◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (Sabbath commandments); Psalm 81:1-10 (Raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob); 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 (Treasure in clay jars); Mark 2:23—3:6 (Doing the work of God on the sabbath) (New English Translation)

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June 4, 1967

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

Deuteronomy 5:12-15

¹²“Be careful to observe^[a] the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹³You are to work and do all your tasks in six days, ¹⁴but the seventh day is the Sabbath^[b] of the Lord your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the resident foreigner who lives with you,^[c] so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest. ¹⁵Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by strength and power.^[d] That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe^[e] the Sabbath day.

Psalm 81:1-10

Psalm 81^[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;^[b] by Asaph.

81 Shout for joy to God, our source of strength!
Shout out to the God of Jacob!
²Sing^[c] a song and play the tambourine,
the pleasant-sounding harp, and the ten-stringed instrument.
³Sound the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon,^[d]
and on the day of the full moon when our festival begins.^[e]
⁴For observing the festival is a requirement for Israel;^[f]
it is an ordinance given by the God of Jacob.
⁵He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph,
when he attacked the land of Egypt.^[g]
I heard a voice I did not recognize.^[h]
⁶It said:^[i] “I removed the burden from his shoulder;
his hands were released from holding the basket.^[j]
⁷In your distress you called out and I rescued you.
I answered you from a dark thundercloud.^[k]
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[l] (Selah)
⁸I said,^[m] ‘Listen, my people!
I will warn^[n] you.
O Israel, if only you would obey me!^[o]
⁹There must be^[p] no other^[q] god among you.
You must not worship a foreign god.
¹⁰I am the Lord, your God,
the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.’

Footnotes

Psalm 81:1 sn Psalm 81. The psalmist calls God’s people to assemble for a festival and then proclaims God’s message to them. The divine speech (vv. 6-16) recalls how God delivered the people from Egypt, reminds Israel of their rebellious past, expresses God’s desire for his people to obey him, and promises divine protection in exchange for obedience.
Psalm 81:1 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הַגִּתִּית (haggittit) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument. See the superscription to Ps 8.
Psalm 81:2 tn Heb “lift up.”
Psalm 81:3 tn Heb “at the new moon.”sn New moon festivals were a monthly ritual in Israel (see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 469-70). In this context the New Moon festival of the seventh month, when the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated (note the reference to a “festival” in the next line), may be in view.
Psalm 81:3 tn Heb “at the full moon on the day of our festival.” The Hebrew word כֶּסֶה (keseh) is an alternate spelling of כֶּסֶא (keseʾ, “full moon”).sn The festival in view is probably the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths), which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month when the moon was full. See Lev 23:34; Num 29:12.
Psalm 81:4 tn Heb “because a statute for Israel [is] it.”
Psalm 81:5 tn Heb “in his going out against the land of Egypt.” This apparently refers to the general time period of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The LXX reads, “from Egypt,” in which case “Joseph” (see the preceding line) would be the subject of the verb, “when he [Joseph = Israel] left Egypt.”
Psalm 81:5 tn Heb “a lip I did not know, I heard.” Here the term “lip” probably stands for speech or a voice. Apparently the psalmist speaks here and refers to God’s voice, whose speech is recorded in the following verses.
Psalm 81:6 tn The words “It said” are not included in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Psalm 81:6 sn I removed the burden. The Lord speaks metaphorically of how he delivered his people from Egyptian bondage. The reference to a basket/burden probably alludes to the hard labor of the Israelites in Egypt, where they had to carry loads of bricks (see Exod 1:14).
Psalm 81:7 tn Heb “I answered you in the hidden place of thunder.” This may allude to God’s self-revelation at Mount Sinai, where he appeared in a dark cloud accompanied by thunder (see Exod 19:16).
Psalm 81:7 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at the place called Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
Psalm 81:8 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Verses 8-10 appear to recall what the Lord commanded the generation of Israelites that experienced the events described in v. 7. Note the statement in v. 11, “my people did not listen to me.”
Psalm 81:8 tn Or perhaps “command.”
Psalm 81:8 tn The Hebrew particle אִם (ʾim, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (GKC 321 §109.b). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.
Psalm 81:9 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 have a modal function, expressing what is obligatory.
Psalm 81:9 tn Heb “different”; “illicit.”

2 Corinthians 4:5-12

⁵For we do not proclaim^[a] ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves^[b] for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[c] is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge^[d] of God in the face of Christ.^[e]

An Eternal Weight of Glory

⁷But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power^[f] belongs to God and does not come from us. ⁸We are experiencing trouble on every side,^[g] but are not crushed; we are perplexed,^[h] but not driven to despair; ⁹we are persecuted, but not abandoned;^[i] we are knocked down,^[j] but not destroyed, ¹⁰always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus,^[k] so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible^[l] in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible^[m] in our mortal body.^[n] ¹²As a result,^[o] death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.^[p]

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 4:5 tn Or “preach.”
2 Corinthians 4:5 tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households.
2 Corinthians 4:6 sn An allusion to Gen 1:3; see also Isa 9:2.
2 Corinthians 4:6 tn Grk “the light of the knowledge of the glory”; δόξης (doxēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
2 Corinthians 4:6 tc ‡ Most witnesses, including several early and significant ones (P⁴⁶ א C H Ψ 0209 1739^c M sy), read ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Iēsou Christou, “Jesus Christ”), while other significant witnesses, especially of the Western text (D F G 0243 630 1739* 1881 lat Ambst), have Χριστοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ. The reading with just Χριστοῦ is found in A B 33 sa Tert Or Ath Chr. Even though the witnesses for the shorter reading are not numerous, they are weighty. And in light of the natural scribal proclivity to fill out the text, particularly with reference to divine names, as well as the discrepancy among the witnesses as to the order of the names, the simple reading Χριστοῦ seems to be the best candidate for authenticity. NA²⁸ reads ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ with ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
2 Corinthians 4:7 tn Grk “the surpassingness of the power”; δυνάμεως (dunameōs) has been translated as an attributed genitive (“extraordinary power”).
2 Corinthians 4:8 tn Grk “we are hard pressed [by crowds] on every side.”
2 Corinthians 4:8 tn Or “at a loss.”
2 Corinthians 4:9 tn Or “forsaken.”
2 Corinthians 4:9 tn Or “badly hurt.” It is possible to interpret καταβαλλόμενοι (kataballomenoi) here as “badly hurt”: “[we are] badly hurt, but not destroyed” (L&N 20.21).
2 Corinthians 4:10 tn The first clause of 2 Cor 4:10 is elliptical and apparently refers to the fact that Paul was constantly in danger of dying in the same way Jesus died (by violence at least). According to L&N 23.99 it could be translated, “at all times we live in the constant threat of being killed as Jesus was.”
2 Corinthians 4:10 tn Or “may also be revealed.”
2 Corinthians 4:11 tn Or “may also be revealed.”
2 Corinthians 4:11 tn Grk “mortal flesh.”
2 Corinthians 4:12 tn Or “So then.”
2 Corinthians 4:12 tn Grk “death is at work in us, but life in you”; the phrase “is at work in” is repeated in the translation for clarity.

Mark 2:23-3:6

Lord of the Sabbath

²³Jesus^[a] was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat^[b] as they made their way. ²⁴So^[c] the Pharisees^[d] said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?” ²⁵He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry— ²⁶how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest^[e] and ate the sacred bread,^[f] which is against the law^[g] for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?”^[h] ²⁷Then^[i] he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people,^[j] not people for the Sabbath. ²⁸For this reason the Son of Man is lord^[k] even of the Sabbath.”

Healing a Withered Hand

3 Then^[l] Jesus^[m] entered the synagogue^[n] again, and a man was there who had a withered^[o] hand. ²They watched^[p] Jesus^[q] closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath,^[r] so that they could accuse him. ³So he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Stand up among all these people.”^[s] ⁴Then^[t] he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or evil, to save a life or destroy it?” But they were silent. ⁵After looking around^[u] at them in anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts,^[v] he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.^[w] ⁶So^[x] the Pharisees^[y] went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians,^[z] as to how they could assassinate^[aa] him.

Footnotes

Mark 2:23 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 2:23 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stachus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1). KJV “corn” is the result of British English, in which “corn” refers to the main cereal crop of a district, wheat in England and oats in Scotland (British English uses “maize” to refer to American corn).
Mark 2:24 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
Mark 2:24 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
Mark 2:26 tn A decision about the proper translation of this Greek phrase (ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως, epi Abiathar archiereōs) is very difficult for a number of reasons. The most natural translation of the phrase is “when Abiathar was high priest,” but this is problematic because Abiathar was not the high priest when David entered the temple and ate the sacred bread; Ahimelech is the priest mentioned in 1 Sam 21:1-7. Three main solutions have been suggested to resolve this difficulty. (1) There are alternate readings in various manuscripts, but these are not likely to be original: D W 271 it sy^s and a few others omit ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως, no doubt in conformity to the parallels in Matt 12:4 and Luke 6:4; A C Θ Π Σ Φ 074 ƒ¹³ and many others add τοῦ before ἀρχιερέως, giving the meaning “in the days of Abiathar the high priest,” suggesting a more general time frame. Neither reading has significant external support and both most likely are motivated by the difficulty of the original reading. (2) Many scholars have hypothesized that one of the three individuals who would have been involved in the transmission of the statement (Jesus who uttered it originally, Mark who wrote it down in the Gospel, or Peter who served as Mark’s source) was either wrong about Abiathar or intentionally loose with the biblical data in order to make a point. (3) It is possible that what is currently understood to be the most natural reading of the text is in fact not correct. (a) There are very few biblical parallels to this grammatical construction (ἐπί + genitive proper noun, followed by an anarthrous common noun), so it is possible that an extensive search for this construction in nonbiblical literature would prove that the meaning does involve a wide time frame. If this is so, “in the days of Abiathar the high priest” would be a viable option. (b) It is also possible that this phrasing serves as a loose way to cite a scripture passage. There is a parallel to this construction in Mark 12:26: “Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush?” Here the final phrase is simply ἐπὶ τοῦ βάτου (epi tou batou), but the obvious function of the phrase is to point to a specific passage within the larger section of scripture. Deciding upon a translation here is difficult. The translation above has followed the current consensus on the most natural and probable meaning of the phrase ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως: “when Abiathar was high priest.” It should be recognized, however, that this translation is tentative because the current state of knowledge about the meaning of this grammatical construction is incomplete, and any decision about the meaning of this text is open to future revision.
Mark 2:26 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.” sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two-tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Matt 12:1-8, Luke 6:1-5.
Mark 2:26 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
Mark 2:26 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
Mark 2:27 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 2:27 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used twice in this verse in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
Mark 2:28 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.sn A second point in Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ actions was that his authority as Son of Man also allowed it, since as Son of Man he was lord of the Sabbath.
Mark 3:1 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 3:1 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 3:1 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.
Mark 3:1 sn Withered means the man’s hand was shrunken and paralyzed.
Mark 3:2 sn The term translated watched…closely is emotive, since it carries negative connotations. It means they were watching him out of the corner of their eye or spying on him.
Mark 3:2 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 3:2 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
Mark 3:3 tn Grk “Stand up in the middle.”sn Most likely synagogues were arranged with benches along the walls and open space in the center for seating on the floor.
Mark 3:4 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 3:5 tn The aorist participle περιβλεψάμενος (periblepsamenos) has been translated as antecedent (prior) to the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as contemporaneous (“Looking around…he said”).
Mark 3:5 tn This term is a collective singular in the Greek text.
Mark 3:5 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
Mark 3:6 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
Mark 3:6 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
Mark 3:6 tn Grk inserts “against him” after “Herodians.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has not been translated.sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some mss also read “Herodians” instead of “Herod” in Mark 8:15). It is generally assumed that as a group the Herodians were Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (or of Herod Antipas in particular). In every instance they are linked with the Pharisees. This probably reflects agreement regarding political objectives (nationalism as opposed to submission to the yoke of Roman oppression) rather than philosophy or religious beliefs.
Mark 3:6 tn Grk “destroy.”

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Footnotes

Psalm 81[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;[b] by Asaph.

Footnotes

An Eternal Weight of Glory

Footnotes

Lord of the Sabbath

Healing a Withered Hand

Footnotes

Psalm 81^[a]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;^[b] by Asaph.