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Book of Common Prayer

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

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Psalm 55

Psalm 55^[a]

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

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

Footnotes

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

Psalm 138:1-139:23

Psalm 138^[a]

By David.

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

Psalm 139^[o]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

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

Footnotes

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

Exodus 40:18-38

¹⁸When Moses set up the tabernacle and put its bases in place, he set up its frames, attached its bars, and set up its posts. ¹⁹Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded him.^[a] ²⁰He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the atonement lid on the ark. ²¹And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung^[b] the protecting curtain,^[c] and shielded the ark of the testimony from view, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[d]

²²And Moses^[e] put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain. ²³And he set the bread in order on it^[f] before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[g]

²⁴And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. ²⁵Then he set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[h]

²⁶And he put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain, ²⁷and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[i]

²⁸Then Moses^[j] put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. ²⁹He also put the altar for the burnt offering by the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the Lord had commanded him.^[k]

³⁰Then he put the large basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it^[l] for washing. ³¹Moses and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet from it. ³²Whenever they entered^[m] the tent of meeting, and whenever they approached^[n] the altar, they would wash,^[o] just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³³And he set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

³⁴Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶But when the cloud was lifted up^[p] from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out^[q] on all their journeys; ³⁷but if the cloud was not lifted up, then they would not journey farther until the day it was lifted up.^[r] ³⁸For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be^[s] on it at night, in plain view^[t] of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally then, brothers and sisters,^[a] we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how^[b] you must live and please God (as you are in fact living)^[c] that you do so more and more. ²For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³For this is God’s will: that you become holy,^[d] that you keep away from sexual immorality, ⁴that each of you know how to possess his own body^[e] in holiness and honor, ⁵not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. ⁶In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him,^[f] because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases,^[g] as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly. ⁷For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. ⁸Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority^[h] but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹Now on the topic of brotherly love^[i] you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. ¹⁰And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters^[j] in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,^[k] ¹¹to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. ¹²In this way you will live^[l] a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.^[m]

Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 4:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 sn As you received instruction from us about how (Grk “as you received from us how”). The Greek word translated received is used for accepting instructions passed on as fixed traditions from teacher to follower. Paul speaks in these terms about doctrinal traditions as well as ethical instruction that he passes on to his converts and expects them to keep (cf. 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:1-3; Gal 1:9; Phil 4:9; 2 Thess 2:15; 3:6).
1 Thessalonians 4:1 tc This parenthetical clause is absent in several later witnesses (D² Ψ 1175 1241 2464^vid M al), but it may have been expunged for sounding redundant. The longer text, in this instance, is solidly supported by א A B D* F G 0183^vid 0278 33 81 104 326 365 629 al co and should be unquestionably preferred.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 tn Or “your sanctification.”
1 Thessalonians 4:4 tn Grk “to gain [or possess] his own vessel.” “Vessel” is most likely used figuratively for “body” (cf. 2 Cor 4:7). Some take it to mean “wife” (thus, “to take a wife for himself” or “to live with his wife”), but this is less likely. See J. Smith, “1 Thess 4:4—Breaking the Impasse,” BBR 10 (Fall 2000), who argues that “vessel” in this context is very likely a euphemism for the sexual organs.
1 Thessalonians 4:6 tn Grk “not to transgress against or defraud his brother in the matter,” continuing the sentence of vv. 3-5.
1 Thessalonians 4:6 tn Grk “concerning all these things.”
1 Thessalonians 4:8 tn Grk “rejecting man.”
1 Thessalonians 4:9 tn Grk “concerning brotherly love.”
1 Thessalonians 4:10 tn Grk “brothers”; this applies to the second occurrence as well. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
1 Thessalonians 4:10 sn To do so more and more. See a similar phrase in 1 Thess 4:1.
1 Thessalonians 4:12 tn Grk “that you may live,” continuing the sentence of 4:10b-11.
1 Thessalonians 4:12 tn Or “not be dependent on anyone”; Grk “and have need of nothing,” “of no one.”

Matthew 5:38-48

Retaliation

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’^[a] ³⁹But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer.^[b] But whoever strikes you on the^[c] right cheek, turn the other to him as well. ⁴⁰And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic,^[d] let him have your coat also. ⁴¹And if anyone forces you to go one mile,^[e] go with him two. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you,^[f] and do not reject^[g] the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’^[h] and ‘hate your enemy.’^[i] ⁴⁴But I say to you, love your enemy and^[j] pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be like^[k] your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors^[l] do the same, don’t they? ⁴⁷And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? ⁴⁸So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.^[m]

Footnotes

Matthew 5:38 sn A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
Matthew 5:39 tn The articular πονηρός (ponēros, “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).
Matthew 5:39 tc ‡ Many mss (B D K L Δ Θ ƒ¹³ 565 579 700 1424 pm; SBL) have σου (sou) here (“your right cheek”), but many others lack the pronoun (א W ƒ¹ 33 892 1241 pm). The pronoun was probably added by way of clarification, as is evident by the fact that it floats in the verse: it is found both before and after “cheek.” NA²⁸ has σου in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.
Matthew 5:40 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, chitōn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
Matthew 5:41 sn If anyone forces you to go one mile. In NT times Roman soldiers had the authority to press civilians into service to carry loads for them. The Greek verb is a semi-technical term and its only other NT uses are in Matt 27:32 and Mark 15:21, both of which refer to Simon of Cyrene being forced to carry Jesus’ cross.
Matthew 5:42 sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to the one who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).
Matthew 5:42 tn Grk “do not turn away from.”
Matthew 5:43 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
Matthew 5:43 sn The phrase hate your enemy does not occur explicitly in the OT, but was commonly inferred from passages like Deut 7:2; 30:7; Ps 26:5; Ps 139:21-22. Jesus’ hearers (and Matthew’s readers) would not have been surprised by the statement. It is the antithesis Jesus gives in the following verses that would have shocked them.
Matthew 5:44 tc Most mss (D L W Δ Θ ƒ¹³ 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M lat sy^(p),h) read “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you,” before “those who persecute you.” But this is surely a motivated reading, importing the longer form of this aphorism from Luke 6:27-28. The shorter text is found in א B ƒ¹ sy^s,c sa bo^pt mae, as well as several fathers.
Matthew 5:45 tn Grk “be sons of your Father in heaven.” Here, however, the focus is not on attaining a relationship (becoming a child of God) but rather on being the kind of person who shares the characteristics of God himself (a frequent meaning of the Semitic idiom “son of”). See L&N 58.26.
Matthew 5:46 sn The Roman system of taxation was frequently characterized by “tax farming” where an individual would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government throughout an entire district and then add a surcharge or commission (often exorbitant) which they kept for themselves as their profit. The tax collectors referred to in the NT were generally not the holders of these tax contracts themselves, but hired subordinates who were often local residents. Since these tax collectors worked for Rome (even indirectly), they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked. In addition, the system offered many opportunities for dishonesty and greed, both of which were often associated with local tax collectors.
Matthew 5:48 sn This remark echoes OT statements in Lev 11:44-45 and Lev 19:2: “you must be holy as I am holy.”

New English Translation (NET)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 55[a]

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

Footnotes

Psalm 138[a]

By David.

Psalm 139[o]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

Footnotes

Footnotes

A Life Pleasing to God

Footnotes

Retaliation

Love for Enemies

Footnotes

Psalm 55^[a]

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

Psalm 138^[a]

Psalm 139^[o]