◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 45:1-2 6-9 (Anointed with the oil of gladness); Hosea 3:1-5 (God loves faithless Israel); John 18:28-32 (Ritual defilement and the Passover) (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 45:1-2

Psalm 45^[a]

For the music director, according to the tune of “Lilies”;^[b] by the Korahites, a well-written poem,^[c] a love song.

45 My heart is stirred by a beautiful song.^[d]
I say, “I have composed this special song^[e] for the king;
my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.”^[f]
²You are the most handsome of all men.^[g]
You speak in an impressive and fitting manner.^[h]
For this reason^[i] God grants you continual blessings.^[j]

Footnotes

Psalm 45:1 sn Psalm 45. This is a romantic poem celebrating the Davidic king’s marriage to a lovely princess. The psalmist praises the king for his military prowess and commitment to justice, urges the bride to be loyal to the king, and anticipates that the marriage will be blessed with royal offspring.
Psalm 45:1 tn Heb “according to lilies.” “Lilies” may be a tune title or musical style, suggestive of romantic love. The imagery of a “lily” appears frequently in the Song of Songs in a variety of contexts (see 2:1-2, 16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2-3; 7:2).
Psalm 45:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.
Psalm 45:1 tn Heb “[with] a good word.” The “good word” probably refers here to the song that follows.
Psalm 45:1 tn Heb “my works [are] for a king.” The plural “works” may here indicate degree, referring to the special musical composition that follows.
Psalm 45:1 tn Heb “my tongue [is] a stylus of a skillful scribe.” Words flow from the psalmist’s tongue just as they do from a scribe’s stylus.
Psalm 45:2 tn Heb “you are handsome from the sons of man.” The preposition “from” is used in a comparative (“more than”) sense. The peculiar verb form יָפְיָפִיתָ (yafyafita) is probably the result of dittography of יפ (yod-pe) and should be emended to יָפִיתָ (yafita). See GKC 152 §55.e.
Psalm 45:2 tn Heb “favor is poured out on your lips.” “Lips” probably stands by metonymy for the king’s speech. Some interpret the Hebrew term חֵן (khen) as referring here to “gracious (i.e., kind and polite) speech”, but the word probably refers more generally to “attractive” speech that is impressively articulated and fitting for the occasion. For other instances of the term being used of speech, see Prov 22:11 and Eccl 10:12.
Psalm 45:2 tn Or “this demonstrates.” The construction עַל־כֵּן (ʿal ken, “therefore”) usually indicates what logically follows from a preceding statement. However, here it may infer the cause from the effect, indicating the underlying basis or reason for what precedes (see BDB 487 s.v. I כֵּן 3.f; C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 1:386).
Psalm 45:2 tn Or “blesses you forever.” Here “bless” means to “endue with the power and skill to rule effectively,” as the following verses indicate.

Psalm 45:6-9

⁶Your throne,^[a] O God, is permanent.^[b]
The scepter^[c] of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
⁷You love^[d] justice and hate evil.^[e]
For this reason God, your God,^[f] has anointed you^[g]
with the oil of joy,^[h] elevating you above your companions.^[i]
⁸All your garments are perfumed with^[j] myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
From the luxurious palaces^[k] comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy.^[l]
⁹Princesses^[m] are among your honored women.^[n]
Your bride^[o] stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir.^[p]

Footnotes

Psalm 45:6 sn The king’s throne here symbolizes his rule.
Psalm 45:6 tn Or “forever and ever.”sn O God. The king is clearly the addressee here, as in vv. 2-5 and 7-9. Rather than taking the statement at face value, many prefer to emend the text because the concept of deifying the earthly king is foreign to ancient Israelite thinking (cf. NEB “your throne is like God’s throne, eternal”). However, it is preferable to retain the text and take this statement as another instance of the royal hyperbole that permeates the royal psalms. Because the Davidic king is God’s vice-regent on earth, the psalmist addresses him as if he were God incarnate. God energizes the king for battle and accomplishes justice through him. A similar use of hyperbole appears in Isa 9:6, where the ideal Davidic king of the eschaton is given the title “Mighty God” (see the note on this phrase there). Ancient Near Eastern art and literature picture gods training kings for battle, bestowing special weapons, and intervening in battle. According to Egyptian propaganda, the Hittites described Rameses II as follows: “No man is he who is among us, It is Seth great-of-strength, Baal in person; Not deeds of man are these his doings, They are of one who is unique” (see Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:67). Ps 45:6 and Isa 9:6 probably envision a similar kind of response when friends and foes alike look at the Davidic king in full battle regalia. When the king’s enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.
Psalm 45:6 sn The king’s scepter symbolizes his royal authority.
Psalm 45:7 sn To love justice means to actively promote it.
Psalm 45:7 sn To hate evil means to actively oppose it.
Psalm 45:7 tn For other examples of the repetition of Elohim, “God,” see Pss 43:4; 48:8, 14; 50:7; 51:14; 67:7. Because the name Yahweh (“Lord”) is relatively rare in Pss 42-83, where the name Elohim (“God”) predominates, this compounding of Elohim may be an alternative form of the compound name “the Lord my/your/our God.”
Psalm 45:7 sn Anointed you. When read in the light of the preceding context, the anointing is most naturally taken as referring to the king’s coronation. However, the following context (vv. 8-9) focuses on the wedding ceremony, so some prefer to see this anointing as part of the king’s preparations for the wedding celebration. Perhaps the reference to his anointing at his coronation facilitates the transition to the description of the wedding, for the king was also anointed on this occasion.
Psalm 45:7 sn The phrase oil of joy alludes to the fact that the coronation of the king, which was ritually accomplished by anointing his head with olive oil, was a time of great celebration and renewed hope. (If one understands the anointing in conjunction with the wedding ceremony, the “joy” would be that associated with the marriage.) The phrase “oil of joy” also appears in Isa 61:3, where mourners are granted “oil of joy” in conjunction with their deliverance from oppression.
Psalm 45:7 tn Heb “from your companions.” The “companions” are most naturally understood as others in the royal family or, more generally, as the king’s countrymen.sn Verses 6-7 are quoted in Heb 1:8-9, where they are applied to Jesus.
Psalm 45:8 tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Psalm 45:8 tn Heb “the palaces of ivory.” The phrase “palaces of ivory” refers to palaces that had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. Such decoration with ivory was characteristic of a high level of luxury. See 1 Kgs 22:39 and Amos 3:15.
Psalm 45:8 tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”
Psalm 45:9 tn Heb “daughters of kings.”
Psalm 45:9 tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.
Psalm 45:9 tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.
Psalm 45:9 tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”sn Gold from Ophir is also mentioned in Isa 13:12 and Job 28:16. The precise location of Ophir is uncertain; Arabia, India, East Africa, and South Africa have all been suggested as options.

Hosea 3

An Illustration of God’s Love for Idolatrous Israel

3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show love to^[a] your wife^[b] again, even though she loves^[c] another man^[d] and continually commits adultery.^[e] Likewise, the Lord loves^[f] the Israelites^[g] although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”^[h] ²So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley^[i] to purchase her. ³Then I told her, “You must live with me many days; you must not commit adultery or become joined to another man,^[j] and I also will wait for you.”^[k] ⁴For the Israelites^[l] must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols. ⁵Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king.^[m] Then they will submit to the Lord in fear and receive his blessings^[n] in future days.^[o]

Footnotes

Hosea 3:1 tn Heb “Go again! Love!” Cf. NAB “Give your love to.”
Hosea 3:1 tn Heb “a woman.” The probable referent is Gomer. Some English translations (e.g., NIV, NLT) specify the referent as “your wife.”
Hosea 3:1 tc The MT vocalizes אֲהֻבַת (ʾahuvat) as a construct form of the Qal passive participle and takes רֵעַ (reaʿ) as a genitive of agent: “who is loved by רֵעַ.” However, the ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Vulgate) all vocalize אֲהֻבַת as an absolute form of the Qal active participle, and take רֵעַ as the accusative direct object: “who loves רֵעַ.” The English translations consistently follow the MT. The editors of BHS suggest the revocalization but with some reservation. For discussion of the vocalization, see D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:230.tn Heb “a woman who is loved by a companion” (אִשָּׁה אֲהֻבַת רֵעַ, ʾishah ʾahuvat reaʿ). The substantival participle אֲהֻבַת (“one who is loved”) is in apposition to אִשָּׁה (“a woman”). The genitive noun רֵעַ (“companion”) functions as the agent of the preceding construct noun: “who is loved by a companion” (אֲהֻבַת רֵעַ). Cf. NAB “a woman beloved of a paramour,” and NRSV “a woman who has a lover.”
Hosea 3:1 tn The meaning of the noun רֵעַ (reaʿ) is debated because it has a broad range of meanings: (1) “friend,” (2) “lover,” (3) “companion,” (4) “neighbor,” and (5) “another” (HALOT 1253-55 s.v. II רֵעַ; BDB 945-46 s.v. II רֵעַ). The Hebrew lexicons favor the nuance “lover; paramour” here (HALOT 1255 s.v. 2; BDB 946 s.v. 1). Most scholars adopt the same approach; however, a few suggest that רֵעַ does not refer to another man, but to her husband (Hosea). Both approaches are reflected in English translations. NASB has “a woman who is loved by her husband”; NIV, “though she is loved by another”; NAB, “a woman beloved of a paramour”; KJV, “a woman beloved of her friend”; NJPS, “a woman who, while befriended by a companion”; TEV, “a woman who is committing adultery with a lover”; and CEV, “an unfaithful woman who has a lover.”
Hosea 3:1 tn Heb “love a woman who is loved of a lover and is an adulteress.”
Hosea 3:1 tn Heb “like the love of the Lord.” The genitive after the construct functions as a subjective genitive.
Hosea 3:1 tn Heb “sons of Israel” (so NASB); cf. KJV “children of Israel,” and NAB “people of Israel.”
Hosea 3:1 tn Heb “they are lovers of cakes of raisins.” A number of English translations render this literally (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).
Hosea 3:2 tc The LXX reads, “a homer of barley and a measure of wine,” a reading followed by some English translations (e.g., NRSV, NLT).tn Heb “a homer of barley and a lethech of barley.” A homer was about 5 bushels (180 liters) and a lethech about 2.5 bushels (90 liters).
Hosea 3:3 tn Heb “and you will not be for” or “you will not come to belong to”; cf. NIV “be intimate with.” This is an uncommon and roundabout way of referring to sexual relations and perhaps refers to moving in with another man. “Another” is supplied from context, since she is clearly to live with Hosea. If it means she should not be intimate with any man, including Hosea, that could also picture the many days without a king mentioned in the next verse.
Hosea 3:3 tn Heb “and also I toward you.”
Hosea 3:4 tn Heb “sons of Israel” (so NASB); cf. KJV “children of Israel,” and NAB “people of Israel” (likewise in the following verse).
Hosea 3:5 tn Heb “David their king”; cf. NCV “the king from David’s family”; TEV “a descendant of David their king”; NLT “David’s descendant, their king.” sn It is not clear whether Hosea was predicting a restoration of Davidic kingship over Israel and Judah (e.g. Jer 17:25; 22:2) or referring to the ultimate Davidic king, namely, the Messiah, who will fulfill the conditions of the Davidic covenant and inaugurate/fulfill the blessings of the Davidic covenant for Israel. The Messiah is frequently pictured as the “new David” because he will fulfill the ideals of the Davidic covenant and be everything that David and his descendants were commissioned to be (e.g., Isa 9:7 [6]; 16:5; Jer 23:5-6; 30:9; 33:15-16; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25).
Hosea 3:5 tn Heb “his goodness”; cf. NLT “his good gifts.”
Hosea 3:5 tn NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, and NLT have “in the last days.” But see the note at Gen 49:1.

John 18:28-32

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

²⁸Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence.^[a] (Now it was very early morning.)^[b] They^[c] did not go into the governor’s residence^[d] so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. ²⁹So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation^[e] do you bring against this man?”^[f] ³⁰They replied,^[g] “If this man^[h] were not a criminal,^[i] we would not have handed him over to you.”^[j]

³¹Pilate told them,^[k] “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him^[l] according to your own law!”^[m] The Jewish leaders^[n] replied,^[o] “We cannot legally put anyone to death.”^[p] ³²(This happened^[q] to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated^[r] what kind of death he was going to die.^[s])

Footnotes

John 18:28 tn Grk “to the praetorium.”sn The permanent residence of the Roman governor of Palestine was in Caesarea (Acts 23:35). The governor had a residence in Jerusalem which he normally occupied only during principal feasts or in times of political unrest. The location of this building in Jerusalem is uncertain, but is probably one of two locations: either (1) the fortress or tower of Antonia, on the east hill north of the temple area, which is the traditional location of the Roman praetorium since the 12th century, or (2) the palace of Herod on the west hill near the present Jaffa Gate. According to Philo (Embassy 38 [299]) Pilate had some golden shields hung there, and according to Josephus (J. W. 2.14.8 [2.301], 2.15.5 [2.328]) the later Roman governor Florus stayed there.
John 18:28 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 18:28 tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
John 18:28 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
John 18:29 tn Or “charge.”
John 18:29 sn In light of the fact that Pilate had cooperated with them in Jesus’ arrest by providing Roman soldiers, the Jewish authorities were probably expecting Pilate to grant them permission to carry out their sentence on Jesus without resistance (the Jews were not permitted to exercise capital punishment under the Roman occupation without official Roman permission, cf. v. 31). They must have been taken somewhat by surprise by Pilate’s question “What accusation do you bring against this man,” because it indicated that he was going to try the prisoner himself. Thus Pilate was regarding the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin as only an inquiry and their decision as merely an accusation.
John 18:30 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
John 18:30 tn Grk “this one.”
John 18:30 tn Or “an evildoer”; Grk “one doing evil.”
John 18:30 tn Or “would not have delivered him over.”
John 18:31 tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”
John 18:31 tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).
John 18:31 sn Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement “Pass judgment on him according to your own law!” indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus’ death: The Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.
John 18:31 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.
John 18:31 tn Grk “said to him.”
John 18:31 tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”sn The historical background behind the statement We cannot legally put anyone to death is difficult to reconstruct. Scholars are divided over whether this statement in the Fourth Gospel accurately reflects the judicial situation between the Jewish authorities and the Romans in 1st century Palestine. It appears that the Roman governor may have given the Jews the power of capital punishment for specific offenses, some of them religious (the death penalty for Gentiles caught trespassing in the inner courts of the temple, for example). It is also pointed out that the Jewish authorities did carry out a number of executions, some of them specifically pertaining to Christians (Stephen, according to Acts 7:58-60; and James the Just, who was stoned in the 60s according to Josephus, Ant. 20.9.1 [20.200]). But Stephen’s death may be explained as a result of “mob violence” rather than a formal execution, and as Josephus in the above account goes on to point out, James was executed in the period between two Roman governors, and the high priest at the time was subsequently punished for the action. Two studies by A. N. Sherwin-White (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, 1-47; and “The Trial of Christ,” Historicity and Chronology in the New Testament [SPCKTC], 97-116) have tended to support the accuracy of John’s account. He concluded that the Romans kept very close control of the death penalty for fear that in the hands of rebellious locals such power could be used to eliminate factions favorable or useful to Rome. A province as troublesome as Judea would not have been likely to be made an exception to this.
John 18:32 tn The words “This happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
John 18:32 tn Or “making clear.”
John 18:32 sn A reference to John 12:32.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 45[a]

For the music director, according to the tune of “Lilies”;[b] by the Korahites, a well-written poem,[c] a love song.

Footnotes

Footnotes

An Illustration of God’s Love for Idolatrous Israel

Footnotes

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

Footnotes

Psalm 45^[a]

For the music director, according to the tune of “Lilies”;^[b] by the Korahites, a well-written poem,^[c] a love song.