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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
New English Translation (NET)
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Psalm 92

Psalm 92[a]

A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is fitting[b] to thank the Lord,
and to sing praises to your name, O Most High.[c]
2 It is fitting[d] to proclaim your loyal love in the morning,
and your faithfulness during the night,
3 to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument and a lyre,
to the accompaniment of the meditative tone of the harp.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me happy by your work.
I will sing for joy because of what you have done.[e]
5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your plans are very intricate![f]
6 The spiritually insensitive do not recognize this;
the fool does not understand this.[g]
7 When the wicked sprout up like grass,
and all the evildoers glisten,[h]
it is so that they may be annihilated.[i]
8 But you, O Lord, reign[j] forever.
9 Indeed,[k] look at your enemies, O Lord.
Indeed,[l] look at how your enemies perish.
All the evildoers are scattered.
10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox.[m]
I am covered[n] with fresh oil.
11 I gloat in triumph over those who tried to ambush me;[o]
I hear the defeated cries of the evil foes who attacked me.[p]
12 The godly[q] grow like a palm tree;
they grow high like a cedar in Lebanon.[r]
13 Planted in the Lord’s house,
they grow in the courts of our God.
14 They bear fruit even when they are old;
they are filled with vitality and have many leaves.[s]
15 So they proclaim that the Lord, my Protector,
is just and never unfair.[t]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 92:1 sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers.
  2. Psalm 92:1 tn Or “good.”
  3. Psalm 92:1 sn The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן ʿelyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
  4. Psalm 92:2 tn The words “it is fitting” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Verses 1-3 are actually one long sentence in the Hebrew text, but this has been divided up into two shorter sentences in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
  5. Psalm 92:4 tn Heb “the works of your hands.”
  6. Psalm 92:5 tn Heb “very deep [are] your thoughts.” God’s “thoughts” refer here to his moral design of the world, as outlined in vv. 6-15.
  7. Psalm 92:6 tn Heb “the brutish man does not know, and the fool does not understand this.” The adjective בַּעַר (baʿar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 49:10; 73:22; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).
  8. Psalm 92:7 tn Or “flourish.”
  9. Psalm 92:7 tn Heb “in order that they might be destroyed permanently.”sn God allows the wicked to prosper temporarily so that he might reveal his justice. When the wicked are annihilated, God demonstrates that wickedness does not pay off.
  10. Psalm 92:8 tn Heb “[are elevated] on high.”
  11. Psalm 92:9 tn Or “for.”
  12. Psalm 92:9 tn Or “for.”
  13. Psalm 92:10 sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).
  14. Psalm 92:10 tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotani; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”
  15. Psalm 92:11 tn Heb “my eye gazes upon my walls.” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2. The form שׁוּרָי shuray, “my walls”) should be emended to שׁוֹרְרָי (shoreray, “my foes” or perhaps “those who rebel against me” or “those who malign me”). See HALOT 1454 s.v. שׁוֹרֵר and also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
  16. Psalm 92:11 tn Heb “those who rise up against me, evil [foes], my ears hear.”
  17. Psalm 92:12 tn The singular is used in a representative sense, with the typical godly person being in view.
  18. Psalm 92:12 sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size.
  19. Psalm 92:14 tn Heb “they are juicy and fresh.”
  20. Psalm 92:15 tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the Lord, my rocky summit, and there is no injustice in him.”
Proverbs 11:23-30

23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.[a]
24 One person is generous[b] and yet grows more wealthy,[c]
but another withholds more than he should[d] and comes to poverty.[e]
25 A generous person[f] will be enriched,[g]
and the one who provides water[h] for others[i] will himself be satisfied.[j]
26 People will curse[k] the one who withholds grain,[l]
but they will praise[m] the one who sells it.[n]
27 The one who diligently seeks[o] good seeks favor,
but the one who searches for[p] evil—it will come to him.[q]
28 The one who trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous[r] will flourish like a green leaf.[s]
29 The one who troubles[t] his family[u] will inherit nothing,[v]
and the fool[w] will be a servant to the wise person.[x]
30 The fruit of the righteous is like[y] a tree producing life,[z]
and the one who wins souls[aa] is wise.[ab]

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:23 tc The MT reads עֶבְרָה (ʿevrah, “wrath”) implying that whatever the wicked hope it turns out that they receive wrath. The LXX reads ἀπολεῖται (apoleitai, “will perish”) which might reflect an underlying Hebrew of אָבְדָה (ʾavedah) “it has perished,” which is also attested in at least one Medieval manuscript. The difference involves two letters similar in sound, א and ע (ʾaleph and ʿayin), and two similar in appearance, ד and ר (dalet and resh). This would be similar to Prov 10:28, which uses the imperfect of the same root, “the expectation of the wicked perishes.”
  2. Proverbs 11:24 tn Heb “There is one who scatters.” The participle מְפַזֵּר (mefazzer, “one who scatters”) refers to charity rather than farming or investments (and is thus a hypocatastasis). Cf. CEV “become rich by being generous.”
  3. Proverbs 11:24 tn Heb “increases.” The verb means that he grows even more wealthy. This is a paradox: Generosity determines prosperity in God’s economy.
  4. Proverbs 11:24 tn Heb “more than what is right.” This one is not giving enough, but saving for himself.
  5. Proverbs 11:24 tn Heb “comes to lack.” The person who withholds will come to the diminishing of his wealth. The verse uses hyperbole to teach that giving to charity does not make anyone poor, and neither does refusal to give ensure prosperity.
  6. Proverbs 11:25 tn Heb “the soul of blessing.” The genitive functions attributively. “Blessing” refers to a gift (Gen 33:11) or a special favor (Josh 15:19). The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= soul) for the whole (= person); see BDB 660 s.v. 4.
  7. Proverbs 11:25 tn Heb “will grow fat.” Drawing on the standard comparison of fatness and abundance (Deut 32:15), the term means “become rich, prosperous.”
  8. Proverbs 11:25 tn The verb מַרְוֶה (marveh, “to be saturated; to drink one’s fill”) draws a comparison between providing water for others with providing for those in need (e.g., Jer 31:25; Lam 3:15). The kind act will be reciprocated.
  9. Proverbs 11:25 tn The phrase “for others” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the causative Hiphil verb which normally takes a direct object; it is elided in the Hebrew for the sake of emphasis. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
  10. Proverbs 11:25 tn This verb also means “to pour water,” and so continues the theme of the preceding participle: The one who gives refreshment to others will be refreshed. BDB 924 s.v. רָוָה lists the form יוֹרֶא (yoreʾ) as a Hophal imperfect of רָוָה (ravah) and translates it “will himself also be watered” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). HALOT notes that some manuscripts have יוֹרֶה (yoreh) and treats it as “an alternate form of I רָוָה” (see HALOT 436 s.v. II ירה). The editors of BHS cite the Syriac evidence and suggest the line should read “the one who curses will be cursed,” taking the verbs as forms of אָרַר (ʾarar, “to curse”).
  11. Proverbs 11:26 tn The direct object suffix on the verb picks up on the emphatic absolute phrase: “they will curse him—the one who withholds grain.”
  12. Proverbs 11:26 sn The proverb refers to a merchant who holds back his grain from the free market to raise prices when there is a great need for the produce. It is assumed that merchants are supposed to have a social conscience.
  13. Proverbs 11:26 tn Heb “but a blessing is for the head of the one who sells.” The parallelism with “curse” suggests that בְּרָכָה (berakhah) “blessing” means “praise.”
  14. Proverbs 11:26 tn Heb “for the head of the one who sells.” The term “head” functions as a synecdoche of part (= head) for the whole (= person). The head is here emphasized because it is the “crowning” point of praise. The direct object (“it”) is not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
  15. Proverbs 11:27 tn Two separate words are used here for “seek.” The first is שָׁחַר (shakhar, “to seek diligently”) and the second is בָּקַשׁ (baqash, “to seek after; to look for”). Whoever is seeking good is in effect seeking favor—from either God or man (e.g., Ps 5:12; Isa 49:8).
  16. Proverbs 11:27 tn The participle דֹּרֵשׁ (doresh) means “to seek; to inquire; to investigate.” A person generally receives the consequences of the kind of life he seeks.
  17. Proverbs 11:27 tn The verb is the imperfect tense, third feminine singular, referring to “evil,” the object of the participle.
  18. Proverbs 11:28 sn The implication from the parallelism is that the righteous do not trust in their own riches, but in the Lord.
  19. Proverbs 11:28 tn Heb “leafage” or “leaf” (cf. KJV “as a branch”); TEV “leaves of summer”; NLT “leaves in spring.” The simile of a leaf is a figure of prosperity and fertility throughout the ancient Near East.
  20. Proverbs 11:29 tn The verb עָכַר (ʿakhar, “to trouble”) refers to actions which make life difficult for one’s family (BDB 747 s.v.). He will be cut out of the family inheritance.
  21. Proverbs 11:29 tn Heb “his house.” The term בֵּית (bet, “house”) is a synecdoche of container (= house) for its contents (= family, household).
  22. Proverbs 11:29 tn Heb “the wind” (so KJV, NCV, NLT); NAB “empty air.” The word “wind” (רוּחַ, ruakh) refers to what cannot be grasped (Prov 27:16; Eccl 1:14, 17). The figure is a hypocatastasis, comparing wind to what he inherits—nothing he can put his hands on. Cf. CEV “won’t inherit a thing.”
  23. Proverbs 11:29 sn The “fool” here is the “troubler” of the first half. One who mismanages his affairs so badly so that there is nothing for the family may have to sell himself into slavery to the wise. The ideas of the two halves of the verse are complementary.
  24. Proverbs 11:29 tn Heb “the wise of mind.” The noun לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) functions as a genitive of specification: “wise in the mind” or “wise-minded.” Cf. “wisehearted” NASB; “wise of heart” ESV, NKJV. The term לֵב represents the person in this case (a synecdoche of part for the whole) because it is the seat of thinking and wisdom; see BDB 525 s.v. 7.
  25. Proverbs 11:30 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
  26. Proverbs 11:30 tn Heb “tree of life” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV). The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) is genitive of product. What the righteous produce (“fruit”) is like a tree of life—a long and healthy life as well as a life-giving influence and provision for others.
  27. Proverbs 11:30 tc The Leningrad Codex, one of the most authoritative witnesses to the Hebrew text, mistakenly vocalized ש as שׂ (sin) instead of שׁ (shin). The result, נְפָשׂוֹת (nefasot), is not a word. Early printed editions of the Masoretic Text, other medieval Hebrew mss, read correctly נְפָשׁוֹת (nefashot, “souls”).
  28. Proverbs 11:30 tc The MT reads חָכָם (khakham, “wise”) and seems to refer to capturing (לָקַח, laqakh; “to lay hold of; to seize; to capture”) people with influential ideas (e.g., 2 Sam 15:6). An alternate textual tradition reads חָמָס (khamas) “violent” (reflected in the LXX and Syriac) and refers to taking away lives: “but the one who takes away lives (= kills people) is violent” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV). The textual variant was caused by orthographic confusion of ס (samek) and כ (kaf), and metathesis of מ (mem) between the second and third consonants. If the parallelism is synonymous, the MT reading fits; if the parallelism is antithetical, the alternate tradition fits. See D. C. Snell, “‘Taking Souls’ in Proverbs 11:30, ” VT 33 (1083): 362-65.
Matthew 13:10-17

10 Then[a] the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 He replied,[b] “You have been given[c] the opportunity to know[d] the secrets[e] of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.[f] 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. 14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully[g] yet will never understand,
you will look closely[h] yet will never comprehend.
15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[i]

16 “But your eyes are blessed[j] because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth,[k] many prophets and righteous people longed to see[l] what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  2. Matthew 13:11 tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  3. Matthew 13:11 tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).
  4. Matthew 13:11 tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.
  5. Matthew 13:11 tn Grk “the mysteries.”sn The key term secrets (μυστήριον, mustērion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).
  6. Matthew 13:12 sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.
  7. Matthew 13:14 tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).
  8. Matthew 13:14 tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.
  9. Matthew 13:15 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.
  10. Matthew 13:16 sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.
  11. Matthew 13:17 tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amēn) I say to you.”
  12. Matthew 13:17 sn This is what past prophets and righteous people had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.
New English Translation (NET)

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