141:2 tn Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”
Psalm 141:3 tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 141:3 sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
Psalm 141:4 sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
Psalm 141:5 tn The form יָנִי (yani) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nuʾ). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (y^enaʾ), a Piel from נָאָה (naʾah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
Psalm 141:5 sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
Psalm 141:5 tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (ki ʿod u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְּפִלָּתִי (ki ʿed t^efillati, “indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
Psalm 141:6 tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.
Psalm 141:6 tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.
Psalm 141:7 tn Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.
Psalm 141:8 tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
Psalm 141:8 tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
Psalm 141:9 tn Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”
Psalm 141:10 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”
Psalm 141:10 tn Heb “his.”
Psalm 141:10 tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”

Psalm 143

Psalm 143^[a]

A psalm of David.

143 O Lord, hear my prayer.
Pay attention to my plea for help.
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me.
²Do not sit in judgment on^[b] your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you.^[c]
³Certainly^[d] my enemies^[e] chase me.
They smash me into the ground.^[f]
They force me to live^[g] in dark regions,^[h]
like those who have been dead for ages.
⁴My strength leaves me;^[i]
I am absolutely shocked.^[j]
⁵I recall the old days.^[k]
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments.^[l]
⁶I spread my hands out to you in prayer;^[m]
my soul thirsts for you in a parched^[n] land.^[o] (Selah)
⁷Answer me quickly, Lord.
My strength is fading.^[p]
Do not reject me,^[q]
or I will join^[r] those descending into the grave.^[s]
⁸May I hear about your loyal love in the morning,^[t]
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,^[u]
because I long for you.^[v]
⁹Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord.
I run to you for protection.^[w]
¹⁰Teach me to do what pleases you,^[x]
for you are my God.
May your kind presence^[y]
lead me^[z] into a level land.^[aa]
¹¹O Lord, for the sake of your reputation,^[ab] revive me.^[ac]
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble.^[ad]
¹²As a demonstration of your loyal love,^[ae] destroy my enemies.
Annihilate^[af] all who threaten my life,^[ag]
for I am your servant.

Footnotes

Psalm 143:1 sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
Psalm 143:2 tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
Psalm 143:2 tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).
Psalm 143:3 tn Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Or “sit.”
Psalm 143:3 sn Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).
Psalm 143:4 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
Psalm 143:4 tn Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.
Psalm 143:5 tn Or “ancient times”; Heb “days from before.”
Psalm 143:5 tn Heb “the work of your hands.”
Psalm 143:6 tn The words “in prayer” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the psalmist is referring to a posture of prayer.
Psalm 143:6 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” See Ps 63:1.
Psalm 143:6 tc Heb “my soul like a faint land for you.” A verb (perhaps “thirsts”) is implied (see Ps 63:1). The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition כ (kaf, “like”) to ב (bet, “in,” see Ps 63:1; cf. NEB “athirst for thee in a thirsty land”). If the MT is retained, one might translate, “my soul thirsts for you, as a parched land does for water/rain” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.
Psalm 143:8 tn Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love.sn The morning is sometimes viewed as the time of divine intervention (see Pss 30:5; 59:16; 90:14).
Psalm 143:8 sn The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
Psalm 143:8 tn Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (naʾas nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
Psalm 143:9 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nasti, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of כ (kaf) and נ (nun) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (ʾel, “to”) is well-attested.
Psalm 143:10 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
Psalm 143:10 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
Psalm 143:10 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
Psalm 143:10 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.
Psalm 143:11 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
Psalm 143:11 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
Psalm 143:11 tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
Psalm 143:12 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
Psalm 143:12 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
Psalm 143:12 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”

Ezekiel 39:21-29

²¹“I will display my majesty^[a] among the nations. All the nations will witness the judgment I have executed and the power I have exhibited^[b] among them. ²²Then the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. ²³The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile due to their iniquity,^[c] for they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies; all of them died by the sword. ²⁴According to their uncleanness and rebellion I have dealt with them, and I hid my face from them.

²⁵“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Now I will restore^[d] the fortunes of Jacob, and I will have mercy on the entire house of Israel. I will be zealous for my holy name. ²⁶They will bear their shame for all their unfaithful acts against me, when they live securely on their land with no one to make them afraid. ²⁷When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will magnify myself among them in the sight of many nations. ²⁸Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I sent them into exile among the nations and then gathered them into their own land. I will not leave any of them in exile^[e] any longer. ²⁹I will no longer hide my face from them, when I pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel,^[f] declares the Sovereign Lord.”

1 John 3:1-10

3 (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that^[a] we should be called God’s children—and indeed^[b] we are!^[c] For this reason^[d] the world does not know us: because it did not know him.^[e] ²Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be^[f] has not yet been revealed. We^[g] know that^[h] whenever^[i] it^[j] is revealed^[k] we will be like him, because^[l] we will see him just as he is.^[m] ³And everyone who has this hope focused^[n] on him purifies^[o] himself, just as Jesus^[p] is pure).^[q]

⁴Everyone who practices sin^[r] also practices lawlessness;^[s] indeed,^[t] sin is lawlessness. ⁵And you know that Jesus^[u] was revealed to take away^[v] sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶Everyone who resides^[w] in him does not sin;^[x] everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness^[y] is righteous, just as Jesus^[z] is righteous. ⁸The one who practices sin is of the devil,^[aa] because the devil has been sinning^[ab] from the beginning. For this purpose^[ac] the Son of God was revealed: to destroy^[ad] the works of the devil. ⁹Everyone who has been fathered^[ae] by God does not practice sin,^[af] because^[ag] God’s^[ah] seed^[ai] resides in him, and thus^[aj] he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. ¹⁰By this^[ak] the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness—the one who does not love his fellow Christian^[al]—is not of God.

Footnotes

1 John 3:1 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause is best understood (1) as epexegetical (or explanatory), clarifying the love (ἀγάπην, agapēn) that the Father has given to believers. Although it is possible (2) to regard the ἵνα as indicating result, the use of ποταπήν (potapēn, “what sort of”) to modify ἀγάπην suggests that the idea of “love” will be qualified further in the following context, and this qualification is provided by the epexegetical ἵνα clause.
1 John 3:1 tn “Indeed” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to indicate emphasis.
1 John 3:1 tc The phrase καὶ ἐσμεν (kai esmen, “and we are”) is omitted in 049 69 1175 2492 M. There seems to be no theological reason to omit the words, though possibly some scribes considered it redundant. This has all the earmarks of a classic case of homoioteleuton, for the preceding word (κληθῶμεν, klēthōmen, “we should be called”) ends in -μεν (-men).tn The indicative mood indicates that the verb ἐσμέν (esmen) at the end of 3:1a is not governed by the ἵνα (hina) and does not belong with the ἵνα clause, since this would have required a subjunctive. If the verb ἐσμέν were subjunctive, the force of the clause would be “that we should be called children of God, and be (children of God).” With ἐσμέν as indicative, the clause reads “that we should be called children of God, and indeed we are (children of God).”
1 John 3:1 tn Lexically it is clear that this phrase indicates reason, but what is not clear is whether (1) τοῦτο (touto) refers to what follows, (2) to what precedes, or (3) to both (as with the ἐν τοῦτο [en touto] phrases throughout 1 John). Διὰ τοῦτο (dia touto) occurs 15 times in the Gospel of John, and a pattern emerges which is so consistent that it appears to be the key to the usage here. Six times in the Gospel of John (5:16, 18; 8:47; 10:17; 12:18, 39) the phrase refers to what follows, and in each of these instances an epexegetical ὅτι (hoti) clause follows. Nine times in John (1:31; 6:65; 7:21-22; 9:23; 12:27; 13:11; 15:19; 16:15; 19:11) the phrase refers to what precedes, and in none of these instances is it followed by a ὅτι clause. The phrase διὰ τοῦτο is used three times in the Johannine Epistles. In two of these (1 John 4:5, 3 John 10) there is no ὅτι clause following, and so the διὰ τοῦτο should refer to preceding material. Here in 3:1 there is an epexegetical ὅτι clause following, so the διὰ τοῦτο should (unless it is the only exception in the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles) refer to what follows, that is, to the ὅτι clause itself. This is indicated by the colon in the translation.
1 John 3:1 sn The pronoun him is a clear reference to Jesus Christ (compare John 1:10).
1 John 3:2 tn The subject of the third person singular passive verb ἐφανερώθη (ephanerōthē) in 3:2 is the following clause τί ἐσόμεθα (ti esometha): “Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been revealed.”sn What we will be. The opponents have been revealed as antichrists now (2:19). What believers will be is to be revealed later. In light of the mention of the parousia in 2:28, it seems likely that an eschatological revelation of the true character of believers is in view here.
1 John 3:2 tc In several witnesses (1175 1611 1735 2492 M sy^p sa^mss), δέ (de, “and”) occurs after οἴδαμεν (oidamen, “we know”); as a postpositive conjunction it is nevertheless translated before the verb. Such an addition is a predictable scribal change, especially since Koine Greek almost always begins each sentence with a conjunction. This, coupled with the poor external credentials, suggests that this word was added later.tn The relationship of 3:2b to 3:2a is difficult. It seems best to regard this as a case of asyndeton, although the Byzantine text, the Syriac Peshitta, the Bohairic Coptic, and some mss of the Sahidic Coptic supply δέ (de) after οἴδαμεν (oidamen) in 3:2b. This addition is not likely to be original, but it does reflect a tendency among scribes to see an adversative (contrastive) relationship between 3:2a and 3:2b. This seems to be an accurate understanding of the relationship between the clauses from a logical standpoint: “and what we shall be has not yet been revealed, but we know that whenever he should be revealed, we shall be like him.”
1 John 3:2 tn The first ὅτι (hoti) in 3:2 follows οἴδαμεν (oidamen), a verb of perception, and introduces an indirect discourse clause which specifies the content of what believers know: “that whenever it should be revealed, we shall be like him.”
1 John 3:2 tn In this context ἐάν (ean) does not indicate (1) uncertainty about whether or not what believers will be shall be revealed, but rather (2) uncertainty about the exact time the event will take place. In the Koine period ἐάν can mean “when” or “whenever” and is virtually the equivalent of ὅταν (hotan; see BDAG 268 s.v. ἐάν 2). It has this meaning in John 12:32 and 14:3. Thus the phrase here should be translated, “we know that whenever it is revealed.”
1 John 3:2 tn Many take the understood subject (“he”) of φανερωθῇ (phanerōthē) as a reference to Jesus Christ, because the same verb was used in 2:28 in reference to the parousia (second advent). In the immediate context, however, a better analogy is ἐφανερώθη τί ἐσόμεθα (ephanerōthē ti esometha) in 3:2a. There the clause τί ἐσόμεθα is the subject of the passive verb: “what we shall be has not yet been revealed.” From a grammatical standpoint it makes better sense to see the understood subject of φανερωθῇ as “it” rather than “he” and as referring back to the clause τί ἐσόμεθα in 3:2a. In the context this makes good sense: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it shall be revealed, we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is.” This emphasizes the contrast in the verse between the present state (“not yet been revealed”) and the future state (“shall be revealed”) of believers, and this will of course take place at the parousia.
1 John 3:2 sn Is revealed. It may well be that the use of the same passive verb here (from φανερόω, phaneroō) is intended to suggest to the reader the mention of the parousia (Christ’s second coming) in 2:28.
1 John 3:2 tn The second ὅτι (hoti) in 3:2 is best understood as causal, giving the reason why believers will be like God: “we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is.”
1 John 3:2 sn The phrase we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is has been explained two ways: (1) believers will really become more like God than they now are, and will do this through seeing God as he really is; or (2) believers will realize that they are already like God, but did not realize it until they see him as he is. One who sees a strong emphasis on realized eschatology in the Gospel of John and the Epistles might opt for the second view, since it downplays the difference between what believers already are in the present age and what they will become in the next. It seems better, though, in light of the statement in 3:2a that “what we will be has not yet been revealed” and because of the reference to Christ’s parousia in 2:28, that the author intends to distinguish between the present state of believers and what they will be like in the future. Thus the first view is better, that believers really will become more like God than they are now, as a result of seeing him as he really is.
1 John 3:3 tn “Focused” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.
1 John 3:3 sn The verb translated purifies (ἁγνίζω, hagnizō) is somewhat unusual here, since it is not common in the NT, and occurs only once in the Gospel of John (11:55). One might wonder why the author did not use the more common verb ἁγιάζω (hagiazō), as in John 17:19, where Jesus prays, “On their behalf I consecrate myself, so that they may also be consecrated in the truth.” It is possible that there is some overlap between the two verbs and thus this is another example of Johannine stylistic variation, but the verb ἁγνίζω is used in the context of John 11:55, which describes ritual purification for the Passover, a usage also found in the LXX (Exod 19:10-11, Num 8:21). In this context the use of ἁγνίζω would remind the readers that, if they have the future hope of entering the Father’s presence (“seeing him as he is” in 3:2), they need to prepare themselves by living a purified lifestyle now, just as Jesus lived during his earthly life and ministry (cf. 2:6 again). This serves to rebut the opponents’ claims to moral indifference, that what the Christian does in the present life is of no consequence.
1 John 3:3 tn Grk “that one.” Context indicates a reference to Jesus here. The switch from αὐτός (autos) to ἐκείνος (ekeinos) parallels 1 John 2:6 (see note there). Since purity of life is mentioned in the context, this almost certainly refers to Jesus in his earthly life and ministry as the example believers should imitate (a major theme of the author throughout 1 John).
1 John 3:3 sn 1 John 3:1-3. All of 3:1-3 is a parenthesis within the present section in which the author reflects on what it means to be fathered by God, a subject he has mentioned at the end of 2:29. The sequence of the argument is then resumed by 3:4, which is in opposition to 2:29.
1 John 3:4 sn Everyone who practices sin. In contrast to the πᾶς ὁ (pas ho) + participle construction in 3:3 (everyone who has, πᾶς ὁ ἔχων [pas ho echōn]) which referred to believers, the use of everyone who practices sin (πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν [pas ho poiōn tēn hamartian]) here refers to the author’s opponents. A similar use, referring to the opponents’ denial of the Son, is found in 2:23.
1 John 3:4 sn The Greek word ἀνομία (anomia) is often translated “iniquity” or “lawlessness” and in the LXX refers particularly to transgression of the law of Moses. In Jewish thought the ideas of sin (ἁμαρτία, hamartia) and lawlessness or iniquity (ἀνομία) were often equated because sin involved a violation of the Mosaic law and hence lawlessness. For example, Ps 51:5 LXX sets the two in parallel, and Paul in Rom 4:7 (quoting Ps 32:1) does the same. For the author, it is not violation of the Mosaic law that results in lawlessness, since he is writing to Christians. The ‘law’ for the author is the law of love, as given by Jesus in the new commandment of John 13:34-35. This is the command to love one’s brother, a major theme of 1 John and the one specific sin in the entire letter which the opponents are charged with (3:17). Since the author has already labeled the opponents “antichrists” in 2:18, it may well be that he sees in their iniquitous behavior of withdrawing from the community and refusing to love the brethren a foreshadowing of the apocalyptic iniquity of the end times (cf. 2 Thess 2:3-8). In Matt 24:11-12 Jesus foretold that false prophets would arise in the end times (cf. 1 John 4:1), that lawlessness (anomia) would increase, and that “the love of many will grow cold” (which would certainly fit the author’s portrait of the opponents here).
1 John 3:4 tn Grk “and.”
1 John 3:5 tn Grk “that one.” The context makes it clear that this is a reference to Jesus, because the reader is told “he was revealed in order that he might take away sins.” The connection with Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in John 1:29 provides additional confirmation that the previous use of ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos) in 3:3b should also be understood as a reference to Jesus, as 2:6 was.sn In Johannine thought it is Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
1 John 3:5 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause gives the purpose of Jesus’ self-revelation as he manifested himself to the disciples and to the world during his earthly life and ministry: It was “to take away sins.”
1 John 3:6 tn Here the verb μένω (menō) refers to the permanence of relationship between Jesus and the believer, as in 2:27 and 2:28. It is clear that Jesus is the referent of the phrase ἐν αὐτῷ (en autō) because he is the subject of the discussion in v. 5.
1 John 3:6 tn The interpretive problem raised by the use of the present tense ἁμαρτάνει (hamartanei) in this verse (and ποιεῖ [poiei] in 3:9 as well) is that (a) it appears to teach a sinless state of perfection for the true Christian, and (b) it appears to contradict the author’s own statements in 2:1-2 where he acknowledged that Christians do indeed sin. (1) One widely used method of reconciling the acknowledgment in 2:1-2 that Christians do sin with the statements in 3:6 and 3:9 that they do not is expressed by M. Zerwick (Biblical Greek §251). He understands the aorist to mean “commit sin in the concrete, commit some sin or other” while the present means “be a sinner, as a characteristic «state».” N. Turner (Grammatical Insights, 151) argues essentially the same as Zerwick, stating that the present tense ἁμαρτάνει is stative (be a sinner) while the aorist is ingressive (begin to be a sinner, as the initial step of committing this or that sin). Similar interpretations can be found in a number of grammatical works and commentaries. (2) Others, however, have questioned the view that the distinction in tenses alone can convey a “habitual” meaning without further contextual clarification, including C. H. Dodd (The Johannine Epistles [MNTC], 79) and Z. C. Hodges (“1 John,” BKCNT, 894). B. Fanning (Verbal Aspect [OTM], 215-17) has concluded that the habitual meaning for the present tense cannot be ruled out, because there are clear instances of habitual presents in the NT where other clarifying words are not present and the habitual sense is derived from the context alone. This means that from a grammatical standpoint alone, the habitual present cannot be ruled out in 1 John 3:6 and 9. It is still true, however, that it would have been much clearer if the author had reinforced the habitual sense with clarifying words or phrases in 1 John 3:6 and 9 if that is what he had intended. Dodd’s point, that reliance on the distinction in tenses alone is quite a subtle way of communicating such a vital point in the author’s argument, is still valid. It may also be added that the author of 1 John has demonstrated a propensity for alternating between present and aorist tenses for purely stylistic reasons (see 2:12).sn Does not sin. It is best to view the distinction between “everyone who practices sin” in 3:4 and “everyone who resides in him” in 3:6 as absolute and sharply in contrast. The author is here making a clear distinction between the opponents, who as moral indifferentists downplay the significance of sin in the life of the Christian, and the readers, who as true Christians recognize the significance of sin because Jesus came to take it away (3:5) and to destroy it as a work of the devil (3:8). This argument is developed more fully by S. Kubo (“I John 3:9: Absolute or Habitual?” AUSS 7 [1969]: 47-56), who takes the opponents as Gnostics who define sin as ignorance. The opponents were probably not adherents of fully developed gnosticism, but Kubo is right that the distinction between their position and that of the true Christian is intentionally portrayed by the author here as a sharp antithesis. This explanation still has to deal with the contradiction between 2:1-2 and 3:6-9, but this does not present an insuperable difficulty. The author of 1 John has repeatedly demonstrated a tendency to present his ideas antithetically, in “either/or” terms, in order to bring out for the readers the drastic contrast between themselves as true believers and the opponents as false believers. In 2:1-2 the author can acknowledge the possibility that a true Christian might on occasion sin, because in this context he wishes to reassure his readers that the statements he has made about the opponents in the preceding context do not apply to them. But in 3:4-10, his concern is to bring out the absolute difference between the opponents and his readers, so he speaks in theoretical rather than practical terms which do not discuss the possible occasional exception, because to do so would weaken his argument.
1 John 3:7 sn The one who practices righteousness. The participle (ὁ ποιῶν, ho poiōn) + noun constructions in 3:7 and in 3:8a, the first positive and the second negative, serve to emphasize the contrast between the true Christians (“the one who practices righteousness”) and the opponents (“the one who practices sin,” 3:8a).
1 John 3:7 tn Grk “that one.” Context indicates a reference to Jesus here. As with the previous uses of ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos) by the author of 1 John (2:6; 3:3, 5), this one refers to Jesus, as the reference to “the Son of God” in the following verse (3:8) makes clear.
1 John 3:8 sn The person who practices sin is of the devil. 1 John 3:10 and John 8:44 might be cited as parallels, because these speak of opponents as the devil’s “children.” However, it is significant that the author of 1 John never speaks of the opponents as “fathered by the devil” in the same sense as Christians are “fathered by God” (3:9). A concept of evildoers as “fathered” by the devil in the same sense as Christians are fathered by God would imply a much more fully developed Gnosticism with its dualistic approach to humanity. The author of 1 John carefully avoids saying that the opponents are “fathered by the devil,” because in Johannine theology not to be fathered by God is to be fathered only by the flesh (John 1:13). This is a significant piece of evidence that 1 John predates the more fully developed Gnosticism of the 2nd century. What the author does say is that the opponents (“the one who practices sin”) are from the devil, in the sense that they belong to him and have given him their allegiance.
1 John 3:8 tn The present tense verb has been translated as an extending-from-past present (a present of past action still in progress). See ExSyn 520.
1 John 3:8 tn Here εἰς τοῦτο (eis touto) states the purpose for the revelation of God’s Son. However, the phrase offers the same difficulty as all the ἐν τούτῳ (en toutō) phrases in 1 John: Does it refer to what precedes or to what follows? By analogy with the ἐν τούτῳ construction it is probable that the phrase εἰς τοῦτο here refers to what follows: There is a ἵνα (hina) clause following which appears to be related to the εἰς τοῦτο, and in fact is resumptive (that is, it restates the idea of “purpose” already expressed by the εἰς τοῦτο). Thus the meaning is: “For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:8 tn In the Gospel of John λύσῃ (lusē) is used both literally and figuratively. In John 1:27 it refers to a literal loosing of one’s sandal-thong, and in John 2:19 to a destruction of Jesus’ physical body which was understood by the hearers to refer to physical destruction of the Jerusalem temple. In John 5:18 it refers to the breaking of the Sabbath, in John 7:23 to the breaking of the law of Moses, and in John 10:35 to the breaking of the scriptures. The verb is again used literally in John 11:44 at the resurrection of Lazarus when Jesus commands that he be released from the graveclothes with which he was bound. Here in 1 John 3:8 the verb means, with reference to “the works of the devil,” to “destroy, bring to an end, abolish.” See BDAG 607 s.v. λύω 4 and F. Büchsel, TDNT 4:336.
1 John 3:9 tn The imagery expressed here (σπέρμα αὐτοῦ, sperma autou, “his seed”) clearly refers to the action of the male parent in procreation, and so “fathered” is the best choice for translating γεννάω (gennaō; see 2:29).
1 John 3:9 tn The problem of the present tense of ποιεῖ (poiei) here is exactly that of the present tense of ἁμαρτάνει (hamartanei) in 3:6. Here in 3:9 the distinction is sharply drawn between “the one who practices sin” in 3:8, who is of the devil, and “the one who is fathered by God” in 3:9, who “does not practice sin.” See S. Kubo (“I John 3:9: Absolute or Habitual?” AUSS 7 [1969]: 47-56) for a fuller discussion of the author’s argument as based on a sharp antithesis between the recipients (true Christians) and the opponents (heretics).sn Does not practice sin. Again, as in 3:6, the author is making a clear distinction between the opponents, who as moral indifferentists downplay the significance of sin in the life of the Christian, and the recipients, who as true Christians recognize the significance of sin because Jesus came to take it away (3:5) and to destroy it as a work of the devil (3:8). This explanation still has to deal with the apparent contradiction between the author’s statements in 2:1-2 and those here in 3:9, but this is best explained in terms of the author’s tendency to present issues in “either/or” terms to bring out the drastic contrast between his readers, whom he regards as true believers, and the opponents, whom he regards as false. In 2:1-2 the author can acknowledge the possibility that a true Christian might on occasion sin, because in this context he wishes to reassure his readers that the statements he has made about the opponents in the preceding context do not apply to them. But in 3:4-10, his concern is to bring out the absolute difference between the opponents and his readers, so he speaks in theoretical terms which do not discuss the possible occasional exception, because to do so would weaken his argument.
1 John 3:9 tn Both the first and second ὅτι (hoti) in 3:9 are causal. The first gives the reason why the person who is begotten by God does not practice sin (“because his seed resides in him).” The second gives the reason why the person who is begotten by God is not able to sin (“because he has been begotten by God).”
1 John 3:9 tn Grk “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
1 John 3:9 tn The closest meaning for σπέρμα (sperma) in this context is “male generating seed” (cf. BDAG 937 s.v. 1.b), although this is a figurative rather than a literal sense. Such imagery is bold and has seemed crudely anthropomorphic to some interpreters, but it poses no more difficulty than the image of God as a male parent fathering Christians that appears in John 1:13 and is behind the use of γεννάω (gennaō) with reference to Christians in 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, and 18.
1 John 3:9 tn “Thus” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to bring out the resultative force of the clause in English.
1 John 3:10 tn Once again there is the problem (by now familiar to the interpreter of 1 John) of determining whether the phrase ἐν τούτῳ (en toutō) in 3:10 refers (1) to what precedes or (2) to what follows. If it refers to what precedes, it serves to conclude the unit which began with 2:28. The remainder of 3:10 would then form a transition to the following material (another “hinge” passage). On the other hand, if the phrase ἐν τούτῳ refers to what follows, then the entirety of 3:10 is a summary statement at the end of 2:28-3:10 which recapitulates the section’s major theme (conduct is the clue to paternity), and provides at the same time a transition to the theme of loving one’s brother which will dominate the following section (3:11-24). Although R. E. Brown (Epistles of John [AB], 416) prefers to see the phrase as referring to the preceding material, it makes better sense to refer it to the remainder of 3:10 that follows, and see the entirety of 3:10 as both a summary of the theme of the preceding section 2:28-3:10 and a transition to the following section 3:11-24.
1 John 3:10 tn See note on the term “fellow Christian” in 2:9.sn Does not love his fellow Christian. The theme of loving one’s fellow Christian appears in the final clause of 3:10 because it provides the transition to the second major section of 1 John, 3:11-5:12, and specifically to the following section 3:11-24. The theme of love will dominate the second major section of the letter (see 1 John 4:8).

Matthew 10:24-33

²⁴“A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave^[a] greater than his master. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much worse will they call^[b] the members of his household!

Fear God, Not Man

²⁶“Do^[c] not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden^[d] that will not be revealed,^[e] and nothing is secret that will not be made known. ²⁷What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear,^[f] proclaim from the housetops.^[g] ²⁸Do^[h] not be afraid of those who kill the body^[i] but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.^[j] ²⁹Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?^[k] Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.^[l] ³⁰Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. ³¹So do not be afraid;^[m] you are more valuable than many sparrows.

³²“Whoever, then, acknowledges^[n] me before people, I will acknowledge^[o] before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.

Footnotes

Matthew 10:24 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
Matthew 10:25 tn The words “will they call” are not in the Greek text but are implied, and have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 10:26 tn Grk “Therefore do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
Matthew 10:26 tn Or “concealed.”
Matthew 10:26 tn The passive voice here and with the next verb is probably used for rhetorical effect. Although it is common to understand such usage, particularly in the gospels, as examples of the so-called “divine passive” where God is the unstated performer of the action, according to Wallace (ExSyn 438) this category is overused.sn The passive verbs revealed and made known suggest the revelation comes from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known.
Matthew 10:27 tn Grk “what you hear in the ear,” an idiom meaning “say someth. into someone’s ear, i.e., secretly or in confidence, whisper” (BDAG 739 s.v. οὖς 1).
Matthew 10:27 tn The expression “proclaim from the housetops” is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51; BDAG 266 s.v. δῶμα). Roofs of many first century Jewish houses in Judea and Galilee were flat and had access either from outside or from within the house. Something shouted from atop a house would be heard by everyone in the street below.
Matthew 10:28 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
Matthew 10:28 sn A similar exhortation is found in 4 Macc 13:14-15, reflecting the view of Judaism in the intertestamental period. The statement here assumes there is more to a person than a body. As J. Nolland states, “Fear of God is to displace fear of death-dealing persecutors. The stakes are higher with God” (Matthew [NIGTC], 436).
Matthew 10:28 sn While destroy is sometimes taken to mean annihilation, it does not necessarily have to imply that here (“Of eternal death… Mt 10:28, ” BDAG 116 s.v. ἀπόλλυμι 1.a.α). There are some Jewish intertestamental texts that appear to reflect a belief in everlasting punishment for the wicked (Jdt 16:17; 1QS 2:8) as well as Rev 14:11 in the NT. See also the note on the word hell in 5:22.
Matthew 10:29 sn The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. The point of Jesus’ statement is that God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.
Matthew 10:29 tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”sn This is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater: If God cares about the lesser thing (sparrows) how much more does he care about the greater thing (people).
Matthew 10:31 sn This represents the third call by Jesus not to be afraid in the section (previously in vv. 26, 28). Since these two previous references were related to fear of persecution, it is probable that this one does as well. Once again the sparrows are mentioned and the argument is from lesser to greater (if God cares about individual hairs on the head and about sparrows, how much more does he care about people).
Matthew 10:32 tn Or “confesses”; cf. BDAG 708 s.v. ὁμολογέω 4, “to acknowledge someth., ordinarily in public, acknowledge, claim, profess, praise.”
Matthew 10:32 tn Grk “I will acknowledge [or, confess] him also.”sn This acknowledgment will take place at the judgment. On Jesus and judgment, see Luke 22:69; Acts 10:42-43; 17:31.

New English Translation (NET)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 140[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 142[a]

A well-written song[b] by David, when he was in the cave;[c] a prayer.

Footnotes

Psalm 141[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 143[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Footnotes

Footnotes

Fear God, Not Man

Footnotes

Psalm 140^[a]

Psalm 142^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by David, when he was in the cave;^[c] a prayer.

Psalm 141^[a]

Psalm 143^[a]