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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 80

Psalm 80^[a]

For the music director, according to the shushan-eduth style;^[b] a psalm of Asaph.

80 O Shepherd of Israel, pay attention,
you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep.
You who sit enthroned above the cherubim,^[c] reveal your splendor.^[d]
²In the sight of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh reveal^[e] your power.
Come and deliver us.^[f]
³O God, restore us.
Smile on us.^[g] Then we will be delivered.^[h]
⁴O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,^[i]
how long will you remain angry at your people while they pray to you?^[j]
⁵You have given them tears as food;^[k]
you have made them drink tears by the measure.^[l]
⁶You have made our neighbors dislike us,^[m]
and our enemies insult us.
⁷O God of Heaven’s Armies,^[n] restore us.
Smile on us.^[o] Then we will be delivered.^[p]
⁸You uprooted a vine^[q] from Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
⁹You cleared the ground for it;^[r]
it took root,^[s]
and filled the land.
¹⁰The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars^[t] by its branches.
¹¹Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea,^[u]
and its shoots the Euphrates River.^[v]
¹²Why did you break down its walls,^[w]
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit?^[x]
¹³The wild boars of the forest ruin it;^[y]
the insects^[z] of the field feed on it.
¹⁴O God of Heaven’s Armies,^[aa] come back.
Look down from heaven and take notice.
Take care of this vine,
¹⁵the root^[ab] your right hand planted,
the shoot you made to grow.^[ac]
¹⁶It is burned^[ad] and cut down.
May those who did this die because you are displeased with them.^[ae]
¹⁷May you give support to the one you have chosen,^[af]
to the one whom you raised up for yourself.^[ag]
¹⁸Then we will not turn away from you.
Revive us and we will pray to you.^[ah]
¹⁹O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,^[ai] restore us.
Smile on us.^[aj] Then we will be delivered.^[ak]

Footnotes

Psalm 80:1 sn Psalm 80. The psalmist laments Israel’s demise and asks the Lord to show favor toward his people, as he did in earlier times.
Psalm 80:1 tn The Hebrew expression shushan-eduth means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title. See the superscription to Ps 60.
Psalm 80:1 sn Cherubim are winged angels. As depicted in the OT, they possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubim suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubim in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.
Psalm 80:1 tn Heb “shine forth.”sn Reveal your splendor. The psalmist may allude to Deut 33:2, where God “shines forth” from Sinai and comes to superintend Moses’ blessing of the tribes.
Psalm 80:2 tn Heb “stir up”; “arouse.”
Psalm 80:2 tn Heb “come for our deliverance.”
Psalm 80:3 tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
Psalm 80:3 tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
Psalm 80:4 tn Heb “Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohe) before צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot; “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. In this context the term “hosts” has been rendered “Heaven’s Armies.”
Psalm 80:4 tn Heb “How long will you remain angry during the prayer of your people.” Some take the preposition ב (bet) in an adversative sense here (“at/against the prayer of your people”), but the temporal sense is preferable. The psalmist expects persistent prayer to pacify God.
Psalm 80:5 tn Heb “you have fed them the food of tears.”
Psalm 80:5 tn Heb “[by] the third part [of a measure].” The Hebrew term שָׁלִישׁ (shalish, “third part [of a measure]”) occurs only here and in Isa 40:12.
Psalm 80:6 tn Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”
Psalm 80:7 tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also v. 4 for a similar construction.
Psalm 80:7 tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
Psalm 80:7 tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
Psalm 80:8 sn The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6-10; Hos 10:1).
Psalm 80:9 tn Heb “you cleared away before it.”
Psalm 80:9 tn Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”
Psalm 80:10 tn Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name אֵל (ʾel, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.
Psalm 80:11 tn Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.
Psalm 80:11 tn Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.
Psalm 80:12 sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).
Psalm 80:12 tn Heb “pluck it.”
Psalm 80:13 tn The Hebrew verb כִּרְסֵם (kirsem, “to eat away; to ruin”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 80:13 tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word translated “insects,” which occurs only here and in Ps 50:11, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic, and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.
Psalm 80:14 tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7 for a similar construction.
Psalm 80:15 tn The form וְכַנָּה (v^ekhannah, “and a root”) is understood as וְכַנָּהּ (v^ekhannah), taking the ה (he) at the end as the third feminine singular pronominal suffix הּ (he with mappiq is hard “h”) rather than as the noun ending (see HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן). Elsewhere the noun refers to a pedestal or base, most often for the wash basin between the tabernacle and the altar. Translations here vary as “root” (NIV), “shoot” (NASB), “stock” (ASV, ESV, RSV), or the contextually driven “vineyard” (KJV).
Psalm 80:15 tn Heb “and upon a son you strengthened for yourself.” In this context, where the extended metaphor of the vine dominates, בֵּן (ben, “son”) probably refers to the shoots that grow from the vine. Cf. Gen 49:22.
Psalm 80:16 tn Heb “burned with fire.”
Psalm 80:16 tn Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”
Psalm 80:17 tn Heb “may your hand be upon the man of your right hand.” The referent of the otherwise unattested phrase “man of your right hand,” is unclear. It may refer to the nation collectively as a man. (See the note on the word “yourself” in v. 17b.)
Psalm 80:17 tn Heb “upon the son of man you strengthened for yourself.” In its only other use in the Book of Psalms, the phrase “son of man” refers to the human race in general (see Ps 8:4). Here the phrase may refer to the nation collectively as a man. Note the use of the statement “you strengthened for yourself” both here and in v. 15, where the “son” (i.e., the branch of the vine) refers to Israel.
Psalm 80:18 tn Heb “and in your name we will call.”
Psalm 80:19 tn Heb “O Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7, 14 for a similar construction.
Psalm 80:19 tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
Psalm 80:19 tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Samuel Anoints David as King

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel.^[a] Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”^[b]

²Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you^[c] and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out^[d] to you.”

⁴Samuel did what the Lord told him.^[e] When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They^[f] said, “Do you come in peace?” ⁵He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they arrived, Samuel^[g] noticed^[h] Eliab and said to himself,^[i] “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king.”^[j] ⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by^[k] his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do.^[l] People look on the outward appearance,^[m] but the Lord looks at the heart.”

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel.^[n] But Samuel^[o] said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹Then Jesse presented^[p] Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ¹⁰Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel.^[q] But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse^[r] replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”

¹²So Jesse had him brought in.^[s] Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” ¹³So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

1 John 2:18-25

Warning About False Teachers

¹⁸Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists^[a] have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. ¹⁹They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained^[b] with us. But^[c] they went out from us^[d] to demonstrate^[e] that all of them do not belong to us.^[f]

²⁰Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.^[g] ²¹I have not written to you that^[h] you do not know the truth, but that^[i] you do know it, and that^[j] no lie is of the truth. ²²Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ^[k] ? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son. ²³Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also.^[l]

²⁴As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain^[m] in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵Now this^[n] is the promise that he^[o] himself made to^[p] us: eternal life.^[q]

Footnotes

1 John 2:18 sn Antichrists are John’s description for the opponents and their false teaching, which is at variance with the apostolic eyewitness testimony about who Jesus is (cf. 1:1-4). The identity of these opponents has been variously debated by scholars, with some contending (1) that these false teachers originally belonged to the group of apostolic leaders, but departed from it (“went out from us,” v. 19). It is much more likely (2) that they arose from within the Christian communities to which John is writing, however, and with which he identifies himself. This identification can be seen in the interchange of the pronouns “we” and “you” between 1:10 and 2:1, for example, where “we” does not refer only to John and the other apostles, but is inclusive, referring to both himself and the Christians he is writing to (2:1, “you”).
1 John 2:19 tn See note on the translation of the Greek verb μένω (menō) in 2:6. Here μένω has been translated as “remained” since it is clear that a change of status or position is involved. The opponents departed from the author’s congregation(s) and showed by this departure that they never really belonged. Had they really belonged, they would have stayed (“remained”).
1 John 2:19 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
1 John 2:19 tn The phrase “they went out from us” is not repeated a second time in the Greek text, but constitutes an ellipsis. For clarity it is necessary to repeat it in the English translation.
1 John 2:19 tn Grk “in order that it may be demonstrated.” The passive infinitive has been translated as active and the purpose clause translated by an infinitive in keeping with contemporary English style.
1 John 2:19 sn All of them do not belong to us. The opponents chose to depart rather than remain in fellowship with the community to which the author writes and with which he associates himself. This demonstrates conclusively to the author that they never really belonged to that community at all (in spite of what they were claiming). 1 John 2:19 indicates that the departure was apparently the opponents’ own decision rather than being thrown out or excommunicated. But for John, if they had been genuine believers, they would have remained in fellowship. Now they have gone out into the world, where they belong (compare 1 John 4:5).
1 John 2:20 tc A two-letter difference in Greek creates two quite diverse readings: πάντες (pantes, nominative plural in “you all know”) is read by א B P Ψ 1852 sy sa; A C 049 5 33 81 436 1175 1243 1611 1735 1739 1881 2344 2492 M latt bo have the accusative πάντα (panta, “you know all things”). The external evidence favors the nominative reading, but it is not overwhelming. The internal evidence is more compelling in favor of the nominative. Scribes would naturally tend to give the transitive verb a direct object, especially because of the parallel in the first half of the verse. And intrinsically, the argument seems to be in balance with v. 19: The “all” who have gone out and are not “in the know” with the “all” who have an anointing and know that they are true believers. Further, as R. E. Brown points out, “the fact of their knowledge (pantes), not the extent of its object (panta), seems best to fit the reassurance” (Epistles of John [AB], 349). Brown further points out the connection with the new covenant in Jer 31 with this section of 1 John, esp. Jer 31:34—“they all [pantes] shall know me.” Since 1 John alludes to Jer 31, without directly quoting it, this is all the more reason to see the nominative as autographic: Allusions are often overlooked by scribes (transcriptional evidence), but support the intrinsic evidence. Thus, the evidence is solidly, though not overwhelmingly, behind the nominative reading.sn The statement you all know probably constitutes an indirect allusion to the provisions of the new covenant mentioned in Jer 31 (see especially Jer 31:34). See also R. E. Brown, The Epistles of John [AB], 349.
1 John 2:21 tn The interpretation of the three ὅτι clauses in v. 21 is very difficult: (1) All three instances of ὅτι (hoti) may be causal (so NASB, NIV, NEB). (2) The first two may be causal while the third indicates content (declarative or recitative ὅτι, so KJV, RSV, TEV, NRSV). (3) However, it is best to take all three instances as indicating content because this allows all three to be subordinate to the verb ἔγραψα (egrapsa) as compound direct objects. The author writes to reassure his readers (a) that they do indeed know the truth (first two uses of ὅτι) and (b) that no lie is of the truth (third use).
1 John 2:21 tn See the note on the first occurrence of “that” in v. 21.
1 John 2:21 tn See the note on the first occurrence of “that” in v. 21.
1 John 2:22 tn Or “the Messiah”
1 John 2:23 tc The Byzantine text, with a handful of other mss (81 642 1175 2492 M), lacks the last eight words of this verse, “The person who confesses the Son has the Father also” (ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει, ho homologōn ton huion kai ton patera echei). Although shorter readings are often preferred (since scribes would tend to add material rather than delete it), if an unintentional error is likely, shorter readings are generally considered secondary. This is a classic example of such an unintentional omission: The τὸν πατέρα ἔχει of the preceding clause occasioned the haplography, with the scribe’s eye skipping from one τὸν πατέρα ἔχει to the other.
1 John 2:24 tn The word translated “remain” may also be translated “reside” (3 times in 2:24). See also the notes on the translation of the Greek verb μένω (menō) in 2:6 and in 2:19. Here the word can really have both nuances of “residing” and “remaining” and it is impossible for the English reader to catch both nuances if the translation provides only one. This occurs three times in 2:24.
1 John 2:25 tn It is difficult to know whether the phrase καὶ αὕτη ἐστιν (kai hautē estin) refers (1) to the preceding or (2) to the following material, or (3) to both. The same phrase occurs at the beginning of 1:5, where it serves as a transitional link between the prologue (1:1-4) and the first major section of the letter (1:5-3:10). It is probably best to see the phrase here as transitional as well; thus καί (kai) has been translated “now” rather than “and.” The accusative phrase at the end of v. 25, τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον (tēn zōēn tēn aiōnion), stands in apposition to the relative pronoun ἥν (hēn), whose antecedent is ἡ ἐπαγγελία (hē epangelia; see BDF §295). Thus the “promise” consists of “eternal life.”
1 John 2:25 tn The pronoun could refer to God or Jesus Christ, but a reference to Jesus Christ is more likely here.
1 John 2:25 tn Grk “he himself promised.” The repetition of the cognate verb “promised” after the noun “promise” is redundant in English.
1 John 2:25 sn The promise consists of eternal life, but it is also related to the concept of “remaining” in 2:24. The person who “remains in the Son and in the Father” thus has this promise of eternal life from Jesus himself. Consistent with this, 1 John 5:12 implies that the believer has this eternal life now, not just in the future, and this in turn agrees with John 5:24.

Psalm 33

Psalm 33^[a]

33 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!
It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.
²Give thanks to the Lord with the harp.
Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument.
³Sing to him a new song.^[b]
Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him.^[c]
⁴For the Lord’s decrees^[d] are just,^[e]
and everything he does is fair.^[f]
⁵He promotes^[g] equity and justice;
the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth.^[h]
⁶By the Lord’s decree^[i] the heavens were made,
and by the breath^[j] of his mouth all the starry hosts.
⁷He piles up the water of the sea;^[k]
he puts the oceans^[l] in storehouses.
⁸Let the whole earth fear^[m] the Lord.
Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him.
⁹For he spoke, and it^[n] came into existence.
He issued the decree,^[o] and it stood firm.
¹⁰The Lord frustrates^[p] the decisions of the nations;
he nullifies the plans^[q] of the peoples.
¹¹The Lord’s decisions stand forever;
his plans abide throughout the ages.^[r]
¹²How blessed^[s] is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession.^[t]
¹³The Lord watches^[u] from heaven;
he sees all people.^[v]
¹⁴From the place where he lives he looks carefully
at all the earth’s inhabitants.
¹⁵He is the one who forms every human heart,^[w]
and takes note of all their actions.
¹⁶No king is delivered by his vast army;
a warrior is not saved by his great might.
¹⁷A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory;^[x]
despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.
¹⁸Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers,^[y]
those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness^[z]
¹⁹by saving their lives from death^[aa]
and sustaining them during times of famine.^[ab]
²⁰We^[ac] wait for the Lord;
he is our deliverer^[ad] and shield.^[ae]
²¹For our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
²²May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord,^[af]
for^[ag] we wait for you.

Footnotes

Psalm 33:1 sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.
Psalm 33:3 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.
Psalm 33:3 tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”
Psalm 33:4 tn Heb “word.” In this context, which depicts the Lord as the sovereign creator and ruler of the world, the Lord’s “word” refers to the decrees whereby he governs his dominion.
Psalm 33:4 tn Or “upright.”
Psalm 33:4 tn Heb “and all his work [is done] with faithfulness.”
Psalm 33:5 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the Lord’s commitment to principles of equity and justice causes him to actively promote these principles as he governs the world.
Psalm 33:5 tn Heb “fills the earth.”
Psalm 33:6 tn Heb “word.”
Psalm 33:6 tn The word רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit, wind, breath”) is used in the creation account in Gen 1:2 “the Spirit of God was moving.” Here parallel to “decree/word,” it recalls the account of God speaking in order to create (cf. Gen 1:14).
Psalm 33:7 tn Heb “[he] gathers like a pile the waters of the sea.” Some prefer to emend נֵד (ned, “heap, pile”; cf. NASB) to נֹד (nod, “bottle”; cf. NRSV; NIV “into jars”), but “pile” is used elsewhere to describe water that the Lord confines to one place (Exod 15:8; Josh 3:13, 16; Ps 78:13). This verse appears to refer to Gen 1:9, where God decrees that the watery deep be gathered to one place so that dry land might appear. If so, the participles in this and the following line depict this action with special vividness, as if the reader were present on the occasion. Another option is that the participles picture the confinement of the sea to one place as an ongoing divine activity.
Psalm 33:7 tn Or “watery depths.” The form תְּהוֹמוֹת (t^ehomot, “watery depths”) is the plural form of תְּהוֹם (t^ehom, “great deep”; see Gen 1:2).
Psalm 33:8 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the Lord’s power and authority by worshiping him and obeying his commandments.”
Psalm 33:9 tn That is, “all the earth” in the first line of v. 8. The apparent antecedent of the masculine subject of the verbs in v. 9 (note וַיֶּהִי [vayyehiy] and וַיַּעֲמֹד [vayyaʿamod]) is “earth” or “world,” both of which are feminine nouns. However, כָּל (kol, “all”) may be the antecedent, or the apparent lack of agreement may be explained by the collective nature of the nouns involved here (see GKC 463 §145.e).
Psalm 33:9 tn Heb “he commanded.”
Psalm 33:10 tn Heb “breaks” or “destroys.” The Hebrew perfect verbal forms here and in the next line generalize about the Lord’s activity.
Psalm 33:10 tn Heb “thoughts.”
Psalm 33:11 tn Heb “the thoughts of his heart for generation to generation.” The verb “abides” is supplied in the translation. The Lord’s “decisions” and “plans” here refer to his decrees and purposes.
Psalm 33:12 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
Psalm 33:12 tn Heb “inheritance.”
Psalm 33:13 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal forms in v. 13 state general facts.
Psalm 33:13 tn Heb “all the sons of men.”
Psalm 33:15 tn Heb “the one who forms together their heart[s].” “Heart” here refers to human nature, composed of intellect, emotions and will. The precise force of יָחַד (yakhad, “together”) is unclear here. The point seems to be that the Lord is the creator of every human being.
Psalm 33:17 tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”
Psalm 33:18 tn Heb “look, the eye of the Lord [is] toward the ones who fear him.” The expression “the eye…[is] toward” here indicates recognition and the bestowing of favor. See Ps 34:15. The one who fears the Lord respects his sovereignty and obeys his commandments. See Ps 128:1; Prov 14:2.
Psalm 33:18 tn Heb “for the ones who wait for his faithfulness.”
Psalm 33:19 tn Heb “to save from death their live[s].”
Psalm 33:19 tn Heb “and to keep them alive in famine.”
Psalm 33:20 tn Or “our lives.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
Psalm 33:20 tn Or “[source of] help.”
Psalm 33:20 tn Or “protector.”
Psalm 33:22 tn Heb “let your faithfulness, O Lord, be on us.”
Psalm 33:22 tn Or “just as.”

Acts 20:17-35

¹⁷From Miletus^[a] he sent a message^[b] to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him.^[c]

¹⁸When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived^[d] the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot^[e] in the province of Asia,^[f] ¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility^[g] and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots^[h] of the Jews. ²⁰You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming^[i] to you anything that would be helpful,^[j] and from teaching you publicly^[k] and from house to house, ²¹testifying^[l] to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.^[m] ²²And now,^[n] compelled^[o] by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem^[p] without knowing what will happen to me there,^[q] ²³except^[r] that the Holy Spirit warns^[s] me in town after town^[t] that^[u] imprisonment^[v] and persecutions^[w] are waiting for me. ²⁴But I do not consider my life^[x] worth anything^[y] to myself, so that^[z] I may finish my task^[aa] and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news^[ab] of God’s grace.

²⁵“And now^[ac] I know that none^[ad] of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom^[ae] will see me^[af] again. ²⁶Therefore I declare^[ag] to you today that I am innocent^[ah] of the blood of you all.^[ai] ²⁷For I did not hold back from^[aj] announcing^[ak] to you the whole purpose^[al] of God. ²⁸Watch out for^[am] yourselves and for all the flock of which^[an] the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,^[ao] to shepherd the church of God^[ap] that he obtained^[aq] with the blood of his own Son.^[ar] ²⁹I know that after I am gone^[as] fierce wolves^[at] will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Even from among your own group^[au] men^[av] will arise, teaching perversions of the truth^[aw] to draw the disciples away after them. ³¹Therefore be alert,^[ax] remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning^[ay] each one of you with tears. ³²And now I entrust^[az] you to God and to the message^[ba] of his grace. This message^[bb] is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³I have desired^[bc] no one’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands of mine^[bd] provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. ³⁵By all these things,^[be] I have shown you that by working in this way we must help^[bf] the weak,^[bg] and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”^[bh]

Footnotes

Acts 20:17 sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 45 mi (72 km) south of Ephesus.
Acts 20:17 tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
Acts 20:17 tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text but are implied. L&N 33.311 has for the verb μετακαλέομαι (metakaleomai) “to summon someone, with considerable insistence and authority—‘to summon, to tell to come.’”
Acts 20:18 tn Grk “You yourselves know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time.” This could be understood to mean “how I stayed with you the whole time,” but the following verses make it clear that Paul’s lifestyle while with the Ephesians is in view here. Thus the translation “how I lived the whole time I was with you” makes this clear.
Acts 20:18 tn Or “I arrived.” BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω 2, “set foot in…εἰς τ. ᾿Ασίαν set foot in Asia Ac 20:18.” However, L&N 15.83 removes the idiom: “you know that since the first day that I came to Asia.”
Acts 20:18 tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 16.
Acts 20:19 sn On humility see 2 Cor 10:1; 11:7; 1 Thess 2:6; Col 3:12; Eph 4:2; Phil 2:3-11.
Acts 20:19 sn These plots are mentioned in Acts 9:24; 20:13.
Acts 20:20 tn Or “declaring.”
Acts 20:20 tn Or “profitable.” BDAG 960 s.v. συμφέρω 2.b.α has “τὰ συμφέροντα what advances your best interests or what is good for you Ac 20:20, ” but the broader meaning (s.v. 2, “to be advantageous, help, confer a benefit, be profitable/useful”) is equally possible in this context.
Acts 20:20 tn Or “openly.”
Acts 20:21 tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…of repentance to Judeans and Hellenes Ac 20:21.”
Acts 20:21 tc Several mss, including some of the more significant ones (P⁷⁴ א Α C [D] E 33 36 323 945 1175 1241 1505 1739 pm and a number of versions), read Χριστόν (Christon, “Christ”) at the end of this verse. This word is lacking in B H L P Ψ 614 pm. Although the inclusion is supported by many earlier and better mss, internal evidence is on the side of the omission: In Acts, both “Lord Jesus” and “Lord Jesus Christ” occur, though between 16:31 and the end of the book “Lord Jesus Christ” appears only in 28:31, perhaps as a kind of climactic assertion. Thus, the shorter reading is to be preferred.sn Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. Note the twofold description of the message. It is a turning to God involving faith in Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:22 tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
Acts 20:22 tn Grk “bound.”
Acts 20:22 sn This journey to Jerusalem suggests a parallel between Paul and Jesus, since the “Jerusalem journey” motif figures so prominently in Luke’s Gospel (9:51-19:44).
Acts 20:22 tn BDAG 965 s.v. συναντάω 2 has τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντα ἐμοὶ μὴ εἰδώς without knowing what will happen to me there Ac 20:22.”
Acts 20:23 tn BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 1.d has “πλὴν ὅτι except that…Ac 20:23.”
Acts 20:23 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn” (BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “solemnly urge, exhort, warn…w. dat. of pers. addressed”), and this meaning better fits the context here, although BDAG categorizes Acts 20:23 under the meaning “testify of, bear witness to” (s.v. 1).
Acts 20:23 tn The Greek text here reads κατὰ πόλιν (kata polin).
Acts 20:23 tn Grk “saying that,” but the participle λέγον (legon) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
Acts 20:23 tn Grk “bonds.”
Acts 20:23 tn Or “troubles,” “suffering.” See Acts 19:21; 21:4, 11.
Acts 20:24 tn Grk “soul.”
Acts 20:24 tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”
Acts 20:24 tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”
Acts 20:24 tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation—‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.
Acts 20:24 tn Or “to the gospel.”
Acts 20:25 tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
Acts 20:25 tn Grk “all of you…will not see.” Greek handles its negation somewhat differently from English, and the translation follows English grammatical conventions.
Acts 20:25 sn Note how Paul’s usage of the expression proclaiming the kingdom is associated with (and intertwined with) his testifying to the good news of God’s grace in v. 24. For Paul the two concepts were interrelated.
Acts 20:25 tn Grk “will see my face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).
Acts 20:26 tn Or “testify.”
Acts 20:26 tn Grk “clean, pure,” thus “guiltless” (BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a).sn I am innocent. Paul had a clear conscience, since he had faithfully carried out his responsibility of announcing to (the Ephesians) the whole purpose of God.
Acts 20:26 tn That is, “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible” (an idiom). According to L&N 33.223, the meaning of the phrase “that I am innocent of the blood of all of you” is “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible.” However, due to the length of this phrase and its familiarity to many modern English readers, the translation was kept closer to formal equivalence in this case. The word “you” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; Paul is addressing the Ephesian congregation (in the person of its elders) in both v. 25 and 27.
Acts 20:27 tn Or “did not avoid.” BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 2.b has “shrink from, avoid implying fear…οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι I did not shrink from proclaiming Ac 20:27”; L&N 13.160 has “to hold oneself back from doing something, with the implication of some fearful concern—‘to hold back from, to shrink from, to avoid’…‘for I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God’ Ac 20:27.”
Acts 20:27 tn Or “proclaiming,” “declaring.”
Acts 20:27 tn Or “plan.”
Acts 20:28 tn Or “Be on your guard for” (cf. v. 29). Paul completed his responsibility to the Ephesians with this warning.
Acts 20:28 tn Grk “in which.”
Acts 20:28 tn Or “guardians.” BDAG 379-80 s.v. ἐπίσκοπος 2 states, “The term was taken over in Christian communities in ref. to one who served as overseer or supervisor, with special interest in guarding the apostolic tradition…Ac 20:28.” This functional term describes the role of the elders (see v. 17). They were to guard and shepherd the congregation.
Acts 20:28 tc The reading “of God” (τοῦ θεοῦ, tou theou) is found in א B 614 1175 1505 al vg sy; other witnesses have “of the Lord” (τοῦ κυρίου, tou kuriou) here (so P⁷⁴ A C* D E Ψ 33 1739 al co), while the majority of the later minuscule mss conflate these two into “of the Lord and God” (τοῦ κυρίου καὶ [τοῦ] θεοῦ, tou kuriou kai [tou] theou). Although the evidence is evenly balanced between the first two readings, τοῦ θεοῦ is decidedly superior on internal grounds. The final prepositional phrase of this verse, διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου (dia tou haimatos tou idiou), could be rendered “through his own blood” or “through the blood of his own.” In the latter translation, the object that “own” modifies must be supplied (see tn below for discussion). But this would not be entirely clear to scribes; those who supposed that ἰδίου modified αἵματος would be prone to alter “God” to “Lord” to avoid the inference that God had blood. In a similar way, later scribes would be prone to conflate the two titles, thereby affirming the deity (with the construction τοῦ κυρίου καὶ θεοῦ following the Granville Sharp rule and referring to a single person [see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290]) and substitutionary atonement of Christ. For these reasons, τοῦ θεοῦ best explains the rise of the other readings and should be considered authentic.
Acts 20:28 tn Or “acquired.”
Acts 20:28 tn Or “with his own blood”; Grk “with the blood of his own.” The genitive construction could be taken in two ways: (1) as an attributive genitive (second attributive position) meaning “his own blood”; or (2) as a possessive genitive, “with the blood of his own.” In this case the referent is the Son, and the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. See further C. F. DeVine, “The Blood of God,” CBQ 9 (1947): 381-408.sn That he obtained with the blood of his own Son. This is one of only two explicit statements in Luke-Acts highlighting the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death (the other is in Luke 22:19).
Acts 20:29 tn Grk “after my departure.”
Acts 20:29 tn That is, people like fierce wolves. See BDAG 167-68 s.v. βαρύς 4 on the term translated “fierce.”sn The battle to follow would be a savage one. The imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism (see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30; also 1 Enoch 89:55). For more on the sheep imagery see H. Preisker and S. Schulz, TDNT 6:690. The imagery of a flock attacked by wolves suggests violence, and serves to prepare Paul’s hearers (the elders of the Ephesian church, v. 17) for the depredations of the false teachers who would arise.
Acts 20:30 tn Grk “from among yourselves.”
Acts 20:30 tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which only rarely is used in a generic sense to refer to both males and females. Since Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders at this point and there is nothing in the context to suggest women were included in that group (“from among your own group”), it is most likely Paul was not predicting that these false teachers would include women.
Acts 20:30 tn Grk “speaking crooked things”; BDAG 237 s.v. διαστρέφω 2 has “λαλεῖν διεστραμμένα teach perversions (of the truth) Ac 20:30.”sn These perversions of the truth refer to the kinds of threats that would undermine repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. v. 21). Instead these false teachers would arise from within the Ephesian congregation (cf. 1 John 2:18-19) and would seek to draw the disciples away after them.
Acts 20:31 tn Or “be watchful.”
Acts 20:31 tn Or “admonishing.”
Acts 20:32 tn Or “commend.” BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 3.b has “τινά τινι entrust someone to the care or protection of someone…Of divine protection παρέθεντο αὐτοὺς τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 14:23; cf. 20:32.”
Acts 20:32 tn Grk “word.”
Acts 20:32 tn Grk “the message of his grace, which.” The phrase τῷ δυναμένῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι… (tō dunamenō oikodomēsai…) refers to τῷ λόγω (tō logō), not τῆς χάριτος (tēs charitos); in English it could refer to either “the message” or “grace,” but in Greek, because of agreement in gender, the referent can only be “the message.” To make this clear, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the referent “the message” was repeated at the beginning of this new sentence.
Acts 20:33 tn Traditionally, “coveted.” BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιθυμέω 1 has “to have a strong desire to do or secure someth., desire, long for w. gen. of the thing desired…silver, gold, clothing Ac 20:33.” The traditional term “covet” is not in common usage and difficult for many modern English readers to understand. The statement affirms Paul’s integrity. He was not doing this for personal financial gain.
Acts 20:34 tn The words “of mine” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify whose hands Paul is referring to.
Acts 20:35 sn The expression By all these things means “In everything I did.”
Acts 20:35 tn Or “must assist.”
Acts 20:35 tn Or “the sick.” See Eph 4:28.
Acts 20:35 sn The saying is similar to Matt 10:8. Service and generosity should be abundant. Interestingly, these exact words are not found in the gospels. Paul must have known of this saying from some other source.

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 80[a]

For the music director, according to the shushan-eduth style;[b] a psalm of Asaph.

Footnotes

Samuel Anoints David as King

Footnotes

Warning About False Teachers

Footnotes

Psalm 33[a]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 80^[a]

For the music director, according to the shushan-eduth style;^[b] a psalm of Asaph.

Psalm 33^[a]