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June 19, 2023

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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 126

Psalm 126^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

126 When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion,^[c]
we thought we were dreaming.^[d]
²At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy.^[e]
At that time the nations said,^[f]
“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
³The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.
We were happy.
⁴O Lord, restore our well-being,
just as the streams in the arid south are replenished.^[g]
⁵Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest.^[h]
⁶The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag^[i] of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain.^[j]

Footnotes

Psalm 126:1 sn Psalm 126. Recalling the joy of past deliverance, God’s covenant community asks for a fresh display of God’s power and confidently anticipate their sorrow being transformed into joy.
Psalm 126:1 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 126:1 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] Zion.” The Hebrew noun שִׁיבַת (shivat) occurs only here in the OT. For this reason many prefer to emend the form to the more common שְׁבִית (sh^evit) or שְׁבוּת (sh^evut), both of which are used as a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv; see Ps 14:7). However an Aramaic cognate of שְׁבִית appears in an eighth century b.c. Old Aramaic inscription with the verb שׁוּב. This cognate noun appears to mean “return” (see J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Treaties of Sefire [BibOr], 119-20) or “restoration” (see DNWSI 2:1125). Therefore it appears that שְׁבִית should be retained and understood as a cognate accusative of שׁוּב. In addition to Fitzmyer (119-20) see L. C. Allen, who offers the literal translation, “turn with a turning toward” (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 170). Allen takes שְׁבִית as construct and understands “Zion” as an objective genitive.
Psalm 126:1 tn Heb “we were like dreamers.” This could mean the speakers were so overcome with ecstatic joy (see v. 3b) that they were like those who fantasize about pleasurable experiences in their sleep (see Isa 29:7-8). Since dreams are more commonly associated in the OT with prophetic visions, the community may be comparing their experience of God’s renewed favor to a prophet’s receiving divine visions. Just as a prophetic dream sweeps the individual into a different dimension and sometimes brings one face-to-face with God himself (see Gen 28:11-15; 1 Kgs 3:5-15), so the community was aware of God’s presence in a special way in the day of Zion’s restoration. Though the MT as it stands makes good sense, some choose to understand a homonymic root here meaning “to be healthy; to be strong” (see BDB 321 s.v. I חָלַם) and translate, “we were like those restored to health.” This reading appears to have the support of several ancient translations as well as 11QPs^a. See L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 170-71) for a discussion of the viewpoints.
Psalm 126:2 tn Heb “then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with a shout.”
Psalm 126:2 tn Heb “they said among the nations.”
Psalm 126:4 tn Heb “like the streams in the Negev.”sn The streams in the arid south. Y. Aharoni writes of the streams in the Negev: “These usually dry wadis collect water on rainy days from vast areas. The situation is also aggravated by floods from the desert mountains and southern Judah. For a day or two or, more frequently, for only a few hours they turn into dangerous torrents” (Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 26). God’s people were experiencing a “dry season” after a time of past blessing; they pray here for a “flash flood” of his renewed blessing. This does not imply that they are requesting only a brief display of God’s blessing. Rather the point of comparison is the suddenness with which the wadis swell during a rain, as well as the depth and power of these raging waters. The community desires a sudden display of divine favor in which God overwhelms them with blessings.
Psalm 126:5 sn O. Borowski says regarding this passage: “The dependence on rain for watering plants, the uncertainty of the quantity and timing of the rains, and the possibility of crop failure due to pests and diseases appear to have kept the farmer in a gloomy mood during sowing” (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 54). Perhaps the people were experiencing a literal drought, the effects of which cause them to lament their plight as they plant their seed in hopes that the rain would come. However, most take the language as metaphorical. Like a farmer sowing his seed, the covenant community was enduring hardship as they waited for a new outpouring of divine blessing. Yet they are confident that a time of restoration will come and relieve their anxiety, just as the harvest brings relief and joy to the farmer.
Psalm 126:6 tn The noun occurs only here and in Job 28:18 in the OT. See HALOT 646 s.v. I מֶשֶׁךְ which gives “leather pouch” as the meaning.
Psalm 126:6 tn The Hebrew noun אֲלֻמָּה (ʾalummah, “sheaf”) occurs only here and in Gen 37:7 in the OT.sn Verse 6 expands the image of v. 5. See the note on the word “harvest” there.

Genesis 23:1-19

The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived 127 years.^[a] ²Then she^[b] died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.^[c]

³Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife^[d] and said to the sons of Heth,^[e] ⁴“I am a foreign resident, a temporary settler,^[f] among you. Grant^[g] me ownership^[h] of a burial site among you so that I may^[i] bury my dead.”^[j]

⁵The sons of Heth answered Abraham,^[k] ⁶“Listen, sir,^[l] you are a mighty prince^[m] among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you^[n] from burying your dead.”

⁷Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people,^[o] the sons of Heth. ⁸Then he said to them, “If you agree^[p] that I may bury my dead,^[q] then hear me out.^[r] Ask^[s] Ephron the son of Zohar ⁹if he will sell^[t] me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly^[u] for the full price,^[v] so that I may own it as a burial site.”

¹⁰(Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hittite^[w] replied to Abraham in the hearing^[x] of the sons of Heth—before all who entered the gate^[y] of his city— ¹¹“No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell^[z] you both the field and the cave that is in it.^[aa] In the presence of my people^[ab] I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”

¹²Abraham bowed before the local people ¹³and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay^[ac] to you the price^[ad] of the field. Take it from me so that I may^[ae] bury my dead there.”

¹⁴Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, ¹⁵“Hear me, my lord. The land is worth^[af] 400 pieces of silver,^[ag] but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

¹⁶So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price^[ah] and weighed out^[ai] for him^[aj] the price^[ak] that Ephron had quoted^[al] in the hearing of the sons of Heth—400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time.^[am]

¹⁷So Abraham secured^[an] Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, ¹⁸as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city.^[ao]

¹⁹After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

Footnotes

Genesis 23:1 tn Heb “And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”
Genesis 23:2 tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:2 sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).
Genesis 23:3 tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”
Genesis 23:3 tn Heb “sons of Heth,” the gentilic of which is הִתִּי (hitti) “Hittites.” Some translations use “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20). But these people were not the classical Hittites of Anatolia (in Asia Minor, modern Turkey). These sons of Heth are apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15). See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World 152-53. But cf. also V. Hamilton, Genesis 18-50 (NICOT), 126-128.
Genesis 23:4 tn Heb “a resident foreigner (גֵּר; ger) and an immigrant (תּוֹשָׁב; toshav).” The term גֵּר (ger) refers to a foreign resident, but with different social implications in different settings. The Patriarchs were foreign, temporary residents in parts of Canaan, who abided by the claims of local authorities (see Gen 20, 23, 26). The noun toshav (תּוֹשָׁב) is less common. Under Mosaic Law it refers to someone of lesser standing than a resident foreigner (גֵּר; ger) since the ger had given full covenantal allegiance to the Lord. While not referring to a citizen, the precise nuance of toshav as an immigrant, resident, or (temporary) settler, is not clear. But in this case it may be a case of hendiadys, where the two terms together mean “an alien resident.”
Genesis 23:4 tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.
Genesis 23:4 tn Or “possession.”
Genesis 23:4 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.
Genesis 23:4 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:5 tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”
Genesis 23:6 tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”
Genesis 23:6 tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasiʾ ʾelohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.
Genesis 23:6 tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:7 tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).
Genesis 23:8 tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).
Genesis 23:8 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:8 tn Or “hear me.”
Genesis 23:8 tn Heb “intercede for me with.”
Genesis 23:9 tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.
Genesis 23:9 tn Heb “in your presence.”
Genesis 23:9 tn Heb “full silver.”
Genesis 23:10 tn The Hebrew term is “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.
Genesis 23:10 tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.
Genesis 23:10 sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.
Genesis 23:11 tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.
Genesis 23:11 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:11 tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”
Genesis 23:13 tn Heb “give.”
Genesis 23:13 tn Heb “silver.”
Genesis 23:13 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.
Genesis 23:15 tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:15 sn 400 pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”
Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”
Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “silver.”
Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.
Genesis 23:17 tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 23:18 tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23, ” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5

3 So when we could bear it no longer, we decided to stay on in Athens alone. ²We^[a] sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God^[b] in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, ³so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. ⁴For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know.^[c] ⁵So^[d] when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless.

Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 3:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
1 Thessalonians 3:2 tc A variety of readings occurs in this verse. Instead of “and fellow worker for God” (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, kai sunergon tou theou), B and 1962 have “and fellow worker” (καὶ συνεργόν); א A P Ψ 0278 6 81 629* 1241 1739 1881 2464 lat co read “and servant of God” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ, kai diakonon tou theou); D² 1505 M al and a few versional witnesses read “and a servant of God and our fellow worker” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ συνεργὸν ἡμῶν); and F G have “servant and fellow worker for God” (διάκονον καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ). The reading of the text (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ) is found in D* 33 b d m o Ambst Pel. It may be argued that all readings that do not collocate συνεργόν with θεοῦ are secondary, as this is certainly the harder reading. Indeed, in only one other place in the NT are human beings said to be συνεργοὶ θεοῦ (sunergoi theou; 1 Cor 3:9), and the simplest (though by no means the only) interpretation is that the genitive should be taken associatively (“a fellow worker in association with God”). It is difficult to account for συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ here unless it is authentic because of the theological difficulty that would be easily seen in this wording. (However, the text in 1 Cor 3:9 is solid [Χριστοῦ(Christou) is found in 2400, a thirteenth-century minuscule; no other variants are known]. This gives some pause to attributing theological difficulty as a cause for scribal alteration in our passage.) A genealogy of the readings suggests that various scribes may have deleted τοῦ θεοῦ or swapped διάκονον for συνεργόν to remove the offense. The readings of the Byzantine text and two Western mss (F G) appear to be conflations of earlier readings, but the reading of F G nevertheless indirectly supports καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ since it does not remove the offense. Although the witnesses for καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ are minimal, the internal evidence is quite strong in favor of this reading. With hesitation, it is adopted as authentic.tn Although 1 Thess 3:2 is frequently understood to mean that Timothy is “God’s fellow worker,” such a view assumes that the genitive θεοῦ (theou) is associative for it is related to συνεργόν (sunergon). However, a genitive of association is not required by the syntax (cf. ExSyn 130), and it almost certainly is contrary to Paul’s theological outlook. See sn at 1 Cor 3:9.
1 Thessalonians 3:4 tn Grk “just as it also occurred and you know.”
1 Thessalonians 3:5 tn Or “for this reason.”

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 126[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

Footnotes

The Death of Sarah

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 126^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]