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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 132

Psalm 132^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

132 O Lord, for David’s sake remember
all his strenuous effort,^[c]
²and how he made a vow to the Lord,
and swore an oath to the Powerful One of Jacob.
³He said,^[d] “I will not enter my own home,^[e]
or get into my bed.^[f]
⁴I will not allow my eyes to sleep,
or my eyelids to slumber,
⁵until I find a place for the Lord,
a fine dwelling place^[g] for the Powerful One of Jacob.”^[h]
⁶Look, we heard about it^[i] in Ephrathah;^[j]
we found it in the territory of Jaar.^[k]
⁷Let us go to his dwelling place.
Let us worship^[l] before his footstool.
⁸Ascend, O Lord, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your strength.
⁹May your priests be clothed with integrity.^[m]
May your loyal followers shout for joy.
¹⁰For the sake of David, your servant,
do not reject your chosen king.^[n]
¹¹The Lord made a reliable promise to David;^[o]
he will not go back on his word.^[p]
He said,^[q] “I will place one of your descendants^[r] on your throne.
¹²If your sons keep my covenant
and the rules I teach them,
their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”
¹³Certainly^[s] the Lord has chosen Zion;
he decided to make it his home.^[t]
¹⁴He said,^[u] “This will be my resting place forever;
I will live here, for I have chosen it.^[v]
¹⁵I will abundantly supply what she needs;^[w]
I will give her poor all the food they need.^[x]
¹⁶I will protect her priests,^[y]
and her godly people will shout exuberantly.^[z]
¹⁷There I will make David strong;^[aa]
I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue.^[ab]
¹⁸I will humiliate his enemies,^[ac]
and his crown will shine.”

Footnotes

Psalm 132:1 sn Psalm 132. The psalmist reminds God of David’s devotion and of his promises concerning David’s dynasty and Zion.
Psalm 132:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
Psalm 132:1 tn Heb “all his affliction.” This may refer to David’s strenuous and tireless efforts to make provision for the building of the temple (see 1 Chr 22:14). Some prefer to revocalize the text as עַנַוָתוֹ (ʿanavato, “his humility”).
Psalm 132:3 tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows is David’s vow.
Psalm 132:3 tn Heb “the tent of my house.”
Psalm 132:3 tn Heb “go up upon the bed of my couch.”
Psalm 132:5 tn The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; David envisions a special dwelling place (see Pss 43:3; 46:4; 84:1).
Psalm 132:5 tn Or “the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Psalm 132:6 tn Rather than having an antecedent, the third feminine singular pronominal suffix here (and in the next line) appears to refer to the ark of the covenant, mentioned in v. 8. (The Hebrew term אָרוֹן [ʾaron, “ark”] is sometimes construed as grammatically feminine. See 1 Sam 4:17; 2 Chr 8:11.)
Psalm 132:6 sn Some understand Ephrathah as a reference to Kiriath Jearim because of the apparent allusion to this site in the next line (see the note on “Jaar”). The ark was kept in Kiriath Jearim after the Philistines released it (see 1 Sam 6:21-7:2). However, the switch in verbs from “heard about” to “found” suggests that Ephrathah not be equated with Jair. The group who is speaking heard about the ark while they were in Ephrath. They then went to retrieve it from Kiriath Jearim (“Jaar”). It is more likely that Ephrathah refers to a site near Bethel (Gen 35:16, 19; 48:7) or to Bethlehem (Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:2).
Psalm 132:6 tn Heb “fields of the forest.” The Hebrew term יָעַר (yaʿar, “forest”) is apparently a shortened alternative name for קִרְיַת יְעָרִים (qiryat y^eʿarim, “Kiriath Jearim”), the place where the ark was kept after it was released by the Philistines and from which David and his men retrieved it (see 1 Chr 13:6).
Psalm 132:7 tn Or “bow down.”
Psalm 132:9 tn Or “righteousness.”
Psalm 132:10 tn Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed one.”
Psalm 132:11 tn Heb “the Lord swore an oath to David [in] truth.”
Psalm 132:11 tn Heb “he will not turn back from it.”
Psalm 132:11 tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows are the Lord’s words.
Psalm 132:11 tn Heb “the fruit of your body.”
Psalm 132:13 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 132:13 tn Heb “he desired it for his dwelling place.”
Psalm 132:14 tn The words “he said” are added in the translation to clarify that what follows are the Lord’s words.
Psalm 132:14 tn Heb “for I desired it.”
Psalm 132:15 tn Heb “I will greatly bless her provision.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.
Psalm 132:15 tn Heb “her poor I will satisfy [with] food.”
Psalm 132:16 tn Heb “and her priests I will clothe [with] deliverance.”
Psalm 132:16 tn Heb “[with] shouting they will shout.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.
Psalm 132:17 tn Heb “there I will cause a horn to sprout for David.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Pss 18:2; 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that used its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36.
Psalm 132:17 tn Heb “I have arranged a lamp for my anointed one.” Here the “lamp” is a metaphor for the Davidic dynasty (see 1 Kgs 11:36).
Psalm 132:18 tn Heb “his enemies I will clothe [with] shame.”

Isaiah 63:7-16

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

⁷I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all^[a] the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel,^[b]
because of^[c] his compassion and great faithfulness.
⁸He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.”^[d]
He became their deliverer.
⁹Through all that they suffered, he suffered too.^[e]
The messenger sent from his very presence^[f] delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected^[g] them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.^[h]
¹⁰But they rebelled and offended^[i] his holy Spirit,^[j]
so he turned into an enemy
and fought against them.
¹¹His people remembered the ancient times.^[k]
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd of^[l] his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them,^[m]
¹²the one who made his majestic power available to Moses,^[n]
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation,^[o]
¹³who led them through the deep water?
Like a horse running through the wilderness^[p] they did not stumble.
¹⁴As an animal that goes down into a valley to graze,^[q]
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this way^[r] you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation.^[s]
¹⁵Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zeal^[t] and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion!^[u]
¹⁶For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our Protector from ancient times.^[v]

Footnotes

Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to all which.”
Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to.”
Isaiah 63:8 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.
Isaiah 63:9 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
Isaiah 63:10 tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”
Isaiah 63:10 sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.
Isaiah 63:11 tn Heb “and he remembered the days of antiquity, Moses, his people.” The syntax of the statement is unclear. The translation assumes that “his people” is the subject of the verb “remembered.” If original, “Moses” is in apposition to “the days of antiquity,” more precisely identifying the time period referred to. However, the syntactical awkwardness suggests that “Moses” may have been an early marginal note (perhaps identifying “the shepherd of his flock” two lines later) that has worked its way into the text.
Isaiah 63:11 tn The Hebrew text has a plural form, which if retained and taken as a numerical plural, would probably refer to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite tribal leaders at the time of the Exodus. Most prefer to emend the form to the singular (רָעָה, raʿah) and understand this as a reference just to Moses.
Isaiah 63:11 sn See the note at v. 10.
Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “who caused to go at the right hand of Moses the arm of his splendor.”
Isaiah 63:12 tn Heb “making for himself a lasting name.”
Isaiah 63:13 tn Heb “in the desert [or “steppe”].”
Isaiah 63:14 tn The words “to graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Isaiah 63:14 tn Or “so” (KJV, ASV), or “thus” (NAB, NRSV).
Isaiah 63:14 tn Heb “making for yourself a majestic name.”
Isaiah 63:15 tn This probably refers to his zeal for his people, which motivates him to angrily strike out against their enemies.
Isaiah 63:15 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “the agitation of your intestines and your compassion to me they are held back.” The phrase “agitation of your intestines” is metonymic, referring to the way in which one’s nervous system reacts when one feels pity and compassion toward another. אֵלַי (ʾelay, “to me”) is awkward in this context, where the speaker represents the nation and, following the introduction (see v. 7), utilizes first person plural forms. The translation assumes an emendation to the negative particle אַל (ʾal). This also necessitates emending the following verb form (which is a plural perfect) to a singular jussive (תִתְאַפָּק, titʾappaq). The Hitpael of אָפַק (ʾafaq) also occurs in 42:14.
Isaiah 63:16 tn Heb “our protector [or “redeemer”] from antiquity [is] your name.”

Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus Christ

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together,^[a] she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Because Joseph, her husband to be,^[b] was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her^[c] privately. ²⁰When he had contemplated this, an^[d] angel of the Lord^[e] appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son and you will name him^[f] Jesus,^[g] because he will save his people from their sins.” ²²This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: ²³“Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him^[h] Emmanuel,”^[i] which means^[j] “God with us.”^[k] ²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord^[l] told him. He took his wife, ²⁵but did not have marital relations^[m] with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named^[n] Jesus.

Footnotes

Matthew 1:18 tn The connotation of the Greek is “before they came together in marital and domestic union” (so BDAG 970 s.v. συνέρχομαι 3).
Matthew 1:19 tn Grk “husband.” See following note for discussion.
Matthew 1:19 tn Or “send her away.”sn In the Jewish context, “full betrothal was so binding that its breaking required a certificate of divorce, and the death of one party made the other a widow or widower (m. Ketub. 1:2; m. Sota 1:5; m. Git. passim…)” (R. H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art, 21).
Matthew 1:20 tn Grk “behold, an angel.” 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 1:20 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
Matthew 1:21 tn Grk “you will call his name.”
Matthew 1:21 sn The Greek form of the name Iēsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (“Yahweh” is typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). It was a fairly common name among Jews in 1st century Judea and Galilee, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.
Matthew 1:23 tn Grk “they will call his name.”
Matthew 1:23 sn A quotation from Isa 7:14. It is unclear whether the author is citing the MT or the LXX. The use of the word παρθένος (parthenos, “virgin”) may be due to its occurrence in the LXX, but it is also possible that it is the author’s translation of the Hebrew term עַלְמָה (’almah, “young woman”). The second phrase of the quotation is modified slightly from its original context; both the MT and LXX have a second person singular verb, but here the quotation has a third person plural verb form. The spelling of the name here (Emmanuel) differs from the spelling of the name in the OT (Immanuel) because of a different leading vowel in the respective Greek and Hebrew words. In the original context, this passage pointed to a child who would be born during the time of Ahaz as proof that the military alliance of Syria and Israel against Judah would fail. Within Isaiah’s subsequent prophecies this promise was ultimately applied to the future Davidic king who would one day rule over the nation.
Matthew 1:23 tn Grk “is translated.”
Matthew 1:23 sn A quotation from Isa 7:14; 8:8, 10. The Hebrew name Emmanuel literally means “God (is) with us.” This phrase occurs three times in the OT in close proximity, and subsequent uses are likely related to preceding ones. Thus it is very likely the present author had each in mind when he defined the name in v. 23.
Matthew 1:24 tn See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20. Here the translation “the angel of the Lord” is used because the Greek article (ὁ, ho) which precedes ἄγγελος (angelos) is taken as an anaphoric article (ExSyn 217-19) referring back to the angel mentioned in v. 20.
Matthew 1:25 tn Or “did not have sexual relations”; Grk “was not knowing her.” The verb “know” (in both Hebrew and Greek) is a frequent biblical euphemism for sexual relations. However, a translation like “did not have sexual relations with her” was considered too graphic in light of the popularity and wide use of Matthew’s infancy narrative. Thus the somewhat less direct but still clear “did not have marital relations” was preferred.
Matthew 1:25 tn Grk “and he called his name Jesus.” The coordinate clause has been translated as a relative clause in English for stylistic reasons.

Psalm 34

Psalm 34^[a]

By David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away.^[b]

34 I will praise^[c] the Lord at all times;
my mouth will continually praise him.^[d]
²I will boast^[e] in the Lord;
let the oppressed hear and rejoice.^[f]
³Magnify the Lord with me.
Let us praise^[g] his name together.
⁴I sought the Lord’s help^[h] and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵Look to him and be radiant;
do not let your faces be ashamed.^[i]
⁶This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;
he saved him^[j] from all his troubles.
⁷The angel of the Lord camps around
the Lord’s^[k] loyal followers^[l] and delivers them.^[m]
⁸Taste^[n] and see that the Lord is good.
How blessed^[o] is the one^[p] who takes shelter in him.^[q]
⁹Fear the Lord, you chosen people of his,^[r]
for those who fear him lack nothing.
¹⁰Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
¹¹Come children. Listen to me.
I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord.^[s]
¹²Do you want to really live?^[t]
Would you love to live a long, happy life?^[u]
¹³Then make sure you don’t speak evil words^[v]
or use deceptive speech.^[w]
¹⁴Turn away from evil and do what is right.^[x]
Strive for peace and promote it.^[y]
¹⁵The Lord pays attention to the godly
and hears their cry for help.^[z]
¹⁶But the Lord opposes evildoers
and wipes out all memory of them from the earth.^[aa]
¹⁷The godly^[ab] cry out and the Lord hears;
he saves them from all their troubles.^[ac]
¹⁸The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he delivers^[ad] those who are discouraged.^[ae]
¹⁹The godly^[af] face many dangers,^[ag]
but the Lord saves^[ah] them^[ai] from each one of them.
²⁰He protects^[aj] all his bones;^[ak]
not one of them is broken.^[al]
²¹Evil people self-destruct;^[am]
those who hate the godly are punished.^[an]
²²The Lord rescues his servants;^[ao]
all who take shelter in him escape punishment.^[ap]

Footnotes

Psalm 34:1 sn Psalm 34. In this song of thanksgiving the psalmist praises God for delivering him from distress. He encourages others to be loyal to the Lord, tells them how to please God, and assures them that the Lord protects his servants. The psalm is an acrostic; vv. 1-21 begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. (Verse 6 begins with the letter he (ה) and v. 7 with the letter zayin (ז). The letter vav (ו), which comes between ה and ז, seems to be omitted, although it does appear at the beginning of v. 6b. The final verse of the psalm, which begins with the letter pe (פ), is outside the acrostic scheme.
Psalm 34:1 tn Heb “By David, when he changed his sense before Abimelech and he drove him away and he went.”sn Pretended to be insane. The psalm heading appears to refer to the account in 1 Sam 21:10-15 which tells how David, fearful that King Achish of Gath might kill him, pretended to be insane in hopes that the king would simply send him away. The psalm heading names the king Abimelech, not Achish, suggesting that the tradition is confused on this point. However, perhaps “Abimelech” was a royal title, rather than a proper name. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 278.
Psalm 34:1 tn Heb “bless.”
Psalm 34:1 tn Heb “continually [will] his praise [be] in my mouth.”
Psalm 34:2 tn Heb “my soul will boast”; or better, “let my soul boast.” Following the cohortative form in v. 1, it is likely that the prefixed verbal form here is jussive.
Psalm 34:2 tn The two prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best taken as jussives, for the psalmist is calling his audience to worship (see v. 3).
Psalm 34:3 tn Or “exalt.”
Psalm 34:4 tn Heb “I sought the Lord.”
Psalm 34:5 tc The translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “they looked to him and were radiant; let their faces not be ashamed.” The MT reads the first verb as a perfect (הִבִּיטוּ, hibbitu), which would be past time, while the LXX (supported by Aquila, the Syriac, Jerome, and some medieval Hebrew mss) reads an imperative (הַבִּיטוּ, habbitu). The MT reads the second verb as a vav plus perfect, while the LXX reads it as an imperative, again a difference of the initial vowel. The third verb is a jussive preceded by אַל (ʾal), which supports reading the first two as imperatives. The second masculine plural pronoun (“your faces”) of the LXX and the Syriac, matches this understanding of the preceding verbs. The MT reading (“their faces”) is consistent with its view of the previous verbs. The reading adopted here interprets the verse as interrupting a testimony given to the congregation with an admonition based on that testimony.
Psalm 34:6 tn The pronoun refers back to “this oppressed man,” namely, the psalmist.
Psalm 34:7 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Psalm 34:7 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
Psalm 34:7 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same generalizing force as the active participle in the first line. See GKC 329 §111.u.
Psalm 34:8 tn This verb is normally used of tasting food, as in eating a little bit of food (1 Sam 14:43; Jonah 3:7) or evaluating it (Job 12:11; 34:3). The two references to the physical senses stand for invitation and realization. Even a small or beginning experience of God reveals that he is good.
Psalm 34:8 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
Psalm 34:8 tn Heb “man.” The principle of the psalm 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 more neutral “one.”
Psalm 34:8 tn “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 2:12; 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
Psalm 34:9 tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”
Psalm 34:11 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord I will teach you.” In vv. 13-14 the psalmist explains to his audience what it means to “fear” the Lord.
Psalm 34:12 tn Heb “Who is the man who desires life?” The rhetorical question is used to grab the audience’s attention. “Life” probably refers here to quality of life, not just physical existence or even duration of life. See the following line.
Psalm 34:12 tn Heb “[Who] loves days to see good?”
Psalm 34:13 tn Heb “guard your tongue from evil.”
Psalm 34:13 tn Heb “and your lips from speaking deception.”
Psalm 34:14 tn Or “do good.”
Psalm 34:14 tn Heb “seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 34:15 tn Heb “the eyes of the Lord [are] toward the godly, and his ears [are] toward their cry for help.”
Psalm 34:16 tn Heb “the face of the Lord [is] against the doers of evil to cut off from the earth memory of them.”
Psalm 34:17 tn Heb “they” (i.e., the godly mentioned in v. 15).
Psalm 34:17 tn The three perfect verbal forms are taken in a generalizing sense in v. 17 and translated with the present tense (note the generalizing mood of vv. 18-22).
Psalm 34:18 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the Lord typically delivers the oppressed and needy.
Psalm 34:18 tn Heb “the crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:19 tn The Hebrew text uses the singular form; the representative or typical godly person is envisioned.
Psalm 34:19 tn Or “trials.”
Psalm 34:19 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the Lord typically delivers the godly.
Psalm 34:19 tn Heb “him,” agreeing with the singular form in the preceding line.
Psalm 34:20 tn The Hebrew participial form suggests such protection is characteristic.
Psalm 34:20 tn That is, he protects the godly from physical harm.
Psalm 34:20 sn Not one of them is broken. The author of the Gospel of John saw a fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ experience on the cross (see John 19:31-37), for the Roman soldiers, when they saw that Jesus was already dead, did not break his legs as was customarily done to speed the death of crucified individuals. John’s use of the psalm seems strange, for the statement in its original context suggests that the Lord protects the godly from physical harm. Jesus’ legs may have remained unbroken, but he was brutally and unjustly executed by his enemies. John seems to give the statement a literal sense that is foreign to its original literary context by applying a promise of divine protection to a man who was seemingly not saved by God. However, John saw in this incident a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate deliverance and vindication. His unbroken bones were a reminder of God’s commitment to the godly and a sign of things to come. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end of the story; God vindicated him, as John goes on to explain in the following context (John 19:38-20:18).
Psalm 34:21 tn Heb “evil kills the wicked [one].” The singular form is representative; the typical evil person is envisioned. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action.
Psalm 34:21 tn Heb “are guilty,” but the verb is sometimes used metonymically with the meaning “to suffer the consequences of guilt,” the effect being substituted for the cause.
Psalm 34:22 tn Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.
Psalm 34:22 tn “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 2:12; 5:11-12; 31:19).

Ephesians 3:14-21

Prayer for Strengthened Love

¹⁴For this reason^[a] I kneel^[b] before the Father,^[c] ¹⁵from^[d] whom every family^[e] in heaven and on earth is named. ¹⁶I pray that^[f] according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, ¹⁷that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,^[g] ¹⁹and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to^[h] all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who by the power that is working within us^[i] is able to do far beyond^[j] all that we ask or think, ²¹to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

New English Translation (NET)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 132[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

Footnotes

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

Footnotes

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Footnotes

Psalm 34[a]

By David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away.[b]

Footnotes

Prayer for Strengthened Love

Footnotes

Psalm 132^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

Psalm 34^[a]

By David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away.^[b]