◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 130 (With you there is forgiveness); Genesis 45:16-28 (Pharaoh welcomes Jacob’s family); Matthew 8:1-13 (Jesus heals many people) (New English Translation)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 130

Psalm 130^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

130 From the deep water^[c] I cry out to you, O Lord.
²O Lord, listen to me.^[d]
Pay attention to^[e] my plea for mercy.
³If you, O Lord, were to keep track of^[f] sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you?^[g]
⁴But^[h] you are willing to forgive,^[i]
so that you might^[j] be honored.^[k]
⁵I rely on^[l] the Lord.
I rely on him with my whole being;^[m]
I wait for his assuring word.^[n]
⁶I yearn for the Lord,^[o]
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning.^[p]
⁷O Israel, hope in the Lord,
for the Lord exhibits loyal love,^[q]
and is more than willing to deliver.^[r]
⁸He will deliver^[s] Israel
from all their sins.^[t]

Footnotes

Psalm 130:1 sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.
Psalm 130:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
Psalm 130:1 tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.
Psalm 130:2 tn Heb “my voice.”
Psalm 130:2 tn Heb “may your ears be attentive to the voice of.”
Psalm 130:3 tn Heb “observe.”
Psalm 130:3 tn The words “before you” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist must be referring to standing before God’s judgment seat. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Or “surely.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Or “consequently you are.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Heb “feared.”
Psalm 130:5 tn Or “wait for.”
Psalm 130:5 tn Heb “my soul waits.”
Psalm 130:5 tn Heb “his word.”
Psalm 130:6 tn Heb “my soul for the master.”
Psalm 130:6 tn Heb “more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning.” The words “yes, more” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Psalm 130:7 tn Heb “for with the Lord [is] loyal love.”
Psalm 130:7 tn Heb “and abundantly with him [is] redemption.”
Psalm 130:8 tn Or “redeem.”
Psalm 130:8 tn Or “all the consequences of their sins.” The Hebrew noun עָוֹן (ʿavon) can refer to sin, the guilt sin produces, or the consequences of sin. Only here is the noun collocated with the verb פָּדָה (padah, “to redeem; to deliver”). The psalmist may refer to deliverance from the national consequences of sin or forgiveness per se (v. 4). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 192.

Genesis 45:16-28

¹⁶Now it was reported^[a] in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased^[b] Pharaoh and his servants. ¹⁷Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go^[c] to the land of Canaan! ¹⁸Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you^[d] the best land in Egypt and you will eat^[e] the best^[f] of the land.’ ¹⁹You are also commanded to say,^[g] ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come. ²⁰Don’t worry^[h] about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’”

²¹So the sons of Israel did as he said.^[i] Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed,^[j] and he gave them provisions for the journey. ²²He gave sets of clothes to each one of them,^[k] but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five sets of clothes.^[l] ²³To his father he sent the following:^[m] ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, food, and provisions for his father’s journey. ²⁴Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.”^[n]

²⁵So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.^[o] ²⁶They told him, “Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned,^[p] for he did not believe them. ²⁷But when they related to him everything Joseph had said to them,^[q] and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, their father Jacob’s spirit revived. ²⁸Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.”

Matthew 8:1-13

Cleansing a Leper

8 After he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. ²And a leper^[a] approached and bowed low before him,^[b] saying, “Lord, if^[c] you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³He stretched out his hand and touched^[d] him saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not speak to anyone,^[e] but go, show yourself to the priest, and bring the offering^[f] that Moses commanded,^[g] as a testimony to them.”^[h]

Healing the Centurion’s Servant

⁵When he entered Capernaum,^[i] a centurion^[j] came to him asking for help:^[k] ⁶“Lord,^[l] my servant^[m] is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible anguish.” ⁷Jesus^[n] said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸But the centurion replied,^[o] “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof! Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed. ⁹For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.^[p] I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes,^[q] and to another ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave^[r] ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”^[s] ¹⁰When^[t] Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth,^[u] I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel! ¹¹I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet^[v] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob^[w] in the kingdom of heaven, ¹²but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness,^[x] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^[y] ¹³Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; just as you believed, it will be done for you.” And the servant^[z] was healed at that hour.

Footnotes

Matthew 8:2 tn Grk “And behold, a leper.” 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).sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what is called leprosy today (Hansen’s disease). In the OT the Hebrew term generally referred to a number of exfoliative (scaly) skin diseases (when applied to humans). A person with one of these diseases was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46). In the NT the Greek term also refers to a number of skin diseases, but there is some evidence that true leprosy (Hansen’s disease) could be referred to, since that disease began to be described by Greek physicians in Alexandria, Egypt around 300 B.C. and thus might have been present in Judea and Galilee just before the time of Jesus.
Matthew 8:2 tn Grk “a leper approaching, bowed low before him”; or “a leper approaching, worshiped him.”
Matthew 8:2 tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
Matthew 8:3 sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 5:3; see also m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6-12).
Matthew 8:4 sn The command for silence was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 9:30; 12:16; 16:20, and 17:9 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence concerning him and his ministry.
Matthew 8:4 tn Grk “gift.”
Matthew 8:4 sn On the phrase bring the offering that Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
Matthew 8:4 tn Or “as an indictment against them.” The pronoun αὐτοῖς (autois) may be a dative of disadvantage. The antecedent of the pronoun is not specified and is not entirely clear, though it probably refers to a wider audience that just the priests to whom the Mosaic offering is brought.
Matthew 8:5 sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). In modern times the site was discovered in 1838 by the American explorer E. Robinson, and major excavations began in 1905 by German archaeologists H. Kohl and C. Watzinger. Not until 1968, however, were remains from the time of Jesus visible; in that year V. Corbo and S. Loffreda began a series of annual archaeological campaigns that lasted until 1985. This work uncovered what is thought to be the house of Simon Peter as well as ruins of the first century synagogue beneath the later synagogue from the fourth or fifth century A.D. Today gently rolling hills and date palms frame the first century site, a favorite tourist destination of visitors to the Galilee.
Matthew 8:5 sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions throughout the region may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like the apostle Paul did (cf. Acts 22:28).
Matthew 8:5 sn While in Matthew’s account the centurion came to him asking for help, Luke’s account (7:1-10) mentions that the centurion sent some Jewish elders as emissaries on his behalf.
Matthew 8:6 tn Grk “and saying, ‘Lord.’” The participle λέγων (legōn) at the beginning of v. 6 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
Matthew 8:6 tn The Greek term here is παῖς (pais), often used of a slave who was regarded with some degree of affection, possibly a personal servant. See L&N 87.77.
Matthew 8:7 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 8:8 tn Grk “But answering, the centurion replied.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant and has not been translated.
Matthew 8:9 tn Grk “having soldiers under me.”
Matthew 8:9 sn I say to this one ‘Go!’ and he goes. The illustrations highlight the view of authority the soldier sees in the word of one who has authority. Since the centurion was a commander of a hundred soldiers, he understood what it was both to command others and to be obeyed.
Matthew 8:9 tn 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. 1). 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.
Matthew 8:9 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Matthew 8:10 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 8:10 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Matthew 8:11 tn Grk “and recline [at a meal].” First century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. The phrase “share the banquet” has been used in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery. The banquet imagery is a way of describing the fellowship and celebration of participation with the people of God at the end. Cf. BDAG 65 s.v. ἀνακλίνω 2, “In transf. sense, of the Messianic banquet w. the idea dine in style (or some similar rendering, not simply ‘eat’ as NRSV) Mt 8:11; Lk 13:29.”
Matthew 8:11 tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob.” One καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
Matthew 8:12 tn The Greek term translated “darkness” (σκότος) is associated with Tartarus in Aeschylus, Eumenides 72; other references to the darkness of death and the underworld can be found throughout the classical literature as far back as Homer. BDAG 932 s.v. σκότος 1 states: “Of the darkness of the place of punishment far removed fr. the heavenly kingdom (Philo, Exsecr. 152 βαθὺ σκότος. Cp. Wsd 17:20; PsSol 14:9.—σκ. κ. βόρβορος ‘gloom and muck’ await those who are untrue to the Eleusinian Mysteries, Ael. Aristid. 22, 10 K.=19 p. 421 D. Of the darkness of death and the underworld in Hom. and the Trag. As the domain of evil spirits PGM 36, 138; Theoph. Ant. 2, 7 [p. 110, 5]) τὸ σκ. τὸ ἐξώτερον the darkness outside Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30.”sn Not to be missed here is the high irony that those who would be expected to participate in God’s eschatological kingdom (the sons of the kingdom) instead end up separated from God, experiencing remorse in the outer darkness.
Matthew 8:12 sn Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a figure for remorse and trauma, which occurs here because of exclusion from God’s promise.
Matthew 8:13 tc ‡ Most mss read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after “servant.” It is unlikely that the pronoun was accidentally overlooked by such diverse witnesses as א B 0250 0281 ƒ¹ 33 latt bo. More likely is the probability that Western, Byzantine, and some other scribes added the word for clarification (so C L N W Γ Δ Θ 0233 ƒ¹³ 565 579 700 1241 1424 M sy^h sa). NA²⁸ has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 130[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Cleansing a Leper

Healing the Centurion’s Servant

Footnotes

Psalm 130^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]