◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 24 29; Ps. 8 84; Ecclus. 36:1–17; 1 Cor. 12:27—13:13; Matt. 18:21–35 (New English Translation)

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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 24

Psalm 24^[a]

A psalm of David.

24 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live in it.
²For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established^[b] it upon the ocean currents.^[c]
³Who is allowed to ascend^[d] the mountain of the Lord?^[e]
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
⁴The one whose deeds are blameless
and whose motives are pure,^[f]
who does not lie,^[g]
or make promises with no intention of keeping them.^[h]
⁵Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord,^[i]
and vindicated by the God who delivers them.^[j]
⁶Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,
Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him.^[k] (Selah)
⁷Look up,^[l] you gates.
Rise up,^[m] you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king^[n] will enter.^[o]
⁸Who is this majestic king?^[p]
The Lord who is strong and mighty.
The Lord who is mighty in battle.
⁹Look up, you gates.
Rise up, you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king will enter.
¹⁰Who is this majestic king?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies.^[q]
He is the majestic king. (Selah)

Footnotes

Psalm 24:1 sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.
Psalm 24:2 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
Psalm 24:2 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
Psalm 24:3 tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.
Psalm 24:3 sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).
Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “the innocent of hands and the pure of heart.” The “hands” allude to one’s actions, the “heart” to one’s thought life and motives.
Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “who does not lift up for emptiness my life.” The first person pronoun on נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my life”) makes little sense here; many medieval Hebrew mss support the ancient versions in reading a third person pronoun “his.” The idiom “lift the life” here means to “long for” or “desire strongly.” In this context (note the reference to an oath in the following line) “emptiness” probably refers to speech (see Ps 12:2).
Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “and does not swear an oath deceitfully.”
Psalm 24:5 tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the Lord.” The singular subject is representative here, as v. 6 makes clear. The referent (godly people like the individual in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The imperfect verbal form is generalizing; such people are typically rewarded for their deeds.
Psalm 24:5 tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”
Psalm 24:6 tn Heb “this [is the] generation of the ones seeking him, the ones seeking your face, Jacob.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 27:8; 105:4).sn This verse presents a somewhat idealized view of Jacob’s descendants as devoted worshipers of the Lord.
Psalm 24:7 tn Heb “lift up your heads.” The gates of the Lord’s dwelling place are here personified. The idiom “lift up the head” often means “be confident, bold” (see Judg 8:28; Job 10:15; Ps 83:2; Zech 1:21).
Psalm 24:7 tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”
Psalm 24:7 tn Or “king of glory.”
Psalm 24:7 tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
Psalm 24:8 sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.
Psalm 24:10 tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts,” a title which here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle.

Psalm 29

Psalm 29^[a]

A psalm of David.

29 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings,^[b]
acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power.^[c]
²Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation.^[d]
Worship the Lord in holy attire.^[e]
³The Lord’s shout is heard over the water;^[f]
the majestic God thunders,^[g]
the Lord appears over the surging water.^[h]
⁴The Lord’s shout is powerful,^[i]
the Lord’s shout is majestic.^[j]
⁵The Lord’s shout breaks^[k] the cedars,
the Lord shatters^[l] the cedars of Lebanon.^[m]
⁶He makes them skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion^[n] like a young ox.^[o]
⁷The Lord’s shout strikes^[p] with flaming fire.^[q]
⁸The Lord’s shout shakes^[r] the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.^[s]
⁹The Lord’s shout bends^[t] the large trees^[u]
and strips^[v] the leaves from the forests.^[w]
Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!”^[x]
¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters,^[y]
the Lord sits enthroned^[z] as the eternal king.
¹¹The Lord gives^[aa] his people strength;^[ab]
the Lord grants his people security.^[ac]

Footnotes

Psalm 29:1 sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.
Psalm 29:1 tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (ʾelim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (b^ene ʾelim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones.” The heavenly assembly, comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings, appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.
Psalm 29:1 tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”
Psalm 29:2 tn Heb “ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the Lord’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.)
Psalm 29:2 tn That is, properly dressed for the occasion.
Psalm 29:3 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] over the water.” As the next line makes clear, the “voice of the Lord” is here the thunder that accompanies a violent storm. The psalm depicts the Lord in the role of a warrior-king, so the thunder is his battle cry, as it were.
Psalm 29:3 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the Lord coming in the storm to do battle with his enemies and to vindicate his people.
Psalm 29:3 tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over the raging waters.
Psalm 29:4 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] accompanied by strength.”
Psalm 29:4 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] accompanied by majesty.”
Psalm 29:5 tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.
Psalm 29:5 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive here and in v. 6a carry on the descriptive function of the preceding participle (see GKC 329 §111.u). The verb שָׁבַר (shavar) appears in the Qal in the first line of the verse, and in the Piel in the second line. The verb, which means “break” in the Qal, appears thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3).
Psalm 29:5 sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. Here they may symbolize the arrogant enemies of God (see Isa 2:12-13).
Psalm 29:6 sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).
Psalm 29:6 sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.
Psalm 29:7 tn The verb normally means “to hew [stone or wood],” or “to hew out.” In Hos 6:5 it seems to mean “cut in pieces,” “knock down,” or perhaps “hack” (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea [AB], 428). The Ugaritic cognate can mean “assault.” In v. 7 the verb seems to have a similar meaning, perhaps “attack, strike.” The phrase “flames of fire” is an adverbial accusative; the Lord’s shout is accompanied by “flames of fire,” that is, lightning bolts.
Psalm 29:7 sn The Lord’s shout strikes with flaming fire. The short line has invited textual emendation, but its distinct, brief form may highlight the statement, which serves as the axis of a chiastic structure encompassing vv. 5-9: (A) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 5); (B) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 6); (C) the Lord’s shout is accompanied by destructive lightning (v. 7); (B´) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 8); (A´) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 9).
Psalm 29:8 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
Psalm 29:8 sn Kadesh. The references to Lebanon and Sirion in v. 6 suggest this is a reference to the northern Kadesh, located north of Damascus, not the southern Kadesh mentioned so often in the OT. See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:178.
Psalm 29:9 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
Psalm 29:9 tc Heb “the deer.” Preserving this reading, some translate the preceding verb, “causes [the deer] to give premature birth” (cf. NEB, NASB). But the Polel of חוּל/חִיל (khul/khil) means “give birth,” not “cause to give birth,” and the statement “the Lord’s shout gives birth to deer” is absurd. In light of the parallelism (note “forests” in the next line) and v. 5, it is preferable to emend אַיָּלוֹת (ʾayyalot, “deer”) to אֵילוֹת (ʾelot, “large trees”) understanding the latter as an alternate form of the usual plural form אַיָּלִים (ʾayyalim).
Psalm 29:9 tn The verb is used in Joel 1:7 of locusts stripping the leaves from a tree. The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.
Psalm 29:9 tn The usual form of the plural of יַעַר (yaʿar, “forest”) is יְעָרִים (y^eʿarim). For this reason some propose an emendation to יְעָלוֹת (y^e’alot, “female mountain goats”) which would fit nicely in the parallelism with “deer” (cf. NEB “brings kids early to birth”). In this case one would have to understand the verb חָשַׂף (khasaf) to mean “cause premature birth,” an otherwise unattested homonym of the more common חָשַׂף (“strip bare”).sn The Lord’s thunderous shout is accompanied by high winds which damage the trees of the forest.
Psalm 29:9 tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”
Psalm 29:10 tn The noun מַּבּוּל (mabbul, “flood”) appears only here and in Gen 6-11, where it refers to the Noahic flood. Some see a reference to that event here. The presence of the article (perhaps indicating uniqueness) and the switch to the perfect verbal form (which could be taken as describing a past situation) might support this. However, the immediate context indicates that the referent of מַּבּוּל is the “surging waters” mentioned in v. 3. The article indicates waters that are definite in the mind of the speaker and the perfect is probably descriptive in function, like “thunders” in v. 3. However, even though the historical flood is not the primary referent here, there may be a literary allusion involved. The psalmist views the threatening chaotic sea as a contemporary manifestation of the destructive waters of old.
Psalm 29:10 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding perfect.
Psalm 29:11 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 11 are either descriptive or generalizing.
Psalm 29:11 sn Strength. This probably refers to military power; see the use of the noun in 1 Sam 2:10 and Ps 86:16.
Psalm 29:11 tn Heb “blesses his people with peace.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) probably refers here to the protection and prosperity experienced by God’s people after the Lord intervenes in battle on their behalf.

Psalm 8

Psalm 8^[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;^[b] a psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,^[c]
how magnificent^[d] is your reputation^[e] throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above.^[f]
²From the mouths of children and nursing babies
you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries,^[g]
so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.^[h]
³When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place,^[i]
⁴Of what importance is the human race,^[j] that you should notice^[k] them?
Of what importance is mankind,^[l] that you should pay attention to them?^[m]
⁵You made them^[n] a little less than^[o] the heavenly beings.^[p]
You crowned mankind^[q] with honor and majesty.^[r]
⁶you appoint them to rule over your creation;^[s]
you have placed^[t] everything under their authority,^[u]
⁷including all the sheep and cattle,
as well as the wild animals,^[v]
⁸the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that moves through the currents^[w] of the seas.
⁹O Lord, our Lord,^[x]
how magnificent^[y] is your reputation^[z] throughout the earth!^[aa]

Footnotes

Psalm 8:1 sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
Psalm 8:1 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.
Psalm 8:1 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.
Psalm 8:1 tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
Psalm 8:1 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
Psalm 8:1 tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (t^enah; an imperative?) should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natattah) or imperfect (תִתֵּן, titten) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
Psalm 8:2 tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ʿoz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.
Psalm 8:2 tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.
Psalm 8:3 tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.
Psalm 8:4 tn Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (ʾenosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.
Psalm 8:4 tn Heb “remember him.”
Psalm 8:4 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
Psalm 8:4 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
Psalm 8:5 tn Heb “him.” The antecedent is “son of man,” so the pronoun is third masculine singular. But since “son of man” is taken in a generic sense, the translation says “them” referring to the human race.
Psalm 8:5 tn Heb “and you make him lack a little from אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”). The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The verb form is past tense, as confirmed both by the preterite pointing of the initial vav (ו) and by the form of the pronominal suffix (without nun as with the forms in the previous verse). Some see this as an allusion to the creation of Adam and Eve in Gen 1:26-27, but it may also be a general reference to the status of humanity. Any connection is theological as Ps 8:5 does not share any terminology with Gen 1:26-27.
Psalm 8:5 tn The Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) can refer to the one true God, to false gods, or the heavenly beings. In this context it would refer either to God or to the angels. The LXX (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (and is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7). The term אֱלֹהִים may refer to heavenly beings (angels) in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.” Also see the notes at Gen 1:26-27 regarding the plural forms.) In Ps 82:1, 6 אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly (or may be a polemic against false gods).
Psalm 8:5 tn Heb “him.” The antecedent, “son of man” is understood generically as representing the human race. The form of the third masculine singular pronoun on the verb (i.e., without nun connector as in the previous verse) confirms that the verb is a preterite. Although beginning with vav-patakh-dagesh commonly the characterizes the preterite form, it is not always present in poetry. This form of the third masculine singular suffix is used with the short prefixed paradigms, preterite and jussive, of which only the preterite fits the context.
Psalm 8:5 sn Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26-30).
Psalm 8:6 tn Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”
Psalm 8:6 tn The perfect verbal form probably has a present perfect nuance here. It refers to the continuing effects of God’s original mandate (see Gen 1:26-30).
Psalm 8:6 tn Heb “under his feet.”sn Placed everything under their authority. This verse affirms that mankind rules over God’s creation as his vice-regent. See Gen 1:26-30.
Psalm 8:7 tn Heb “and also the beasts of the field.”
Psalm 8:8 tn Heb “paths.”
Psalm 8:9 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.
Psalm 8:9 tn Or “awesome, majestic.”
Psalm 8:9 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
Psalm 8:9 sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.

Psalm 84

Psalm 84^[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;^[b] written by the Korahites, a psalm.

84 How lovely is the place where you live,^[c]
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies!^[d]
²I desperately want to be^[e]
in the courts of the Lord’s temple.^[f]
My heart and my entire being^[g] shout for joy
to the living God.
³Even the birds find a home there,
and the swallow^[h] builds a nest,
where she can protect her young^[i]
near your altars, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
my King and my God.
⁴How blessed^[j] are those who live in your temple
and praise you continually. (Selah)
⁵How blessed are those who^[k] find their strength in you,
and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple.^[l]
⁶As they pass through the Baca Valley,^[m]
he provides a spring for them.^[n]
The rain^[o] even covers it with pools of water.^[p]
⁷They are sustained as they travel along;^[q]
each one appears^[r] before God in Zion.
⁸O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,^[s]
hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob. (Selah)
⁹O God, take notice of our shield.^[t]
Show concern for your chosen king.^[u]
¹⁰Certainly^[v] spending just one day in your temple courts is better
than spending a thousand elsewhere.^[w]
I would rather stand at the entrance^[x] to the temple of my God
than live^[y] in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.^[z]
The Lord bestows favor^[aa] and honor;
he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.^[ab]
¹²O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,^[ac]
how blessed are those who trust in you.^[ad]

Footnotes

Psalm 84:1 sn Psalm 84. The psalmist expresses his desire to be in God’s presence in the Jerusalem temple, for the Lord is the protector of his people.
Psalm 84:1 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הַגִּתִּית (haggittit) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument.
Psalm 84:1 tn Or “your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the Lord’s special dwelling place (see Pss 43:3; 46:4; 132:5, 7).
Psalm 84:1 tn Traditionally, “Lord of hosts.” The title draws attention to God’s sovereign position (see Ps 69:6).
Psalm 84:2 tn Heb “my soul longs, it even pines for.”
Psalm 84:2 tn Heb “the courts of the Lord” (see Ps 65:4).
Psalm 84:2 tn Heb “my flesh,” which stands for his whole person and being.
Psalm 84:3 tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.
Psalm 84:3 tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.
Psalm 84:4 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 12 and Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
Psalm 84:5 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here was certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to in v. 5a is representative of followers of God, as the use of plural forms in vv. 5b-7 indicates.
Psalm 84:5 tn Heb “roads [are] in their heart[s].” The roads are here those that lead to Zion (see v. 7).
Psalm 84:6 tn The translation assumes that the Hebrew phrase עֵמֶק הַבָּכָא (ʿemeq habbakhaʾ) is the name of an otherwise unknown arid valley through which pilgrims to Jerusalem passed. The term בָּכָא (bakhaʾ) may be the name of a particular type of plant or shrub that grew in this valley. O. Borowski (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 130) suggests it is the black mulberry. Some take the phrase as purely metaphorical and relate בָּכָא to the root בָּכָה (bakhah, “to weep”). In this case one might translate, “the valley of weeping” or “the valley of affliction.”
Psalm 84:6 tc The MT reads “a spring they make it,” but this makes little sense. Many medieval Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX, understand God to be the subject and the valley to be the object, “he [God] makes it [the valley] [into] a spring.”
Psalm 84:6 tn This rare word may refer to the early (or autumn) rains (see Joel 2:23).
Psalm 84:6 tc The MT reads בְּרָכוֹת (b^erakhot, “blessings”) but the preceding reference to a “spring” favors an emendation to בְּרֵכוֹת (b^erekhot, “pools”).sn Pools of water. Because water is so necessary for life, it makes an apt symbol for divine favor and blessing. As the pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem, God provided for their physical needs and gave them a token of his favor and of the blessings awaiting them at the temple.
Psalm 84:7 tn Heb “they go from strength to strength.” The phrase “from strength to strength” occurs only here in the OT. With a verb of motion, the expression “from [common noun] to [same common noun]” normally suggests movement from one point to another or through successive points (see Num 36:7; 1 Chr 16:20; 17:5; Ps 105:13; Jer 25:32). Ps 84:7 may be emphasizing that the pilgrims move successively from one “place of strength” to another as they travel toward Jerusalem. All along the way they find adequate provisions and renewed energy for the trip.
Psalm 84:7 tn The psalmist returns to the singular (see v. 5a), which he uses in either a representative or distributive (“each one”) sense.
Psalm 84:8 tn Heb “Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9) but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת in Pss 59:5 and 80:4, 19 as well.
Psalm 84:9 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “your anointed one” here and with “our king” in Ps 89:18.
Psalm 84:9 tn Heb “look [on] the face of your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (m^eshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17).
Psalm 84:10 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 84:10 tn Heb “better is a day in your courts than a thousand [spent elsewhere].”
Psalm 84:10 tn Heb “I choose being at the entrance of the house of my God over living in the tents of the wicked.” The verb סָפַף (safaf) appears only here in the OT; it is derived from the noun סַף (saf, “threshold”). Traditionally some have interpreted this as a reference to being a doorkeeper at the temple, though some understand it to mean “lie as a beggar at the entrance to the temple” (see HALOT 765 s.v. ספף).
Psalm 84:10 tn The verb דּוּר (dur, “to live”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 84:11 tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.
Psalm 84:11 tn Or “grace.”
Psalm 84:11 tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”
Psalm 84:12 tn Traditionally “Lord of hosts.”
Psalm 84:12 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man [who] trusts in you.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to here is representative of all followers of God, as the use of the plural form in v. 12b indicates.

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1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13

²⁷Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it. ²⁸And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues. ²⁹Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they? ³⁰Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they?^[a] ³¹But you should be eager for the greater gifts.

And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison.^[b]

The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast,^[c] but do not have love, I receive no benefit.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. ⁶It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside. ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when what is perfect^[d] comes, the partial will be set aside. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult,^[e] I set aside childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror indirectly,^[f] but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known. ¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 12:30 sn The questions in vv. 29-30 all expect a negative response.
1 Corinthians 12:31 tn Grk “a still more excellent way.” In this context the phrase has an elative rather than a comparative sense, however.
1 Corinthians 13:3 tc The reading καυχήσωμαι (kauchēsōmai, “I might boast”) is well supported by P⁴⁶ א A B 048 33 1739* co Hier^mss. The competing reading, καυθήσομαι (kauthēsomai, “I will burn”), is found in C D F G L 81 1175 1881* al latt and a host of patristic writers. From this reading other variants were obviously derived: καυθήσωμαι (kauthēsōmai), a future subjunctive (“I might burn”) read by the Byzantine text and a few others (Ψ 1739^c 1881^c M); and καυθῇ (kauthē, “it might be burned”) read by 1505. On an external level, the Alexandrian reading is obviously superior, though the Western and Byzantine readings need to be accounted for. (The following discussion is derived largely from TCGNT 497-98). Internally, καυχήσωμαι is superior for the following reasons: (1) Once the Church started suffering persecution and martyrdom by fire, the v.l. naturally arose. Once there, it is difficult to see why any scribe would intentionally change it to καυχήσωμαι. (2) Involving as it does the change of just two letters (χ to θ [ch to th], ω to ο [ō to o]), this reading could be accomplished without much fanfare. Yet, it appears cumbersome in the context, both because of the passive voice and especially the retention of the first person (“If I give up my body that I may be burned”). A more logical word would have been the third person passive, καυθῇ, as read in 1505 (“If I give up my body that it may be burned”). (3) Although the connection between giving up one’s body and boasting is ambiguous, this very ambiguity has all the earmarks of being from Paul. It may have the force of giving up one’s body into slavery. In any event, it looks to be the harder reading. Incidentally, the Byzantine reading is impossible because the future subjunctive did not occur in Koine Greek. As the reading of the majority of Byzantine minuscules, its roots are clearly post-Koine and as such is a “grammatical monstrosity that cannot be attributed to Paul” (TCGNT 498). Cf. also the notes in BDF §28; MHT 2:219.
1 Corinthians 13:10 tn Or “when completion.”
1 Corinthians 13:11 tn The Greek term translated “adult” here is ἀνήρ (anēr), a term which ordinarily refers to males, husbands, etc. In this context Paul contrasts the states of childhood and adulthood, so the term has been translated “adult”; cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.b.
1 Corinthians 13:12 tn Grk “we are seeing through [= using] a mirror by means of a dark image.” Corinth was well known in the ancient world for producing some of the finest bronze mirrors available. Paul’s point in this analogy, then, is not that our current understanding and relationship with God is distorted (as if the mirror reflected poorly), but rather that it is “indirect,” (i.e., the nature of looking in a mirror) compared to the relationship we will enjoy with him in the future when we see him “face-to-face” (cf. G. D. Fee, First Corinthians [NICNT], 648). The word “indirectly” translates the Greek phrase ἐν αἰνίγματι (en ainigmati, “in an obscure image”) which itself may reflect an allusion to Num 12:8 (LXX οὐ δι᾿ αἰνιγμάτων), where God says that he speaks to Moses “mouth to mouth [= face-to-face]…and not in dark figures [of speech].” Though this allusion to the OT is not explicitly developed here, it probably did not go unnoticed by the Corinthians who were apparently familiar with OT traditions about Moses (cf. 1 Cor 10:2). Indeed, in 2 Cor 3:13-18 Paul had recourse with the Corinthians to contrast Moses’ ministry under the old covenant with the hope afforded through apostolic ministry and the new covenant. Further, it is in this context, specifically in 2 Cor 3:18, that the apostle invokes the use of the mirror analogy again in order to unfold the nature of the Christian’s progressive transformation by the Spirit.

Matthew 18:21-35

²¹Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother^[a] who sins against me? As many as seven times?” ²²Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!^[b]

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

²³“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.^[c] ²⁴As^[d] he began settling his accounts, a man who owed 10,000 talents^[e] was brought to him. ²⁵Because^[f] he was not able to repay it,^[g] the lord ordered him to be sold, along with^[h] his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. ²⁶Then the slave threw himself to the ground^[i] before him, saying,^[j] ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ ²⁷The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. ²⁸After^[k] he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 silver coins.^[l] So^[m] he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him,^[n] saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’^[o] ²⁹Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him,^[p] ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ ³⁰But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. ³¹When^[q] his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. ³²Then his lord called the first slave^[r] and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! ³³Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ ³⁴And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him^[s] until he repaid all he owed. ³⁵So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your^[t] brother^[u] from your heart.”

Footnotes

Matthew 18:21 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.
Matthew 18:22 tn Or “seventy times seven,” i.e., an unlimited number of times. See L&N 60.74 and 60.77 for the two possible translations of the phrase.
Matthew 18:23 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
Matthew 18:24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 18:24 sn A talent was a huge sum of money, equal to 6,000 denarii. One denarius was the usual day’s wage for a worker. L&N 6.82 states, “a Greek monetary unit (also a unit of weight) with a value which fluctuated, depending upon the particular monetary system which prevailed at a particular period of time (a silver talent was worth approximately 6,000 denarii with gold talents worth at least thirty times that much).”
Matthew 18:25 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 18:25 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Matthew 18:25 tn Grk “and his wife.”
Matthew 18:26 tn Grk “falling therefore the slave bowed down to the ground.” The redundancy of this expression signals the desperation of the slave in begging for mercy.
Matthew 18:26 tc The majority of mss (א L W Γ Δ 058 0281 ƒ^{1, 13} 33 565 579 1241 1424 M it sy^p,h co) begin the slave’s plea with “Lord” (κύριε, kurie), though a few key witnesses lack this vocative (B D Θ 700 lat sy^s,c Or Chr). Understanding the parable to refer to the Lord, scribes would be naturally prone to add the vocative here, especially as the slave’s plea is a plea for mercy. Thus, the shorter reading is more likely to be authentic.
Matthew 18:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 18:28 tn Grk “one hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be about three month’s pay.
Matthew 18:28 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so.” A new sentence was started at this point in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
Matthew 18:28 tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”
Matthew 18:28 tn The word “me” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
Matthew 18:29 tn Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Matthew 18:31 tn Grk “Therefore when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
Matthew 18:32 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 18:34 tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.
Matthew 18:35 tn Grk “his.” The pronoun has been translated to follow English idiom (the last pronoun of the verse [“from your heart”] is second person plural in the original).
Matthew 18:35 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.

New English Translation (NET)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 24[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 29[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 8[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;[b] a psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 84[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;[b] written by the Korahites, a psalm.

Footnotes

The Way of Love

Footnotes

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

Footnotes

Psalm 24^[a]

Psalm 29^[a]

Psalm 8^[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;^[b] a psalm of David.

Psalm 84^[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;^[b] written by the Korahites, a psalm.