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2 Samuel 2:12-3:39

¹²Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish Bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool. ¹⁴Abner said to Joab, “Let the soldiers get up and fight^[a] before us.” Joab said, “So be it!”^[b]

¹⁵So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. ¹⁶As they grappled with one another, each one stabbed his opponent with his sword and they fell dead together.^[c] So that place is called the Field of Flints;^[d] it is in Gibeon.

¹⁷Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David’s soldiers.^[e] ¹⁸The three sons of Zeruiah were there—Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.) ¹⁹Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.

²⁰Then Abner turned and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” He replied, “Yes it is!” ²¹Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers^[f] and take his equipment for yourself!” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. ²²So Abner spoke again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground.^[g] How then could I show^[h] my face in the presence of Joab your brother?” ²³But Asahel^[i] refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his^[j] spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel^[k] collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner.^[l] Everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell dead paused in respect.^[m]

²⁴So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵The Benjaminites formed their ranks^[n] behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill.

²⁶Then Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?” ²⁷Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit^[o] of their brothers.” ²⁸Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks.^[p] They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting.^[q] ²⁹Abner and his men went through the rift valley^[r] all that night. They crossed the Jordan River^[s] and went through the whole region of Bitron^[t] and came to Mahanaim.

³⁰Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David’s soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel. ³¹But David’s soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner’s men—in all, 360 men had died! ³²They took Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn. 3 ¹However, the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker.

²Now sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, born to Ahinoam the Jezreelite. ³His second son^[u] was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow^[v] of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. ⁴His fourth son was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah, the son of Abital. ⁵His sixth son was Ithream, born to David’s wife Eglah. These sons^[w] were all born to David in Hebron.

Abner Defects to David’s Camp

⁶As the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was becoming more influential^[x] in the house of Saul. ⁷Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish Bosheth^[y] said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with^[z] my father’s concubine?”^[aa]

⁸These words of Ish Bosheth really angered Abner and he said, “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating^[ab] loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives^[ac] and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today!^[ad] ⁹God will severely judge Abner^[ae] if I do not do for David exactly what the Lord has promised him,^[af] ¹⁰namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!” ¹¹Ish Bosheth^[ag] was unable to answer Abner with even a single word because he was afraid of him.

¹²Then Abner sent messengers^[ah] to David saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make an agreement^[ai] with me, and I will do whatever I can^[aj] to cause all Israel to turn to you.” ¹³So David said, “Good! I will make an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to visit me.”^[ak]

¹⁴David sent messengers to Ish Bosheth son of Saul with this demand:^[al] “Give me my wife Michal whom I acquired^[am] for 100 Philistine foreskins.” ¹⁵So Ish Bosheth took her^[an] from her husband Paltiel^[ao] son of Laish. ¹⁶Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back!”^[ap] So he returned home.

¹⁷Abner advised^[aq] the elders of Israel, “Previously you were wanting David to be your king.^[ar] ¹⁸Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save^[as] my people Israel from^[at] the Philistines and from all their enemies.’”

¹⁹Then Abner spoke privately with^[au] the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately^[av] of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to.^[aw] ²⁰When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him. ²¹Abner said to David, “Let me leave so that I may go and gather all Israel to my lord the king so that they may make an agreement^[ax] with you. Then you will rule over all that you desire.” So David sent Abner away, and he left in peace.

Abner Is Killed

²²Now David’s soldiers^[ay] and Joab were coming back from a raid, bringing a great deal of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David^[az] had sent him away and he had left in peace. ²³When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, Joab was told: “Abner the son of Ner came to the king; he sent him away, and he left in peace!”

²⁴So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner^[ba] has come to you. Why would you send him away? Now he’s gone on his way!^[bb] ²⁵You know Abner the son of Ner. Surely he came here to spy on you and to determine when you leave and when you return^[bc] and to discover everything that you are doing!”

²⁶Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. (But David was not aware of it.) ²⁷When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him^[bd] in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel.^[be]

²⁸When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹May his blood whirl over^[bf] the head of Joab and the entire house of his father!^[bg] May the males of Joab’s house^[bh] never cease to have^[bi] someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle^[bj] or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!”

³⁰So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.

³¹David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes. Put on sackcloth. Lament before Abner!” Now King David followed^[bk] behind the funeral pallet.^[bl] ³²So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly^[bm] over Abner’s grave, and all the people wept too. ³³The king chanted the following lament for Abner:

“Should Abner have died like a fool?
³⁴Your hands^[bn] were not bound,
and your feet were not put into irons.
You fell the way one falls before criminals.”

All the people^[bo] wept over him again. ³⁵Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, “God will punish me severely^[bp] if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!”

³⁶All the people noticed this and it pleased them.^[bq] In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation.^[br]

³⁸Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader^[bs] has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear!^[bt] May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!”^[bu]

Footnotes

2 Samuel 2:14 tn Heb “play.” What is in view here is a gladiatorial contest in which representative groups of soldiers engage in mortal combat before the watching armies. Cf. NAB “perform for us”; NASB “hold (have NRSV) a contest before us”; NLT “put on an exhibition of hand-to-hand combat.”
2 Samuel 2:14 tn Heb “let them arise.”
2 Samuel 2:16 tn Heb “and they grabbed each one the head of his neighbor with his sword in the side of his neighbor and they fell together.”
2 Samuel 2:16 tn The meaning of the name “Helkath Hazzurim” (so NIV; KJV, NASB, NRSV similar) is not clear. BHK relates the name to the Hebrew term for “side,” and this is reflected in NAB “the Field of the Sides”; the Greek OT revocalizes the Hebrew to mean something like “Field of Adversaries.” Cf. also TEV, NLT “Field of Swords”; CEV “Field of Daggers.”
2 Samuel 2:17 tn Heb “servants.” So also elsewhere.
2 Samuel 2:21 tn Heb “young men.” So also elsewhere.
2 Samuel 2:22 tn Heb “Why should I strike you to the ground?”
2 Samuel 2:22 tn Heb “lift.”
2 Samuel 2:23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Asahel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 2:23 tn Heb “the.” The article functions here as a possessive pronoun.
2 Samuel 2:23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Asahel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 2:23 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 2:23 tn Heb “and they stand.”
2 Samuel 2:25 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
2 Samuel 2:27 tn The Hebrew verb נַעֲלָה (naʿalah) used here is the Niphal perfect third person masculine singular of עָלָה (ʿalah, “to go up”). In the Niphal this verb “is used idiomatically, of getting away from so as to abandon…especially of an army raising a siege…” (see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 244).
2 Samuel 2:28 tn Heb “stood.”
2 Samuel 2:28 tn Heb “they no longer chased after Israel and they no longer fought.”
2 Samuel 2:29 sn The rift valley is a large geographic feature extending from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba. Here only a section of the Jordan Valley is in view.
2 Samuel 2:29 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 2:29 tn Heb “and they went, all the Bitron.” The meaning of the Hebrew word “Bitron,” which is used only here in the OT, is disputed. The translation above follows BDB 144 s.v. בִּתְרוֹן in taking the word to be a proper name of an area east of the Jordan. A different understanding was advocated by W. R. Arnold, who took the word to refer to the forenoon or morning; a number of modern scholars and translations have adopted this view (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT). See W. R. Arnold, “The Meaning of בתרון,” AJSL 28 (1911-1912): 274-83 and HALOT 167 s.v. In this case one could translate “and they traveled all morning long.”
2 Samuel 3:3 tn The Hebrew text does not have the word “son.” So also in vv. 3-5.
2 Samuel 3:3 tn Heb “wife.”
2 Samuel 3:5 tn The Hebrew text does not have “sons.”
2 Samuel 3:6 tn Heb “was strengthening himself.” The statement may have a negative sense here, perhaps suggesting that Abner was overstepping the bounds of political propriety in a self-serving way.
2 Samuel 3:7 tc The Hebrew of the MT reads simply “and he said,” with no expressed subject for the verb. It is not likely that the text originally had no expressed subject for this verb, since the antecedent is not immediately clear from the context. We should probably restore to the Hebrew text the name “Ish Bosheth.” See a few medieval Hebrew mss, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Vulgate. Perhaps the name was accidentally omitted by homoioarcton. Note that both the name Ish Bosheth and the following preposition אֶל (ʾel) begin with the letter alef.
2 Samuel 3:7 tn The expression בּוֹא אֶל (boʾ ʾel) means “come to” or “approach,” but is also used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
2 Samuel 3:7 sn This accusation against Abner is a very serious one, since an act of sexual infringement on the king’s harem would probably have been understood as a blatant declaration of aspirations to kingship. As such it was not merely a matter of ethical impropriety but an act of grave political significance as well.
2 Samuel 3:8 tn Heb “I do.”
2 Samuel 3:8 tn Heb “brothers.”
2 Samuel 3:8 tn Heb “and you have laid upon me the guilt of the woman today.”
2 Samuel 3:9 tn Heb “So will God do to Abner and so he will add to him.”
2 Samuel 3:9 tc Heb “has sworn to David.” The LXX, with the exception of the recension of Origen, adds “in this day.”
2 Samuel 3:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish Bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 3:12 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “on his behalf.”
2 Samuel 3:12 tn Heb “cut a covenant.” So also in vv. 13, 21.
2 Samuel 3:12 tn Heb “and behold, my hand is with you.”
2 Samuel 3:13 tn The words “when you come to see my face,” though found in the Hebrew text, are somewhat redundant given the similar expression in the earlier part of the verse. The words are absent from the Syriac Peshitta.
2 Samuel 3:14 tn Heb “to Ish Bosheth son of Saul saying.” To avoid excessive sibilance (especially when read aloud) the translation renders “saying” as “with this demand.”
2 Samuel 3:14 tn Heb “whom I betrothed to myself.”
2 Samuel 3:15 tn Heb “sent and took her.”
2 Samuel 3:15 tn In 1 Sam 25:44 this name appears as “Palti.”
2 Samuel 3:16 tn Heb “Go, return.”
2 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “the word of Abner was with.”
2 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “you were seeking David to be king over you.”
2 Samuel 3:18 tc The present translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate in reading “I will save,” rather than the MT “he saved” or “to save." The context calls for the first person common singular imperfect of the verb rather than the third person masculine singular perfect or the infinitive construct.
2 Samuel 3:18 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
2 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
2 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “also Abner went to speak into the ears of David in Hebron.”
2 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “all which was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.”
2 Samuel 3:21 tn After the cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
2 Samuel 3:22 tn Heb “And look, the servants of David.”
2 Samuel 3:22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 3:24 tn Heb “Look, Abner.”
2 Samuel 3:24 tc The LXX adds “in peace.”
2 Samuel 3:25 tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.” The expression is a merism. It specifically mentions the polar extremities of the actions but includes all activity in between the extremities as well, thus encompassing the entirety of one’s activities.
2 Samuel 3:27 tn Heb “and he struck him down there [in] the stomach.”
2 Samuel 3:27 tn Heb “and he [i.e., Abner] died on account of the blood of Asahel his [i.e., Joab’s] brother.”
2 Samuel 3:29 tn Heb “and may they whirl over.” In the Hebrew text the subject of the plural verb is unexpressed. The most likely subject is Abner’s “shed blood” (v. 28), which is a masculine plural form in Hebrew. The verb חוּל (khul, “whirl”) is used with the preposition עַל (ʿal) only here and in Jer 23:19; 30:23.
2 Samuel 3:29 tc 4QSam^a has “of Joab” rather than “of his father” read by the MT.
2 Samuel 3:29 tn Heb “the house of Joab.” However, it is necessary to specify that David’s curse is aimed at Joab’s male descendants; otherwise it would not be clear that “one who works at the spindle” refers to a man doing woman’s work rather than a woman.
2 Samuel 3:29 tn Heb “and may there not be cut off from the house of Joab.”
2 Samuel 3:29 tn The expression used here is difficult. The translation “one who works at the spindle” follows a suggestion of S. R. Driver that the expression pejoratively describes an effeminate man who, rather than being a mighty warrior, is occupied with tasks that are normally fulfilled by women (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 250-51; cf. NAB “one unmanly”; TEV “fit only to do a woman’s work”; CEV “cowards”). But P. K. McCarter, following an alleged Phoenician usage of the noun to refer to “crutches,” adopts a different view. He translates the phrase “clings to a crutch,” seeing here a further description of physical lameness (II Samuel [AB], 118). Such an idea fits the present context well and is followed by NIV, NCV, and NLT, although the evidence for this meaning is questionable. According to DNWSI 2:915-16, the noun consistently refers to a spindle in Phoenician, as it does in Ugaritic (see UT 468).
2 Samuel 3:31 tn Heb “was walking.”
2 Samuel 3:31 tn A ‫מִטָּה‬ (mittah) is typically bed with a frame (which can be ornate and covered with blankets and pillows). Here, like a stretcher, it is a portable frame for carrying a body, technically a bier.
2 Samuel 3:32 tn Heb “lifted up his voice and wept.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
2 Samuel 3:34 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew manuscripts and several ancient versions in reading “your hands,” rather than “your hand.”
2 Samuel 3:34 tc 4QSam^a lacks the words “all the people.”
2 Samuel 3:35 tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.”
2 Samuel 3:36 tn Heb “it was good in their eyes.”
2 Samuel 3:37 tn Heb “from the king.”
2 Samuel 3:38 tn Heb “a leader and a great one.” The expression is a hendiadys.
2 Samuel 3:39 tn Heb “are hard from me.”
2 Samuel 3:39 tn Heb “May the Lord repay the doer of the evil according to his evil” (NASB similar).

John 13:1-30

Washing the Disciples’ Feet

13 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time^[a] had come to depart^[b] from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end.^[c] ²The evening meal^[d] was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart^[e] of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray^[f] Jesus.^[g] ³Because Jesus^[h] knew that the Father had handed all things over to him,^[i] and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴he got up from the meal, removed^[j] his outer clothes,^[k] took a towel and tied it around himself.^[l] ⁵He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.^[m]

⁶Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter^[n] said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash^[o] my feet?” ⁷Jesus replied,^[p] “You do not understand^[q] what I am doing now, but you will understand^[r] after these things.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!”^[s] Jesus replied,^[t] “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”^[u] ⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash^[v] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰Jesus replied,^[w] “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet,^[x] but is completely^[y] clean.^[z] And you disciples^[aa] are clean, but not every one of you.” ¹¹(For Jesus^[ab] knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is^[ac] clean.”)^[ad]

¹²So when Jesus^[ae] had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table^[af] again and said to them, “Do you understand^[ag] what I have done for you? ¹³You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly,^[ah] for that is what I am.^[ai] ¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have given you an example^[aj]—you should do just as I have done for you. ¹⁶I tell you the solemn truth,^[ak] the slave^[al] is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger^[am] greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷If you understand^[an] these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The Announcement of Jesus’ Betrayal

¹⁸“What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture,^[ao] ‘The one who eats my bread^[ap] has turned against me.’^[aq] ¹⁹I am telling you this now,^[ar] before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe^[as] that I am he.^[at] ²⁰I tell you the solemn truth,^[au] whoever accepts^[av] the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”^[aw]

²¹When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed^[ax] in spirit, and testified,^[ay] “I tell you the solemn truth,^[az] one of you will betray me.”^[ba] ²²The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed^[bb] to know which of them he was talking about. ²³One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved,^[bc] was at the table^[bd] to the right of Jesus in a place of honor.^[be] ²⁴So Simon Peter^[bf] gestured to this disciple^[bg] to ask Jesus^[bh] who it was he was referring to.^[bi] ²⁵Then the disciple whom Jesus loved^[bj] leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶Jesus replied,^[bk] “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread^[bl] after I have dipped it in the dish.”^[bm] Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish^[bn] and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. ²⁷And after Judas^[bo] took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.^[bp] Jesus said to him,^[bq] “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸(Now none of those present at the table^[br] understood^[bs] why Jesus^[bt] said this to Judas.^[bu] ²⁹Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast,^[bv] or to give something to the poor.)^[bw] ³⁰Judas^[bx] took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.)^[by]

Footnotes

John 13:1 tn Grk “his hour.”
John 13:1 tn Grk “that he should depart.” The ἵνα (hina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).
John 13:1 tn Or “he now loved them completely,” or “he now loved them to the uttermost” (see John 19:30). All of John 13:1 is a single sentence in Greek, although in English this would be unacceptably awkward. At the end of the verse the idiom εἰς τέλος (eis telos) was translated literally as “to the end” and the modern equivalents given in the note above, because there is an important lexical link between this passage and John 19:30, τετέλεσται (tetelestai, “It is ended”). sn The full extent of Jesus’ love for his disciples is not merely seen in his humble service to them in washing their feet (the most common interpretation of the passage). The full extent of his love for them is demonstrated in his sacrificial death for them on the cross. The footwashing episode which follows then becomes a prophetic act, or acting out beforehand, of his upcoming death on their behalf. The message for the disciples was that they were to love one another not just in humble, self-effacing service, but were to be willing to die for one another. At least one of them got this message eventually, though none understood it at the time (see 1 John 3:16).
John 13:2 tn Or “Supper.” To avoid possible confusion because of different regional English usage regarding the distinction between “dinner” and “supper” as an evening meal, the translation simply refers to “the evening meal.”
John 13:2 sn At this point the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 365) thought this was a reference to the idea entering the devil’s own heart, but this does not seem likely. It is more probable that Judas’ heart is meant, since the use of the Greek article (rather than a possessive pronoun) is a typical idiom when a part of one’s own body is indicated. Judas’ name is withheld until the end of the sentence for dramatic effect (emphasis). This action must be read in light of 13:27, and appears to refer to a preliminary idea or plan.
John 13:2 tn Or “that he should hand over.”
John 13:2 tn Grk “betray him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:3 tn Grk “Because he knew”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:3 tn Grk “had given all things into his hands.”
John 13:4 tn Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
John 13:4 tn The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta himatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23-24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation “outer clothes” is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context.
John 13:4 tn Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezōsen heauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples’ feet.
John 13:5 tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”
John 13:6 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:6 tn Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”
John 13:7 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
John 13:7 tn Grk “You do not know.”
John 13:7 tn Grk “you will know.”
John 13:8 tn Grk “You will never wash my feet forever.” The negation is emphatic in Greek but somewhat awkward in English. Emphasis is conveyed in the translation by the use of an exclamation point.
John 13:8 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
John 13:8 tn Or “you have no part in me.”
John 13:9 tn The word “wash” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Here it is supplied to improve the English style by making Peter’s utterance a complete sentence.
John 13:10 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
John 13:10 tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”
John 13:10 tn Or “entirely.”
John 13:10 sn The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the “bath” Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only “lesser, partial” cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more—Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter’s initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus’ seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).
John 13:10 tn The word “disciples” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.
John 13:11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:11 tn Grk “Not all of you are.”
John 13:11 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 13:12 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:12 tn Grk “he reclined at the table.” The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
John 13:12 tn Grk “Do you know.”
John 13:13 tn Or “rightly.”
John 13:13 tn Grk “and I am these things.”
John 13:15 sn I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another’s feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).
John 13:16 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 13:16 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
John 13:16 tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).
John 13:17 tn Grk “If you know.”
John 13:18 tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”
John 13:18 tn Or “The one who shares my food.”
John 13:18 tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’—Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.sn A quotation from Ps 41:9.
John 13:19 tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”
John 13:19 tn Grk “so that you may believe.”
John 13:19 tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) here, but this is far from certain.
John 13:20 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 13:20 tn Or “receives,” and so throughout this verse.
John 13:20 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
John 13:21 tn Or “greatly troubled.”
John 13:21 tn Grk “and testified and said.”
John 13:21 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 13:21 tn Or “will hand me over.”
John 13:22 tn Grk “uncertain,” “at a loss.” Here two terms, “worried and perplexed,” were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ἀπορέω (aporeō).
John 13:23 sn Here for the first time the one Jesus loved, the “beloved disciple,” is introduced. This individual also is mentioned in 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, and 21:20. Some have suggested that this disciple is to be identified with Lazarus, since the Fourth Gospel specifically states that Jesus loved him (11:3, 5, 36). From the terminology alone this is a possibility; the author is certainly capable of using language in this way to indicate connections. But there is nothing else to indicate that Lazarus was present at the last supper; Mark 14:17 seems to indicate it was only the twelve who were with Jesus at this time, and there is no indication in the Fourth Gospel to the contrary. Nor does it appear that Lazarus ever stood so close to Jesus as the later references in chaps. 19, 20 and 21 seem to indicate. When this is coupled with the omission of all references to John son of Zebedee from the Fourth Gospel, it seems far more likely that the references to the beloved disciple should be understood as references to him.
John 13:23 tn Grk “was reclining.” This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
John 13:23 tn Grk “was reclining in the bosom (or “lap”) of Jesus” (according to both L&N 17.25 and BDAG 65 s.v. ἀνάκειμαι 2 an idiom for taking the place of honor at a meal, but note the similar expression in John 1:18). Whether this position or the position to the left of Jesus should be regarded as the position of second highest honor (next to the host, in this case Jesus, who was in the position of highest honor) is debated. F. Prat, “Les places d’honneur chez les Juifs contemporains du Christ” (RSR 15 [1925]: 512-22), who argued that the table arrangement was that of the Roman triclinium (a U-shaped table with Jesus and two other disciples at the bottom of the U), considered the position to the left of Jesus to be the one of second highest honor. Thus the present translation renders this “a place of honor” without specifying which one (since both of the two disciples to the right and to the left of Jesus would be in positions of honor). Other translations differ as to how they handle the phrase ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ (en tō kolpō tou Iēsou; “leaning on Jesus’ bosom,” KJV; “lying close to the breast of Jesus,” RSV; “reclining on Jesus’ breast,” NASB; “reclining next to him,” NIV, NRSV) but the symbolic significance of the beloved disciple’s position seems clear. He is close to Jesus and in an honored position. The phrase as an idiom for a place of honor at a feast is attested in the Epistles of Pliny (the Younger) 4.22.4, an approximate contemporary of Paul.sn Note that the same expression translated in a place of honor here (Grk “in the bosom of”) is used to indicate Jesus’ relationship with the Father in 1:18.
John 13:24 sn It is not clear where Simon Peter was seated. If he were on Jesus’ other side, it is difficult to see why he would not have asked the question himself. It would also have been difficult to beckon to the beloved disciple, on Jesus’ right, from such a position. So apparently Peter was seated somewhere else. It is entirely possible that Judas was seated to Jesus’ left. Matt 26:25 seems to indicate that Jesus could speak to him without being overheard by the rest of the group. Judas is evidently in a position where Jesus can hand him the morsel of food (13:26).
John 13:24 tn Grk “to this one”; the referent (the beloved disciple) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:24 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:24 sn That is, who would betray him (v. 21).
John 13:25 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the disciple Jesus loved) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:26 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
John 13:26 sn The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).
John 13:26 tn Grk “after I have dipped it.” The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
John 13:26 tn The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
John 13:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:27 tn Grk “into that one”; the pronoun “he” is more natural English style here.sn This is the only time in the Fourth Gospel that Satan is mentioned by name. Luke 22:3 uses the same terminology of Satan “entering into” Judas but indicates it happened before the last supper at the time Judas made his deal with the authorities. This is not necessarily irreconcilable with John’s account, however, because John 13:2 makes it clear that Judas had already come under satanic influence prior to the meal itself. The statement here is probably meant to indicate that Judas at this point came under the influence of Satan even more completely and finally. It marks the end of a process which, as Luke indicates, had begun earlier.
John 13:27 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to him.”
John 13:28 tn Grk “reclining at the table.” The phrase reclining at the table reflects the normal practice in 1st century Near Eastern culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
John 13:28 tn Or “knew.”
John 13:28 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:28 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:29 tn Grk “telling him, ‘Buy whatever we need for the feast.’” The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).
John 13:29 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 13:30 tn Grk “That one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:30 sn Now it was night is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment is more than just a time indicator, however. With the departure of Judas to set in motion the betrayal, arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, daytime is over and night has come (see John 9:5; 11:9-10; 12:35-36). Judas had become one of those who walked by night and stumbled, because the light was not in him (11:10).

Psalm 119:1-16

Psalm 119^[a]

א (Alef)

119 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless,^[b]
who obey^[c] the law of the Lord.
²How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
³who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps.^[d]
⁴You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept.^[e]
⁵If only I were predisposed^[f]
to keep your statutes.
⁶Then I would not be ashamed,
if^[g] I were focused on^[h] all your commands.
⁷I will give you sincere thanks,^[i]
when I learn your just regulations.
⁸I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me.^[j]

ב (Bet)

⁹How can a young person^[k] maintain a pure life?^[l]
By guarding it according to your instructions.^[m]
¹⁰With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands.
¹¹In my heart I store up^[n] your words,^[o]
so I might not sin against you.
¹²You deserve praise,^[p] O Lord.
Teach me your statutes.
¹³With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed.^[q]
¹⁴I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules^[r]
as if^[s] they were riches of all kinds.^[t]
¹⁵I will meditate on^[u] your precepts
and focus on^[v] your behavior.^[w]
¹⁶I find delight^[x] in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions.^[y]

Footnotes

Psalm 119:1 tn The psalmist celebrates God’s law and the guidance it provides his people. He expresses his desire to know God’s law thoroughly so that he might experience the blessings that come to those who obey it. This lengthy psalm exhibits an elaborate acrostic pattern. The psalm is divided into twenty-two sections (corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), each of which is comprised of eight verses. Each of the verses in the first section (vv. 1-8) begins with the letter alef (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This pattern continues throughout the psalm as each new section highlights a successive letter of the alphabet. Each verse in section two (vv. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the alphabet, each verse in section three (vv. 17-24) with the third letter, etc. This rigid pattern creates a sense of order and completeness and may have facilitated memorization.
Psalm 119:1 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”
Psalm 119:1 tn Heb “walk in.”
Psalm 119:3 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
Psalm 119:4 tn Heb “you, you commanded your precepts, to keep, very much.”
Psalm 119:5 tn Heb “if only my ways were established.”
Psalm 119:6 tn Or “when.”
Psalm 119:6 tn Heb “I gaze at.”
Psalm 119:7 tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”
Psalm 119:8 tn Heb “do not abandon me to excess.” For other uses of the phrase עַד מְאֹד (ʿad m^eʾod, “to excess”), see Ps 38:6, 8.
Psalm 119:9 tn Heb “young man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender specific “young man” has been translated with the more neutral “young person.”
Psalm 119:9 tn Heb “purify his path.”
Psalm 119:9 tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”
Psalm 119:11 tn Or “hide.”
Psalm 119:11 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”
Psalm 119:12 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
Psalm 119:13 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
Psalm 119:14 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
Psalm 119:14 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
Psalm 119:14 tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.
Psalm 119:15 tn The cohortative verbal forms in this verse express the psalmist’s resolve.
Psalm 119:15 tn Heb “gaze [at].”
Psalm 119:15 tn Heb “ways” (referring figuratively to God’s behavior here).
Psalm 119:16 tn The imperfects in this verse emphasize the attitude the psalmist maintains toward God’s law. Another option is to translate with the future tense, “I will find delight…I will not forget.”
Psalm 119:16 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural here.

Proverbs 15:29-30

²⁹The Lord is far^[a] from the wicked,
but he hears^[b] the prayer of the righteous.^[c]
³⁰A bright look^[d] brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the body.^[e]

New English Translation (NET)

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The Daily Audio Bible

Abner Defects to David’s Camp

Abner Is Killed

Footnotes

Washing the Disciples’ Feet

The Announcement of Jesus’ Betrayal

Footnotes

Psalm 119[a]

א (Alef)

ב (Bet)

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 119^[a]