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Book of Common Prayer

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

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 16-17

Psalm 16^[a]

A prayer^[b] of David.

16 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you.^[c]
²I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord,
my only source of well-being.”^[d]
³As for God’s chosen people who are in the land,
and the leading officials I admired so much^[e]—
⁴their troubles multiply;
they desire other gods.^[f]
I will not pour out drink offerings of blood to their gods,^[g]
nor will I make vows in the name of their gods.^[h]
⁵Lord, you give me stability and prosperity;^[i]
you make my future secure.^[j]
⁶It is as if I have been given fertile fields
or received a beautiful tract of land.^[k]
⁷I will praise^[l] the Lord who^[m] guides^[n] me;
yes, during the night I reflect and learn.^[o]
⁸I constantly trust in the Lord;^[p]
because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
⁹So my heart rejoices
and I am happy;^[q]
my life is safe.^[r]
¹⁰You will not abandon me^[s] to Sheol;^[t]
you will not allow your faithful follower^[u] to see^[v] the Pit.^[w]
¹¹You lead me in^[x] the path of life.^[y]
I experience absolute joy in your presence;^[z]
you always give me sheer delight.^[aa]

Psalm 17^[ab]

A prayer of David.

17 Lord, consider my just cause.^[ac]
Pay attention to my cry for help.
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer.^[ad]
²Make a just decision on my behalf.^[ae]
Decide what is right.^[af]
³You have scrutinized my inner motives;^[ag]
you have examined me during the night.^[ah]
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful.^[ai]
⁴As for the actions of people^[aj]—
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men.^[ak]
⁵I carefully obey your commands;^[al]
I do not deviate from them.^[am]
⁶I call to you because you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me!^[an]
Hear what I say!^[ao]
⁷Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds,^[ap]
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies.^[aq]
⁸Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye.^[ar]
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.^[as]
⁹Protect me from^[at] the wicked men who attack^[au] me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill.^[av]
¹⁰They are calloused;^[aw]
they speak arrogantly.^[ax]
¹¹They attack me, now they surround me;^[ay]
they intend to throw me to the ground.^[az]
¹²He^[ba] is like a lion^[bb] that wants to tear its prey to bits,^[bc]
like a young lion crouching^[bd] in hidden places.
¹³Rise up, Lord!
Confront him.^[be] Knock him down.^[bf]
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man.^[bg]
¹⁴Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers,^[bh]
from the murderers of this world.^[bi]
They enjoy prosperity;^[bj]
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire.^[bk]
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring.^[bl]
¹⁵As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face;^[bm]
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me.^[bn]

Footnotes

Psalm 16:1 sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.
Psalm 16:1 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
Psalm 16:1 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).sn Taken shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
Psalm 16:2 tn Heb “my good [is] not beyond you.” For the use of the preposition עַל (ʿal) in the sense of “beyond,” see BDB 755 s.v. 2.
Psalm 16:3 tn Heb “regarding the holy ones who [are] in the land, they; and the mighty [ones] in [whom is/was] all my desire.” The difficult syntax makes the meaning of the verse uncertain. The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s angelic assembly (see Ps 89:5, 7), but the qualifying clause “who are in the land” suggests that here it refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3).
Psalm 16:4 tn Heb “their troubles multiply, another, they pay a dowry.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The Hebrew term עַצְּבוֹתָם (ʿats^evotam, “troubles”) appears to be a plural form of עַצֶּבֶת (ʿatsevet, “pain, wound”; see Job 9:28; Ps 147:3). Because idolatry appears to be in view (see v. 4b), some prefer to emend the noun to עַצְּבִים (ʿats^evim, “idols”). “Troubles” may be a wordplay on “idols” or a later alteration designed to emphasize that idolatry leads to trouble. The singular form אחר (“another”) is syntactically problematic here. Perhaps the form should be emended to a plural אֲחֵרִים (ʾakherim, “others”). (The final mem [ם] could have been lost by haplography; note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the next word.) In this case it might be taken as an abbreviated form of the well-attested phrase אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים (ʾelohim ʾakherim, “other gods”). (In Isa 42:8 the singular form אַחַר (ʾakher, “another”) is used of another god.) The verb מָהַר (mahar) appears in the Qal stem; the only other use of a Qal verbal form of a root מָהַר is in Exod 22:15, where the denominative verb מָהֹר (mahor, “purchase [a wife]”) appears; cf. the related noun מֹהַר (mohar, “bride money, purchase price for a wife”). If that verb is understood here, then the idolaters are pictured as eager bridegrooms paying the price to acquire the object of their desire. Another option is to emend the verb to a Piel and translate, “hurry (after).”
Psalm 16:4 tn Heb “I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood.” The third masculine plural suffix would appear to refer back to the people/leaders mentioned in v. 3. However, if we emend אֲחֵר (ʾakher, “another”) to the plural אֲחֵרִים (ʾakherim, “other [gods]”) in v. 4, the suffix can be understood as referring to these gods—“the drink offerings [made to] them.” The next line favors this interpretation. Perhaps this refers to some type of pagan cultic ritual. Elsewhere wine is the prescribed content of drink offerings.
Psalm 16:4 tn Heb “and I will not lift up their names upon my lips.” The expression “lift up the name” probably refers here to swearing an oath in the name of deity (see Exod 20:7; Deut 5:11). If so, the third masculine plural suffix on “names” likely refers to the pagan gods, not the people/leaders. See the preceding note.
Psalm 16:5 tn Heb “O Lord, the portion of my possession and my cup”; or “the Lord [is] the portion of my possession and my cup.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel, and to a cup of wine, which may symbolize a reward (in Ps 11:6 it symbolizes the judgment one deserves) or divine blessing (see Ps 23:5). The metaphor highlights the fact that God is the psalmist’s source of security and prosperity.
Psalm 16:5 tc Heb “you take hold of my lot.” The form תּוֹמִיךְ (tomikh) should be emended to a participle, תוֹמֵךְ (tomekh). The psalmist pictures the Lord as casting his lot (a method used to allot landed property) for him, thus assuring that he will receive a fertile piece of land (see v. 6). As in the previous line, land represents security and economic stability, thus “you make my future secure.”
Psalm 16:6 tn Heb “measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant [places]; yes, property [or “an inheritance”] is beautiful for me.” On the dative use of עַל (ʿal), see BDB 758 s.v. II.8. Extending the metaphor used in v. 5, the psalmist compares the divine blessings he has received to a rich, beautiful tract of land that one might receive by allotment or inheritance.
Psalm 16:7 tn Heb “bless,” that is, “proclaim as worthy of praise.”
Psalm 16:7 tn Or “because.”
Psalm 16:7 tn Or “counsels, advises.”
Psalm 16:7 tn Heb “yes, [during] nights my kidneys instruct [or “correct”] me.” The “kidneys” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s moral character (see Ps 26:2). In the quiet darkness the Lord speaks to his inner being, as it were, and enables him to grow in moral understanding.
Psalm 16:8 tn Heb “I set the Lord before me continually.” This may mean that the psalmist is aware of the Lord’s presence and sensitive to his moral guidance (see v. 7), or that he trusts in the Lord’s protection (see the following line).
Psalm 16:9 tn Heb “my glory is happy.” Some view the Hebrew term כְּבוֹדִי (k^evodi, “my glory”) as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (k^evedi, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 30:12; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
Psalm 16:9 tn Heb “yes, my flesh dwells securely.” The psalmist’s “flesh” stands by metonymy for his body and, by extension, his physical life.
Psalm 16:10 tn Or “my life.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
Psalm 16:10 sn In ancient Israelite cosmology Sheol is the realm of the dead, viewed as being under the earth’s surface. See L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 165-76.
Psalm 16:10 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד [khasid], traditionally rendered “holy one”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10). The psalmist here refers to himself, as the parallel line (“You will not abandon me to Sheol”) indicates.
Psalm 16:10 tn That is, “experience.” The psalmist is confident that the Lord will protect him in his present crisis (see v. 1) and prevent him from dying.sn According to Peter, the words of Ps 16:8-11 are applicable to Jesus (Acts 2:25-29). Peter goes on to argue that David, being a prophet, foresaw future events and spoke of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:30-33). Paul seems to concur with Peter in this understanding (see Acts 13:35-37). For a discussion of the NT application of these verses to Jesus’ resurrection, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 292-95.
Psalm 16:10 tn The Hebrew word שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 30:9; 49:9; 55:24 HT [55:23 ET]; 103:4). Note the parallelism with the previous line.
Psalm 16:11 tn Heb “cause me to know”; or “cause me to experience.”
Psalm 16:11 tn This is a metaphorical way of saying, “you preserve my life.” The phrase “path of life” stands in contrast to death/Sheol in Prov 2:18-19; 5:5-6; 15:24.
Psalm 16:11 tn Heb “abundance of joy [is] with your face.” The plural form of the noun שִׂמְחָה (simkhah, “joy”) occurs only here and in Ps 45:15. It may emphasize the degree of joy experienced.
Psalm 16:11 tn Heb “delight [is] in your right hand forever.” The plural form of the adjective נָעִים (naʿim, “pleasant, delightful”) may here emphasize the degree of delight experienced (see Job 36:11).
Psalm 17:1 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
Psalm 17:1 tn Heb “hear, Lord, what is just.”
Psalm 17:1 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”
Psalm 17:2 tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsaʾ) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.
Psalm 17:2 tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)
Psalm 17:3 tn Heb “you tested my heart.”
Psalm 17:3 tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”
Psalm 17:3 tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammoti) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmati, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.
Psalm 17:4 tn Heb “with regard to the deeds of man[kind].”
Psalm 17:4 tn Heb “by the word of your lips, I, I have watched the paths of the violent” (i.e., “watched” in the sense of “watched for the purpose of avoiding”).
Psalm 17:5 tn Heb “my steps stay firm in your tracks.” The infinitive absolute functions here as a finite verb (see GKC 347 §113.gg). God’s “tracks” are his commands, i.e., the moral pathways he has prescribed for the psalmist.
Psalm 17:5 tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”
Psalm 17:6 tn Heb “Turn your ear toward me.”
Psalm 17:6 tn Heb “my word.”
Psalm 17:7 tn Heb “Set apart faithful acts.”
Psalm 17:7 tn Heb “[O] one who delivers those who seek shelter from the ones raising themselves up, by your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver.sn Those who look to you for protection from their enemies. “Seeking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
Psalm 17:8 tc Heb “Protect me like the pupil, a daughter of an eye.” The noun בַּת (bat, “daughter”) should probably be emended to בָּבַת (bavat, “pupil”). See Zech 2:12 HT (2:8 ET) and HALOT 107 s.v. *בָּבָה.
Psalm 17:8 sn Your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
Psalm 17:9 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Psalm 17:9 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
Psalm 17:9 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (b^enefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
Psalm 17:10 tn Heb “their fat they close.” The Hebrew term חֵלֶב (khelev, “fat”) appears to stand by metonymy for their calloused hearts. They attack the psalmist without feeling any pity or remorse. Some propose emending the text to חֵלֶב לִבָּמוֹ (khelev libbamo, “fat of their heart[s]; cf. Ps 119:70, “their heart is insensitive like fat”). This assumes haplography of the לב (lamed-bet) consonantal sequence.
Psalm 17:10 tn Heb “[with] their mouth they speak with arrogance.”
Psalm 17:11 tc Heb “our steps, now they surround me.” The Kethib (consonantal text) has “surround me,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has “surround us,” harmonizing the pronoun to the preceding “our steps.” The first person plural pronoun does not fit the context, where the psalmist speaks as an individual. In the preceding verses the psalmist uses a first person singular verbal or pronominal form twenty times. For this reason it is preferable to emend “our steps” to אִשְּׁרוּנִי (ʾish^eruni, “they attack me”) from the verbal root אָשַׁר (ʾashar, “march, stride, track”).
Psalm 17:11 tn Heb “their eyes they set to bend down in the ground.”
Psalm 17:12 tn Here the psalmist switches to the singular pronoun; he views his enemies collectively, or singles out a representative of the group, perhaps its leader.
Psalm 17:12 tn Heb “his likeness [is] like a lion.”
Psalm 17:12 tn Heb “[that] longs to tear.”
Psalm 17:12 tn Heb “sitting.”
Psalm 17:13 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
Psalm 17:13 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
Psalm 17:13 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
Psalm 17:14 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand, Lord.” The translation assumes an emendation (both here and in the following line) of מִמְתִים (mim^etim, “from men”) to מִמְּמִתִים (mimm^emitim, “from those who kill”). For other uses of the plural form of the Hiphil participle of מוּת (mut, “die”), see 2 Kgs 17:26 (used with lions as subject), Job 33:22 (apparently referring to the agents of death), and Jer 26:15 (used of those seeking Jeremiah’s life).
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”sn You overwhelm them with the riches they desire. The psalmist is not accusing God of being unjust; he is simply observing that the wicked often prosper and that God is the ultimate source of all blessings that human beings enjoy (see Matt 5:45). When the wicked are ungrateful for God’s blessings, they become even more culpable and deserving of judgment. So this description of the wicked actually supports the psalmist’s appeal for deliverance. God should rescue him because he is innocent (see vv. 3-5) and because the wicked, though blessed abundantly by God, still have the audacity to attack God’s people.
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
Psalm 17:15 tn Heb “I, in innocence, I will see your face.” To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 11:7; see also Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזַה (khazah), is used]). Here, however, the psalmist may be anticipating a mystical experience. See the following note on the word “me.”
Psalm 17:15 tn Heb “I will be satisfied, when I awake, [with] your form.” The noun תְּמוּנָה (t^emunah) normally carries the nuance “likeness” or “form.” In Job 4:16 it refers to a ghostlike spiritual entity (see Job 4:15) that revealed itself to Eliphaz during the night. The psalmist may anticipate a mystical encounter with God in which he expects to see a manifestation of God’s presence (i.e., a theophany), perhaps in conjunction with an oracle of deliverance. During the quiet darkness of the night, God examines the psalmist’s inner motives and finds them to be pure (see v. 3). The psalmist is confident that when he awakens, perhaps sometime during the night or in the morning, he will be visited by God and assured of vindication.sn When I awake you will reveal yourself to me. Some see in this verse an allusion to resurrection. According to this view, when the psalmist awakens from the sleep of death, he will see God. It is unlikely that the psalmist had such a highly developed personal eschatology. As noted above, it is more likely that he is anticipating a divine visitation and mystical encounter as a prelude to his deliverance from his enemies.

Psalm 22

Psalm 22^[a]

For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”;^[b] a psalm of David.

22 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?^[c]
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.^[d]
²My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up.^[e]
³You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel.^[f]
⁴In you our ancestors^[g] trusted;
they trusted in you^[h] and you rescued them.
⁵To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.^[i]
⁶But I^[j] am a worm,^[k] not a man;^[l]
people insult me and despise me.^[m]
⁷All who see me taunt^[n] me;
they mock me^[o] and shake their heads.^[p]
⁸They say,^[q]
“Commit yourself^[r] to the Lord!
Let the Lord^[s] rescue him!
Let the Lord^[t] deliver him, for he delights in him.”^[u]
⁹Yes, you are the one who brought me out^[v] from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰I have been dependent on you since birth;^[w]
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God.^[x]
¹¹Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me.^[y]
¹²Many bulls^[z] surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan^[aa] hem me in.
¹³They^[ab] open their mouths to devour me^[ac]
like a roaring lion that rips its prey.^[ad]
¹⁴My strength drains away like water;^[ae]
all my bones are dislocated.
My heart^[af] is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
¹⁵The roof of my mouth^[ag] is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums.^[ah]
You^[ai] set me in the dust of death.^[aj]
¹⁶Yes,^[ak] wild dogs surround me—
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet.^[al]
¹⁷I can count^[am] all my bones;
my enemies^[an] are gloating over me in triumph.^[ao]
¹⁸They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice^[ap] for my garments.
¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not remain far away.
You are my source of strength.^[aq] Hurry and help me!^[ar]
²⁰Deliver me^[as] from the sword.
Save^[at] my life^[au] from the claws^[av] of the wild dogs.
²¹Rescue me from the mouth of the lion,^[aw]
and from the horns of the wild oxen.^[ax]
You have answered me.^[ay]
²²I will declare your name to my countrymen.^[az]
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you.
²³You loyal followers of the Lord,^[ba] praise him.
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him.
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him.^[bb]
²⁴For he did not despise or detest the suffering^[bc] of the oppressed.^[bd]
He did not ignore him;^[be]
when he cried out to him, he responded.^[bf]
²⁵You are the reason I offer praise^[bg] in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers.^[bh]
²⁶Let the oppressed eat and be filled.^[bi]
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord.
May you^[bj] live forever!
²⁷Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him.^[bk]
Let all the nations^[bl] worship you.^[bm]
²⁸For the Lord is king^[bn]
and rules over the nations.
²⁹All the thriving people^[bo] of the earth will join the celebration and worship;^[bp]
all those who are descending into the grave^[bq] will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives.^[br]
³⁰A whole generation^[bs] will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the Lord.^[bt]
³¹They will come and tell about his saving deeds;^[bu]
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished.^[bv]

Footnotes

Psalm 22:1 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
Psalm 22:1 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
Psalm 22:1 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
Psalm 22:1 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (sh^eʾagah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (shaʾag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
Psalm 22:2 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
Psalm 22:3 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the Lord as sitting enthroned as king in his temple, receiving the praises that his people Israel offer up to him.
Psalm 22:4 tn Heb “fathers.”
Psalm 22:4 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
Psalm 22:5 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
Psalm 22:6 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
Psalm 22:6 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
Psalm 22:6 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
Psalm 22:6 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
Psalm 22:7 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
Psalm 22:7 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
Psalm 22:7 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
Psalm 22:8 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
Psalm 22:8 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גָּלַל (galal) here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the Lord.”
Psalm 22:8 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Psalm 22:8 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Psalm 22:8 tn That is, “for he [the Lord] delights in him [the psalmist].” For other cases where the expression “delight in” refers to God’s delight in a person, see Num 14:8; 1 Kgs 10:9; Pss 18:19; 40:8.sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.
Psalm 22:9 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָּחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
Psalm 22:10 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
Psalm 22:10 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).
Psalm 22:11 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
Psalm 22:12 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
Psalm 22:12 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
Psalm 22:13 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
Psalm 22:13 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
Psalm 22:13 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
Psalm 22:14 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
Psalm 22:14 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
Psalm 22:15 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhi), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khiki, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
Psalm 22:15 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
Psalm 22:15 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
Psalm 22:15 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
Psalm 22:16 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 22:16 tc The Masoretic text reads “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” The reading is difficult and the ancient versions vary, so the textual difficulty is probably very early. Without a verb, the syntax appears broken and the role of “hands and feet” unclear. One option is to understand the verb of the previous line to apply again, a poetic technique called ellipsis and double duty. But “my hands and feet” would be an odd object for a verb meaning “they encircled.” Otherwise, the broken syntax may represent the emotional outcry of the Psalmist, first mentioning the lion as part of the third person description, but suddenly shifting to the first person perspective and crying out as the lion attacks, pinning down his hands and feet (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art). But this development seems late textually. All the other witnesses have a verb instead of “like a lion.” The LXX says “they dug my hands and feet; the verb ὀρύσσω (orussō) means “to burrow in the ground, to dig.” A Qumran witness seems to read similarly, “they dug.” Instead of the MT’s כארי (kᵉʾariy; like a lion”), the scroll from Nahal Hever has a verb form כארו (kaʾaru) ending with vav instead of yod. Supposing that the א (ʾaleph) is a superfluous spelling variant, the form would be understood as כרו (karu) from the root כרה (karah), meaning “they dug.” In that case, the Qumran scroll and the LXX agree because כרה is one of the two verbs translated in the LXX by ὀρύσσω. But as both these verbs mean “to dig [in the dirt]” this has not helped us understand the context. Assuming that the enemies are still the subject, we might expect “they dug a pit for my hands and feet.” In fact the Hebrew words behind “they dug a pit” look similar (כרו בור) so it is not hard to imagine that one of these two would be overlooked by a scribed and dropped from the text. Some suppose that “to dig [in the ground]” means “to pierce” in reference to hands and feet (possibly from the root כור). Other variants and suggestions include “they bound,” or “they picked clean” (from אָרָה, ʾarah, “to pluck”) my hands and feet. Or “my hands and feet are consumed,” or “worn out.” The latter two assume a copying error of resh for lamed, making the verb come from כלה. P. Craigie (Psalms [WBC], 1:196) opts for this last but also cites Syriac and Akkadian for additional root K-R-H meaning “to be shrunken, shriveled.” The Akkadian verb (karu) is said of body parts and can refer to paralysis, which is the kind of metaphor which occurs in battle contexts elsewhere (e.g. Ps 76:5). It would be very natural to read “my hands and my feet” as the subject of the verb because verb-subject is typical word order. There is no decisive answer to the problem and the NET translation includes the lion imagery (cf. v. 13) and supposes a verb that conveys an attack.
Psalm 22:17 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
Psalm 22:17 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Psalm 22:17 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
Psalm 22:18 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
Psalm 22:19 tn Heb “O my strength.”
Psalm 22:19 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
Psalm 22:20 tn Or “my life.”
Psalm 22:20 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
Psalm 22:20 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
Psalm 22:20 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
Psalm 22:21 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
Psalm 22:21 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (r^eʾemim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
Psalm 22:21 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
Psalm 22:22 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
Psalm 22:23 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.
Psalm 22:23 tn Heb “fear him.”
Psalm 22:24 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
Psalm 22:24 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
Psalm 22:24 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
Psalm 22:24 tn Heb “heard.”
Psalm 22:25 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
Psalm 22:25 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the Lord for help, the psalmists would typically promise to praise the Lord publicly if he intervened and delivered them.
Psalm 22:26 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
Psalm 22:26 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
Psalm 22:27 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27 are understood as jussives (cf. NEB). Another option (cf. NIV, NRSV) is to take the forms as imperfects and translate, “all the people of the earth will acknowledge and turn…and worship.” See vv. 29-32.
Psalm 22:27 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
Psalm 22:27 tn Heb “before you.”
Psalm 22:28 tn Heb “for to the Lord [is] dominion.”
Psalm 22:29 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (y^eshene, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishne, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the Lord.
Psalm 22:29 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the Lord will receive universal worship. The mood is one of wishful thinking and anticipation; this is not prophecy in the strict sense.
Psalm 22:29 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings—the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
Psalm 22:29 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
Psalm 22:30 tn Heb “offspring.”
Psalm 22:30 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
Psalm 22:31 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
Psalm 22:31 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

Proverbs 8:1-21

The Appeal of Wisdom^[a]

8 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
²At the top^[b] of the prominent places along the way,
at the intersection^[c] of the paths she has taken her stand;
³beside the gates opening into^[d] the city,
at the entrance of the doorways she cries out:^[e]
⁴“To you, O people,^[f] I call out,
and my voice calls^[g] to all mankind.^[h]
⁵You who are naive, discern^[i] wisdom!
And you fools, understand discernment!^[j]
⁶Listen, for I will speak excellent things,^[k]
and my lips will utter^[l] what is right.
⁷For my mouth^[m] speaks truth,^[n]
and my lips^[o] hate wickedness.^[p]
⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;^[q]
there is nothing in them twisted^[r] or crooked.
⁹All of them are clear^[s] to the discerning
and upright to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰Receive my instruction^[t] rather than^[u] silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold.
¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies,
and desirable things cannot be compared^[v] to her.
¹²“I, wisdom, have dwelt^[w] with prudence,^[x]
and I find^[y] knowledge and discretion.
¹³The fear of the Lord is to hate^[z] evil;
I hate arrogant pride^[aa] and the evil way
and perverse utterances.^[ab]
¹⁴Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me;^[ac]
I possess understanding and might.
¹⁵By me kings reign,
and by me^[ad] potentates^[ae] decree^[af] righteousness;
¹⁶by me princes rule,
as well as nobles and^[ag] all righteous judges.^[ah]
¹⁷I will love^[ai] those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently will find me.
¹⁸Riches and honor are with me,
long-lasting wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹My fruit is better than the purest gold,^[aj]
and my harvest^[ak] is better than choice silver.
²⁰I walk in the path of righteousness,
in the pathway of justice,
²¹that I may cause^[al] those who love me to inherit wealth,
and that I may fill^[am] their treasuries.^[an]

Footnotes

Proverbs 8:1 sn In this chapter wisdom is personified. In 1:20-33 wisdom proclaims her value, and in 3:19-26 wisdom is the agent of creation. Such a personification has affinities with the wisdom literature of the ancient Near East, and may have drawn on some of that literature, albeit with appropriate safeguards (Claudia V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, 23-70). Wisdom in Proverbs 8, however, is not a deity like Egypt’s Ma'at or the Assyrian-Babylonian Ishtar. It is simply presented as if it were a self-conscious divine being distinct but subordinate to God, but in reality it is the personification of the attribute of wisdom displayed by God (R. B. Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 69-72; and R. Marcus, “On Biblical Hypostases of Wisdom,” HUCA 23 [1950-1951]: 157-71). Many have equated wisdom in this chapter with Jesus Christ. This connection works only in so far as Jesus reveals the nature of the Father, just as Proverbs presents wisdom as an attribute of God. Jesus’ claims included wisdom (Matt 12:42) and a unique knowledge of God (Matt 11:25-27). He even personified wisdom in a way that was similar to Proverbs (Matt 11:19). Paul saw the fulfillment of wisdom in Christ (Col 1:15-20; 2:3) and affirmed that Christ became our wisdom in the crucifixion (1 Cor 1:24, 30). So this personification in Proverbs provides a solid foundation for the similar revelation of wisdom in Christ. But because wisdom is a creation of God in Proverbs 8, it is unlikely that wisdom here is to be identified with Jesus Christ. The chapter unfolds in three cycles: After an introduction (1-3), wisdom makes an invitation (4, 5) and explains that she is noble, just, and true (6-9); she then makes another invitation (10) and explains that she is valuable (11-21); and finally, she tells how she preceded and delights in creation (22-31) before concluding with the third invitation (32-36).
Proverbs 8:2 tn Heb “head.” The word רֹאשׁ (roʾsh, “head”) refers to the highest area or most important place in the elevated area. The contrast with chapter 7 is striking. There the wayward woman lurked at the corners in the street at night; here wisdom is at the highest point in the open places in view of all.
Proverbs 8:2 tn Heb “at the house of the paths.” The “house” is not literal here, but refers to where the paths meet (cf. ASV, NIV), that is, the “crossroads” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT).
Proverbs 8:3 tn Heb “at the mouth of.”
Proverbs 8:3 tn The cry is a very loud ringing cry that could not be missed. The term רָנַן (ranan) means “to give a ringing cry.” It is often only a shrill sound that might come with a victory in battle, but its use in the psalms for praise shows that it also can have clear verbal content, as it does here. For wisdom to stand in the street and give such a ringing cry would mean that it could be heard by all. It was a proclamation.
Proverbs 8:4 tn Heb “men.” Although it might be argued in light of the preceding material that males would be particularly addressed by wisdom here, the following material indicates a more universal appeal. Cf. TEV, NLT “to all of you.”
Proverbs 8:4 tn The verb “calls” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of style.
Proverbs 8:4 tn Heb “sons of man.” Cf. NAB “the children of men”; NCV, NLT “all people”; NRSV “all that live.”
Proverbs 8:5 tn The imperative of בִּין (bin) means “to understand; to discern.” The call is for the simple to understand what wisdom is, not just to gain it.
Proverbs 8:5 tn Heb “heart.” The noun לֵב (lev, “heart”) often functions metonymically for wisdom, understanding, discernment.
Proverbs 8:6 tc The MT reads נְגִידִים (n^egidim) “nobles.” HALOT interprets this as the plural form of the noun that lies behind the preposition נֶגֶד (neged), meaning “correct, proper expressions” (HALOT 667, s.v. נֶגֶד). The translation follows BHS in reading נְגָדִים (n^egadim) “noble things” as a substantival adjective based on the same root.
Proverbs 8:6 tn Heb “opening of my lips” (so KJV, NASB). The noun “lips” is a metonymy of cause, with the organ of speech put for what is said.
Proverbs 8:7 tn Heb “roof of the mouth.” This expression is a metonymy of cause for the activity of speaking.
Proverbs 8:7 tn The word “truth” (אֱמֶת, ʾemet) is derived from the verbal root אָמַן (ʾaman) which means “to be firm, trustworthy.” There are a number of derived nouns that have the sense of reliability: “pillars,” “master craftsman,” “nurse,” “guardian.” Modifiers related to this group of words include things like “faithful,” “surely,” “truly” (ʾamen). In the derived stems the verb develops various nuances: The Niphal has the meanings of “reliable, faithful, sure, steadfast,” and the Hiphil has the meaning “believe” (i.e., consider something dependable). The noun “truth” means what is reliable or dependable, firm or sure.
Proverbs 8:7 sn Wise lips detest wickedness; wisdom hates speaking wicked things. In fact, speaking truth results in part from detesting wickedness.
Proverbs 8:7 tn Heb “wickedness is an abomination to my lips” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).
Proverbs 8:8 tn The phrase could be rendered with an understood ellipsis: “all the words of my mouth [are said] in righteousness”; or the preposition could be interpreted as a beth essentiae: “all the words of my mouth are righteousness.”
Proverbs 8:8 sn The verb פָּתַל (patal) means “to twist.” In the Niphal it means “to wrestle” (to twist oneself). It was used in Gen 30:8 for the naming of Naphtali, with the motivation for the name from this verb: “with great struggling.” Here it describes speech that is twisted. It is a synonym for the next word, which means “twisted; crooked; perverse.”
Proverbs 8:9 tn Heb “front of.” Describing the sayings as “right in front” means they are open, obvious, and clear, as opposed to words that might be twisted or perverse. The parallel word “upright” means “straight, smooth, right.” Wisdom’s teachings are in plain view and intelligible for those who find knowledge.
Proverbs 8:10 tn Heb “discipline.” The term refers to instruction that trains with discipline (e.g., Prov 1:2).
Proverbs 8:10 tn Heb “and not” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “in preference to.”
Proverbs 8:11 tn The verb יִשְׁווּ (yish^evu, from שָׁוָה, shavah) can be rendered “are not comparable” or with a modal nuance, “cannot be compared” with her.
Proverbs 8:12 tn The verb שָׁכַנְתִּי (shakanti) is a perfect form which should normally be past or perfective. Some of this root’s perfect forms follow stative morphology (though the imperfect forms consistently use the morphology of dynamic verbs). The meanings of some verbs drift across the stative vs. dynamic boundary over time. If interpreted as a stative verb, it would be present tense.
Proverbs 8:12 tn The noun is “shrewdness,” i.e., the right use of knowledge in special cases (see also the discussion in 1:4); cf. NLT “good judgment.” The word in this sentence is an adverbial accusative of specification.
Proverbs 8:12 tn This verb form is an imperfect, showing habitual action.tc It has been reasonably proposed, based on Greek witnesses, that the verb can be read as a Niphal rather than a Qal. The proposal keeps the same consonants for this verb (but reads different vowels), however the Greek implies that the noun “knowledge” should be emended to a participle (requires adding a מ, [mem]). The meaning of this reading is “I reveal myself (or “am found”) making discretion known.
Proverbs 8:13 tn The verb שָׂנֵא (saneʾ) means “to hate.” In this sentence it functions nominally as the predicate. Fearing the Lord is hating evil.sn The verb translated “hate” has the basic idea of rejecting something spontaneously. For example, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Mal 1:2b, 3a). It frequently has the idea of disliking or loathing (as English does), but almost always with an additional aspect of rejection. To “hate evil” is not only to dislike it, but to reject it and have nothing to do with it.
Proverbs 8:13 tn Since גֵּאָה (geʾah, “pride”) and גָּאוֹן (gaʾon, “arrogance; pride”) are both from the same verbal root גָּאָה (gaʾah, “to rise up”), they should here be interpreted as one idea, forming a nominal hendiadys: “arrogant pride.”
Proverbs 8:13 tn Heb “and a mouth of perverse things.” The word “mouth” is a metonymy of cause for what is said; and the noun תַהְפֻּכוֹת (tahpukhot, “perverse things”) means destructive things (the related verb is used for the overthrowing of Sodom).
Proverbs 8:14 tc In the second half of v. 14 instead of אֲנִי (ʾani) the editors propose reading simply לִי (li) as the renderings in the LXX, Latin, and Syriac suggest. Then, in place of the לִי that comes in the same colon, read וְלִי (v^eli). While the MT is a difficult reading, it can be translated as it is. It would be difficult to know exactly what the ancient versions were reading, because their translations could have been derived from either text. They represent an effort to smooth out the text.tn Heb “To me [belong] counsel and sound wisdom.” The second colon in the verse has: “I, understanding, to me might.”sn In vv. 14-17 the pronouns come first and should receive greater prominence—although it is not always easy to do this with English.
Proverbs 8:15 tn The words “by me” are understood to apply from the first line through the technique of ellipsis and double duty.
Proverbs 8:15 tn The verb רָזַן (razan) means “to be weighty; to be judicious; to be commanding.” It only occurs in the Qal active participle in the plural as a substantive, meaning “potentates; rulers” (e.g., Ps 1:1-3). Cf. KJV, ASV “princes”; NAB “lawgivers.”
Proverbs 8:15 sn This verb יְחֹקְקוּ (y^ekhoq^equ) is related to the noun חֹק (khoq), which is a “statute; decree.” The verb is defined as “to cut in; to inscribe; to decree” (BDB 349 s.v. חָקַק). The point the verse is making is that when these potentates decree righteousness, it is by wisdom. History records all too often that these rulers acted as fools and opposed righteousness (cf. Ps 2:1-3). But people in power need wisdom to govern the earth (e.g., Isa 11:1-4 which predicts how Messiah will use wisdom to do this very thing). The point is underscored with the paronomasia in v. 15 with “kings” and “will reign” from the same root, and then in v. 16 with both “princes” and “rule” being cognate. The repetition of sounds and meanings strengthens the statements.
Proverbs 8:16 tn The term “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and readability.
Proverbs 8:16 tc Many of the MT mss read “sovereigns [princes], all the judges of the earth.” The LXX has “sovereigns…rule the earth.” But the MT manuscript in the text has “judges of righteousness.” C. H. Toy suggests that the Hebrew here has assimilated Ps 148:11 in its construction (Proverbs [ICC], 167). The expression “judges of the earth” is what one would expect, but the more difficult and unexpected reading, the one scribes might change, would be “judges of righteousness.” If that reading stands, then it would probably be interpreted as using an attributive genitive.
Proverbs 8:17 tn The verb אָהֵב (ʾahev, “to love”) is stative, so in the imperfect form it is future tense. It still states a general truth.sn In contrast to the word for “hate” (שָׂנֵא, saneʾ), the verb “love” (אָהֵב, ʾahev) includes within it the idea of choosing spontaneously. So in this line “loving” and “seeking” point out the means of finding wisdom.
Proverbs 8:19 tn The two synonyms, “than gold, than fine gold” probably form a hendiadys here to express “the very finest gold.”
Proverbs 8:19 tn The noun תְּבוּאָה (t^evuʾah) means “harvest, yield of crops, produce” and by extension “profit” (HALOT 1679, s.v.). The agricultural imagery is an implied metaphor (hypocatastasis) for the gains that wisdom produces in one’s life.
Proverbs 8:21 tn The infinitive construct expressing the purpose of the preceding “walk” in the way of righteousness. These verses say that wisdom is always on the way of righteousness for the purposes of bestowing the same to those who find her. If sin is involved, then wisdom has not been followed.
Proverbs 8:21 tn Heb “and their treasuries I fill.” The imperfect verb expresses purposive modality because of the parallelism with the infinitive beginning the verse.
Proverbs 8:21 tc The LXX adds at the end of this verse: “If I declare to you the things of daily occurrence, I will remember to recount the things of old.”

2 John

Introduction and Thanksgiving

¹From^[a] the elder,^[b] to an elect lady^[c] and her children, whom I love in truth^[d] (and not I alone, but also all those^[e] who know the truth), ²because of the truth^[f] that resides in us and will be with us forever. ³Grace, mercy, and^[g] peace will be with us from God the Father and from^[h] Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

⁴I rejoiced greatly because I have found some^[i] of your children living according to the truth,^[j] just as the Father commanded us.^[k]

Warning Against False Teachers

⁵But now^[l] I ask you, lady (not as if I were^[m] writing a new commandment^[n] to you, but the one^[o] we have had from the beginning),^[p] that^[q] we love one another. ⁶(Now this is love: that we walk^[r] according to his commandments.) This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus^[s] you should walk in it.^[t] ⁷For^[u] many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as^[v] Christ^[w] coming in the flesh.^[x] This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!^[y] ⁸Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for,^[z] but receive a full reward.^[aa]

⁹Everyone^[ab] who goes on ahead and does not remain^[ac] in the teaching of Christ^[ad] does not have God.^[ae] The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting,^[af] ¹¹because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.^[ag]

Conclusion

¹²Though I have many other^[ah] things to write to you, I do not want to do so with^[ai] paper and ink,^[aj] but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face,^[ak] so that our joy may be complete.

¹³The children of your elect sister greet you.^[al]

Footnotes

2 John 1:1 tn The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
2 John 1:1 tn Or “presbyter.”sn The author’s self-designation, the elder, is in keeping with the reticence of the author of the Gospel of John to identify himself. This is the same self-designation used by the author of 3 John.
2 John 1:1 tn This phrase may refer to an individual or to a church (or the church at large). Some have suggested that the addressee is a Christian lady named “Electa,” but the same word in v. 13 is clearly an adjective, not a proper name. Others see the letter addressed to a Christian lady named “Kyria” (first proposed by Athanasius) or to an unnamed Christian lady. The internal evidence of 2 John clearly supports a collective reference, however. In v. 6 the addressee is mentioned using second person plural, and this is repeated in vv. 8, 10, and 12. Only in v. 13 does the singular reappear. The uses in vv. 1 and 13 are most likely collective. Some have seen a reference to the church at large, but v. 13, referring to “the children of your elect sister” is hard to understand if the universal church is in view. Thus the most probable explanation is that the “elect lady” is a particular local church at some distance from where the author is located.sn 2 John is being written to warn a “sister” church some distance away, referred to as an elect lady, of the missionary efforts of the secessionist false teachers (discussed in 1 John) and the dangers of welcoming them whenever they arrive.
2 John 1:1 tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ (en alētheia) in 2 John 1 is similar to 3 John 1, although it is not qualified there as it is here (see 3 John 1). “Truth” is the author’s way of alluding to theological orthodoxy in the face of the challenge by the opponents (see 1 John 3:19).
2 John 1:1 sn All those who know the truth refers to true Christians who are holding fast to the apostolic Christology in the face of the secessionist opponents described in 1 John.
2 John 1:2 tc The prepositional phrase that begins v. 2, διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν (dia tēn alētheian, “because of the truth”), is missing in a number of significant mss, among them Ψ 614 1241 1505 1611 1739 1852 al. However, it looks to be a simple case of homoioteleuton, for v. 1 ends with τὴν ἀλήθειαν. For some of these mss it could be an intentional omission, for the sense of the passage is largely the same without the prepositional phrase (the following adjectival participle, in this case, would simply attach itself to the previous τὴν ἀλήθειαν). The phrase could thus have been viewed as redundant and for this reason expunged from the text.sn While truth certainly has a doctrinal aspect in this context, the following phrase that resides in us and will be with us forever suggests more than doctrine is involved. A close parallel is John 14:16-17 where Jesus promised his disciples that the Spirit (Paraclete) would be with them forever: “He remains with you and will be in you.” The “truth” the author speaks of here is a manifestation of the Spirit of Truth who is permanently with the believer.
2 John 1:3 tn “And” is not in the Greek text. It is supplied for smoothness in English.
2 John 1:3 tc Most witnesses, including some early and significnt ones (א P 5 33 1175 1611 2344 2492 M sy^{ph mss,h}), have κυρίου (kuriou, “Lord”) before ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Iēsou Christou, “Jesus Christ”), but this is a typical scribal addition, motivated by pietistic and liturgical concerns. Further, early and excellent mss (A B Ψ 048 0232 81 323 436 442 1243 1735 1739 1852sy^{ph mss}) lack κυρίου. Thus, both internally and externally, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.
2 John 1:4 tn “Some” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied because the prepositional phrase beginning with ἐκ (ek) has partitive force. The partitive force of the prepositional phrase here has been taken by some interpreters to mean that the author has found some of the elect lady’s children who are living according to the truth and some who are not. This is grammatically possible, but the author has merely stated that he knows of some Christians in the church addressed who are “walking in the truth.” He does not know for certain that all of them are, and concern over this is probably part of the motivation for writing the letter.
2 John 1:4 sn Living according to the truth (Grk “walking in [the] truth”). The use of the Greek verb περιπατέω (peripateō) to refer to conduct or lifestyle is common in the NT (see 1 John 1:6, 3 John 3-4, as well as numerous times in Paul). Here the phrase refers to conduct that results when a person has “truth” residing within, and possibly alludes to the indwelling Spirit of Truth (see 2 John 2). In the specific context of 2 John the phrase refers to true Christians who are holding fast to an apostolic Christology in the face of the secessionist opponents’ challenge to orthodoxy.
2 John 1:4 tn Grk “just as we received commandment from the Father.” The idiom “we received commandment from the Father” means the Father gave (a) commandment to them (the author plus the recipients).
2 John 1:5 tn The introductory καὶ νῦν (kai nun) has some adversative (contrastive) force: The addressees are already “living according to the truth” (v. 4) but in the face of the threat posed by the opponents, the author has to stress obedience all the more.
2 John 1:5 tn The words “if I were” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity in English.
2 John 1:5 sn An allusion to John 13:34-35, 1 John 2:7-8.
2 John 1:5 tn “The one” is not in the Greek text. It is supplied for clarity in English.
2 John 1:5 sn See 1 John 2:7.
2 John 1:5 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause indicates content.
2 John 1:6 tn Or “that we live.”
2 John 1:6 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause indicates result, parallel to John 13:34 where the final ἵνα clause also indicates result.
2 John 1:6 tn Or “should live in obedience to it.”
2 John 1:7 tn Technically this ὅτι (hoti) clause is subordinate to the verb περιπατῆτε (peripatēte) at the end of v. 6, giving the reason why the readers should walk in the commandment to love one another. But BDF §456.1 notes that subordination “is often very loose” in such cases and can be translated “for.” Thus the ὅτι assumes something of an inferential sense, drawing an inference based on what has preceded.
2 John 1:7 tn “As” is not in the Greek text. It is supplied for clarity in English, since (like in the same confession in 1 John 4:2) ᾿Ιησοῦν (Iēsoun) should be understood as object and Χριστόν (Christon) as complement of an object-complement double accusative construction.
2 John 1:7 tn Or “Messiah.”
2 John 1:7 tn This is the same confession as in 1 John 4:2 except the perfect participle used there is replaced by a present participle (ἐρχόμενον, erchomenon) here. It is not clear why the author changed from a perfect participle in 1 John 4:2 to a present participle here. The perfect participle suggests a reference to the incarnation (past). The present participle could suggest a reference to the (future) second advent, but based on the similarity to 1 John 4:2 it is probably best to take it as referring to the incarnation.
2 John 1:7 sn The statement This person is the Deceiver and the Antichrist! is a metaphor (metonymy). The author does not mean that each individual is to be identified as the Antichrist. The opponents are compared to the Deceiver (Satan) and the Antichrist since they are accomplishing Satan’s work and preparing the way for the Antichrist.
2 John 1:8 sn The things we have worked for probably refers to the pastoral and missionary efforts undertaken by the recipients of the letter in their own community and surrounding communities. This work would be “lost” if the opponents with their false teaching were allowed to proselytize unopposed.
2 John 1:8 sn The idea of a reward for Christians who serve faithfully is not common in the Johannine writings, but can be found in Rev 11:18 and 22:12.
2 John 1:9 tn The construction πᾶς ὁ (pas ho) + participle occurs frequently in 1 John (13 times) where it is used by the author to divide people into categories: “everyone who does this” as opposed to “everyone who does the opposite.”
2 John 1:9 tn Here μένω (menō) has been translated “remain” rather than “reside” since a change in status or position is present in the context: The opponents did not “remain” but “ran on ahead.”
2 John 1:9 tn The genitive τοῦ Χριστοῦ (tou Christou, “of Christ”) is difficult because it may be understood as objective (the teaching about Christ), subjective (Christ’s own teaching), or both (M. Zerwick’s “general” genitive [Biblical Greek §§36-39]; D. B. Wallace’s “plenary” genitive [ExSyn 119-21]). An objective genitive (with Christ as the object of the “apostolic” teaching) might seem to be the obvious reading in context, especially since verse 7 makes reference to what a person “confesses” about Jesus Christ. A good case can also be made for a subjective genitive, however, since other Johannine uses of the genitive following the noun διδαχή (didachē, “teaching”) favor a subjective sense here. In John 7:16, 17 Jesus himself refers to “my teaching” and “teaching from me,” and 18:19 refers to “his (Jesus’) teaching.” Rev 2:14, 15 refers to the “teaching of Balaam” and “the teaching of the Nicolaitans,” both of which are clearly subjective in context. In the present context, to speak of “Christ’s teaching” as a subjective genitive would make Christ himself (in the person of the indwelling Spirit) the teacher, and this is consistent with the author’s position in 1 John 2:27 that the community does not need other teachers. In 1 John 2:27 it is the Paraclete, referred to as “his anointing,” who does the teaching. Since the dispute with the opponents concerns the salvific significance of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus, the “teaching” here would refer to Jesus’ own teaching (reflected in the Gospel of John) concerning his person and work. Since this is ultimately one with the apostolic eyewitness testimony about Jesus, it is perhaps best to view the genitive here as both objective and subjective (perhaps the author deliberately intended not to be specific).
2 John 1:9 sn The idiom translated have God means to have a relationship to God as a genuine believer. The phrase has both the Father and the Son later in this verse should be understood the same way.
2 John 1:10 sn Do not give him any greeting does not mean to insult the person. It means “do not greet the person as a fellow Christian” (which is impossible anyway since the opponents are not genuine believers in the author’s opinion).
2 John 1:11 sn Shares in his evil deeds. Giving a public greeting could be understood by an onlooker to suggest agreement with the (false) teaching of the opponents and is thus prohibited by John.
2 John 1:12 tn “Other” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity in English.
2 John 1:12 tn Grk “by means of.”
2 John 1:12 sn Presumably the author means he would rather say the additional things he wants to say to the recipients in person rather than by letter (with paper and ink).
2 John 1:12 tn Grk “speak mouth to mouth,” an idiom for which the English equivalent is “speak face-to-face.”
2 John 1:13 tc The Byzantine text, along with 1175 1611 1852, has ἀμήν (amēn, “amen”) at the conclusion of this letter. Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the particle is lacking in excellent, early, and diffuse witnesses (א A B P Ψ 33 81 323 1739 1881 al co), rendering its omission the strongly preferred reading.

Matthew 12:1-14

Lord of the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His^[a] disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat^[b] and eat them. ²But when the Pharisees^[c] saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” ³He^[d] said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry— ⁴how he entered the house of God and ate^[e] the sacred bread,^[f] which was against the law^[g] for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?^[h] ⁵Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? ⁶I^[i] tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷If^[j] you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’^[k] you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸For the Son of Man is lord^[l] of the Sabbath.”

⁹Then^[m] Jesus^[n] left that place and entered their synagogue.^[o] ¹⁰A^[p] man was there who had a withered^[q] hand. And they asked Jesus,^[r] “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”^[s] so that they could accuse him. ¹¹He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? ¹²How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored,^[t] as healthy as the other. ¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate^[u] him.

Footnotes

Matthew 12:1 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 12:1 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stachus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1). KJV “corn” is the result of British English, in which “corn” refers to the main cereal crop of a district, wheat in England and oats in Scotland (British English uses “maize” to refer to American corn).
Matthew 12:2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
Matthew 12:3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 12:4 tc ‡ The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (ephagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses across a broad geogrphical area (P⁷⁰ C D L N W Γ Δ Θ ƒ^{1, 13} 33 565 579 700 1424 M latt sy co; SBL). NA²⁸ has the plural ἔφαγον (ephagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B 481. Although it is quite possible that ἔφαγεν was motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke, both of which have the singular, the minimal—though early and significant—attestation for the plural, coupled with the singular being a more difficult reading (since the context implies that David’s companions also ate), gives the edge to ἔφαγεν as the likely autographic wording.
Matthew 12:4 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.” sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two-tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5.
Matthew 12:4 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
Matthew 12:4 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
Matthew 12:6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 12:7 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 12:7 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 9:13).
Matthew 12:8 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.sn A second point in Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ actions was that his authority as Son of Man also allowed it, since as Son of Man he was lord of the Sabbath.
Matthew 12:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Matthew 12:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 12:9 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
Matthew 12:10 tn Grk “And behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
Matthew 12:10 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
Matthew 12:10 tn Grk “and they asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated. The referent of the pronoun (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 12:10 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
Matthew 12:13 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
Matthew 12:14 tn Grk “destroy.”

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 16[a]

A prayer[b] of David.

Psalm 17[ab]

A prayer of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 22[a]

For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”;[b] a psalm of David.

Footnotes

The Appeal of Wisdom[a]

Footnotes

Introduction and Thanksgiving

Warning Against False Teachers

Conclusion

Footnotes

Lord of the Sabbath

Footnotes

Psalm 16^[a]

A prayer^[b] of David.

Psalm 17^[ab]

Psalm 22^[a]

For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”;^[b] a psalm of David.

The Appeal of Wisdom^[a]