◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 126 (God does great things for us); Habakkuk 3:13-19 (God’s devastation God’s deliverance); Matthew 21:28-32 (Resistance to God in the present generation) (New English Translation)

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December 16, 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.

Habakkuk 3:13-19

¹³You march out to deliver your people,
to deliver your special servant.^[a]
You strike the leader of the wicked nation,^[b]
laying him open from the lower body to the neck.^[c] Selah.
¹⁴You pierce the heads of his warriors^[d] with a spear.^[e]
They storm forward to scatter us;^[f]
they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition.^[g]
¹⁵But you trample on the sea with your horses,
on the surging, raging waters.^[h]

Habakkuk Declares His Confidence

¹⁶I listened and my stomach churned;^[i]
the sound made my lips quiver.
My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying,^[j]
and I shook as I tried to walk.^[k]
I long^[l] for the day of distress
to come upon^[m] the people who attack us.
¹⁷When^[n] the fig tree does not bud,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
when the olive trees do not produce^[o]
and the fields yield no crops;^[p]
when the sheep disappear^[q] from the pen
and there are no cattle in the stalls—
¹⁸I will rejoice because of^[r] the Lord;
I will be happy because of the God who delivers me!
¹⁹The Sovereign Lord is my source of strength.^[s]
He gives me the agility of a deer;^[t]
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.^[u]

(This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)^[v]

Footnotes

Habakkuk 3:13 tn Heb “anointed one.” In light of the parallelism with “your people” in the preceding line this could refer to Israel, but elsewhere the Lord’s anointed one is always an individual. The Davidic king is the more likely referent here.
Habakkuk 3:13 tn Heb “you strike the head from the house of wickedness.”
Habakkuk 3:13 tn Heb “laying bare [from] foundation to neck.”
Habakkuk 3:14 tn Some take “warriors” with the following line, in which case one should translate, “you pierce [his] head with a spear; his warriors storm forward to scatter us” (cf. NIV). The meaning of the Hebrew term פְּרָזוֹ (p^erazo), translated here “his warriors,” is uncertain.
Habakkuk 3:14 tc Heb “his shafts.” Some emend to “your shafts.” The translation above assumes an emendation to מַטֶּה (matteh, “shaft, spear”), the vav-yod (ו-י) sequence being derived from an original he (ה).
Habakkuk 3:14 tn Heb “me,” but the author speaks as a representative of God’s people.
Habakkuk 3:14 tn Heb “their rejoicing is like devouring the poor in secret.”
Habakkuk 3:15 tn Heb “the foaming of the mighty [or “many”] waters.”
Habakkuk 3:16 tn Heb “my insides trembled.”
Habakkuk 3:16 tn Heb “decay entered my bones.”
Habakkuk 3:16 tc Heb “beneath me I shook, which….” The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (’asher) appears to be a relative pronoun, but a relative pronoun does not fit here. The translation assumes a reading אֲשֻׁרָי (’ashuray, “my steps”) as well as an emendation of the preceding verb to a third plural form.
Habakkuk 3:16 tn The translation assumes that אָנוּחַ (’anuakh) is from the otherwise unattested verb נָוָח (navakh, “sigh”; see HALOT 680 s.v. II נוח; so also NEB). Most take this verb as נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”) and translate, “I wait patiently” (cf. NIV).
Habakkuk 3:16 tn Heb “to come up toward.”
Habakkuk 3:17 tn Or “though.”
Habakkuk 3:17 tn Heb “the produce of the olive disappoints.”
Habakkuk 3:17 tn Heb “food.”
Habakkuk 3:17 tn Or “are cut off.”
Habakkuk 3:18 tn Or “in.”
Habakkuk 3:19 tn Or perhaps, “is my wall,” that is, “my protector.”
Habakkuk 3:19 tn Heb “he makes my feet like those of deer.”
Habakkuk 3:19 tn Heb “he makes me walk on my high places.” sn Difficult times are coming, but Habakkuk is confident the Lord will sustain him. Habakkuk will be able to survive, just as the deer negotiates the difficult rugged terrain of the high places without injury.
Habakkuk 3:19 tn Heb “For the leader, on my stringed instruments.”

Matthew 21:28-32

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸“What^[a] do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹The boy answered,^[b] ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart^[c] and went. ³⁰The father^[d] went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered,^[e] ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. ³¹Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.”^[f] Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth,^[g] tax collectors^[h] and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! ³²For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although^[i] you saw this, you did not later change your minds^[j] and believe him.

Footnotes

Matthew 21:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 21:29 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 21:29 tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.
Matthew 21:30 tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 21:30 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 21:31 tc Verses 29-31 involve a rather complex and difficult textual problem. The variants cluster into three different groups: (1) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. The second son is called the one who does his father’s will. This reading is found in the Western witnesses (D it). But the reading is so hard as to be nearly impossible. One can only suspect some tampering with the text, extreme carelessness on the part of the scribe, or possibly a recognition of the importance of not shaming one’s parent in public. (Any of these reasons is not improbable with this group of witnesses, and with codex D in particular.) The other two major variants are more difficult to assess. Essentially, the responses make sense (the son who does his father’s will is the one who changes his mind after saying “no”): (2) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. But here, the first son is called the one who does his father’s will (unlike the Western reading). This is the reading found in א C L W (Z) Δ 0102 0281 ƒ¹ 33 565 579 1241 1424*^,c M and several versional witnesses. (3) The first son says “yes” but does not go, and the second son says “no” but later has a change of heart. This is the reading found in B Θ ƒ¹³ 700 and several versional witnesses. Both of these latter two variants make good sense and have significantly better textual support than the first reading. The real question, then, is this: Is the first son or the second the obedient one? If one were to argue simply from the parabolic logic, the second son would be seen as the obedient one (hence, the third reading). The first son would represent the Pharisees (or Jews) who claim to obey God, but do not (cf. Matt 23:3). This accords well with the parable of the prodigal son (in which the oldest son represents the unbelieving Jews). Further, the chronological sequence of the second son being obedient fits well with the real scene: Gentiles, tax collectors, and prostitutes were not, collectively, God’s chosen people, but they did repent and come to God, while the Jewish leaders claimed to be obedient to God but did nothing. At the same time, the external evidence is weaker for this reading (though stronger than the first reading), not as widespread, and certainly suspect because of how neatly it fits. One suspects scribal manipulation at this point. Thus the second reading looks to be superior to the other two on both external and transcriptional grounds. But what about intrinsic evidence? One can surmise that Jesus didn’t always give predictable responses. In this instance, he may well have painted a picture in which the Pharisees saw themselves as the first son, only to stun them with his application (v. 32). For more discussion see TCGNT 44-46.
Matthew 21:31 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Matthew 21:31 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
Matthew 21:32 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 21:32 sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 126[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

Footnotes

Habakkuk Declares His Confidence

Footnotes

The Parable of the Two Sons

Footnotes

Psalm 126^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]