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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 77

Psalm 77^[a]

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.

77 I will cry out to God^[b] and call for help.
I will cry out to God and he will pay attention^[c] to me.
²In my time of trouble I sought^[d] the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night.^[e]
I^[f] refused to be comforted.
³I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.”^[g] (Selah)
⁴You held my eyelids open;^[h]
I was troubled and could not speak.^[i]
⁵I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times.^[j]
⁶I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening.^[k]
⁷I asked,^[l] “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
⁸Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise^[m] failed forever?
⁹Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?” (Selah)
¹⁰Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the Most High^[n] might become inactive.^[o]
¹¹I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.^[p]
¹²I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds.”
¹³^[q] O God, your deeds are extraordinary.^[r]
What god can compare to our great God?^[s]
¹⁴You are the God who does amazing things;
you have revealed your strength among the nations.
¹⁵You delivered^[t] your people by your strength^[u]—
the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
¹⁶The waters^[v] saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and trembled.^[w]
Yes, the depths of the sea^[x] shook with fear.^[y]
¹⁷The clouds poured down rain;^[z]
the skies thundered.^[aa]
Yes, your arrows^[ab] flashed about.
¹⁸Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning bolts lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.^[ac]
¹⁹You walked through the sea;^[ad]
you passed through the surging waters,^[ae]
but left no footprints.^[af]
²⁰You led your people like a flock of sheep,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes

Psalm 77:1 sn Psalm 77. The psalmist recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.
Psalm 77:1 tn Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qaraʾ, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.
Psalm 77:1 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. NEB, NIV). The psalmist expresses his confidence that God will respond to his prayer. This mood of confidence seems premature (see vv. 3-4), but v. 1 probably reflects the psalmist’s attitude at the end of the prayer (see vv. 13-20). Having opened with an affirmation of confidence, he then retraces how he gained confidence during his trial (see vv. 2-12).
Psalm 77:2 tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.
Psalm 77:2 tn Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.
Psalm 77:2 tn Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
Psalm 77:3 tn Heb “I will remember God and I will groan, I will reflect and my spirit will grow faint.” The first three verbs are cohortatives, the last a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The psalmist’s statement in v. 4 could be understood as concurrent with v. 1, or, more likely, as a quotation of what he had said earlier as he prayed to God (see v. 2). The words “I said” are supplied in the translation at the beginning of the verse to reflect this interpretation (see v. 10).
Psalm 77:4 tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).
Psalm 77:4 tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
Psalm 77:5 tn Heb “the years of antiquity.”
Psalm 77:6 tn Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.
Psalm 77:7 tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Psalm 77:8 tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).
Psalm 77:10 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.
Psalm 77:10 tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khalloti) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khaloti), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbחָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (sh^enot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.
Psalm 77:11 tn Heb “yes, I will remember from old your wonders.”sn The psalmist refuses to allow skepticism to win out. God has revealed himself to his people in tangible, incontrovertible ways in the past and the psalmist vows to remember the historical record as a source of hope for the future.
Psalm 77:13 sn Verses 13-20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11-12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).
Psalm 77:13 tn Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.
Psalm 77:13 tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”
Psalm 77:15 tn Or “redeemed.”
Psalm 77:15 tn Heb “with [your] arm.”
Psalm 77:16 tn The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.
Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
Psalm 77:16 tn The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “water.”
Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “a sound the clouds gave.”
Psalm 77:17 tn The lightning accompanying the storm is portrayed as the Lord’s “arrows” (see v. 18).
Psalm 77:18 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.sn Verses 16-18 depict the Lord coming in the storm to battle his enemies and subdue the sea. There is no record of such a storm in the historical account of the Red Sea crossing. The language the psalmist uses here is stereotypical and originates in Canaanite myth, where the storm god Baal subdues the sea in his quest for kingship. The psalmist has employed the stereotypical imagery to portray the exodus vividly and at the same time affirm that it is not Baal who subdues the sea, but Yahweh.
Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your footprints were not known.”

Proverbs 30:1-9

The Words of Agur^[a]

30 The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh; an oracle:^[b]
This^[c] man says^[d] to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ukal:^[e]
²Surely^[f] I am more brutish^[g] than any other human being,^[h]
and I do not have human understanding;^[i]
³I have not learned wisdom,
nor can^[j] I have knowledge^[k] of the Holy One.^[l]
⁴Who has ascended into heaven, and then descended?^[m]
Who has gathered up the winds in his fists?^[n]
Who has bound up the waters in his cloak?^[o]
Who has established all the ends of the earth?^[p]
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?^[q] Surely^[r] you can^[s] know!
⁵Every word of God is purified;^[t]
he is like^[u] a shield for those who take refuge in him.^[v]
⁶Do not add to his words,
lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar.^[w]
⁷Two things^[x] I have asked from you;^[y]
do not refuse me before I die:
⁸Remove falsehood and lies^[z] far from me;
do not give me poverty or riches,
feed me with my allotted portion^[aa] of bread,^[ab]
⁹lest I become satisfied and act deceptively^[ac]
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I become poor and steal
and demean^[ad] the name of my God.

Footnotes

Proverbs 30:1 sn This chapter has a title (30:1), Agur’s confession and petition (30:2-9), and a series of Agur’s admonitions (30:10-33).
Proverbs 30:1 tn The title הַמַּשָּׂא (hammassaʾ) means “the burden,” a frequently used title in prophetic oracles. It may be that the word is a place name, although it is more likely that it describes what follows as an important revelation.
Proverbs 30:1 tn The definite article is used here as a demonstrative, clarifying the reference to Agur.
Proverbs 30:1 sn The word translated “says” (נְאֻם, n^eʾum) is a verbal noun; it is also a term that describes an oracle. It is usually followed by the subjective genitive: “the oracle of this man to Ithiel.”
Proverbs 30:1 tn There have been numerous attempts to reinterpret the first two verses of the chapter. The Greek version translated the names “Ithiel” and “Ukal,” resulting in “I am weary, O God, I am weary and faint” (C. C. Torrey, “Proverbs Chapter 30,” JBL 73 [1954]: 93-96). The LXX’s approach is followed by some English versions (e.g., NRSV, NLT). The Midrash tried through a clever etymologizing translation to attribute the works to Solomon (explained by W. G. Plaut, Proverbs, 299). It is most likely that someone other than Solomon wrote these sayings; they have a different, almost non-proverbial, tone to them. See P. Franklyn, “The Sayings of Agur in Proverbs 30: Piety or Skepticism,” ZAW 95 (1983): 239-52.
Proverbs 30:2 tn The particle כִּי (ki) functions in an asseverative sense, “surely; indeed; truly” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449).
Proverbs 30:2 tn The noun בַּעַר (baʿar) means “brutishness”; here it functions as a predicate adjective. It is followed by מֵאִישׁ (meʾish) expressing comparative degree: “more than a man” or “more than any man,” with “man” used in a generic sense. He is saying that he has fallen beneath the level of mankind. Cf. NRSV “I am too stupid to be human.”
Proverbs 30:2 tn Heb “than man.” The verse is using hyperbole; this individual feels as if he has no intelligence at all, that he is more brutish than any other human. Of course this is not true, or he would not be able to speculate on the God of the universe at all. On the other hand he may simply be employing sarcasm. He says what others think, knowing that it is not true.
Proverbs 30:2 tn Heb “the understanding of a man,” with “man” used attributively here.
Proverbs 30:3 tn The verb אֵדָע (ʾedaʿ) is the imperfect form of the stative verb יָדָע (yadaʿ) “to know.” The imperfect form of a stative verb should be understood as future or modal and is translated here as an abilitive modal. By using a perfect verb for past time in the first half and in imperfect form in the second half, the verb is strongly negative, denying both learning in the past and the possibility of learning in the future.
Proverbs 30:3 sn The construction uses repetition to make the point emphatically: “I do not know the knowledge of the Holy One.” Agur’s claim to being “brutish” is here clarified—he is not one of those who has knowledge or understanding of God. C. H. Toy thinks the speaker is being sarcastic in reference to others who may have claimed such knowledge (Proverbs [ICC], 521).
Proverbs 30:3 tn The epithet “the Holy One” is the adjective “holy” put in the masculine plural (as in 9:10). This will harmonize with the plural of majesty used to explain the plural with titles for God. However, NRSV takes the plural as a reference to the “holy ones,” presumably referring to angelic beings.
Proverbs 30:4 sn To make his point Agur includes five questions. These, like Job 38-41, or Proverbs 8:24-29, focus on the divine acts to show that it is absurd for a mere mortal to think that he can explain God’s work or compare himself to God. These questions display mankind’s limitations and God’s incomparable nature. The first question could be open to include humans, but may refer to God alone (as the other questions do).
Proverbs 30:4 sn The questions are filled with anthropomorphic language. The questioner is asking what humans have ever done this, but the meaning is that only God has done this. “Gathering the wind in his fists” is a way of expressing absolute sovereign control over the forces of nature.
Proverbs 30:4 sn The question is comparing the clouds of the heavens to garments (e.g., Job 26:8). T. T. Perowne writes, “Men bind up water in skins or bottles; God binds up the rain-floods in the thin, gauzy texture of the changing clouds, which yet by his power does not rend under its burden of waters.”
Proverbs 30:4 sn The ends of the earth is an expression often used in scripture as a metonymy of subject referring to the people who live in the ends of the earth, the far off and remote lands and islands. While that is possible here as well, this may simply be a synecdoche saying that God created the whole world, even the most remote and distant places.
Proverbs 30:4 sn The reference to “son” in this passage has prompted many suggestions down through the years: It was identified as Israel in the Jewish Midrashim, the Logos or demiurge by some of the philosophers and allegorical writers, as simple poetic parallelism without a separate identity by some critical scholars, and as Jesus by Christian commentators. Parallels with Ugaritic are interesting because Baal is referred to as a son, but that is bound up within the pantheon where there was a father god. Some of the Jewish commentators exhibit a strange logic in expressing what Christians would say is only their blindness to the full revelation: There is little cogency in this being a reference to Jesus because if there had been such a person at any time in the past he would have left some tradition about it through his descendants (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 317). But Judaism has taught from the earliest times that Messiah was preexistent (especially in view of Micah 5 and Daniel 7); and the claims of Jesus in the Gospels bear this out. It seems best to say that there is a hint here of the nature of the Messiah as Son, a hint that will later be revealed in full through the incarnation.
Proverbs 30:4 tn The particle כִּי (ki) functions in an asseverative sense, “surely; indeed; truly” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449). The statement appears sarcastic, suggesting that verses 2-3 are also sarcastic.
Proverbs 30:4 tn The verb תֵדָע (tedaʿ) is the imperfect form of the stative verb יָדָע (yadaʿ) “to know.” The imperfect form of a stative verb should be understood as future or modal and is translated here as an abilitive modal.
Proverbs 30:5 sn The text here uses an implied comparison (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis): It compares the perfection of every word from God with some precious metal that has been refined and purified (e.g., Ps 12:6). The point is that God’s word is trustworthy; it has no defects and flaws, nothing false or misleading. The second half of the verse explains the significance of this point—it is safe to trust the Lord.
Proverbs 30:5 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
Proverbs 30:5 sn The line uses two more figures of speech to declare that God can be trusted for security and salvation. “Shield” is a simple metaphor—God protects. “Take refuge” is another implied comparison (hypocatastasis)—God provides spiritual rest and security for those who put their trust in him.
Proverbs 30:6 tn The form of the verb is a Niphal perfect tense with a vav consecutive from the root כָּזַב (kazav, “to lie”). In this stem it has the ideas of “been made deceptive,” or “shown to be false” or “proved to be a liar.” One who adds to or changes the word of the Lord will be seen as a liar.
Proverbs 30:7 sn Wisdom literature often groups things in twos and fours, or in other numerical arrangements (e.g., Amos 1:3-2:6; Job 5:19; Prov 6:16-19).
Proverbs 30:7 tn Assuming that the contents of vv. 7-9 are a prayer, several English versions have supplied a vocative phrase: “O Lord” (NIV); “O God” (NLT); others have supplied a similar phrase without the vocative “O”: NCV, CEV “Lord”; TEV “God.”
Proverbs 30:8 tn The two words might form a hendiadys: “falsehood and lies” being equivalent to “complete deception.” The word שָׁוְא (shavʾ) means “false; empty; vain; to a false purpose.” The second word means “word of lying,” thus “a lying word.” Taken separately they might refer to false intentions and false words.
Proverbs 30:8 tn The word חֹק (khoq) means “statute”; it is also used of a definite assignment in labor (Exod 5:14; Prov 31:15), or of a set portion of food (Gen 47:22). Here it refers to food that is the proper proportion for the speaker.
Proverbs 30:8 sn Agur requested an honest life (not deceitful) and a balanced life (not self-sufficient). The second request about his provision is clarified in v. 9.
Proverbs 30:9 tn The verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash) means “to be disappointing; to deceive; to fail; to grow lean.” In the Piel stem it means “to deceive; to act deceptively; to cringe; to disappoint.” The idea of acting deceptively is illustrated in Hos 9:2 where it has the connotation of “disowning” or “refusing to acknowledge” (a meaning very close to its meaning here).
Proverbs 30:9 tn The Hebrew verb literally means “to take hold of; to seize”; this produces the idea of doing violence to the reputation of God.

Matthew 4:1-11

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness^[a] to be tempted by the devil. ²After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished.^[b] ³The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”^[c] ⁴But he answered,^[d] “It is written, ‘Man^[e] does not live^[f] by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”^[g] ⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city,^[h] had him stand^[i] on the highest point^[j] of the temple, ⁶and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’^[k] and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”^[l] ⁷Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’”^[m] ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur.^[n] ⁹And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship^[o] me.” ¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, “Go away,^[p] Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”^[q] ¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels^[r] came and began ministering to his needs.

Footnotes

Matthew 4:1 tn Or “desert.”sn The Judean Wilderness (or Judean Desert) is a geographical feature extending from the mountains of Judea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. It is a relatively small desert, covering only about 600 square miles (roughly 1,500 square km). The Judean Wilderness is characterized by breathtaking panoramas: mountains, cliffs, chalk hills, and plateaus are interrupted by riverbeds and canyons, some of which are up to 1,500 feet (500 m) deep. Some of the rivers are seasonal streams and some have water all year round. The tall cliffs on the eastern edge of the desert reach a height of 1,000 feet (300 m) above the shore of the Dead Sea. The Judean Wilderness is close to Jerusalem and sparsely populated with few settlements around its edges. It is known for its rugged and desolate landscape, which has provided a refuge and hiding place for rebels and zealots throughout history, as well as solitude for monks and hermits.
Matthew 4:2 tn Grk “and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry.”
Matthew 4:3 tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”
Matthew 4:4 tn Grk “answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.
Matthew 4:4 tn Or “a person.” Greek ὁ ἄνθρωπος (ho anthrōpos) is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.
Matthew 4:4 tn Grk “will not live.” The verb in Greek is a future tense, but it is unclear whether it is meant to be taken as a command (also known as an imperatival future) or as a statement of reality (predictive future).
Matthew 4:4 sn A quotation from Deut 8:3.
Matthew 4:5 sn The order of the second and third temptations are reversed in Luke’s account (4:5-12) from the order given in Matthew. Scholars differ on which account represents the original order of the temptations, but it seems likely that whichever is original, the other was changed by the author of that gospel for literary reasons.
Matthew 4:5 tn Grk “and he stood him.”
Matthew 4:5 sn What the highest point of the temple refers to is unclear. Perhaps the most popular suggestion is that the word refers to the point on the temple’s southeast corner where it looms directly over a cliff some 450 ft (135 m) high. Others have suggested the reference could be to the roof of the temple or a projection of the roof; still others see a reference to the lintel of the temple’s high gate, or a tower in the temple courts. The Greek word itself could be literally translated “winglet” (a diminutive of the Greek word for “wing”) which may have been chosen as a wordplay on the reference to safety under the “wings” of God in Ps 91:4, the same psalm quoted by the devil in the following verse.
Matthew 4:6 sn A quotation from Ps 91:11. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage). Ps 91 addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger. As Jesus points out in his reply, however, this protection does not extend to cases where the intent is to put the Lord to the test.
Matthew 4:6 sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.
Matthew 4:7 sn A quotation from Deut 6:16.
Matthew 4:8 tn Grk “glory.”
Matthew 4:9 tn Grk “if, falling down, you will worship.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
Matthew 4:10 tc The majority of witnesses (C² D L Z Γ 33 1241 1424 M) have “behind me” (ὀπίσω μου; opisō mou) after “Go away.” But since this is the wording in Matt 16:23, where the text is certain, scribes most likely added the words here to conform to the later passage. Further, the shorter reading has superior support (א B C*^vid K P W Δ 0233 ƒ^{1, 13} 565 579* 700). Thus, both externally and internally, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.
Matthew 4:10 sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion in the Greek text of the NT not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.
Matthew 4:11 tn Grk “and behold, angels.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 77[a]

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.

Footnotes

The Words of Agur[a]

Footnotes

The Temptation of Jesus

Footnotes

Psalm 77^[a]

The Words of Agur^[a]