◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Psalm 32 (You forgive the guilt of my sin); 2 Samuel 18:28—19:8 (David mourns Absalom); Luke 5:17-26 (Jesus forgives sins and heals) (New English Translation)

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June 15, 1968

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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

Psalm 32

Psalm 32^[a]

By David; a well-written song.^[b]

32 How blessed^[c] is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven,^[d]
whose sin is pardoned.^[e]
²How blessed is the one^[f] whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish,^[g]
in whose spirit there is no deceit.^[h]
³When I refused to confess my sin,^[i]
my whole body wasted away,^[j]
while I groaned in pain all day long.
⁴For day and night you tormented me;^[k]
you tried to destroy me^[l] in the intense heat^[m] of summer.^[n] (Selah)
⁵Then I confessed my sin;
I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.
I said, “I will confess^[o] my rebellious acts to the Lord.”
And then you forgave my sins.^[p] (Selah)
⁶For this reason every one of your faithful followers^[q] should pray to you
while there is a window of opportunity.^[r]
Certainly^[s] when the surging water^[t] rises,
it will not reach them.^[u]
⁷You are my hiding place;
you protect me from distress.
You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance.^[v] (Selah)
⁸I will instruct and teach you^[w] about how you should live.^[x]
I will advise you as I look you in the eye.^[y]
⁹Do not be^[z] like an unintelligent horse or mule,^[aa]
which will not obey you
unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit.^[ab]
¹⁰An evil person suffers much pain,^[ac]
but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him.^[ad]
¹¹Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!
Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright!^[ae]

Footnotes

Psalm 32:1 sn Psalm 32. The psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one’s sins are forgiven. He then urges others not to be stubborn, but to turn to God while forgiveness is available, for God extends his mercy to the repentant, while the wicked experience nothing but sorrow.
Psalm 32:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
Psalm 32:1 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15). Here it refers to the relief that one experiences when one’s sins are forgiven.
Psalm 32:1 tn Heb “lifted up.”
Psalm 32:1 tn Heb “covered over.”
Psalm 32:2 tn Heb “man.” The word choice reflects the perspective of the psalmist, who is male. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender and age specific “man” has been translated with the more neutral “one.”
Psalm 32:2 tn Heb “blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord does not impute wrongdoing.”
Psalm 32:2 sn In whose spirit there is no deceit. The point is not that the individual is sinless and pure. In this context, which focuses on confession and forgiveness of sin, the psalmist refers to one who refuses to deny or hide his sin, but instead honestly confesses it to God.
Psalm 32:3 tn Heb “when I was silent.”
Psalm 32:3 tn Heb “my bones became brittle.” The psalmist pictures himself as aging and growing physically weak. Trying to cover up his sin brought severe physical consequences.
Psalm 32:4 tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”
Psalm 32:4 tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (l^eshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (l^eshuddi, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.
Psalm 32:4 tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”
Psalm 32:4 sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.
Psalm 32:5 tn The Hiphil of ידה normally means “give thanks, praise,” but here, as in Prov 28:13, it means “confess.”
Psalm 32:5 tn Heb “the wrongdoing of my sin.” By joining synonyms for “sin” in this way, the psalmist may be emphasizing the degree of his wrongdoing.
Psalm 32:6 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
Psalm 32:6 tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the Lord]” and seek his forgiveness (cf. NIV). Some emend the text by combining מְצֹא (m^etsoʾ, “finding”) with the following term רַק (raq, “only, surely”) and read either ר[וֹ]מָצ (matsor, “distress”; see Ps 31:22) or ק[וֹ]מָצ (matsoq, “hardship”; see Ps 119:143). In this case, one may translate “in a time of distress/hardship” (cf. NEB, NRSV).
Psalm 32:6 tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.
Psalm 32:6 sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.
Psalm 32:6 tn Heb “him.” The translation uses the plural “them” to agree with the plural “every one of your faithful followers” in the first line of v. 6.
Psalm 32:7 tn Heb “[with] shouts of joy of deliverance you surround me.”
Psalm 32:8 tn The second person pronominal forms in this verse are singular. The psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually (see also the note on the word “eye” in the next line). A less likely option (but one which is commonly understood) is that the Lord addresses the psalmist in vv. 8-9 (cf. NASB “I will instruct you and teach you…I will counsel you with My eye upon you”).
Psalm 32:8 tn Heb “I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way [in] which you should walk.”
Psalm 32:8 tn Heb “I will advise, upon you my eye,” that is, “I will offer advice [with] my eye upon you.” In 2 Chr 20:12 the statement “our eye is upon you” means that the speakers are looking to the Lord for intervention. Here the expression “my eye upon you” may simply mean that the psalmist will teach his pupils directly and personally.
Psalm 32:9 tn The verb form is plural (i.e., “do not all of you be”); the psalmist addresses the whole group.
Psalm 32:9 tn Heb “like a horse, like a mule without understanding.”
Psalm 32:9 tn Heb “with a bridle and bit, its [?] to hold, not to come near to you.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun עֲדִי (ʿadiy) is uncertain. Normally the word refers to “jewelry,” so some suggest the meaning “trappings” here (cf. NASB). Some emend the form to לְחֵיהֶם (l^ekhehem, “their jawbones”) but it is difficult to see how the present Hebrew text, even if defective, could have derived from this proposed original reading. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 265) takes the form from an Arabic root and translates “whose gallop.” Cf. also NRSV “whose temper must be curbed.”
Psalm 32:10 tn Heb “many [are the] pains of evil [one].” The singular form is representative here; the typical evildoer, representative of the larger group of wicked people, is in view.
Psalm 32:10 tn Heb “but the one who trusts in the Lord, faithfulness surrounds him.”
Psalm 32:11 tn Heb “all [you] pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

2 Samuel 18:28-19:8

²⁸Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Greetings!”^[a] He bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and said, “May the Lord your God be praised because he has defeated^[b] the men who opposed^[c] my lord the king!”

²⁹The king replied, “How is the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz replied, “I saw a great deal of confusion when Joab was sending the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was all about.” ³⁰The king said, “Turn aside and take your place here.” So he turned aside and waited.

³¹Then the Cushite arrived and said,^[d] “May my lord the king now receive the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today and delivered you from the hand of all who have rebelled against you!”^[e] ³²The king asked the Cushite, “How is the young man Absalom?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you^[f] be like that young man!”

³³(19:1)^[g] The king then became very upset. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, “My son, Absalom! My son, my son,^[h] Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!”^[i]

19 (19:2) Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.” ²So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.” ³That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle. ⁴The king covered his face and cried out loudly,^[j] “My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵So Joab visited^[k] the king at his home. He said, “Today you have embarrassed all your servants who have saved your life this day, as well as the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. ⁶You seem to love your enemies and hate your friends! For you have as much as declared today that leaders and servants don’t matter to you. I realize now^[l] that if^[m] Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today,^[n] it would be all right with you. ⁷So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to^[o] your servants. For I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”

⁸So the king got up and sat at the city gate. When all the people were informed that the king was sitting at the city gate, they^[p] all came before him.

David Goes Back to Jerusalem

But the Israelite soldiers^[q] had all fled to their own homes.^[r]

Luke 5:17-26

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

¹⁷Now on^[a] one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees^[b] and teachers of the law^[c] sitting nearby (who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem),^[d] and the power of the Lord was with him^[e] to heal. ¹⁸Just then^[f] some men showed up, carrying a paralyzed man^[g] on a stretcher.^[h] They^[i] were trying to bring him in and place him before Jesus.^[j] ¹⁹But^[k] since they found^[l] no way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof^[m] and let him down on the stretcher^[n] through the roof tiles^[o] right^[p] in front of Jesus.^[q] ²⁰When^[r] Jesus^[s] saw their^[t] faith he said, “Friend,^[u] your sins are forgiven.”^[v] ²¹Then^[w] the experts in the law^[x] and the Pharisees began to think^[y] to themselves,^[z] “Who is this man^[aa] who is uttering blasphemies?^[ab] Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ²²When Jesus perceived^[ac] their hostile thoughts,^[ad] he said to them,^[ae] “Why are you raising objections^[af] within yourselves? ²³Which is easier,^[ag] to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? ²⁴But so that you may know^[ah] that the Son of Man^[ai] has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man^[aj]—“I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher^[ak] and go home.”^[al] ²⁵Immediately^[am] he stood up before them, picked^[an] up the stretcher^[ao] he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying^[ap] God. ²⁶Then^[aq] astonishment^[ar] seized them all, and they glorified^[as] God. They were filled with awe,^[at] saying, “We have seen incredible^[au] things^[av] today.”^[aw]

Footnotes

Luke 5:17 tn Grk “And it happened that on.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 5:17 sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
Luke 5:17 tn That is, those who were skilled in the teaching and interpretation of the OT law. These are called “experts in the law” (Grk “scribes”) in v. 21.
Luke 5:17 sn Jesus was now attracting attention outside of Galilee as far away as Jerusalem, the main city of Israel.
Luke 5:17 tc Most mss (A C D [K] Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 33 M latt bo) read αὐτούς (autous) instead of αὐτόν (auton) here. If original, this plural pronoun would act as the direct object of the infinitive ἰᾶσθαι (iasthai, “to heal”). However, the reading with the singular pronoun αὐτόν, which acts as the subject of the infinitive, is to be preferred. Externally, it has support from better mss (א B L W al sa). Internally, it is probable that scribes changed the singular αὐτόν to the plural αὐτούς, expecting the object of the infinitive to come at this point in the text. The singular as the harder reading accounts for the rise of the other reading.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the men carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher-bearers’ appearance.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “a man who was paralyzed”; the relative clause in Greek has adjectival force and has been simplified to a simple adjective in the translation.
Luke 5:18 tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinē) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “stretcher, and.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Instead, because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
Luke 5:18 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast implied in the context: They wanted to bring the man to Jesus, but found no way.
Luke 5:19 tn Grk “But finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (heurontes) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
Luke 5:19 sn A house in 1st century Palestine would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up. This access was often from the outside of the house.
Luke 5:19 tn This word, κλινίδιον (klinidion), is a different Greek word than the one used in the previous verse (κλίνη, klinē). In this context both may be translated “stretcher” (see L&N 6.106 and 6.107).
Luke 5:19 tn There is a translational problem at this point in the text. The term Luke uses is κέραμος (keramos). It can in certain contexts mean “clay,” but usually this is in reference to pottery (see BDAG 540 s.v. 1). The most natural definition in this instance is “roof tile” (used in the translation above). However, tiles were generally not found in Galilee. Recent archaeological research has suggested that this house, which would have probably been typical for the area, could not have supported “a second story, nor could the original roof have been masonry; no doubt it was made from beams and branches of trees covered with a mixture of earth and straw” (J. F. Strange and H. Shanks, “Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found?” BAR 8, no. 6 [Nov/Dec 1982]: 34). Luke may simply have spoken of building materials that would be familiar to his readers.
Luke 5:19 tn Grk “in the midst.”
Luke 5:19 sn The phrase right in front of Jesus trailing as it does at the end of the verse is slightly emphatic, adding a little note of drama: What would Jesus do?
Luke 5:20 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:20 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
Luke 5:20 tn Grk “Man,” but the term used in this way was not derogatory in Jewish culture. Used in address (as here) it means “friend” (see BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8).
Luke 5:20 tn Grk “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke stresses the forgiveness of sins (cf. 1:77; 3:3; 24:47). In 5:20 he uses both the perfect ἀφέωνται and the personal pronoun σοι which together combine to heighten the subjective aspect of the experience of forgiveness. The σοι has been omitted in translation in light of normal English style.sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
Luke 5:21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:21 tn Or “Then the scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateus) as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
Luke 5:21 tn Or “to reason” (in a hostile sense). See G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
Luke 5:21 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
Luke 5:21 tn Grk “this one” (οὗτος, houtos).
Luke 5:21 sn Uttering blasphemies in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere exclamations or pronouncements. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
Luke 5:22 sn Jesus often perceived people’s thoughts in Luke; see 4:23; 6:8; 7:40; 9:47. Such a note often precedes a rebuke.
Luke 5:22 tn Grk “reasonings.” This is the noun form of the infinitive διαλογίζεσθαι (dialogizesthai, “began to reason to themselves”) used in v. 21. Jesus’ reply to them in the latter part of the present verse makes clear that these reasonings were mental and internal, so the translation “thoughts” was used here. On the hostile or evil nature of these thoughts, see G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
Luke 5:22 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation.
Luke 5:22 tn The Greek verb διαλογίζεσθε (dialogizesthe, “you reason”), used in context with διαλογισμούς (dialogismous, “reasonings”), connotes more than neutral reasoning or thinking. While the verb can refer to normal “reasoning,” “discussion,” or “reflection” in the NT, its use here in Luke 5:22, alongside the noun—which is regularly used with a negative sense in the NT (cf. Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21; Luke 2:35; 6:8; 9:47; Rom 1:21; 1 Cor 3:20; G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:96-97; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:484)—suggests the idea of “contention.” Therefore, in order to reflect the hostility evident in the reasoning of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the verb has been translated as “raising objections.”
Luke 5:23 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
Luke 5:24 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
Luke 5:24 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
Luke 5:24 tn Grk “to the one who was paralyzed”; the Greek participle is substantival and has been simplified to a simple adjective and noun in the translation.sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
Luke 5:24 tn This word, κλινίδιον (klinidion), is the same as the one used in v. 19. In this context it may be translated “stretcher” (see L&N 6.107).
Luke 5:24 tn Grk “to your house.”
Luke 5:25 tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:25 tn Grk “and picked up.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because contemporary English normally places a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series.
Luke 5:25 tn Grk “picked up what he had been lying on”; the referent of the relative pronoun (the stretcher) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:25 sn Note the man’s response, glorifying God. Joy at God’s work is also a key theme in Luke: 2:20; 4:15; 5:26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43; 23:47.
Luke 5:26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:26 tn Or “amazement.” See L&N 25.217, which translates this clause, “astonishment seized all of them.”
Luke 5:26 tn This imperfect verb could be translated as an ingressive (“they began to glorify God”), but this is somewhat awkward in English since the following verb is aorist and is normally translated as a simple past.
Luke 5:26 tn Grk “fear,” but the context and the following remark show that it is mixed with wonder; see L&N 53.59.
Luke 5:26 tn Or “remarkable.” The term παράδοξος (paradoxos) is hard to translate exactly; it suggests both the unusual and the awe inspiring in this context. For the alternatives see L&N 31.44 (“incredible”) and 58.56 (“remarkable”). It is often something beyond belief (G. Kittel, TDNT 2:255).
Luke 5:26 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied because the adjective παράδοξος (paradoxos) is substantival. Other translations sometimes supply alternate words like “miracles” or “signs,” but “things” is the most neutral translation.
Luke 5:26 sn See the note on today in 2:11.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 32[a]

By David; a well-written song.[b]

Footnotes

David Goes Back to Jerusalem

Footnotes

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

Footnotes

Psalm 32^[a]

By David; a well-written song.^[b]