◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Psalm 84:8-12 (A doorkeeper in God’s house); Daniel 5:1-12 (A hand writing on the wall); 1 Peter 5:1-11 (The unfading crown of glory) (New English Translation)

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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 84:8-12

⁸O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,^[a]
hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob. (Selah)
⁹O God, take notice of our shield.^[b]
Show concern for your chosen king.^[c]
¹⁰Certainly^[d] spending just one day in your temple courts is better
than spending a thousand elsewhere.^[e]
I would rather stand at the entrance^[f] to the temple of my God
than live^[g] in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.^[h]
The Lord bestows favor^[i] and honor;
he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.^[j]
¹²O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,^[k]
how blessed are those who trust in you.^[l]

Footnotes

Psalm 84:8 tn Heb “Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (ts^evaʾot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9) but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת in Pss 59:5 and 80:4, 19 as well.
Psalm 84:9 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “your anointed one” here and with “our king” in Ps 89:18.
Psalm 84:9 tn Heb “look [on] the face of your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (m^eshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17).
Psalm 84:10 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 84:10 tn Heb “better is a day in your courts than a thousand [spent elsewhere].”
Psalm 84:10 tn Heb “I choose being at the entrance of the house of my God over living in the tents of the wicked.” The verb סָפַף (safaf) appears only here in the OT; it is derived from the noun סַף (saf, “threshold”). Traditionally some have interpreted this as a reference to being a doorkeeper at the temple, though some understand it to mean “lie as a beggar at the entrance to the temple” (see HALOT 765 s.v. ספף).
Psalm 84:10 tn The verb דּוּר (dur, “to live”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 84:11 tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.
Psalm 84:11 tn Or “grace.”
Psalm 84:11 tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”
Psalm 84:12 tn Traditionally “Lord of hosts.”
Psalm 84:12 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man [who] trusts in you.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to here is representative of all followers of God, as the use of the plural form in v. 12b indicates.

Daniel 5:1-12

Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall

5 King Belshazzar^[a] prepared a great banquet^[b] for 1,000 of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of^[c] them all.^[d] ²While under the influence^[e] of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels—the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father^[f] had confiscated^[g] from the temple in Jerusalem—so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them.^[h] ³So they brought the gold and silver^[i] vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God^[j] in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. ⁴As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared^[k] and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand.^[l] The king was watching the back^[m] of the hand that was writing. ⁶Then all the color drained from the king’s face^[n] and he became alarmed.^[o] The joints of his hips gave way,^[p] and his knees began knocking together. ⁷The king called out loudly^[q] to summon^[r] the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed^[s] to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple^[t] and have a golden collar^[u] placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

⁸So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its^[v] interpretation to the king. ⁹Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken.^[w] His nobles were completely dumbfounded.

¹⁰Due to the noise^[x] caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother^[y] then entered the banquet room. She^[z] said, “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t be shaken! ¹¹There is a man in your kingdom who has within him a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, he proved to have^[aa] insight, discernment, and wisdom like that^[ab] of the gods.^[ac] King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners.^[ad] ¹²Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret^[ae] dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems.^[af] Now summon^[ag] Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation.”

Footnotes

Daniel 5:1 sn As is clear from the extra-biblical records, it was actually Nabonidus (ca. 556-539 b.c.) who was king of Babylon at this time. However, Nabonidus spent long periods of time at Teima, and during those times Belshazzar his son was de facto king of Babylon. This arrangement may help to explain why later in this chapter Belshazzar promises that the successful interpreter of the handwriting on the wall will be made third ruler in the kingdom. If Belshazzar was in effect second ruler in the kingdom, this would be the highest honor he could grant.
Daniel 5:1 sn This scene of a Babylonian banquet calls to mind a similar grandiose event recorded in Esth 1:3-8. Persian kings were also renowned in the ancient Near Eastern world for their lavish banquets.
Daniel 5:1 sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table.
Daniel 5:1 tn Aram “the thousand.”
Daniel 5:2 tn Or perhaps, “when he had tasted” (cf. NASB) in the sense of officially initiating the commencement of the banquet. The translation above seems preferable, however, given the clear evidence of inebriation in the context (cf. also CEV “he got drunk and ordered”).
Daniel 5:2 tn Or “ancestor”; or “predecessor” (also in vv. 11, 13, 18). The Aramaic word translated “father” can on occasion denote these other relationships. Concerning the difficulty in tracing the lineage of Belshazzar, whose actual father was Nabonidus, back to Nebuchadnezzar, J. Goldingay, Daniel (WBC), 108, argues that, “The two chief points in neo-Babylonian history are the empire’s rise under Nebuchadnezzar and its fall under Nabonidus/Belshazzar, so that ‘Nebuchadnezzar the father of Belshazzar’ summarizes and reflects the general historical facts of the period.”
Daniel 5:2 tn Or “taken.”
Daniel 5:2 sn Making use of sacred temple vessels for an occasion of reveling and drunkenness such as this would have been a religious affront of shocking proportions to the Jewish captives.
Daniel 5:3 tc The present translation reads וְכַסְפָּא (v^ekhaspaʾ, “and the silver”) with Theodotion and the Vulgate; cf. v. 2. The form was probably accidentally dropped from the Aramaic text by homoioteleuton.
Daniel 5:3 tn Aram “the temple of the house of God.” The phrase seems rather awkward. The Vulgate lacks “of the house of God,” while Theodotion and the Syriac lack “of the house.”
Daniel 5:5 tn Aram “came forth.”
Daniel 5:5 sn The mention of the lampstand in this context is of interest because it suggests that the writing was in clear view.
Daniel 5:5 tn While Aramaic פַּס (pas) can mean the palm of the hand, here it seems to be the back of the hand that is intended.
Daniel 5:6 tn Aram “[the king’s] brightness changed for him.”
Daniel 5:6 tn Aram “his thoughts were alarming him.”
Daniel 5:6 tn Aram “his loins went slack.”
Daniel 5:7 tn Aram “in strength.”
Daniel 5:7 tn Aram “cause to enter.”
Daniel 5:7 tn Aram “answered and said.”
Daniel 5:7 sn Purple was a color associated with royalty in the ancient world.
Daniel 5:7 tn The term translated “golden collar” here probably refers to something more substantial than merely a gold chain (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or necklace (cf. NASB).
Daniel 5:8 tc Read וּפִשְׁרֵהּ (ufishreh, “and its interpretation”) with the Qere rather than וּפִשְׁרָא (ufishraʾ, “and the interpretation”) of the Kethib.
Daniel 5:9 tn Aram “his visage altered upon him,” as also in v. 10.
Daniel 5:10 tn Aram “words of the king.”
Daniel 5:10 tn Aram “the queen” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). In the following discourse this woman is able to recall things about Daniel that go back to the days of Nebuchadnezzar, things that Belshazzar does not seem to recollect. It is likely that she was the wife not of Belshazzar but of Nabonidus or perhaps even Nebuchadnezzar. In that case, “queen” here means “queen mother” (cf. NCV “the king’s mother”).
Daniel 5:10 tn Aram “The queen.” The translation has used the pronoun “she” instead because repetition of the noun here would be redundant in terms of English style.
Daniel 5:11 tn Aram “[there were] discovered to be in him.”
Daniel 5:11 tn Aram “wisdom like the wisdom.” This would be redundant in terms of English style.
Daniel 5:11 tc Theodotion lacks the phrase “and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods.”
Daniel 5:11 tc The MT includes a redundant reference to “your father the king” at the end of v. 11. None of the attempts to explain this phrase as original are very convincing. The present translation deletes the phrase, following Theodotion and the Syriac.
Daniel 5:12 tc The translation reads מִפְשַׁר (mifshar) rather than the MT מְפַשַּׁר (m^efashar) and later in the verse reads וּמִשְׁרֵא (umishreʾ) rather than the MT וּמְשָׁרֵא (um^eshareʾ). The Masoretes have understood these Aramaic forms to be participles, but they are more likely to be vocalized as infinitives. As such, they have an epexegetical function in the syntax of their clause.
Daniel 5:12 tn Aram “to loose knots.”
Daniel 5:12 tn Aram “let [Daniel] be summoned.”

1 Peter 5:1-11

Leading and Living in God’s Flock

5 So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you: ²Give a shepherd’s care to^[a] God’s flock among you, exercising oversight^[b] not merely as a duty^[c] but willingly under God’s direction,^[d] not for shameful profit but eagerly. ³And do not lord it over^[e] those entrusted to you,^[f] but be examples to the flock. ⁴Then^[g] when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.

⁵In the same way, you who are younger,^[h] be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.^[i] ⁶And God will exalt you in due time,^[j] if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand^[k] ⁷by casting^[l] all your cares^[m] on him because he cares for you. ⁸Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion,^[n] is on the prowl looking for someone^[o] to devour. ⁹Resist him,^[p] strong in your faith, because you know^[q] that your brothers and sisters^[r] throughout the world^[s] are enduring^[t] the same kinds of suffering.^[u] ¹⁰And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ^[v] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.^[w] ¹¹To him belongs^[x] the power forever. Amen.

Footnotes

1 Peter 5:2 tn Grk “shepherd,” “tend,” “pastor.”
1 Peter 5:2 tc A few significant and early witnesses mss (א* B sa) lack ἐπισκοποῦντες (episkopountes, “exercising oversight”), but the participle enjoys otherwise good ms support (P⁷² א² A P Ψ 33 1739 M lat bo). A decision is difficult because normally the shorter reading is preferred, especially when found in excellent witnesses. However, in this instance the omission may be due to a hesitation among some scribes to associate oversight with elders, since the later church viewed overseer/bishop as a separate office from elder.
1 Peter 5:2 tn Or “not under compulsion/coercion.”
1 Peter 5:2 tn Grk “according to God.”
1 Peter 5:3 tn Grk “not as lording it over…but being examples.” The participles continue the command of v. 2 by describing how the shepherding should be carried out.
1 Peter 5:3 tn Grk “the ones allotted,” referring to those God has given over to their care.
1 Peter 5:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the logical sequence of events.
1 Peter 5:5 sn In this context younger and elder are terms that combine two meanings: relative age and an official structure of leadership in the church. As in v. 1, elder here denotes those who exercise spiritual leadership, who for the most part are older in years. Likewise younger means the rest of the community, who for the most part are younger in age, who are urged to accept the authority of their leaders.
1 Peter 5:5 sn A quotation from Prov 3:34 (cf. Jas 4:6).
1 Peter 5:6 tn Grk “in time,” but connoting “the proper time, when the time is right” as in Matt 24:45; Luke 12:42.
1 Peter 5:6 tn Grk “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that in due time he may exalt you.” The sentence was rearranged so that the English reader could more clearly see the connection between “casting” (v. 7) and “humble” (v. 6).
1 Peter 5:7 tn Or “throwing on”; “loading.” Some scholars take the participle to function imperativally, or as attendant circumstance—thus, “cast.” See below for discussion.sn Casting. According to ExSyn 630, “Although treated as an independent command in several modern translations (e.g., RSV, NRSV, NIV), the participle [casting] should be connected with the verb of v 6, ταπεινώθητε [tapeinōthēte, Humble yourselves]. As such, it is not offering a new command, but is defining how believers are to humble themselves. Taking the participle as means enriches the understanding of both verbs: Humbling oneself is not a negative act of self-denial per se, but a positive one of active dependence on God for help.”
1 Peter 5:7 tn Or “anxiety, burden,” but using a word from the same root as the verb “cares” in the last part of the verse.
1 Peter 5:8 sn This phrase may be an allusion to Ps 22:13.
1 Peter 5:8 tc A few mss (B Ψ 1175) lack the pronoun τινα (tina), while others have it. Those that have it either put the acute accent over the penult, making this an interrogative pronoun (“whom”; 436 642 2492 vg; most Fathers), or leave off any accent, making this an indefinite pronoun (“someone”; L P 33^vid 81 1611 1735 1739 2344 al), or are too early to employ accents but nevertheless have the pronoun τινα (P⁷² א A). Generally speaking, the shorter and harder reading is to be preferred. In this instance, the omission of the pronoun would obviously be accommodated for by scribes, since both ζητέω (zēteō, “look, seek”) and καταπίνω (katapinō, “devour”) are transitive verbs. However, if the omission were original, one might expect the position of the pronoun to float in the mss—both before and after the infinitive καταπιεῖν (katapiein, “to devour”). Further, other terms might be expected as well, such as ἕνα ἐξ ὑμῶν (hena ex humōn, “one of you”) or τινα ἐξ ὑμῶν (tina ex humōn, “a certain one/someone of you”). The uniformity of both the word and its location suggests that the shorter reading (found in but a few Greek mss) in this instance was a scribal mistake. As to whether the pronoun is interrogative or indefinite, since accents were not a part of the earliest mss, such Greek witnesses are of no help to us in this kind of problem. There would be little difference in meaning between the two in this context.
1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “whom,” referring to the devil in v. 8. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “knowing,” a participle that usually denotes a reason for the related action.
1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “your brotherhood.” The Greek term “brotherhood” is used in a broad sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 19 s.v. ἀδελφότης 1). Another alternative translation would be “your fellow believers,” though this would weaken the familial connotations. This same word occurs in 2:17; there it has been translated “family of believers.”
1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “your brotherhood in the world,” referring to the Christian community worldwide.
1 Peter 5:9 tn This verb carries the nuance “to accomplish, complete,” emphasizing their faithful endurance in suffering. The verb is passive in Greek (“suffering is being endured by your brotherhood”), but has been translated as an active to give a smoother English style.
1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “the same things of sufferings.”
1 Peter 5:10 tc A few significant mss (א B 614 630 1505 1611) lack “Jesus” after “Christ,” while the majority include the name (P⁷² A P Ψ 5 33 81 436 442 1175 1735 1739 1852 2344 2492 M latt). The inclusion is a natural and predictable expansion on the text, but in light of its broad representation a decision is difficult. NA²⁸ lists the longer reading in the apparatus with a diamond, indicating a toss-up as to what the initial text should read.
1 Peter 5:10 tn The pronoun “you” is not used explicitly but is clearly implied by the Greek.
1 Peter 5:11 tn No verb is expressed here but the verb “is” or “belongs” is clearly implied. This doxology expresses a fact for which God should be glorified (as in 4:11), rather than a wish or prayer (“may power be to him”).

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Footnotes

Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall

Footnotes

Leading and Living in God’s Flock

Footnotes