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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 55

Psalm 55^[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song^[b] by David.

55 Listen, O God, to my prayer.
Do not ignore^[c] my appeal for mercy.
²Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am so upset^[d] and distressed,^[e] I am beside myself,^[f]
³because of what the enemy says,^[g]
and because of how the wicked^[h] pressure me,^[i]
for they hurl trouble^[j] down upon me^[k]
and angrily attack me.
⁴My heart beats violently^[l] within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.^[m]
⁵Fear and panic overpower me;^[n]
terror overwhelms^[o] me.
⁶I say,^[p] “I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and settle in a safe place.
⁷Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
⁸I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind^[q] and the gale.”
⁹Confuse them,^[r] O Lord.
Frustrate their plans.^[s]
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
¹⁰Day and night they walk around on its walls,^[t]
while wickedness and destruction^[u] are within it.
¹¹Disaster is within it;
violence^[v] and deceit do not depart from its public square.
¹²Indeed,^[w] it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,^[x]
or else I could hide from him.
¹³But it is you,^[y] a man like me,^[z]
my close friend in whom I confided.^[aa]
¹⁴We would share personal thoughts with each other;^[ab]
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
¹⁵May death destroy them.^[ac]
May they go down alive into Sheol.^[ad]
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
¹⁶As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
¹⁷During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan,^[ae]
and he will hear^[af] me.^[ag]
¹⁸He will rescue^[ah] me and protect me from those who attack me,^[ai]
even though^[aj] they greatly outnumber me.^[ak]
¹⁹God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them.^[al] (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God.^[am]
²⁰He^[an] attacks^[ao] his friends;^[ap]
he breaks his solemn promises to them.^[aq]
²¹His words are as smooth as butter,^[ar]
but he harbors animosity in his heart.^[as]
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords.^[at]
²²Throw your burden^[au] upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you.^[av]
He will never allow the godly to be shaken.^[aw]
²³But you, O God, will bring them^[ax] down to the deep Pit.^[ay]
Violent and deceitful people^[az] will not live even half a normal lifespan.^[ba]
But as for me, I trust in you.

Footnotes

Psalm 55:1 sn Psalm 55. The suffering and oppressed author laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.
Psalm 55:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
Psalm 55:1 tn Heb “hide yourself from.”
Psalm 55:2 tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.
Psalm 55:2 tn Heb “in my complaint.”
Psalm 55:2 tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (v^eʾehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (v^eʾehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).
Psalm 55:3 tn Heb “because of [the] voice of [the] enemy.”
Psalm 55:3 tn The singular forms “enemy” and “wicked” are collective or representative, as the plural verb forms in the second half of the verse indicate.
Psalm 55:3 tn Heb “from before the pressure of the wicked.” Some suggest the meaning “screech” (note the parallel “voice”; cf. NEB “shrill clamour”; NRSV “clamor”) for the rare noun עָקָה (ʿaqah, “pressure”).
Psalm 55:3 tn Heb “wickedness,” but here the term refers to the destructive effects of their wicked acts.
Psalm 55:3 tc The verb form in the MT appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוֹט (mot, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in the Kethib (consonantal text) of Ps 140:10, where the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read. Here in Ps 55:3 it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). It is odd for “rain down” to be used with an abstract object like “wickedness,” but in Job 20:23 God “rains down” anger (unless one emends the text there; see BHS).
Psalm 55:4 tn Heb “shakes, trembles.”
Psalm 55:4 tn Heb “the terrors of death have fallen on me.”
Psalm 55:5 tn Heb “fear and trembling enter into me.”
Psalm 55:5 tn Heb “covers.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the preceding imperfect.
Psalm 55:6 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.
Psalm 55:8 tn Heb “[the] wind [that] sweeps away.” The verb סָעָה (saʿah, “sweep away”) occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 120).
Psalm 55:9 tn Traditionally בַּלַּע (balaʿ) has been taken to mean “swallow” in the sense of “devour” or “destroy” (cf. KJV), but this may be a homonym meaning “confuse” (see BDB 118 s.v. בַּלַּע; HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע). “Their tongue” is the understood object of the verb (see the next line).
Psalm 55:9 tn Heb “split their tongue,” which apparently means “confuse their speech,” or, more paraphrastically, “frustrate the plans they devise with their tongues.”
Psalm 55:10 tn Heb “day and night they surround it, upon its walls.” Personified “violence and conflict” are the likely subjects. They are compared to watchmen on the city’s walls.
Psalm 55:10 sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.
Psalm 55:11 tn Or “injury, harm.”
Psalm 55:12 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 55:12 tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.
Psalm 55:13 sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.
Psalm 55:13 tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”
Psalm 55:13 tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”
Psalm 55:14 tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.
Psalm 55:15 tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ʿalemo, “May devastation [be] upon them.”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ʿalemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashiʾ), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nashaʾ, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (y^eshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (ʿalemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled text. The preposition עַל (ʿal) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ʿalemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.
Psalm 55:15 sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.
Psalm 55:17 tn The first verb is clearly a cohortative form, expressing the psalmist’s resolve. The second verb, while formally ambiguous, should also be understood as cohortative here.
Psalm 55:17 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive normally appears in narrational contexts to indicate past action, but here it continues the anticipatory (future) perspective of the preceding line. In Ps 77:6 one finds the same sequence of cohortative + prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive. In this case as well, both forms refer to future actions.
Psalm 55:17 tn Heb “my voice.”
Psalm 55:18 tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).
Psalm 55:18 tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”
Psalm 55:18 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 55:18 tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (ʿimmad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.
Psalm 55:19 tc Heb “God will hear and answer them, even [the] one who sits [from] ancient times.” The prefixed verbal from with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the anticipatory force of the preceding imperfect. The verb appears to be a Qal form from עָנָה (ʿanah, “to answer”). If this reading is retained, the point would be that God “answered” them in judgment. The translation assumes an emendation to the Piel וַיְעַנֵּם (vay^eʿannem; see 2 Kgs 17:20) and understands the root as עָנָה (ʿanah, “to afflict”; see also 1 Kgs 8:35).
Psalm 55:19 tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”
Psalm 55:20 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
Psalm 55:20 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
Psalm 55:20 tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, shol^emayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”
Psalm 55:20 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
Psalm 55:21 tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhmaʾot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhemʾah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (khal^equ, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.
Psalm 55:21 tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”
Psalm 55:21 tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”
Psalm 55:22 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
Psalm 55:22 tn The pronoun is singular; the psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually.
Psalm 55:22 tn Heb “he will never allow swaying for the righteous.”
Psalm 55:23 tn The pronominal suffix refers to the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 19).
Psalm 55:23 tn Heb “well of the pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 103:4).
Psalm 55:23 tn Heb “men of bloodshed and deceit.”
Psalm 55:23 tn Heb “will not divide in half their days.”

Psalm 138:1-139:23

Psalm 138^[a]

By David.

138 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly^[b] I will sing praises to you.
²I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.^[c]
³When^[d] I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.^[e]
⁴Let all the kings of the earth give thanks^[f] to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.^[g]
⁵Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,^[h]
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.^[i]
⁶Though the Lord is exalted, he looks after the lowly,
and from far away humbles^[j] the proud.
⁷Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,^[k] you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,^[l]
and your right hand delivers me.
⁸The Lord avenges me.^[m]
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made.^[n]

Psalm 139^[o]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

139 O Lord, you examine me^[p] and know me.
²You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
³You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;^[q]
you are aware of everything I do.^[r]
⁴Certainly^[s] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.^[t]
⁵You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
⁶Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.^[u]
⁷Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?^[v]
⁸If I were to ascend^[w] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out^[x] in Sheol, there you would be.^[y]
⁹If I were to fly away^[z] on the wings of the dawn,^[aa]
and settle down on the other side^[ab] of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
¹¹If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,^[ac]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”^[ad]
¹²even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,^[ae]
and the night is as bright as^[af] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.^[ag]
¹³Certainly^[ah] you made my mind and heart;^[ai]
you wove me together^[aj] in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.^[ak]
You knew me thoroughly;^[al]
¹⁵my bones were not hidden from you,
when^[am] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.^[an]
¹⁶Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.^[ao]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.^[ap]
¹⁷How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God!^[aq]
How vast is their sum total.^[ar]
¹⁸If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.^[as]
¹⁹If only^[at] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men!^[au]
²⁰They^[av] rebel against you^[aw] and act deceitfully;^[ax]
your enemies lie.^[ay]
²¹O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?^[az]
²²I absolutely hate them;^[ba]
they have become my enemies.
²³Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.^[bb]
Test me, and know my concerns.^[bc]

Footnotes

Psalm 138:1 sn Psalm 138. The psalmist vows to thank the Lord for his deliverance and protection.
Psalm 138:1 tn The referent of the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) is unclear. It refers either to the angelic assembly (see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5) or to the pagan gods (see Pss 82:1, 6; 86:8; 97:7), in which case the psalmist’s praise takes on a polemical tone.
Psalm 138:2 tc The MT reads, “for you have made great over all your name your word.” If retained, this must mean that God’s mighty intervention, in fulfillment of his word of promise, surpassed anything he had done prior to this. However, the statement is odd and several emendations have been proposed. Some read, “for you have exalted over everything your name and your word,” while others suggest, “for you have exalted over all the heavens your name and your word.” The translation assumes an emendation of “your name” to “your heavens” (a construction that appears in Pss 8:3 and 144:5). The point is that God has been faithful to his promise and the reliability of that promise is apparent to all. For a fuller discussion of these options, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 244.
Psalm 138:3 tn Heb “in the day.”
Psalm 138:3 tn Heb “you made me bold in my soul [with] strength.”
Psalm 138:4 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in the following verse are understood as jussives, for the psalmist appears to be calling upon the kings to praise God. Another option is to take them as imperfects and translate, “the kings of the earth will give thanks…and will sing.” In this case the psalmist anticipates a universal response to his thanksgiving song.
Psalm 138:4 tn Heb “the words of your mouth.”
Psalm 138:5 tn Heb “ways.”
Psalm 138:5 tn Heb “great.”
Psalm 138:6 tc The form of the verb is יְיֵדָע (y^eyedaʿ) commonly understood to be Qal of יָדַע I (yadaʿ), although the Qal should not have two yod’s. Most likely one י (yod) should be deleted as dittography, or the second should be read as a ו (vav) and the form be understood as a Hifil.tn The Hifil of יָדַע II (yadaʿ) means “to humiliate,” causative of the Qal “be submissive, humbled, quiet” (cf. Job 21:19; Prov 5:6; Isa 45:4; Jer 14:18; Hos 9:7). DCH supposes that the Qal can mean “to humiliate” in this verse. The more common homophonous root יָדַע means “to know,” sometimes with the nuance “to care for.” Alternatively the adjective גָּבֹהַּ (gavoah) can be understood as the subject, referring to God, “the exalted one cares for [the lowly] from a distance,” but the parallel thought in the next verse favors a contrast in this verse also.
Psalm 138:7 tn Or “distress.”
Psalm 138:7 tn Heb “against the anger of my enemies you extend your hand.”
Psalm 138:8 tn Heb “avenges on my behalf.” For the meaning “to avenge” for the verb גָּמַר (gamar), see HALOT 197-98 s.v. גמר.
Psalm 138:8 tn Heb “the works of your hands.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the singular, “work of your hands.”
Psalm 139:1 sn Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.
Psalm 139:1 tn The statement is understood as generalizing—the psalmist describes what God typically does.
Psalm 139:3 tn Heb “my traveling and my lying down you measure.” The verb זָרָה (zarah, “to measure”) is probably here a denominative from זֶרֶת (zeret, “a span; a measure”), though some derive it from זָרָה (zarat, “to winnow; to sift”; see BDB 279-80 s.v. זָרָה).
Psalm 139:3 tn Heb “all my ways.”
Psalm 139:4 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 139:4 tn Heb “look, O Lord, you know all of it.”
Psalm 139:6 tn Heb “too amazing [is this] knowledge for me, it is elevated, I cannot attain to it.”
Psalm 139:7 tn Heb “Where can I go from your spirit, and where from your face can I flee?” God’s “spirit” may refer here (1) to his presence (note the parallel term, “your face,” and see Ps 104:29-30, where God’s “face” is his presence and his “spirit” is the life-giving breath he imparts) or (2) to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
Psalm 139:8 tn The Hebrew verb סָלַק (salaq, “to ascend”) occurs only here in the OT, but the word is well-attested in Aramaic literature from different time periods and displays a wide semantic range (see DNWSI 2:788-90).
Psalm 139:8 tn The verb יָצַע (yatzaʿ) is rare in the Bible (see Isa 58:5 also Hiphil, and Isa 1:14; Est 4:3 for Hophal examples). There are three main options for understanding this phrase. It may mean “to descend to Sheol,” as in the LXX. This takes the motion in the verb as very generic for this context and understands “Sheol” without a preposition as the default “to Sheol.” Many translations take it as spreading out [something] to act as a bed, couch, or area to lie down. It is uncertain that the idea of a bed has to be implied and this does not required to fit the other contexts. Or, as taken here, it may “to spread [oneself] out, to sprawl.” Each view has merits and it is difficult to decide because the are so few examples.
Psalm 139:8 tn Heb “look, you.”
Psalm 139:9 tn Heb “rise up.”
Psalm 139:9 sn On the wings of the dawn. This personification of the “dawn” may find its roots in mythological traditions about the god Shachar, whose birth is described in an Ugaritic myth (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 126) and who is mentioned in Isa 14:12 as the father of Helel.
Psalm 139:9 tn Heb “at the end.”
Psalm 139:11 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּף (shuf), which means “to crush; to wound,” in Gen 3:15 and Job 9:17, is problematic here. For a discussion of attempts to relate the verb to Arabic roots, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 251. Many emend the form to יְשׂוּכֵּנִי (y^esukkeni), from the root שָׂכַך (sakhakh, “to cover,” an alternate form of סָכַך [sakhakh]), a reading assumed in the present translation.
Psalm 139:11 tn Heb “and night, light, around me.”
Psalm 139:12 tn The words “to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
Psalm 139:12 tn Heb “shines like.”
Psalm 139:12 tn Heb “like darkness, like light.”
Psalm 139:13 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 139:13 tn Heb “my kidneys.” The kidneys were sometimes viewed as the seat of one’s emotions and moral character (cf. Pss 7:9; 26:2). A number of translations, recognizing that “kidneys” does not communicate this idea to the modern reader, have generalized the concept: “inmost being” (NAB, NIV); “inward parts” (NASB, NRSV); “the delicate, inner parts of my body” (NLT). In the last instance, the focus is almost entirely on the physical body rather than the emotions or moral character. The present translation, by using a hendiadys (one concept expressed through two terms), links the concepts of emotion (heart) and moral character (mind).
Psalm 139:13 tn The Hebrew verb סָכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave together”) is an alternate form of שָׂכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave”) used in Job 10:11.
Psalm 139:14 tc Heb “because awesome things, I am distinct, amazing [are] your works.” The text as it stands is syntactically problematic and makes little, if any, sense. The Niphal of פָּלָה (palah) occurs elsewhere only in Exod 33:16. Many take the form from פָלָא (palaʾ; see GKC 216 §75.qq), which in the Niphal perfect means “to be amazing” (see 2 Sam 1:26; Ps 118:23; Prov 30:18). Some, following the LXX and some other ancient witnesses, also prefer to emend the verb from first to second person, “you are amazing” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 249, 251). The present translation assumes the text conflates two variants: נִפְלָאִים (niflaʾim), the otherwise unattested masculine plural participle of פָלָא, and נִפְלָאוֹת (niflaʾot), the usual (feminine) plural form of the Niphal participle. The latter has been changed to a verb by later scribes in an attempt to accommodate it syntactically. The original text likely read, נוראות נפלאותים מעשׂיך (“your works [are] awesome [and] amazing”).
Psalm 139:14 tc Heb “and my being knows very much.” Better parallelism is achieved (see v. 15a) if one emends יֹדַעַת (yodaʿat), a Qal active participle, feminine singular form, to יָדַעְתָּ (yadaʿta), a Qal perfect second masculine singular perfect. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252.
Psalm 139:15 tc The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher, “which”) should probably be emended to כֲּאַשֶׁר (kaʾasher, “when”). The כ (kaf) may have been lost by haplography (note the kaf at the end of the preceding form).
Psalm 139:15 sn The phrase depths of the earth may be metaphorical (euphemistic) or it may reflect a prescientific belief about the origins of the embryo deep beneath the earth’s surface (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 96-97). Job 1:21 also closely associates the mother’s womb with the earth.
Psalm 139:16 tn Heb “Your eyes saw my shapeless form.” The Hebrew noun גֹּלֶם (golem) occurs only here in the OT. In later Hebrew the word refers to “a lump, a shapeless or lifeless substance,” and to “unfinished matter, a vessel wanting finishing” (Jastrow 222 s.v. גּוֹלֶם). The translation employs the dynamic rendering “when I was inside the womb” to clarify that the speaker was still in his mother’s womb at the time he was “seen” by God.
Psalm 139:16 tn Heb “and on your scroll all of them were written, [the] days [which] were formed, and [there was] not one among them.” This “scroll” may be the “scroll of life” mentioned in Ps 69:28 (see the note on the word “living” there).
Psalm 139:17 tn Heb “and to me how precious are your thoughts, O God.” The Hebrew verb יָקַר (yaqar) probably has the sense of “difficult [to comprehend]” here (see HALOT 432 s.v. יקר qal.1 and note the use of Aramaic יַקִּר in Dan 2:11). Elsewhere in the immediate context the psalmist expresses his amazement at the extent of God’s knowledge about him (see vv. 1-6, 17b-18).
Psalm 139:17 tn Heb “how vast are their heads.” Here the Hebrew word “head” is used of the “sum total” of God’s knowledge of the psalmist.
Psalm 139:18 tc Heb “I awake and I [am] still with you.” A reference to the psalmist awaking from sleep makes little, if any, sense contextually. For this reason some propose an emendation to הֲקִצּוֹתִי (haqitsoti), a Hiphil perfect form from an otherwise unattested verb קָצַץ (qatsats) understood as a denominative of קֵץ (qets, “end”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252-53.
Psalm 139:19 tn The Hebrew particle אִם (ʾim, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (see Pss 81:8; 95:7, as well as GKC 321 §109.b).
Psalm 139:19 tn Heb “men of bloodshed.”
Psalm 139:20 tn Heb “who.”
Psalm 139:20 tc Heb “they speak [of] you.” The suffixed form of the verb אָמַר (ʾamar, “to speak”) is peculiar. The translation assumes an emendation to יַמְרֻךָ (yamrukha), a Hiphil form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”; see Ps 78:40).
Psalm 139:20 tn Heb “by deceit.”
Psalm 139:20 tc Heb “lifted up for emptiness, your cities.” The form נָשֻׂא (nasuʾ; a Qal passive participle) should be emended to נָשְׂאוּ (nas^eʾu; a Qal perfect, third common plural, “[they] lift up”). Many emend עָרֶיךָ (ʿarekha, “your cities”) to עָלֶיךָ (ʿalekha, “against you”), but it is preferable to understand the noun as an Aramaism and translate “your enemies” (see Dan 4:16 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 253).
Psalm 139:21 tc Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqom^emekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uv^emitqom^emekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed מ [mem] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the MT, though a few medieval Hebrew mss have it).
Psalm 139:22 tn Heb “[with] completeness of hatred I hate them.”
Psalm 139:23 tn Heb “and know my heart.”
Psalm 139:23 tn The Hebrew noun שַׂרְעַפַּי (sarʿappay, “concerns”) is used of “worries” in Ps 94:19.

Deuteronomy 29:2-15

The Exodus, Wandering, and Conquest Reviewed

²Moses proclaimed to all Israel as follows: “You have seen all that the Lord did^[a] in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, all his servants, and his land. ³Your eyes have seen the great judgments,^[b] those signs and mighty wonders. ⁴But to this very day the Lord has not given you an understanding mind, perceptive eyes, or discerning ears!^[c] ⁵I have led you through the wilderness for forty years. Your clothing has not worn out^[d] nor have your sandals^[e] deteriorated. ⁶You have eaten no bread and drunk no wine or beer—all so that you might know that I^[f] am the Lord your God! ⁷When you came to this place King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out to make war and we defeated them. ⁸Then we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

The Present Covenant Setting

⁹“Therefore, keep the terms^[g] of this covenant and obey them so that you may be successful in everything you do. ¹⁰You are standing today, all of you, before the Lord your God—the heads of your tribes,^[h] your elders, your officials, every Israelite man, ¹¹your infants, your wives, and the^[i] resident foreigners^[j] living in your encampment, those who chop wood and those who carry water— ¹²so that you may enter by oath into the covenant the Lord your God is making with you today.^[k] ¹³Today he will affirm that you are his people and that he is your God,^[l] just as he promised you and as he swore by oath to your ancestors^[m] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ¹⁴It is not with you alone that I am making this covenant by oath, ¹⁵but with whoever stands with us here today before the Lord our God as well as those not with us here today.^[n]

Footnotes

Deuteronomy 29:2 tn The Hebrew text includes “to your eyes,” but this is redundant in English style (cf. the preceding “you have seen”) and is omitted in the translation.
Deuteronomy 29:3 tn Heb “testings.” This is a reference to the plagues; see note at 4:34.
Deuteronomy 29:4 tn Heb “a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear” (NASB similar); NAB, NRSV “a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear.”
Deuteronomy 29:5 tn The Hebrew text includes “on you.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Deuteronomy 29:5 tn The Hebrew text includes “from on your feet.”
Deuteronomy 29:6 tc The LXX reads “that he is the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 29:9 tn Heb “words.”
Deuteronomy 29:10 tc Heb “your heads, your tribes.” The Syriac presupposes either “heads of your tribes” or “your heads, your judges,” etc. (reading שֹׁפְטֵכֶם [shof^etekhem] for שִׁבְטֵיכֶם [shivtekhem]). Its comparative difficulty favors the originality of the MT reading. Cf. KJV “your captains of your tribes”; NRSV “the leaders of your tribes”; NLT “your tribal leaders.”
Deuteronomy 29:11 tn Heb “your.”
Deuteronomy 29:11 sn The ger (גֵּר) “foreign resident” here enters into the covenant with the community if Israel. Elsewhere in Mosaic Law the ger make sacrifices to the Lord (Lev 17:8; 22:18; Num 15:14) and participate in Israel’s religious festivals: Passover Exod 12:48; Day of Atonement Lev 16:29; Feast of Weeks Deut 16:10-14; Feast of Tabernacles/Temporary Shelters Deut 31:12. Several passages emphasize equal standing under Mosaic Law (Exod 12:49; Lev 24:22; Num 9:14; 15:15, 16, 26, 29; 19:10; 35:15; Deut 1:16 or similar obligations Exod 20:10; 23:12; Lev 16:29; 17:10, 12, 13; 18:26; 24:16; Num 15:14. In many respects these ger (גֵּר) appear to be naturalized citizens who could not own land (land was allotted by tribe).
Deuteronomy 29:12 tn Heb “for you to pass on into the covenant of the Lord your God and into his oath, which the Lord your God is cutting with you today.”
Deuteronomy 29:13 tn Heb “in order to establish you today to him for a people and he will be to you for God.” Verses 10-13 are one long sentence in Hebrew. The translation divides this into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
Deuteronomy 29:13 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 25).
Deuteronomy 29:15 tn This is interpreted by some English versions as a reference to generations not yet born (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).

2 Corinthians 9

Preparing the Gift

9 For it is not necessary^[a] for me to write you about this service^[b] to the saints, ²because I know your eagerness to help.^[c] I keep boasting to the Macedonians about this eagerness of yours,^[d] that Achaia has been ready to give^[e] since last year, and your zeal to participate^[f] has stirred up most of them.^[g] ³But I am sending^[h] these brothers so that our boasting about you may not be empty in this case, so that you may be ready^[i] just as I kept telling them. ⁴For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not ready to give, we would be humiliated^[j] (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you.^[k] ⁵Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution^[l] you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift^[m] and not as something you feel forced to do.^[n] ⁶My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously^[o] will also reap generously. ⁷Each one of you should give^[p] just as he has decided in his heart,^[q] not reluctantly^[r] or under compulsion,^[s] because God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace overflow^[t] to you so that because you have enough^[u] of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow^[v] in every good work. ⁹Just as it is written, “He^[w] has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.”^[x] ¹⁰Now God^[y] who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. ¹¹You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion,^[z] which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, ¹²because the service of this ministry is not only providing for^[aa] the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God. ¹³Through the evidence^[ab] of this service^[ac] they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing^[ad] with them and with everyone. ¹⁴And in their prayers on your behalf, they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you.^[ae] ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!^[af]

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 9:1 tn Or “it is superfluous.”
2 Corinthians 9:1 tn Or “this ministry,” “this contribution.”
2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to help” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
2 Corinthians 9:2 tn Grk “concerning which I keep boasting to the Macedonians about you.” A new sentence was started here and the translation was simplified by removing the relative clause and repeating the antecedent “this eagerness of yours.”
2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to give” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to participate” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
2 Corinthians 9:2 sn Most of them is a reference to the Macedonians (cf. v. 4).
2 Corinthians 9:3 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
2 Corinthians 9:3 tn That is, ready with the collection for the saints.
2 Corinthians 9:4 tn Or “be disgraced”; Grk “be put to shame.”
2 Corinthians 9:4 tn Grk “by this confidence”; the words “we had in you” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied as a necessary clarification for the English reader.
2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “the blessing.”
2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “a blessing.”
2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “as a covetousness”; that is, a gift given grudgingly or under compulsion.
2 Corinthians 9:6 tn Or “bountifully”; so also in the next occurrence in the verse.
2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “must do.” The words “of you” and “should give” are not in the Greek text, which literally reads, “Each one just as he has decided in his heart.” The missing words are an ellipsis; these or similar phrases must be supplied for the English reader.
2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “in his mind.”
2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “not from regret”; Grk “not out of grief.”
2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “not out of a sense of duty”; Grk “from necessity.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “abound.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “so that by having enough.” The Greek participle can be translated as a participle of cause (“because you have enough”) or means (“by having enough”).
2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “abound.”
2 Corinthians 9:9 sn He in the quotation refers to the righteous person.
2 Corinthians 9:9 sn A quotation from Ps 112:9.
2 Corinthians 9:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Corinthians 9:11 tn Grk “in every way for every generosity,” or “he will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times” (L&N 57.29).
2 Corinthians 9:12 tn Or “not only supplying.”
2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “proof,” or perhaps “testing” (NRSV).
2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “ministry.”
2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “your partnership”; Grk “your fellowship.”
2 Corinthians 9:14 tn Grk “the extraordinary grace of God to you”; the point is that God has given or shown grace to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 9:15 tn “Let us thank God for his gift which cannot be described with words” (L&N 33.202).

Luke 18:15-30

Jesus and Little Children

¹⁵Now people^[a] were even bringing their babies^[b] to him for him to touch.^[c] But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them.^[d] ¹⁶But Jesus called for the children,^[e] saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God^[f] belongs to such as these.^[g] ¹⁷I tell you the truth,^[h] whoever does not receive^[i] the kingdom of God like a child^[j] will never^[k] enter it.”

The Wealthy Ruler

¹⁸Now^[l] a certain leader^[m] asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^[n] ¹⁹Jesus^[o] said to him, “Why do you call me good?^[p] No one is good except God alone. ²⁰You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”^[q] ²¹The man^[r] replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed^[s] all these laws^[t] since my youth.”^[u] ²²When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have^[v] and give the money^[w] to the poor,^[x] and you will have treasure^[y] in heaven. Then^[z] come, follow me.” ²³But when the man^[aa] heard this he became very sad,^[ab] for he was extremely wealthy. ²⁴When Jesus noticed this,^[ac] he said, “How hard^[ad] it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!^[ae] ²⁵In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle^[af] than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶Those who heard this said, “Then^[ag] who can be saved?”^[ah] ²⁷He replied, “What is impossible^[ai] for mere humans^[aj] is possible for God.” ²⁸And Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we own^[ak] to follow you! ²⁹Then^[al] Jesus^[am] said to them, “I tell you the truth,^[an] there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers^[ao] or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom ³⁰who will not receive many times more^[ap] in this age^[aq]—and in the age to come, eternal life.”^[ar]

Footnotes

Luke 18:15 tn Grk “they.”
Luke 18:15 tn The term βρέφος (brephos) here can refer to babies or to toddlers (2:12, 16; Acts 7:19; 2 Tim 3:15; 1 Pet 2:2).
Luke 18:15 tn Grk “so that he would touch them.” Here the touch is connected with (or conveys) a blessing (cf. Mark 10:16; also BDAG 126 s.v. ἅπτω 2.c).
Luke 18:15 tn Grk “the disciples began to scold them.” In the translation the referent has been specified as “those who brought them,” since otherwise the statement could be understood to mean that the disciples began scolding the children rather than their parents who brought them.
Luke 18:16 tn Grk “summoned them”; the referent (the children) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 18:16 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
Luke 18:16 sn The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.
Luke 18:17 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Luke 18:17 sn On receive see John 1:12.
Luke 18:17 sn The point of the comparison receive the kingdom of God like a child has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit and willingness to be dependent and receive from others than any inherent humility the child might possess.
Luke 18:17 tn The negation in Greek used here (οὐ μή, ou mē) is very strong.
Luke 18:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Luke 18:18 tn Grk “a certain ruler.” BDAG 140 s.v. ἄρχων 2.a takes this to be a member of the Sanhedrin, but Bock understands this to be “an influential wealthy man or civic leader who may have been known for his piety” (D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT] 2:1476).sn Only Luke states this man is a leader (cf. the parallels in Matt 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-22, where the questioner is described only as “someone”). He is probably a civic leader of some kind, a leader in the society.
Luke 18:18 sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (18:17). See the similar question about inheriting eternal life in Luke 10:25.
Luke 18:19 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 18:19 sn Jesus’ response, Why do you call me good?, was designed to cause the ruler to stop and think for a moment about who Jesus really was. The following statement No one is good except God alone seems to point the man in the direction of Jesus’ essential nature and the demands which logically follow on the man for having said it.
Luke 18:20 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16 and Deut 5:16-20. Jesus cited the parts of the ten commandments that relate to how others should be treated.
Luke 18:21 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (the ruler mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 18:21 tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail throughout his life, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.
Luke 18:21 tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command to give away all he had revealed that internally he loved money more than God.
Luke 18:21 sn Since my youth. Judaism regarded the age of thirteen as the age when a man would have become responsible to live by God’s commands.
Luke 18:22 sn See Luke 14:33.
Luke 18:22 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Luke 18:22 sn See Luke 1:50-53; 6:20-23; 14:12-14.
Luke 18:22 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward:…you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
Luke 18:22 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the conversation.
Luke 18:23 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 18:23 tn Or “very distressed” (L&N 25.277).
Luke 18:24 tc ‡ The phrase περίλυπον γενόμενον (perilupon genomenon, “[When Jesus saw him] becoming sad”) is found in the majority of mss (A [D] W Θ Ψ 078 ƒ¹³ 33^vid M latt sy), and it is not unknown in Lukan style to repeat a word or phrase in adjacent passages (TCGNT 143). However, the phrase is lacking in some significant mss (א B L ƒ¹ 579 1241 2542 co). The shorter reading is nevertheless difficult to explain if it is not autographic: It is possible that these witnesses omitted this phrase out of perceived redundancy from the preceding verse, although intentional omissions, especially by several and varied witnesses, are generally unlikely. NA²⁸ places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.tn Grk “him.”
Luke 18:24 sn For the rich it is hard for wealth not to be the point of focus, as the contrast in vv. 28-30 will show, and for rich people to trust God. Wealth was not an automatic sign of blessing as far as Jesus was concerned.
Luke 18:24 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. See the note on this phrase in v. 16.
Luke 18:25 sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle, one of the smallest items one might deal with on a regular basis, in contrast to the biggest animal of the region. (Although the story of a small gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” has been widely circulated and may go back as far as the middle ages, there is no evidence that such a gate ever existed.) Jesus is saying rhetorically that this is impossible, unless God (v. 27) intervenes.
Luke 18:26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of thought.
Luke 18:26 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
Luke 18:27 sn The term impossible is in the emphatic position in the Greek text. God makes the impossible possible.
Luke 18:27 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anthrōpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men…possible for God”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation.
Luke 18:28 tn Or “left our homes,” “left our possessions”; Grk “left our own things.” The word ἴδιος (idios) can refer to one’s home (including the people and possessions in it) or to one’s property or possessions. Both options are mentioned in BDAG 467 s.v. 4.b. See also I. H. Marshall, Luke (NIGTC), 688; D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1488.
Luke 18:29 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 18:29 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 18:29 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Luke 18:29 tn The term “brothers” could be understood as generic here, referring to either male or female siblings. However, it is noteworthy that in the parallel passages in both Matt 19:29 and Mark 10:29, “sisters” are explicitly mentioned in the Greek text.
Luke 18:30 sn Jesus reassures his disciples with a promise that (1) much benefit in this life (many times more) and (2) eternal life in the age to come will be given.
Luke 18:30 tn Grk “this time” (καιρός, kairos), but for stylistic reasons this has been translated “this age” here.
Luke 18:30 sn Note that Luke (see also Matt 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 10:25) portrays eternal life as something one receives in the age to come, unlike John, who emphasizes the possibility of receiving eternal life in the present (John 5:24).

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 55[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[b] by David.

Footnotes

Psalm 138[a]

By David.

Psalm 139[o]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

Footnotes

The Exodus, Wandering, and Conquest Reviewed

The Present Covenant Setting

Footnotes

Preparing the Gift

Footnotes

Jesus and Little Children

The Wealthy Ruler

Footnotes

Psalm 55^[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song^[b] by David.

Psalm 138^[a]

Psalm 139^[o]