◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 102:1-17 (Prayer for deliverance); Proverbs 3:13-18 (God the truth and life); John 8:31-38 (Jesus the truth of God) (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 102:1-17

Psalm 102^[a]

The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.

102 O Lord, hear my prayer.
Pay attention to my cry for help.^[b]
²Do not ignore me in my time of trouble.^[c]
Listen to me.^[d]
When I call out to you, quickly answer me.
³For my days go up in smoke,^[e]
and my bones are charred as in a fireplace.^[f]
⁴My heart is parched^[g] and withered like grass,
for I am unable^[h] to eat food.^[i]
⁵Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin.^[j]
⁶I am like an owl^[k] in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl^[l] among the ruins.^[m]
⁷I stay awake;^[n]
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
⁸All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses.^[o]
⁹For I eat ashes as if they were bread,^[p]
and mix my drink with my tears,^[q]
¹⁰because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed,^[r] you pick me up and throw me away.
¹¹My days are coming to an end,^[s]
and I am withered like grass.
¹²But you, O Lord, rule forever,^[t]
and your reputation endures.^[u]
¹³You will rise up and have compassion on Zion.^[v]
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
¹⁴Indeed,^[w] your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for^[x] the dust of her ruins.^[y]
¹⁵The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord,^[z]
and all the kings of the earth will respect^[aa] his splendor,
¹⁶when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
¹⁷when he responds to the prayer of the destitute,^[ab]
and does not reject^[ac] their request.^[ad]

Footnotes

Psalm 102:1 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
Psalm 102:1 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
Psalm 102:2 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
Psalm 102:2 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
Psalm 102:3 tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
Psalm 102:3 tn The Hebrew noun קֵד (qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
Psalm 102:4 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
Psalm 102:4 tn Heb “I forget.”
Psalm 102:4 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
Psalm 102:5 tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated—he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
Psalm 102:6 tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qaʾat) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).
Psalm 102:6 tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).
Psalm 102:6 sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.
Psalm 102:7 tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the Lord (see vv. 1-2).
Psalm 102:8 tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
Psalm 102:9 sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).
Psalm 102:9 tn Heb “weeping.”
Psalm 102:10 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 102:11 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
Psalm 102:12 tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
Psalm 102:12 tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
Psalm 102:13 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
Psalm 102:14 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 102:14 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
Psalm 102:14 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
Psalm 102:15 tn Heb “will fear the name of the Lord.” To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).
Psalm 102:15 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
Psalm 102:17 tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (ʿarar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
Psalm 102:17 tn Heb “despise.”
Psalm 102:17 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.

Proverbs 3:13-18

Blessings of Obtaining Wisdom

¹³Blessed^[a] is the one^[b] who has found^[c] wisdom,
and the one who obtains^[d] understanding.
¹⁴For her^[e] benefit^[f] is more profitable^[g] than silver,
and her^[h] gain^[i] is better^[j] than gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than rubies,
and none of the things you desire can compare^[k] with her.^[l]
¹⁶Long life^[m] is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷Her ways are very pleasant,^[n]
and all her paths are peaceful.
¹⁸She is like^[o] a tree of life^[p] to those who grasp onto her,
and everyone who takes hold of her will be blessed.^[q]

Footnotes

Proverbs 3:13 tn Although the word אַשְׁרֵי (ʾashre, “blessed”) is frequently translated “happy” here (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT), such a translation can be somewhat misleading. The core meaning of the word conveys “benefit” or “advantage,” sometimes meaning security. Though feeling glad about the benefit is often in view, “happy” is too narrow a translation. For example, Job 5:17 says the one whom God corrects is אַשְׁרֵי. Clearly the correction is a benefit; less clearly does it prompt inner happiness. On the other hand “blessed” should not be confused with בָּרַךְ (barakh) “to bless,” used in pronouncing blessings.
Proverbs 3:13 tn Heb “the man” (also again in the following line).
Proverbs 3:13 tn The verb מָצָא (matsaʾ) is a dynamic root in the perfect conjugation, best represented here by the English perfect “has found.” The formula with אַשְׁרֵי (ʾashre, “blessed”) most commonly uses the imperfect or participle for future or present activities. The perfect identifies an action in the past with continuing results. The present focus of the continuing results is sufficient to be in parallel with the following imperfect verb, which may be understood as present or future. The blessings, or benefits, that accrue to someone who has found wisdom are identified in the following verses.
Proverbs 3:13 tn The precise meaning of the word פּוּק (puq) is unclear. It occurs only 7 times in the Bible and the meanings of cognates in other languages are disputed. It involves “obtaining” as is clear from its parallelism with מָצָא (matsaʾ; “to find”) here and elsewhere. But it is not clear whether it considers the process of obtaining or just the final achievement of obtaining (compare getting a wife in Prov 18:22). The lexical meaning affects one’s understanding of the imperfect form of the verb. If its lexical meaning focuses on the achievement, then it should probably be understood as future. This would work with the perfect verb in the first line to include those who will yet pursue and obtain understanding in receiving the benefits of wisdom. It could also be understood as a general present. If the lexical meaning includes the process of obtaining, that opens the possibilities of using the imperfect tense for progressive or habitual meaning.
Proverbs 3:14 tn Heb “her profit.” The third person feminine singular suffix on the noun is probably a genitive of source: “from her.”
Proverbs 3:14 tn Heb “profit.” The noun סַחַר (sakhar, “trading profit”) often refers to the financial profit of traveling merchants (Isa 23:3, 18; 45:14; HALOT 750 s.v.). The related participle describes a traveling “trader, dealer, wholesaler, merchant” (e.g., Gen 37:28; Prov 31:14; Isa 23:2; Ezek 27:36; HALOT 750 s.v. סחר qal.2). Here the noun is used figuratively to describe the moral benefit of wisdom.
Proverbs 3:14 tn The noun סַחַר (“profit”) is repeated in this line for emphasis. The two usages draw upon slightly different nuances, creating a polysemantic wordplay. The moral “benefit” of wisdom is more “profitable” than silver.
Proverbs 3:14 tn Heb “her yield.” The third person feminine singular suffix on the noun is probably a genitive of source: “from her.”
Proverbs 3:14 tn Heb “yield.” The noun תְּבוּאָה (t^evuʾah, “product; yield”) is normally used of crops and harvests (BDB 100 s.v. 1). Here it is figurative for the moral benefit of wisdom (BDB 100 s.v. 2.b).
Proverbs 3:14 tn The phrase “is better” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
Proverbs 3:15 tn The imperfect verb from יָסַד (yasad, “to establish be like; to resemble”) has a modal nuance here: “can [not] compare with.”
Proverbs 3:15 tn Heb “All of your delights cannot compare with her.”
Proverbs 3:16 tn Heb “length of days” (so KJV, ASV).
Proverbs 3:17 tn Heb “her ways are ways of pleasantness” (so KJV, NRSV). The present translation contracts this expression for the sake of smoothness. The plural of דֶרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) is repeated for emphasis. The noun נֹעַם (noʿam, “pleasantness”) functions as an attributive genitive: “pleasant ways.”
Proverbs 3:18 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor.
Proverbs 3:18 sn The metaphor compares wisdom to the symbol of vitality and fullness of life. This might be an allusion to Gen 3:22, suggesting that what was lost as a result of the Fall may be recovered through wisdom: long and beneficial life (R. Marcus, “The Tree of Life in Proverbs,” JBL 62 [1943]: 117-20).
Proverbs 3:18 tn The singular participle מְאֻשָּׁר (m^eʾushar, literally, “he will be blessed”) functions as a distributive singular for a plural subject (GKC 464 §145.l): “each and everyone will be blessed.” Not recognizing this point of syntax, the BHS editors unnecessarily suggest emending this singular form to the plural.

John 8:31-38

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

³¹Then Jesus said to those Judeans^[a] who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching,^[b] you are really^[c] my disciples ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^[d] ³³“We are descendants^[e] of Abraham,” they replied,^[f] “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say,^[g] ‘You will become free’?” ³⁴Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth,^[h] everyone who practices^[i] sin is a slave^[j] of sin. ³⁵The slave does not remain in the family^[k] forever, but the son remains forever.^[l] ³⁶So if the son^[m] sets you free, you will be really free. ³⁷I know that you are Abraham’s descendants.^[n] But you want^[o] to kill me, because my teaching^[p] makes no progress among you.^[q] ³⁸I am telling you the things I have seen while with the^[r] Father;^[s] as for you,^[t] practice the things you have heard from the^[u] Father!”

Footnotes

John 8:31 tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).
John 8:31 tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”
John 8:31 tn Or “truly.”
John 8:32 tn Or “the truth will release you.” The translation “set you free” or “release you” (unlike the more traditional “make you free”) conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea.sn The statement the truth will set you free is often taken as referring to truth in the philosophical (or absolute) sense, or in the intellectual sense, or even (as the Jews apparently took it) in the political sense. In the context of John’s Gospel (particularly in light of the prologue) this must refer to truth about the person and work of Jesus. It is saving truth. As L. Morris says, “it is the truth which saves men from the darkness of sin, not that which saves them from the darkness of error (though there is a sense in which men in Christ are delivered from gross error)” (John [NICNT], 457).
John 8:33 tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).
John 8:33 tn Grk “They answered to him.”
John 8:33 tn Or “How is it that you say.”
John 8:34 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 8:34 tn Or “who commits.” This could simply be translated, “everyone who sins,” but the Greek is more emphatic, using the participle ποιῶν (poiōn) in a construction with πᾶς (pas), a typical Johannine construction. Here repeated, continuous action is in view. The one whose lifestyle is characterized by repeated, continuous sin is a slave to sin. That one is not free; sin has enslaved him. To break free from this bondage requires outside (divine) intervention. Although the statement is true at the general level (the person who continually practices a lifestyle of sin is enslaved to sin) the particular sin of the Jewish authorities, repeatedly emphasized in the Fourth Gospel, is the sin of unbelief. The present tense in this instance looks at the continuing refusal on the part of the Jewish leaders to acknowledge who Jesus is, in spite of mounting evidence.
John 8:34 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
John 8:35 tn Or “household.” The Greek work οἰκία (oikia) can denote the family as consisting of relatives by both descent and marriage, as well as slaves and servants, living in the same house (more the concept of an “extended family”).
John 8:35 sn Jesus’ point is that while a slave may be part of a family or household, the slave is not guaranteed a permanent place there, while a son, as a descendant or blood relative, will always be guaranteed a place in the family (remains forever).
John 8:36 tn Or “Son.” The question is whether “son” is to be understood as a direct reference to Jesus himself, or as an indirect reference (a continuation of the generic illustration begun in the previous verse).
John 8:37 tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).
John 8:37 tn Grk “you are seeking.”
John 8:37 tn Grk “my word.”
John 8:37 tn Or “finds no place in you.” The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus’ teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.
John 8:38 tc The first person pronoun μου (mou, “my”) may be implied, especially if ὑμῶν (humōn, “your”) follows the second mention of “father” in this verse (as it does in the majority of mss); no doubt this implication gave rise to the reading μου found in most witnesses (א D Θ Ψ 0250 ƒ^1,13 33 M it sy). No pronoun here is read by P^66,75 B C L 070. This problem cannot be isolated from the second in the verse, however. See that discussion below.
John 8:38 tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
John 8:38 tn Grk “and you.”
John 8:38 tc A few significant witnesses lack ὑμῶν (humōn, “your”) here (P^66,75 B L W 070), while the majority have the pronoun (א C D Θ Ψ 0250 ƒ^1,13 33 565 892 M al lat sy). However, these mss do not agree on the placement of the pronoun: τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ποιεῖτε (tou patros humōn poieite), τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν (tō patri humōn), and τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ταῦτα (tō patri humōn tauta) all occur. If the pronoun is read, then the devil is in view and the text should be translated as “you are practicing the things you have heard from your father.” If it is not read, then the same Father mentioned in the first part of the verse is in view. In this case, ποιεῖτε should be taken as an imperative: “you [must] practice the things you have heard from the Father.” The omission is decidedly the harder reading, both because the contrast between God and the devil is now delayed until v. 41, and because ποιεῖτε could be read as an indicative, especially since the two clauses are joined by καί (kai, “and”). Thus, the pronoun looks to be a motivated reading. In light of the better external and internal evidence the omission is preferred.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 102[a]

The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.

Footnotes

Blessings of Obtaining Wisdom

Footnotes

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

Footnotes

Psalm 102^[a]