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Daniel 7

Daniel has a Vision of Four Animals Coming up from the Sea

7 In the first^[a] year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had^[b] a dream filled with visions^[c] while he was lying on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream in summary fashion.^[d] ²Daniel explained:^[e] “I was watching in my vision during the night as^[f] the four winds of the sky^[g] were stirring up the great sea.^[h] ³Then four large beasts came up from the sea; they were different from one another.

⁴“The first one was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted up from the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind^[i] was given to it.^[j]

⁵“Then^[k] a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs^[l] in its mouth between its teeth.^[m] It was told,^[n] ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’

⁶“After these things,^[o] as I was watching, another beast^[p] like a leopard appeared, with four bird-like wings on its back.^[q] This beast had four heads,^[r] and ruling authority was given to it.

⁷“After these things, as I was watching in the night visions^[s] a fourth beast appeared—one dreadful, terrible, and very strong.^[t] It had two large rows^[u] of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.

⁸“As I was contemplating the horns, another horn—a small one—came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it.^[v] This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant^[w] things.

⁹“While I was watching,

thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days^[x] took his seat.
His attire was white like snow;
the hair of his head was like lamb’s^[y] wool.
His throne was ablaze with fire
and its wheels were all aflame.^[z]
¹⁰A river of fire was streaming forth
and proceeding from his presence.
Many thousands were ministering to him;
many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.^[aa]
The court convened^[ab]
and the books were opened.

¹¹“Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching^[ac] until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into^[ad] the flaming fire. ¹²As for the rest of the beasts, their ruling authority had already been removed, though they were permitted to go on living^[ae] for a time and a season.

¹³“I was watching in the night visions,
And with^[af] the clouds of the sky^[ag]
one like a son of man^[ah] was approaching.
He went up to the Ancient of Days
and was escorted^[ai] before him.
¹⁴To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving^[aj] him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away.^[ak]
His kingdom will not be destroyed.^[al]

An Angel Interprets Daniel’s Vision

¹⁵“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed,^[am] and the visions of my mind^[an] were alarming me. ¹⁶I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him about the meaning^[ao] of all this. So he spoke with me and revealed^[ap] to me the interpretation of the vision:^[aq] ¹⁷‘These large beasts, which are four in number, represent four kings who will arise from the earth. ¹⁸The holy ones^[ar] of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will take possession of the kingdom forever and ever.’

¹⁹“Then I wanted to know the meaning^[as] of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others. It was very dreadful, with two rows of iron teeth and bronze claws, and it devoured, crushed, and trampled anything that was left with its feet. ²⁰I also wanted to know^[at] the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn that came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes^[au] and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others.^[av] ²¹While I was watching, that horn began to wage war against the holy ones and was defeating^[aw] them, ²²until the Ancient of Days arrived and judgment was rendered^[ax] in favor of the holy ones of the Most High. Then the time came for the holy ones to take possession of the kingdom.

²³“This is what he told me:^[ay]

‘The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth
that will differ from all the other kingdoms.
It will devour all the earth
and will trample and crush it.
²⁴The ten horns mean that ten kings
will arise from that kingdom.
Another king will arise after them,
but he will be different from the earlier ones.
He will humiliate^[az] three kings.
²⁵He will speak words against the Most High.
He will harass^[ba] the holy ones of the Most High continually.
His intention will be^[bb] to change times established by law.^[bc]
The holy ones will be delivered into his hand
for a time, times,^[bd] and half a time.
²⁶But the court will convene,^[be] and his ruling authority will be removed—
destroyed and abolished forever!
²⁷Then the kingdom, authority,
and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
will be delivered to the people of the holy ones^[bf] of the Most High.
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
all authorities will serve him and obey him.’

²⁸“This is the conclusion of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and the color drained from my face.^[bg] But I kept the matter to myself.”^[bh]

Footnotes

Daniel 7:1 sn The first year of Belshazzar’s reign would have been ca. 553 b.c. Daniel would have been approximately 67 years old at the time of this vision.
Daniel 7:1 tn Aram “saw.”
Daniel 7:1 tn Aram “and visions of his head.” The Aramaic is difficult here. Some scholars add a verb thought to be missing (e.g., “the visions of his head [were alarming him]”), but there is no external evidence to support such a decision, and the awkwardness of the text at this point may be original.
Daniel 7:1 tn Aram “head of words.” The phrase is absent in Theodotion. Cf. NIV’s “the substance of his dream.”
Daniel 7:2 tn Aram “answered and said.”
Daniel 7:2 tn Aram “and behold.”
Daniel 7:2 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
Daniel 7:2 sn The referent of the great sea is unclear. The common view that the expression refers to the Mediterranean Sea is conjectural.
Daniel 7:4 tn Aram “heart of a man.”
Daniel 7:4 sn The identity of the first animal, derived from v. 17 and the parallels in chap. 2, is Babylon. The reference to the plucking of its wings is probably a reference to the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity (cf. chap. 4). The latter part of v. 4 then describes the restoration of Nebuchadnezzar. The other animals have traditionally been understood to represent respectively Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, although most of modern scholarship identifies them as Media, Persia, and Greece. For a biblical parallel to the mention of lion, bear, and leopard together, see Hos 13:7-8.
Daniel 7:5 tn Aram “and behold.”
Daniel 7:5 sn The three ribs held securely in the mouth of the bear, perhaps representing Media-Persia, apparently symbolize military conquest, but the exact identity of the “ribs” is not clear. Possibly it is a reference to the Persian conquest of Lydia, Egypt, and Babylonia.
Daniel 7:5 tc The LXX lacks the phrase “between its teeth.”
Daniel 7:5 tn Aram “and thus they were saying to it.”
Daniel 7:6 tn Aram “this,” as also in v. 7.
Daniel 7:6 tn Aram “and behold, another one.”
Daniel 7:6 tn Or “sides.”
Daniel 7:6 sn If the third animal is Greece, the most likely identification of these four heads is the fourfold division of the empire of Alexander the Great following his death (see note on Dan 8:8).
Daniel 7:7 tn The Aramaic text has also “and behold,” as also in vv. 8, 13.
Daniel 7:7 sn The fourth animal differs from the others in that it is nondescript. Apparently it was so fearsome that Daniel could find nothing with which to compare it. Attempts to identify this animal as an elephant or other known creature are conjectural.
Daniel 7:7 tn The Aramaic word for “teeth” is dual rather than plural, suggesting two rows of teeth.
Daniel 7:8 tn Aram “were uprooted from before it.”
Daniel 7:8 tn Aram “great,” as also in vv. 11, 20.
Daniel 7:9 tn Or “the Ancient One” (NAB, NRSV, NLT), although the traditional expression has been retained in the present translation because it is familiar to many readers (cf. TEV “One who had been living for ever”; CEV “the Eternal God”).
Daniel 7:9 tn Traditionally the Aramaic word נְקֵא (n^eqeʾ) has been rendered “pure,” but here it more likely means “of a lamb.” Cf. the Syriac neqyaʾ (“a sheep, ewe”). On this word, see further, M. Sokoloff, “ʾamar neqeʾ, ‘Lamb’s Wool’ (Dan 7:9),” JBL 95 (1976): 277-79.
Daniel 7:9 tn Aram “a flaming fire.”
Daniel 7:10 tn Aram “were standing before him.”
Daniel 7:10 tn Aram “judgment sat.”
Daniel 7:11 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “I was watching” here. It is possible that these words in the MT are a dittography from the first part of the verse.
Daniel 7:11 tn Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).
Daniel 7:12 tn Aram “a prolonging of life was granted to them.”
Daniel 7:13 tc The LXX has ἐπί (epi, “upon”) here (cf. Matt 24:30; 26:64). Theodotion has μετά (meta, “with”) here (cf. Mark 14:62; Rev 1:7).
Daniel 7:13 tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
Daniel 7:13 sn This text is probably the main OT background for Jesus’ use of the term “son of man.” In both Jewish and Christian circles the reference in the book of Daniel has traditionally been understood to refer to an individual, usually in a messianic sense. Many modern scholars, however, understand the reference to have a corporate identity. In this view, the “son of man” is to be equated with the “holy ones” (vv. 18, 21, 22, 25) or the “people of the holy ones” (v. 27) and understood as a reference to the Jewish people. Others understand Daniel’s reference to be to the angel Michael.
Daniel 7:13 tn Aram “they brought him near.”
Daniel 7:14 tn Some take “serving” here in the sense of “worshiping.”
Daniel 7:14 tn Aram “is an eternal authority that will not pass away.”
Daniel 7:14 tn Aram “is one that will not be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:15 tn The Aramaic text includes the phrase “in its sheath,” apparently viewing the body as a container or receptacle for the spirit somewhat like a sheath or scabbard is for a knife or a sword (cf. NAB “within its sheath of flesh”). For this phrase the LXX and Vulgate have “in these things.”
Daniel 7:15 tn Aram “head.”
Daniel 7:16 tn Aram “what is certain.”
Daniel 7:16 tn Aram “and made known.”
Daniel 7:16 tn Aram “matter,” but the matter at hand is of course the vision.
Daniel 7:18 sn The expression holy ones is either a reference to angels, to human beings devoted to God, or to both. The context is an earthly kingdom the holy ones will possess, and man was appointed to rule the earth (Gen 1:28). The holy ones are defeated and harassed by an earthly ruler in 7:21, 25, and human rulers cannot defeat and harass angels. So the holy ones are almost certainly human beings devoted to God.
Daniel 7:19 tn Aram “to make certain.”
Daniel 7:20 tn The words “I also wanted to know” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Daniel 7:20 tc The conjunction in the MT before “eyes” is odd. The ancient versions do not seem to presuppose it.
Daniel 7:20 tn Aram “greater than its companions.”
Daniel 7:21 tn Aram “prevailing against” (KJV, ASV both similar); NASB “overpowering them”; TEV “conquered them.”
Daniel 7:22 tc In the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate the verb is active, understanding “judgment” to be the object rather than the subject of the verb (i.e., “the Ancient of Days rendered judgment”). This presupposes a different vocalization of the verb ( יְהַב [y^ehav] rather than the MT יְהִב [y^ehiv]).
Daniel 7:23 tn Aram “thus he said.”
Daniel 7:24 tn Or “subjugate”; KJV, NASB, NIV “subdue”; ASV, NRSV “put down.”
Daniel 7:25 tn Aram “wear out” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB, NLT “wear down.” The word is a hapax legomenon in biblical Aramaic, but in biblical Hebrew it especially refers to wearing out such things as garments. Here it is translated “harass…continually.”
Daniel 7:25 tn Aram “he will think.”
Daniel 7:25 tn Aram “times and law.” The present translation is based on the understanding that the expression is a hendiadys.
Daniel 7:25 sn Although the word times is vocalized in the MT as a plural, it probably should be regarded as a dual. The Masoretes may have been influenced here by the fact that in late Aramaic (and Syriac) the dual forms fall out of use. The meaning would thus be three and a half “times.”
Daniel 7:26 tn Aram “judgment will sit” (KJV similar).
Daniel 7:27 tn If the “holy ones” are angels, then this probably refers to the angels as protectors of God’s people. If the “holy ones” are God’s people, then this is an appositional construction, “the people who are the holy ones.” See 8:24 for the corresponding Hebrew phrase and the note there.
Daniel 7:28 tn Aram “my brightness was changing on me.”
Daniel 7:28 tn Aram “in my heart.”

1 John 1

The Prologue to the Letter

1 This is what we proclaim to you:^[a] what was from the beginning,^[b] what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life— ²and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce^[c] to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us).^[d] ³What we have seen and heard we announce^[e] to you too, so that^[f] you may have fellowship^[g] with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). ⁴Thus^[h] we are writing these things so that^[i] our^[j] joy may be complete.^[k]

God Is Light, So We Must Walk in the Light

⁵Now^[l] this is the gospel^[m] message^[n] we have heard from him^[o] and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.^[p] ⁶If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking^[q] in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing^[r] the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses^[s] us from all sin.^[t] ⁸If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin,^[u] we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous,^[v] forgiving^[w] us our sins and cleansing^[x] us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

Footnotes

1 John 1:1 tn The phrase “This is what we proclaim to you” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the English. The main verb which governs all of these relative clauses is ἀπαγγέλλομεν (apangellomen) in v. 3. This is important for the proper understanding of the relative clauses in v. 1, because the main verb ἀπαγγέλλομεν in v. 3 makes it clear that all of the relative clauses in vv. 1 and 3 are the objects of the author’s proclamation to the readers rather than the subjects. To indicate this the phrase “This is what we proclaim to you” has been supplied at the beginning of v. 1.
1 John 1:1 tn Grk “That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard…”
1 John 1:2 tn Or “proclaim.”
1 John 1:2 tn In the Greek text the prologue to 1 John (vv. 1-4) makes up a single sentence. This is awkward in Greek, and a literal translation produces almost impossible English. For this reason the present translation places a period at the end of v. 2 and another at the end of v. 3. The material in parentheses in v. 1 begins the first of three parenthetical interruptions in the grammatical sequence of the prologue (the second is the entirety of v. 2 and the third is the latter part of v. 3). This is because of the awkwardness of connecting the prepositional phrase with what precedes, an awkwardness not immediately obvious in most English translations: “what we beheld and our hands handled concerning the word of life…” As J. Bonsirven (Épîtres de Saint Jean [CNT], 67) noted, while one may hear about the word of life, it is more difficult to see about the word of life, and impossible to feel with one’s hands about the word of life. Rather than being the object of any of the verbs in v. 1, the prepositional phrase at the end of v. 1 (“concerning the word of life…”) is more likely a parenthetical clarification intended to specify the subject of the eyewitness testimony which the verbs in v. 1 describe. A parallel for such parenthetical explanation may be found in John 1:12 (τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, tois pisteuousin eis to onoma autou).
1 John 1:3 tn Or “proclaim.”
1 John 1:3 tn The ἵνα (hina) here indicates purpose.
1 John 1:3 tn Or “communion”; or “association” (a reality shared in common, so in this case, “genuine association”). This term also occurs in vv. 6, 7.
1 John 1:4 tn “Thus” is supplied to indicate the resultative nature of the Greek conjunction καί (kai) at the beginning of v. 4.
1 John 1:4 tn The ἵνα (hina) here indicates purpose.
1 John 1:4 tc A number of mss, some of them quite significant (A C K P 5 33 81 442 1243 1505 1611 1735 1739 1852 1881 2344 pm sy^h bo), read ὑμῶν (humōn, “your”) rather than ἡμῶν (hēmōn, “our”), which is found in somewhat better witnesses (א B L Ψ 049 436 1175 1241 pm sy^p sa). Although the majority of Byzantine minuscules are split between the two readings, the Textus Receptus reads ὑμῶν. It is possible that ὑμῶν represents a scribal assimilation to John 16:24, where the Greek purpose clause is identical to the wording here with ὑμῶν (“so that your joy may be complete”). As far as the immediate context is concerned, either reading could possibly be original, since the recipients have already been mentioned in 1:2 (ὑμῖν, humin) and 1:3 (ὑμῖν), while it might seem more natural for the author to be concerned about the fulfillment of his own joy than his readers’ (cf. 2 John 4, 12; 3 John 3). Overall, the first person pronoun is preferred on both external and internal grounds. Although previous editions of the UBS text gave the first person pronoun reading an “A” rating, UBS⁵ strips out any rating at all and, along with NA²⁸, ranks ὑμῶν as an equally viable alternative initial reading by placing it in the apparatus with a diamond.
1 John 1:4 tn Grk “be fulfilled.”sn This is what we proclaim to you…so that our joy may be complete. The prologue to 1 John (1:1-4) has many similarities to the prologue to the Gospel of John (1:1-18). Like the prologue to the Fourth Gospel, the prologue to 1 John introduces the reader to important themes which will be more fully developed later in the body of the work. In the case of 1 John, three of these are: (1) the importance of eyewitness testimony to who Jesus is (cf. 4:14; 5:6-12), (2) the importance of the earthly ministry of Jesus as a part of God’s revelation of himself in Jesus Christ (cf. 4:2; 5:6), and (3) the eternal life available to believers in Jesus Christ (5:11-12; 5:20). Like the rest of the letter, the prologue to 1 John does not contain any of the usual features associated with a letter in NT times, such as an opening formula, the name of the author or sender, the name(s) of the addressee(s), a formal greeting, or a health wish or expression of remembrance. The author of 1 John begins the prologue with an emphasis on the eyewitness nature of his testimony. He then transitions to a focus on the readers of the letter by emphasizing the proclamation of this eyewitness (apostolic) testimony to them. The purpose of this proclamation is so that the readers might share in fellowship with the author, a true fellowship which is with the Father and the Son as well. To guarantee this maintenance of fellowship the author is writing the letter itself (line 4a). Thus, in spite of the convoluted structure of the prologue in which the author’s thought turns back on itself several times, there is a discernible progression in his thought which ultimately expresses itself in the reason for the writing of the letter (later expressed again in slightly different form in the purpose statement of 5:13).
1 John 1:5 tn The καί (kai) at the beginning of 1:5 takes on a resumptive force, indicated by the phrase “heard from him and announce to you,” which echoes similar phrases in 1:2 and 1:3.
1 John 1:5 tn The word “gospel” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to clarify the meaning. See the note on the following word “message.”
1 John 1:5 tn The word ἀγγελία (angelia) occurs only twice in the NT, here and in 1 John 3:11. It is a cognate of ἐπαγγελία (epangelia) which occurs much more frequently (some 52 times in the NT) including 1 John 2:25. BDAG 8 s.v. ἀγγελία 1 offers the meaning “message” which suggests some overlap with the semantic range of λόγος (logos), although in the specific context of 1:5 BDAG suggests a reference to the gospel. (The precise “content” of this “good news’ is given by the ὅτι [hoti] clause which follows in 1:5b.) The word ἀγγελία here is closely equivalent to εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion): (1) it refers to the proclamation of the eyewitness testimony about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the author and the rest of the apostolic witnesses (prologue, esp. 1:3-4), and (2) it relates to the salvation of the hearers/readers, since the purpose of this proclamation is to bring them into fellowship with God and with the apostolic witnesses (1:3). Because of this the adjective “gospel” is included in the English translation.
1 John 1:5 tn The referent of the pronoun “him” is not entirely clear in the Greek text; it could be either (1) God the Father, or (2) Jesus Christ, both of whom are mentioned at the end of v. 3. A reference to Jesus Christ is more likely because this is the nearest possible antecedent, and because God (the Father) is specifically mentioned in the following clause in v. 5.
1 John 1:5 tn The key to understanding the first major section of 1 John, 1:5-3:10, is found in the statement in v. 5: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” The idea of “proclamation”—the apostolic proclamation of eyewitness testimony which the prologue introduces (1:2, 3)—is picked up in 1:5 by the use of the noun ἀγγελία (angelia) and the verb ἀναγγέλλομεν (anangellomen), cognate to the verb in 1:3. The content of this proclamation is given by the ὅτι (hoti) clause in 1:5 as the assertion that God is light, so this statement should be understood as the author’s formulation of the apostolic eyewitness testimony introduced in the prologue. (This corresponds to the apostolic preaching elsewhere referred to as κήρυγμα [kērugma], although the term the Apostle John uses here is ἀγγελία.)sn Following the theme statement in 1:5, God is light and in him there is no darkness at all, the author presents a series of three claims and counterclaims that make up the first unit of 1 John (1:5-2:2). The three claims begin with “if” (1:6, 8, 10) and the three counterclaims begin with “but if” (1:7, 9; 2:1) in the English translation.
1 John 1:6 tn The context of this statement in 1:6 indicates clearly that the progressive (continuative or durative) aspect of the present tense must be in view here.sn The relationship of the phrase keep on walking to if we say is very important for understanding the problem expressed in 1:6. If one should say (εἴπωμεν, eipōmen) that he has fellowship with God, and yet continues walking (περιπατῶμεν, peripatōmen) in the darkness, then it follows (in the apodosis, the “then” clause) that he is lying and not practicing the truth.
1 John 1:6 tn Or “living according to…”
1 John 1:7 tn Or “purifies.”
1 John 1:7 tn BDAG 50 s.v. ἁμαρτία 1 defines this term as “a departure fr. either human or divine standards of uprightness” (see 1 John 5:17 where ἁμαρτία [hamartia] and ἀδικία [adikia] are related). This word occurs 17 times in 1 John, of which 11 are singular and 6 are plural.sn From all sin. Sometimes a distinction between singular “sin” and plural “sins” has been suggested: Some would see the singular all sin of 1:7 as a reference to sinfulness before conversion and the plural sins of 1:9 as a reference to sins committed after one became a Christian. This amounts to making 1:7 refer to initial justification and 1:9 to sanctification. But the phrase all sin in 1:7 is so comprehensive that it can hardly be limited to preconversion sins, and the emphasis on “walking” in 1:7 strongly suggests that the Christian life is in view (not one’s life before conversion). In 1 John 1:8 sin appears as a condition or characteristic quality, which in 1:10 is regarded as universal. Apart from forgiveness in Christ it results in alienation from God (2:15) and spiritual death (3:14). But according to 1 John 1:7, cleansing from sin is possible by the blood (representing the sacrificial death) of Jesus.
1 John 1:8 tn Grk “say we do not have sin.” The use of ἔχω + ἁμαρτία (echō + hamartia) is an expression limited to John and 1 John in the NT. On the analogy with other constructions where ἔχω governs an abstract noun (e.g., 1 John 1:3, 6, 7; 2:28; 3:3, 15, 21; 4:16, 17; 5:12-13), it indicates that a state is involved, which in the case of ἁμαρτία would refer to a state of sin. The four times the expression ἔχω + ἁμαρτία occurs in the Gospel of John (9:41; 15:22, 24; 19:11) all refer to situations where a wrong action has been committed or a wrong attitude has already existed, resulting in a state of sin, and then something else happens which further emphasizes the evil of that action or attitude. Here in 1 John 1:8 the sense is the same. The author is addressing people who have sinned (resulting in a state of sin), warning them that they cannot claim to be free from the guilt of that sin. The context of 1 John does not imply libertinism (where sins are flaunted as a way of demonstrating one’s “liberty”) on the part of the opponents, since the author makes no explicit charges of immoral behavior against his opponents. The worst the author explicitly says is that they have failed to love the brethren (1 John 3:17). It seems more likely that the opponents were saying that things a believer did after conversion were not significant enough to be “sins” that could challenge one’s intimate relationship with God (a relationship the author denies that the opponents have to begin with).
1 John 1:9 tn Or “just.”
1 John 1:9 tn The ἵνα (hina) followed by the subjunctive is here equivalent to the infinitive of result, an “ecbatic” or consecutive use of ἵνα according to BDAG 477 s.v. 3 where 1 John 1:9 is listed as a specific example. The translation with participles (“forgiving,…cleansing”) conveys this idea of result.
1 John 1:9 tn Or “purifying.”

Psalm 119:153-176

ר (Resh)

¹⁵³See my pain and rescue me.
For I do not forget your law.
¹⁵⁴Fight for me^[a] and defend me.^[b]
Revive me with your word.
¹⁵⁵The wicked have no chance for deliverance,^[c]
for they do not seek your statutes.
¹⁵⁶Your compassion is great, O Lord.
Revive me, as you typically do.^[d]
¹⁵⁷The enemies who chase me are numerous.^[e]
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
¹⁵⁸I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions.^[f]
¹⁵⁹See how I love your precepts.
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love.
¹⁶⁰Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure.^[g]

שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)

¹⁶¹Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions.^[h]
¹⁶²I rejoice in your instructions,
like one who finds much plunder.^[i]
¹⁶³I hate and despise deceit;
I love your law.
¹⁶⁴Seven times^[j] a day I praise you
because of your just regulations.
¹⁶⁵Those who love your law are completely secure;^[k]
nothing causes them to stumble.^[l]
¹⁶⁶I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey^[m] your commands.
¹⁶⁷I keep your rules;
I love them greatly.
¹⁶⁸I keep your precepts and rules,
for you are aware of everything I do.^[n]

ת (Tav)

¹⁶⁹Listen to my cry for help,^[o] O Lord.
Give me insight by your word.
¹⁷⁰Listen to my appeal for mercy.^[p]
Deliver me, as you promised.^[q]
¹⁷¹May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
¹⁷²May my tongue sing about your instructions,^[r]
for all your commands are just.
¹⁷³May your hand help me,
for I choose to obey^[s] your precepts.
¹⁷⁴I long for your deliverance, O Lord;
I find delight in your law.
¹⁷⁵May I^[t] live and praise you.
May your regulations help me.^[u]
¹⁷⁶I have wandered off like a lost sheep.^[v]
Come looking for your servant,
for I do not forget your commands.

Footnotes

Psalm 119:154 tn Or “argue my case.”
Psalm 119:154 tn Heb “and redeem me.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).
Psalm 119:155 tn Heb “far from the wicked [is] deliverance.”
Psalm 119:156 tn Heb “according to your customs.”
Psalm 119:157 tn Heb “many [are] those who chase me and my enemies.”
Psalm 119:158 tn Heb “your word.”
Psalm 119:160 tn Heb “the head of your word is truth, and forever [is] all your just regulation.” The term “head” is used here of the “sum total” of God’s instructions.
Psalm 119:161 tn Heb “and because of your instructions my heart trembles.” The psalmist’s healthy “fear” of the consequences of violating God’s instructions motivates him to obey them. See v. 120.
Psalm 119:162 tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.
Psalm 119:164 tn The number “seven” is use rhetorically to suggest thoroughness.
Psalm 119:165 tn Heb “great peace [is] to the lovers of your law.”
Psalm 119:165 tn Heb “and there is no stumbling to them.”
Psalm 119:166 tn Heb “do.”
Psalm 119:168 tn Heb “for all my ways [are] before you.”
Psalm 119:169 tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”
Psalm 119:170 tn Heb “may my appeal for mercy come before you.”
Psalm 119:170 tn Heb “according to your speech.”
Psalm 119:172 tn Heb “your word.”
Psalm 119:173 tn The words “to obey” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
Psalm 119:175 tn Heb “my life.”
Psalm 119:175 tn God’s regulations will “help” the psalmist by giving him moral and ethical guidance.
Psalm 119:176 tn Heb “I stray like a lost sheep.” It is possible that the point of the metaphor is vulnerability: The psalmist, who is threatened by his enemies, feels as vulnerable as a straying, lost sheep. This would not suggest, however, that he has wandered from God’s path (see the second half of the verse, as well as v. 110).

Proverbs 28:23-24

²³The one who reproves^[a] another^[b] will in the end^[c] find more favor
than the one who flatters^[d] with the tongue.
²⁴The one who robs^[e] his father and mother and says, “There is no transgression,”
is a companion^[f] to the one^[g] who destroys.

New English Translation (NET)

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The Daily Audio Bible

Daniel has a Vision of Four Animals Coming up from the Sea

An Angel Interprets Daniel’s Vision

Footnotes

The Prologue to the Letter

God Is Light, So We Must Walk in the Light

Footnotes

ר (Resh)

שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)

ת (Tav)

Footnotes

Footnotes