◀ All Reading Plans / The Daily Audio Bible / 2 Samuel 4-6; John 13:31-14:14; Psalm 119:17-32; Proverbs 15:31-32 (New English Translation)

Prev Day

May 24, 2017

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

May 2017
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Return to today's reading

The Daily Audio Bible

This reading plan is provided by Brian Hardin from Daily Audio Bible.

Duration: 731 days

Today's audio is from the EHV. Switch to the EHV to read along with the audio.

2 Samuel 4-6

Ish Bosheth is killed

4 When Ish Bosheth^[a] the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened,^[b] and all Israel was afraid. ²Now Saul’s son^[c] had two men who were in charge of raiding units; one was named Baanah and the other Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, who was a Benjaminite. (Beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin, ³for the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have remained there as resident foreigners until the present time.)^[d]

⁴Now Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan arrived from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but in her haste to get away, he fell and was injured.^[e] Mephibosheth was his name.

⁵Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite—Recab and Baanah—went at the hottest part of the day to the home of Ish Bosheth, as he was enjoying his midday rest. ⁶They^[f] entered the house under the pretense of getting wheat^[g] and mortally wounded him^[h] in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah escaped.

⁷They had entered^[i] the house while Ish Bosheth^[j] was resting on his bed in his bedroom. They mortally wounded him^[k] and then cut off his head.^[l] Taking his head,^[m] they traveled on the way of the rift valley^[n] all that night. ⁸They brought the head of Ish Bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, “Look! The head of Ish Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king this day against^[o] Saul and his descendants!”

⁹David replied to Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered my life from all adversity, ¹⁰when someone told me that Saul was dead—even though he thought he was bringing good news^[p]—I seized him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the good news I gave to him! ¹¹Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept^[q] in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove^[r] you from the earth?”

¹²So David issued orders to the soldiers and they put them to death. Then they cut off their hands and feet and hung them^[s] near the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish Bosheth^[t] and buried it in the tomb of Abner^[u] in Hebron.^[v]

David Is Anointed King Over Israel

5 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood!^[w] ²In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel.^[x] The Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.’”

³When all the leaders^[y] of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David made an agreement with them^[z] in Hebron before the Lord. They designated^[aa] David as king over Israel. ⁴David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. ⁵In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

David Occupies Jerusalem

⁶Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites^[ab] said to David, “You cannot invade this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot invade this place!’”

⁷But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). ⁸David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies^[ac] by going through the water tunnel.”^[ad] For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.”^[ae]

⁹So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards. ¹⁰David’s power grew steadily, for the Lord God^[af] of Heaven’s Armies^[ag] was with him.^[ah]

¹¹King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace^[ai] for David. ¹²David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. ¹³David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he arrived from Hebron. Even more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Conflict with the Philistines

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been designated^[aj] king over Israel, they all^[ak] went up to search for David. When David heard about it, he went down to the fortress. ¹⁸Now the Philistines had arrived and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹So David asked the Lord, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “March up, for I will indeed^[al] hand the Philistines over to you.”

²⁰So David marched against Baal Perazim and defeated them there. Then he said, “The Lord has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.” So he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.^[am] ²¹The Philistines^[an] abandoned their idols^[ao] there, and David and his men picked them up.

²²The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³So David asked the Lord what he should do.^[ap] This time^[aq] the Lord^[ar] said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees.^[as] ²⁴When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, act decisively. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army^[at] of the Philistines.” ²⁵David did just as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.^[au]

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

6 David again assembled^[av] all the best^[aw] men in Israel, 30,000 in number. ²David and all the men who were with him traveled^[ax] to^[ay] Baalah^[az] in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name^[ba] of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. ³They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart. ⁴They brought^[bb] it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark, ⁵while David and all Israel^[bc] were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing^[bd] and playing various stringed instruments,^[be] tambourines, rattles,^[bf] and cymbals.

⁶When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon,^[bg] Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of^[bh] the ark of God,^[bi] because the oxen stumbled. ⁷The Lord was so furious with Uzzah,^[bj] he^[bk] killed him on the spot^[bl] for his negligence.^[bm] He died right there beside the ark of God.

⁸David was angry because the Lord attacked^[bn] Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah,^[bo] which remains its name to this very day. ⁹David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” ¹⁰So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. ¹¹The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.^[bp] ¹²King David was told,^[bq] “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David. ¹³Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David^[br] sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. ¹⁴Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.^[bs] ¹⁵David and all Israel^[bt] were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.^[bu]

¹⁶As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.^[bv] ¹⁷They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place^[bw] in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹⁹He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel,^[bx] both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake,^[by] and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.^[bz] ²⁰When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house,^[ca] Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him.^[cb] She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished^[cc] himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool^[cd] might do!”

²¹David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family^[ce] and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel. ²²I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this.^[cf] But with the slave girls whom you mentioned, let me be distinguished.” ²³Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.

Footnotes

2 Samuel 4:1 tn The MT does not specify the subject of the verb here, but the reference is to Ish Bosheth, so the name has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 4QSam^a and the LXX mistakenly read “Mephibosheth.”
2 Samuel 4:1 tn Heb “his hands went slack.”
2 Samuel 4:2 tc The present translation, “Saul’s son had two men,” is based on the reading “to the son of Saul,” rather than the MT’s “the son of Saul.” The context requires the preposition to indicate the family relationship.
2 Samuel 4:3 tn Heb “until this day.”
2 Samuel 4:4 tn Heb “and was lame.”
2 Samuel 4:6 tc For the MT’s וְהֵנָּה (v^ehennah, “and they,” feminine) read וְהִנֵּה (v^ehinneh, “and behold”). See the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Targum.
2 Samuel 4:6 tc The LXX (followed by NLT) reads, “behold the house doorkeeper was cleaning wheat and became drowsy and fell asleep and the brothers Rekcha and Baana avoided notice.” Josephus refers to the LXX with a slight expansion on the tradition in Ant. 7:48. The last sentence appears to follow the Hebrew MT, although understanding the final verb נִמְלָטוּ (nimlatu; Niphal of מָלַט, malat) “to escape” as “escaping notice” is without parallel. The beginning of the verse in the LXX shares at least the words “midst of house” and “wheat” with the Hebrew MT. What sort of textual corruption through common scribal copying errors could lead to the different texts is unclear.tn Heb “taking wheat.” The reference to getting wheat is obscure and traditionally inferred to mean that they came under the pretense of obtaining wheat (KJV, ESV, NASB, NIV, Holman). However the plausibility of this scenario is not culturally certain.
2 Samuel 4:6 tn Heb “and they struck him down.”
2 Samuel 4:7 tn After the concluding disjunctive clause at the end of v. 6, the author now begins a more detailed account of the murder and its aftermath.
2 Samuel 4:7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish Bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 4:7 tn Heb “they struck him down and killed him.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
2 Samuel 4:7 tn Heb “and they removed his head.” The Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate lack these words.
2 Samuel 4:7 tc The Lucianic Greek recension lacks the words “his head.”
2 Samuel 4:7 sn The rift valley is a large geographic feature extending form Galilee to the gulf of Aqaba. The portion in view here runs along the west of the Dead Sea.
2 Samuel 4:8 tn Heb “from.”
2 Samuel 4:10 tn Heb “and he was like a bearer of good news in his eyes.”
2 Samuel 4:11 tn Heb “on his bed.”
2 Samuel 4:11 tn See HALOT 146 s.v. II בער. Some derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to burn; to consume.”
2 Samuel 4:12 tn The antecedent of the pronoun “them” (which is not present in the Hebrew text, but implied) is not entirely clear. Presumably it is the corpses that were hung and not merely the detached hands and feet; cf. NIV “hung the (their NRSV, NLT) bodies”; the alternative is represented by TEV “cut off their hands and feet, which they hung up.”
2 Samuel 4:12 tc 4QSam^a mistakenly reads “Mephibosheth” here.
2 Samuel 4:12 tc The LXX adds “the son of Ner” by conformity with common phraseology elsewhere.
2 Samuel 4:12 tc Some mss of the LXX lack the phrase “in Hebron.”
2 Samuel 5:1 tn Heb “look we are your bone and your flesh.”
2 Samuel 5:2 tn Heb “you were the one leading out and the one leading in Israel.”
2 Samuel 5:3 tn Heb “elders.”
2 Samuel 5:3 tn Heb “and the king, David, cut for them a covenant.”
2 Samuel 5:3 tn Heb “anointed.”
2 Samuel 5:6 tn The Hebrew text has “he” rather than “the Jebusites.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. In the Syriac Peshitta and some mss of the Targum the verb is plural rather than singular.
2 Samuel 5:8 tc There is some confusion among the witnesses concerning this word. The Kethib is the Qal perfect third common plural שָׂנְאוּ (san^eʾu, “they hated”), referring to the Jebusites’ attitude toward David. The Qere is the Qal passive participle construct plural שְׂנֻאֵי (s^enuʾe, “hated”), referring to David’s attitude toward the Jebusites. 4QSam^a has the Qal perfect third person feminine singular שָׂנְאָה (san^eʾah, “hated”), the subject of which would be “the soul of David.” The difference is minor and the translation adopted above works for either the Kethib or the Qere.
2 Samuel 5:8 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term has been debated. For a survey of various views, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 139-40. sn If a water tunnel is in view here, it is probably the so-called Warren’s Shaft that extends up from Hezekiah’s tunnel. It would have provided a means for surprise attack against the occupants of the City of David. The LXX seems not to understand the reference here, translating “by the water shaft” as “with a small knife.”
2 Samuel 5:8 tn Heb “the house.” TEV takes this as a reference to the temple (“the Lord’s house”).
2 Samuel 5:10 tc 4QSam^a and the LXX lack the word “God,” probably due to harmonization with the more common biblical phrase “the Lord of hosts.”
2 Samuel 5:10 tn Traditionally, “the Lord God of hosts” (KJV, NASB); NIV, NLT “the Lord God Almighty”; CEV “the Lord (+ God NCV) All-Powerful.”
2 Samuel 5:10 tn The translation assumes that the disjunctive clause is circumstantial-causal, giving the reason for David’s success.
2 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “a house.”
2 Samuel 5:17 tn Heb “anointed.”
2 Samuel 5:17 tn Heb “all the Philistines.”
2 Samuel 5:19 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the following verb.
2 Samuel 5:20 tn The name means “Lord of the outbursts.”
2 Samuel 5:21 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 5:21 tc For “idols” the LXX and Vulgate have “gods.”
2 Samuel 5:23 tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.
2 Samuel 5:23 tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.
2 Samuel 5:23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 5:23 tn Some translate as “balsam trees” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NJB, NLT); cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV “mulberry trees”; NAB “mastic trees”; NEB, REB “aspens.” The exact identification of the type of tree or plant is uncertain.
2 Samuel 5:24 tn Heb “camp” (so NAB).
2 Samuel 5:25 tn Heb “from Gibeon until you enter Gezer.”
2 Samuel 6:1 tn The translation understands the verb to be a defective spelling of וַיֶּאֱסֹף (vayy^eʾesof) due to quiescence of the letter א (alef). The root therefore is אָסַף (ʾasaf, “to gather”). The Masoretes, however, pointed the verb as וַיֹּסֶף (vayyosef), understanding it to be a form of יָסַף (yasaf, “to add”). This does not fit the context, which calls for a verb of gathering.
2 Samuel 6:1 tn Or “chosen.”
2 Samuel 6:2 tn Heb “arose and went.”
2 Samuel 6:2 tn Heb “from,” but the following context indicates they traveled to this location.
2 Samuel 6:2 tn This is another name for Kiriath Jearim (see 1 Chr 13:6).
2 Samuel 6:2 tc The MT has here a double reference to the name (שֵׁם שֵׁם, shem shem). Many medieval Hebrew mss in the first occurrence point the word differently and read the adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”). This is also the understanding of the Syriac Peshitta (Syr., taman). While this yields an acceptable understanding to the text, it is more likely that the MT reading results from dittography. If the word did occur twice, one might have expected the first occurrence to have the article. The present translation therefore reads שֵׁם only once.
2 Samuel 6:4 tn Heb “lifted.”
2 Samuel 6:5 tn Heb “all the house of Israel.”
2 Samuel 6:5 tc Heb “were celebrating before the Lord with all woods of fir” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). If the text is retained, the last expression must be elliptical, referring to musical instruments made from fir wood. But it is preferable to emend the text in light of 1 Chr 13:8, which reads “were celebrating before the Lord with all strength and with songs.”
2 Samuel 6:5 tn Heb “with zithers [?] and with harps.”
2 Samuel 6:5 tn That is, “sistrums” (so NAB, NIV); ASV, NASB, NRSV, CEV, NLT “castanets.”
2 Samuel 6:6 tn 1 Chr 13:9 has “Kidon.”
2 Samuel 6:6 tn Or “steadied.”
2 Samuel 6:6 tn Heb “and Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and grabbed it.”
2 Samuel 6:7 tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah.”
2 Samuel 6:7 tn Heb “God.”
2 Samuel 6:7 tc Heb “there.” Since this same term occurs later in the verse it is translated “on the spot” here for stylistic reasons.
2 Samuel 6:7 tc The phrase “his negligence” is absent from the LXX.
2 Samuel 6:8 tn Heb “because the Lord broke out [with] a breaking out [i.e., an outburst] against Uzzah.”
2 Samuel 6:8 sn The name Perez Uzzah means in Hebrew “the outburst [against] Uzzah.”
2 Samuel 6:11 tn Heb “house,” both here and in v. 12.
2 Samuel 6:12 tn Heb “and it was told to King David, saying.”
2 Samuel 6:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 6:14 tn Heb “and David was dancing with all his strength before the Lord, and David was girded with a linen ephod.”
2 Samuel 6:15 tc Heb “all the house of Israel.” A few medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta lack the words “the house.”
2 Samuel 6:15 tn Heb “the shofar” (the ram’s horn trumpet).
2 Samuel 6:16 tn The Hebrew text adds “in her heart.” Cf. CEV “she was disgusted (+ with him TEV)”; NLT “was filled with contempt for him”; NCV “she hated him.”
2 Samuel 6:17 tc The Syriac Peshitta lacks “in its place.”
2 Samuel 6:19 tn Heb “to all the people, to all the throng of Israel.”
2 Samuel 6:19 tn The Hebrew word used here אֶשְׁפָּר (ʾespar) is found in the OT only here and in the parallel passage found in 1 Chr 16:3. Its exact meaning is uncertain, although the context indicates that it was a food of some sort (cf. KJV “a good piece of flesh”; NRSV “a portion of meat”). The translation adopted here (“date cake”) follows the lead of the Greek translations of the LXX, Aquila, and Symmachus (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT).
2 Samuel 6:19 tn Heb “and all the people went, each to his house.”
2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “and David returned to bless his house.”
2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “David.” The name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “honored.”
2 Samuel 6:20 tn Heb “one of the foolish ones.”
2 Samuel 6:21 tn Heb “all his house”; CEV “anyone else in your family.”
2 Samuel 6:22 tn Heb “and I will shame myself still more than this and I will be lowly in my eyes.”

John 13:31-14:14

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

³¹When^[a] Judas^[b] had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him,^[c] God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away.^[d] ³³Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me,^[e] and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders,^[f] ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’^[g] now I tell you the same.^[h]

³⁴“I give you a new commandment—to love^[i] one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.^[j] ³⁵Everyone^[k] will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

³⁶Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied,^[l] “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” ³⁷Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!”^[m] ³⁸Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?^[n] I tell you the solemn truth,^[o] the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!

Jesus’ Parting Words to His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be distressed.^[p] You believe in God;^[q] believe also in me. ²There are many dwelling places^[r] in my Father’s house.^[s] Otherwise, I would have told you, because^[t] I am going away to make ready^[u] a place for you.^[v] ³And if I go and make ready^[w] a place for you, I will come again and take you^[x] to be with me,^[y] so that where I am you may be too. ⁴And you know the way where I am going.”^[z]

⁵Thomas said,^[aa] “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus replied,^[ab] “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.^[ac] No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you have known me, you will know my Father too.^[ad] And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸Philip said,^[ae] “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.”^[af] ⁹Jesus replied,^[ag] “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known^[ah] me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?^[ai] The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative,^[aj] but the Father residing in me performs^[ak] his miraculous deeds.^[al] ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me,^[am] believe because of the miraculous deeds^[an] themselves. ¹²I tell you the solemn truth,^[ao] the person who believes in me will perform^[ap] the miraculous deeds^[aq] that I am doing,^[ar] and will perform^[as] greater deeds^[at] than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³And I will do whatever you ask in my name,^[au] so that the Father may be glorified^[av] in the Son. ¹⁴If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Footnotes

John 13:31 tn Grk “Then when.”
John 13:31 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:32 tc A number of early mss (P⁶⁶ א* B C* D L W al as well as several versional witnesses) do not have the words “If God is glorified in him,” while the majority of mss have the clause (so א² A C² Θ Ψ ƒ¹³ 33 M lat). Although the mss that omit the words are significantly better witnesses, the omission may have occurred because of an error of sight due to homoioteleuton (v. 31 ends in ἐν αὐτῷ [en autō, “in him”], as does this clause). Further, the typical step-parallelism found in John is retained if the clause is kept intact (TCGNT 205-6). At the same time, it is difficult to explain how such a wide variety of witnesses would have accidentally deleted this clause, and arguments for intentional deletion are not particularly convincing. NA²⁸ rightly places the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.
John 13:32 tn Or “immediately.”
John 13:33 tn Or “You will seek me.”
John 13:33 tn Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general, or to the Jewish religious leaders in particular, who had sent servants to attempt to arrest Jesus on that occasion (John 7:33-35). The last option is the one adopted in the translation above.
John 13:33 sn See John 7:33-34.
John 13:33 tn The words “the same” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
John 13:34 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.
John 13:34 sn The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God’s chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1; 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: It is an act of love that gives life to people. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16; 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.
John 13:35 tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.
John 13:36 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
John 13:37 tn Or “I will die willingly for you.”
John 13:38 tn Or “Will you die willingly for me?”
John 13:38 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 14:1 sn The same verb is used to describe Jesus’ own state in John 11:33; 12:27, and 13:21. Jesus is looking ahead to the events of the evening and the next day, his arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death, which will cause his disciples extreme emotional distress.
John 14:1 tn Or “Believe in God.” The translation of the two uses of πιστεύετε (pisteuete) is difficult. Both may be either indicative or imperative, and as L. Morris points out (John [NICNT], 637), this results in a bewildering variety of possibilities. To complicate matters further, the first may be understood as a question: “Do you believe in God? Believe also in me.” Morris argues against the KJV translation which renders the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative on the grounds that for the writer of the Fourth Gospel, faith in Jesus is inseparable from faith in God. But this is precisely the point that Jesus is addressing in context. He is about to undergo rejection by his own people as their Messiah. The disciples’ faith in him as Messiah and Lord would be cast into extreme doubt by these events, which the author makes clear were not at this time foreseen by the disciples. After the resurrection it is this identification between Jesus and the Father which needs to be reaffirmed (cf. John 20:24-29). Thus it seems best to take the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative, producing the translation “You believe in God; believe also in me.”
John 14:2 tn Many interpreters have associated μοναί (monai) with an Aramaic word that can refer to a stopping place or resting place for a traveler on a journey. This is similar to one of the meanings the word can have in secular Greek (Pausanius 10.31.7). Origen understood the use here to refer to stations on the road to God. This may well have been the understanding of the Latin translators who translated μονή (monē) by mansio, a stopping place. The English translation “mansions” can be traced back to Tyndale, but in Middle English the word simply meant “a dwelling place” (not necessarily large or imposing) with no connotation of being temporary. The interpretation put forward by Origen would have been well suited to Gnosticism, where the soul in its ascent passes through stages during which it is gradually purified of all that is material and therefore evil. It is much more likely that the word μονή should be related to its cognate verb μένω (menō), which is frequently used in the Fourth Gospel to refer to the permanence of relationship between Jesus and the Father and/or Jesus and the believer. Thus the idea of a permanent dwelling place, rather than a temporary stopping place, would be in view. Luther’s translation of μοναί by Wohnungen is very accurate here, as it has the connotation of a permanent residence.
John 14:2 sn Most interpreters have understood the reference to my Father’s house as a reference to heaven, and the dwelling places (μονή, monē) as the permanent residences of believers there. This seems consistent with the vocabulary and the context, where in v. 3 Jesus speaks of coming again to take the disciples to himself. However, the phrase in my Father’s house was used previously in the Fourth Gospel in 2:16 to refer to the temple in Jerusalem. The author in 2:19-22 then reinterpreted the temple as Jesus’ body, which was to be destroyed in death and then rebuilt in resurrection after three days. Even more suggestive is the statement by Jesus in 8:35, “Now the slave does not remain (μένω, menō) in the household forever, but the son remains (μένω) forever.” If in the imagery of the Fourth Gospel the phrase in my Father’s house is ultimately a reference to Jesus’ body, the relationship of μονή to μένω suggests the permanent relationship of the believer to Jesus and the Father as an adopted son who remains in the household forever. In this case the “dwelling place” is “in” Jesus himself, where he is, whether in heaven or on earth. The statement in v. 3, “I will come again and receive you to myself,” then refers not just to the parousia, but also to Jesus’ postresurrection return to the disciples in his glorified state, when by virtue of his death on their behalf they may enter into union with him and with the Father as adopted sons. Needless to say, this bears numerous similarities to Pauline theology, especially the concepts of adoption as sons and being “in Christ” which are prominent in passages like Eph 1. It is also important to note, however, the emphasis in the Fourth Gospel itself on the present reality of eternal life (John 5:24; 7:38-39, etc.) and the possibility of worshiping the Father “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24) in the present age. There is a sense in which it is possible to say that the future reality is present now. See further J. McCaffrey, The House With Many Rooms (AnBib 114).
John 14:2 tc A number of significant mss (P^66c א A B C* D K L W Ψ ƒ¹³ 33 565 579 892 al lat) have ὅτι (hoti) here, while the majority lack it (P^66* C² Θ M). Should the ὅτι be included or omitted? The external evidence is significantly stronger for the longer reading. Most Alexandrian and Western mss favor inclusion (it is a little unusual for the Alexandrian to favor the longer reading), while most Byzantine mss favor omission (again, a little unusual). However, the reading of P^66*, which aligns with the Byzantine, needs to be given some value. At the same time, the scribe of this papyrus was known for freely omitting and adding words, and the fact that the ms was corrected discounts its testimony here. But because the shorter reading is out of character for the Byzantine text, the shorter reading (omitting the ὅτι) may well be authentic. Internally, the question comes down to whether the shorter reading is more difficult or not. And here, it loses the battle, for it seems to be a clarifying omission (so TCGNT 206). R. E. Brown is certainly right when he states: “all in all, the translation without ὅτι makes the best sense” (John [AB], 2:620). But this tacitly argues for the authenticity of the word. Thus, on both external and internal grounds, the ὅτι should be regarded as authentic. tn If the ὅτι (hoti) is included (see tc above), there are no less than four possible translations for this sentence: The sentence could be either a question or a statement, and in addition the ὅτι could either indicate content or be causal. How does one determine the best translation? (1) A question here should probably be ruled out because it would imply a previous statement by Jesus that either there are many dwelling places in his Father’s house (if the ὅτι is causal) or he was going off to make a place ready for them (if the ὅτι indicates content). There is no indication anywhere in the Fourth Gospel that Jesus had made such statements prior to this time. So understanding the sentence as a statement is the best option. (2) A statement with ὅτι indicating content is understandable but contradictory. If there were no dwelling places, Jesus would have told them that he was going off to make dwelling places. But the following verse makes clear that Jesus’ departure is not hypothetical but real—he is really going away. So understanding the ὅτι with a causal nuance is the best option. (3) A statement with a causal ὅτι can be understood two ways: (a) “Otherwise I would have told you” is a parenthetical statement, and the ὅτι clause goes with the preceding “There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house.” This would be fairly awkward syntactically, however; it would be much more natural for the ὅτι clause to modify what directly preceded it. (b) “Otherwise I would have told you” is explained by Jesus’ statement that he is going to make ready a place. He makes a logical, necessary connection between his future departure and the reality of the dwelling places in his Father’s house. To sum up, all the possibilities for understanding the verse with the inclusion of ὅτι present some interpretive difficulties, but last option given seems best: “Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going to make ready a place.” Of all the options it provides the best logical flow of thought in the passage without making any apparent contradictions in the context.
John 14:2 tn Or “to prepare.”
John 14:2 tn Or “If not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” What is the meaning of the last clause with or without the ὅτι? One of the questions that must be answered here is whether or not τόπος (topos) is to be equated with μονή (monē). In Rev 12:8 τόπος is used to refer to a place in heaven, which would suggest that the two are essentially equal here. Jesus is going ahead of believers to prepare a place for them, a permanent dwelling place in the Father’s house (see the note on this phrase in v. 2).
John 14:3 tn Or “prepare.”
John 14:3 tn Or “bring you.”
John 14:3 tn Grk “to myself.”
John 14:4 tc Most mss (P^66* A C³ D Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 M lat sy sa) read “You know where I am going, and you know the way” (καὶ ὅπου [ἐγὼ] ὑπάγω οἴδατε καὶ τὴν ὁδόν οἴδατε, kai hopou egō hupagō oidate kai tēn hodon oidate). The difference between this reading and the wording in NA²⁸ (supported by P^66c א B C* L Q W 33 579) is the addition of καί before τὴν ὁδόν and οἴδατε after. Either assertion on the part of Jesus would be understandable: “you know the way where I am going” or “you know where I am going and you know the way,” although the shorter reading is a bit more awkward syntactically. In light of this, and in light of the expansion already at hand in v. 5, the longer reading appears to be a motivated reading. The shorter reading is thus preferred because of its superior external and internal evidence.sn Where I am going. Jesus had spoken of his destination previously to the disciples, most recently in John 13:33. Where he was going was back to the Father, and they could not follow him there, but later he would return for them and they could join him then. The way he was going was via the cross. This he had also mentioned previously (e.g., 12:32) although his disciples did not understand at the time (cf. 12:33). As Jesus would explain in v. 6, although for him the way back to the Father was via the cross, for his disciples the “way” to where he was going was Jesus himself.
John 14:5 tn Grk “said to him.”
John 14:6 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
John 14:6 tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”
John 14:7 tc There is a difficult textual problem here: The statement reads either “If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, egnōkate) me, you will know (γνώσεσθε, gnōsesthe) my Father” or “If you had really known (ἐγνώκειτε, egnōkeite) me, you would have known (ἐγνώκειτε ἄν or ἂν ἤδειτε [egnōkeite an or an ēdeite]) my Father.” The division of the external evidence is difficult, but can be laid out as follows: The mss that have the perfect ἐγνώκατε in the protasis (P⁶⁶ [א D* W] 579 it) also have, for the most part, the future indicative γνώσεσθε in the apodosis (P⁶⁶ א D W [579] sa bo), rendering Jesus’ statement as a first-class condition. The mss that have the pluperfect ἐγνώκειτε in the protasis (A B C D¹ L Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 33 M) also have, for the most part, a pluperfect in the apodosis (either ἂν ἤδειτε in B C* [L] Q Ψ 1 33 565 al, or ἐγνώκειτε ἄν in A C³ Θ ƒ¹³ M), rendering Jesus’ statement a contrary-to-fact second-class condition. The external evidence slightly favors the first-class condition, since there is an Alexandrian-Western alliance supported by P⁶⁶. As well, the fact that the readings with a second-class condition utilize two different verbs with ἄν in different positions suggests that these readings are secondary. However, it could be argued that the second-class conditions are harder readings in that they speak negatively of the apostles (so K. Aland in TCGNT 207); in this case, the ἐγνώκειτε…ἐγνώκειτε ἄν reading should be given preference. Although a decision is difficult, the first-class condition is to be slightly preferred. In this case Jesus promises the disciples that, assuming they have known him, they will know the Father. Contextually this fits better with the following phrase (v. 7b) which asserts that “from the present time you know him and have seen him” (cf. John 1:18).
John 14:8 tn Grk “said to him.”
John 14:8 tn Or “and that is enough for us.”
John 14:9 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
John 14:9 tn Or “recognized.”
John 14:10 tn The mutual interrelationship of the Father and the Son (ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν, egō en tō patri kai ho patēr en emoi estin) is something that Jesus expected even his opponents to recognize (cf. John 10:38). The question Jesus asks of Philip (οὐ πιστεύεις, ou pisteueis) expects the answer “yes.” Note that the following statement is addressed to all the disciples, however, because the plural pronoun (ὑμῖν, humin) is used. Jesus says that his teaching (the words he spoke to them all) did not originate from himself, but the Father, who permanently remains (μένων, menōn) in relationship with Jesus, performs his works. One would have expected “speaks his words” here rather than “performs his works”; many of the church fathers (e.g., Augustine and Chrysostom) identified the two by saying that Jesus’ words were works. But there is an implicit contrast in the next verse between words and works, and v. 12 seems to demand that the works are real works, not just words. It is probably best to see the two terms as related but not identical; there is a progression in the idea here. Both Jesus’ words (recall the Samaritans’ response in John 4:42) and Jesus’ works are revelatory of who he is, but as the next verse indicates, works have greater confirmatory power than words.
John 14:10 tn Grk “I do not speak from myself.”
John 14:10 tn Or “does.”
John 14:10 tn Or “his mighty acts”; Grk “his works.”sn Miraculous deeds is most likely a reference to the miraculous signs Jesus had performed, which he viewed as a manifestation of the mighty acts of God. Those he performed in the presence of the disciples served as a basis for faith (although a secondary basis to their personal relationship to him; see the following verse).
John 14:11 tn The phrase “but if you do not believe me” contains an ellipsis; the Greek text reads Grk “but if not.” The ellipsis has been filled out (“but if [you do] not [believe me]…”) for the benefit of the modern English reader.
John 14:11 tn Grk “because of the works.”sn In the context of a proof or basis for belief, Jesus is referring to the miraculous deeds (signs) he has performed in the presence of the disciples.
John 14:12 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 14:12 tn Or “will do.”
John 14:12 tn Grk “the works.”
John 14:12 tn Or “that I do.”sn See the note on miraculous deeds in v. 11.
John 14:12 tn Or “will do.”
John 14:12 tn Grk “greater works.”sn What are the greater deeds that Jesus speaks of, and how is this related to his going to the Father? It is clear from both John 7:39 and 16:7 that the Holy Spirit will not come until Jesus has departed. After Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit to indwell believers in a permanent relationship, believers would be empowered to perform even greater deeds than those Jesus did during his earthly ministry. When the early chapters of Acts are examined, it is clear that, from a numerical standpoint, the deeds of Peter and the other Apostles surpassed those of Jesus in a single day (the day of Pentecost). On that day more were added to the church than had become followers of Jesus during the entire three years of his earthly ministry. And the message went forth not just in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, but to the farthest parts of the known world. This understanding of what Jesus meant by “greater deeds” is more probable than a reference to “more spectacular miracles.” Certainly miraculous deeds were performed by the apostles as recounted in Acts, but these do not appear to have surpassed the works of Jesus himself in either degree or number.
John 14:13 tn Grk “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.”
John 14:13 tn Or “may be praised” or “may be honored.”

Psalm 119:17-32

ג (Gimel)

¹⁷Be kind to your servant.
Then I will live^[a] and keep^[b] your instructions.^[c]
¹⁸Open^[d] my eyes so I can truly see^[e]
the marvelous things in your law.
¹⁹I am a resident foreigner in this land.^[f]
Do not hide your commands from me.
²⁰I desperately long to know^[g]
your regulations at all times.
²¹You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed.^[h]
²²Spare me^[i] shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
²³Though rulers plot and slander me,^[j]
your servant meditates on your statutes.
²⁴Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance.^[k]

ד (Dalet)

²⁵I collapse in the dirt.^[l]
Revive me with your word.^[m]
²⁶I told you about my ways^[n] and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes.
²⁷Help me to understand what your precepts mean.^[o]
Then I can meditate^[p] on your marvelous teachings.^[q]
²⁸I collapse^[r] from grief.
Sustain me by your word.^[s]
²⁹Remove me from the path of deceit.^[t]
Graciously give me^[u] your law.
³⁰I choose the path of faithfulness;
I am committed to^[v] your regulations.
³¹I hold fast^[w] to your rules.
O Lord, do not let me be ashamed.
³²I run along the path of your commands,
for you enable me to do so.^[x]

Footnotes

Psalm 119:17 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
Psalm 119:17 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.
Psalm 119:17 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions read the plural here.
Psalm 119:18 tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).
Psalm 119:18 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
Psalm 119:19 sn Heb This metaphor probably derives from Lev 25:23, which uses the terms גֵּר (ger, “resident foreigner”) and תּוֹשָׁב; (toshav, “resident/temporary settler”). Lev 25:23 emphasizes that Israel would be a guest on God’s land. They were attached to the Lord’s household; they did not own the land. Cf. also Ps 39:12 and Gen 23:4.
Psalm 119:20 tn Heb “my soul languishes for longing for.”
Psalm 119:21 tn Heb “accursed.” The traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text takes “accursed” with the previous line (“arrogant, accursed ones”), but it is preferable to take it with the second line as the predicate of the statement.
Psalm 119:22 tn Heb “roll away from upon me.” Some derive the imperatival form גַּל (gal) from גָּלָה (galah, “uncover,” as in v. 18), but here the form is from גָּלַל (galal, “roll”; see Josh 5:9, where חֶרְפָּה [kherpah, “shame; reproach”] also appears as object of the verb). Some, following the lead of a Dead Sea scroll (11QPs^a), emend the form to גֹּל (gol).
Psalm 119:23 tn Heb “though rulers sit, about me they talk together.” (For another example of the Niphal of דָּבַר (davar) used with a suffixed form of the preposition ב (bet), see Ezek 33:30.)
Psalm 119:24 tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.
Psalm 119:25 tn Heb “my soul clings to the dirt.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
Psalm 119:25 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”
Psalm 119:26 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
Psalm 119:27 tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”
Psalm 119:27 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
Psalm 119:27 tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).
Psalm 119:28 tn Some translate “my soul weeps,” taking the verb דָלַף (dalaf) from a root meaning “to drip; to drop” (BDB 196 s.v. דֶּלַף). On the basis of cognate evidence from Arabic and Akkadian, HALOT 223 s.v. II דלף proposes a homonymic root here, meaning “be sleepless.” Following L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 127, 135) the translation assumes that the verb is cognate with Ugaritic dlp, “to collapse; to crumple” in CTA 2 iv. 17, 26. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 44, 144.
Psalm 119:28 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”
Psalm 119:29 tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.
Psalm 119:29 tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)
Psalm 119:30 tn BDB 1000-1001 s.v. I שָׁוָה derives the verb from the first homonym listed, meaning “to agree with; to be like; to resemble.” It here means (in the Piel stem) “to be accounted suitable,” which in turn would mean by metonymy “to accept; to be committed to.” Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to place; to set,” but in this case an elliptical prepositional phrase must be understood, “I place your regulations [before me]” (see Ps 16:8).
Psalm 119:31 tn Or “cling to.”
Psalm 119:32 tn Heb “for you make wide my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and understanding. The Lord gives the psalmist the desire and moral understanding that are foundational to the willing obedience depicted metaphorically in the preceding line. In Isa 60:5 the expression “your heart will be wide” means “your heart will swell with pride,” but here the nuance appears to be different.

Proverbs 15:31-32

³¹The person^[a] who hears the reproof that leads to life^[b]
is at home^[c] among the wise.^[d]
³²The one who refuses correction despises himself,^[e]
but whoever listens to^[f] reproof acquires understanding.^[g]

New English Translation (NET)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

The Daily Audio Bible

Ish Bosheth is killed

David Is Anointed King Over Israel

David Occupies Jerusalem

Conflict with the Philistines

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

Footnotes

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

Jesus’ Parting Words to His Disciples

Footnotes

ג (Gimel)

ד (Dalet)

Footnotes

Footnotes