Today’s Short Study – Acts 11:1-5 (HDNT)(ESV)

The New Testament writers used a variety of literary and grammatical devices to help guide the reader. Some of these devices were intended to attract attention to important information, while others served to push less-important information into the background. Some were used simply to grab your attention, alerting you that something important or surprising was about to happen.

11 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying,

³ “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order:

⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance, I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners,

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham High Definition New Testament: ESV Edition (Ac 11:4–5). Lexham Press.

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

11:1–18 While much of this narrative mirrors Acts 10, it focuses on God’s intervention on behalf of the Gentiles (non-Jewish people), showing that Peter has not just accepted the Gentiles as Christians but has become their advocate.

11:2 those of the circumcision Likely refers to those in the Christian community who wanted to require Gentiles to first become Jews—including requiring the men to be circumcised—in order to be considered true Christians (compare Gal 2:3 and note).

Gal 2:3 and note

2:3 But not even Titus Since Titus was Greek, he would not have been circumcised. His presence at this meeting supports Paul’s claim that he fully disclosed his gospel message to the apostles (v. 2). The question about whether non-Jewish believers needed to be circumcised (for salvation or acceptance into the Christian community) already had been resolved; hence, the apostles would not have compelled Titus to be circumcised.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 2:3). Lexham Press.

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

PETER’S REPORT TO THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM ACT 11:1–18

This first portion (vv. 1–4) is essentially introductory to the second (vv. 5–18), which should be regarded as included structurally within this first unit since it is simply an expansion of the statement in verse 4 about the full account of what had happened.

Acts 11:1

As in so many other contexts, brothers may need to be translated as “believers.”

The Gentiles must not be understood as inclusive or definitive. This is only “some Gentiles.”

In this type of context received the word of God is to be understood as “believed the word of God”; and, as in other contexts of this type, word of God refers to the “word that is from God.”

Acts 11:2

The use of the expression went up in referring to going to Jerusalem (and, conversely, “going down” when going away from Jerusalem) reflects, of course, the geographical position of Jerusalem which was higher than most of the surrounding area. In translating such expressions as “going up” and “going down” it is not wise to use terms which suggest that Jerusalem is on top of some very high mountain, only that it is at the top of a ridge of hills. In many languages, however, the most natural and accurate equivalent is simply “went to.”

Those who were in favor of circumcising Gentiles translates “those of circumcision,” a phrase which is taken by many as a reference to Jewish Christians (see Barclay “Jewish Christians”), while other translations understand in to refer solely to “the Jews” (so JB). Most translations are ambiguous and do not indicate specifically whether Jewish Christians or Jews are meant (see Moffatt, RSV, Phps “the circumcision party,” and Goodspeed “the advocates of circumcision”). The total context, however, and the evident concern of Peter to justify what he had done, would seem to point to the fact that those who were criticizing Peter constituted a group of Christians who still held to a belief in the necessity of circumcision.

Criticized, reflecting in Greek a verb which is sometimes used as a legal technical term meaning “to enter into legal controversy (with someone)” (see Septuagint of Ezekiel 20:35), is represented by Barclay as “questioned his action” and by NEB as “raised the question with him.” It is obvious that in the present context it does not have the force of a technical legal term.

Acts 11:3

This verse, rendered as a statement in the TEV, appears as a question in some translations (see JB and RSV). The basic issue is that of fellowship between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. From the strictly Jewish point of view it was bad enough for Peter to go and preach the message to the Gentiles, but even worse for him to be willing to eat with them. Peter, however, uses this incident as an argument against requiring Gentiles to be circumcised (see 15:7 ff.).

Acts 11:4

Peter gave them a full account means that Peter told them “point by point” what had happened (see JB “gave them the details point by point”). A full account of what had happened may be equivalent to “everything that had happened.”

From the very beginning may need to be somewhat more specific in some languages, for example, “he began talking about what had happened first” or “he started with the very first thing that happened.”

Acts 11:5–18.

This speech by Peter, which constitutes his defense for what he did in Caesarea, is essentially a repetition on the earlier account, designed, more over, to emphasize the importance of the event. It contains some details which are not included in the previous account, and of course omits certain items since it obviously is a shortened form of the total discourse. Most of the exegetical and translational problems have already been dealt with in the previous chapter.

Acts 11:5

On this verse see 10:9–11. From heaven is not explicitly mentioned in the earlier account, though it is implied by the statement that heaven opened (10:11). In many languages a distinction must be made between “sky” and the spiritual world or abode of God. In this context both seem to be involved, though in view of the details of the vision most translators employ “sky” if a choice must be made.

The equivalent of the verb stopped must not suggest something which would normally move horizontally and possibly under its own power, but only that the large sheet which was being lowered from heaven “stopped being lowered,” “was no longer lowered,” or “ceased being lowered.” The Greek text reads “came near to me.”

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1972). A handbook on the Acts of the Apostles (pp. 221–222). United Bible Societies.

Today’s Verse of the Day John 15:12-13 (NET)

The Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament surveys each book of the New Testament at several levels—Book, Division, Section, Pericope, Paragraph, and Unit—providing contextually appropriate commentary on each level. The reader of the commentary can easily ascertain the contextual importance of any larger section, or pericope, or even a particular verse of Scripture.

The Jerusalem Council (15:6–21)

This paragraph is the Jerusalem Council’s deliberation and decision concerning the issue of gentile circumcision. After vigorous debate, Peter stands to recount his ministry among the gentiles who received the Holy Spirit just as the Jews had (15:6–11); Paul and Barnabas report about God’s signs and wonders among the gentiles (15:12). Finally James, the leader of the council and Jesus’ brother, renders the council’s decision; they will not impose circumcision on the gentile believers; however, gentiles must refrain from eating food offered to idols or improperly slaughtered, as well as from fornication (15:13–21).

15:12 This verse is a summary of Paul and Barnabas’ testimony before the Jerusalem Council following Peter’s address (15:7–11) Paul and Barnabas testify about the signs and wonders that God has performed through their work among the gentiles.

15:13 Luke reports that James, the brother of Jesus, is the final leader of the Jerusalem Council to address the audience (“the brothers”) that has gathered to resolve the dispute over gentile circumcision. James’ speech and decision follow the testimony of Paul and Barnabas (15:12) and Peter’s speech and decision against gentile circumcision (15:7–11).

Mangum, D., ed. (2020). Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Ac 15:6–21). Lexham Press.

Today’s Devotional – Connect the Testaments

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

June 19: The Story behind the Story

Ezra 7:1–8:36; 1 John 4:1–6; Psalm 107:1–22

The Bible is full of unexpected moments. Some events seem almost coincidental, where people are in the right place at the right time. This is exactly the case with Ezra.

In ancient times, it was unusual for a king to honor a foreigner with a decree. It was even stranger for a king to offer his own wealth to help such a foreigner. Yet that’s what happened to Ezra: King Artaxerxes of Persia sent Ezra, and any Israelite willing to go with him, to his own land (and the people living there) with the blessing of silver and gold (Ezra 7:11–28).

The Bible doesn’t give the reason for Artaxerxes’ spontaneous generosity. He may have been motivated by politics, trying to gain the allegiance of the Israelites, govern the population in Babylonia, or inhabit a new land to control the native people there. Yet the most convincing reason for his actions seems to be that his heart was moved.

While the text doesn’t explicitly say, it appears that Yahweh motivated Artaxerxes to do not only the right thing, but the selfless thing. For at least this brief moment, Artaxerxes was compassionate and empathetic. He understood that God’s people needed to practice their religion freely and worship Him in their own land.

Ezra’s involvement in these events wasn’t a matter of chance. God intended for him to be there, in that moment, to do that work. His providential work was part of every step.

How have you been intentionally placed to do God’s work?

What influence can you use for His kingdom?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Today’s Devotional – Connect the Testaments

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

June 17: Learning from Enemies

Ezra 3:1–4:24; 1 John 3:11–18; Psalm 106:16–29

If a new venture is really worth pursuing, it will probably be opposed. Some people will refuse to get on board, and others will intentionally get in the way. While these people may be trying protect their own interests, it’s more likely that they don’t like change—even if it’s for the better.

God’s work among His people is not that different from innovation; after all, He is the Author of all good ideas since all ideas come from His creation. And just like new ventures, God’s work is often rejected. The difference between new ventures and God’s work, though, is that all people who oppose God’s work are opposing Him, their Creator; they’re choosing to put their own interests before His interests, which are only for good.

Jeshua and Zerubbabel faced this type of opposition in the book of Ezra. After they had restored worship in Jerusalem, they began to organize the effort to lay the foundation of the temple—the place where God’s people were meant to worship. Then, the unexpected happened: Enemies arrived and began to cause trouble (Ezra 3:1–4:5). We often view such people as hateful, but in reality they were acting in their own interests. These enemies likely didn’t realize the land they claimed as their own had been stolen from God’s people in the first place; they probably thought they were protecting what was rightfully theirs (compare Ezra 4:6–16; see 2 Kgs 24–25).

This is often the case in our lives as well: We think we’re doing what’s legally or morally right, but we may actually be opposing God’s work. Sometimes trying to act rightly can lead us to do the wrong thing. Rather than insisting on what seems or feels right, we must pause to pray about it. We must ask God what He is really doing. And if God is working through someone else, we need to step out of the way. He is innovating—are we willing to innovate with Him?

In what ways is God innovating around you?

How does He want to use you in this process?

In what areas should you step aside to let His work happen?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Short Study- Acts 9:32-35 (HDNT)

The New Testament writers used a variety of literary and grammatical devices to help guide the reader. Some of these devices were intended to attract attention to important information, while others served to push less-important information into the background. Some were used simply to grab your attention, alerting you that something important or surprising was about to happen.

32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 

33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.

34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.

35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham High Definition New Testament: ESV Edition (Ac 9:32–35). Lexham Press.

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

9:32–35 Like Philip (8:40), Peter proclaims the good news along the Mediterranean coast.

9:32 in Lydda Located about 10 miles inland from Joppa.

9:33 Aeneas A Greek name; Aeneas is likely a Hellenistic Jew (compare v. 29 and note).

note

Greek-speaking Jews Refers to Greek-speaking and cultured Jews. Stephen’s initial dispute was with a similar group in 6:9–10. See note on 6:1.

 note 

the Greek-speaking Jews Refers to ethnic Jews who practiced Judaism and largely adopted Greek language and culture. They may have lived most of their lives outside of Judaea.

the Hebraic Jews Refers to Jews who have not widely adopted Greek language or culture

This group primarily spoke Aramaic or Hebrew, and although they may have spoken Greek too, they remained fundamentally Jewish in their lifestyle. The antagonism between these two groups is likely rooted in the Hebraic Jews viewing other Jews with suspicion—seeing them as not purely Jewish or as compromisers of their identity. This antagonism represents an obstacle to the early church’s goal of becoming a new expression of humanity, united in Christ rather than divided along ethnic or social lines (compare 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:28).

Miracles in Acts

Miracle	Reference
Everyone is awestruck by the miracles done by the apostles	Acts 2:43
Peter heals a man lame from birth; the authorities are forced to recognize that a “sign” has been performed	Acts 3:2–10; 4:16, 22
The apostles perform many signs and wonders, healings and exorcisms; Peter’s mere shadow has healing power	Acts 5:12–16
An angel rescues the apostles from prison	Acts 5:18–20
Stephen performs signs and wonders	Acts 6:8
Philip performs signs, healings, and exorcisms in Samaria	Acts 8:6–7
Philip’s signs and miracles amaze Simon the Magician	Acts 8:13
The spirit of the Lord snatches Philip from the road to Gaza and places him in Azotus	Acts 8:39–40
Saul’s conversion, blindness, and healing at the hands of Ananias	Acts 9:1–18; 22:6–13; 26:12–18
Peter heals Aeneas in Lydda	Acts 9:33–34
Peter raises Tabitha/Dorcas	Acts 9:36–41
An angel rescues Peter from prison	Acts 12:6–11
Paul strikes Bar-Jesus/Elymas blind	Acts 13:6–11
Paul and Barnabas perform signs and wonders in Phrygian Iconium	Acts 14:3
Paul heals a man lame from birth	Acts 14:8–10
Paul and Barnabas recount the signs and wonders performed among non-Jews	Acts 15:12
Paul casts out a spirit of divination	Acts 16:16–18
Paul and Silas are freed from prison by an earthquake	Acts 16:26
God works “extraordinary miracles” through Paul; garments that have merely touched him have healing power	Acts 19:11–12
Paul raises Eutychus after he falls from a third-story window	Acts 20:9–10
Paul survives a viper’s bite	Acts 28:3–6
Paul heals the father of Publius and others

9:35 who lived in Lydda and Sharon Refers to the area of the coastal plain. At first the church interacts with those who have been influenced by non-Jewish people (the Gentiles)—the Samaritans and Greek-speaking Jews. Now God moves Peter closer to the Gentiles.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ac 9:31). Lexham Press.

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

PETER IN LYDDA AND JOPPA ACT 9:32–43

As in the case of the previous section heading, this one may also seem unduly short and abrupt. One can restructure it into a complete sentence by saying “Peter Goes to Lydda and Joppa” but probably better “Peter Performs Miracles in Lydda and Joppa.”

The two miracles performed by Peter in Lydda and Joppa seem to prepare the way for the even greater miracle of the giving of the Holy Spirit to Cornelius in Caesarea. The shift back to Peter does seem rather abrupt in the English text, but in Greek the use of “it happened” at the very beginning of verse 32 clearly marks another type of episode. It may, therefore, be necessary to reproduce something of this same kind of transitional device.

Acts 9:32

Everywhere, of course, does not mean all over the world, and the idea may be limited to the many villages of Samaria (see 8:25). However, this may be imposing too great a limitation upon the meaning of the word as used by Luke.

On the translation of “the saints” as God’s people see 9:13.

note: (NET)

tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

Lydda was a small village lying northwest of Jerusalem, some ten miles from Joppa.

Acts 9:33

For eight years may mean “since he was eight years old,” but most translations and commentaries render this phrase in the sense of the TEV.

Acts 9:34

The expression Jesus Christ makes you well is a kind of third person command. In some languages the equivalent is “Jesus Christ will make you well right now” or “Jesus Christ causes you to become well.”

Make your bed (so the large majority of the commentaries and translations) may mean “get yourself something to eat,” since the Greek is literally “spread for yourself.” However, the natural meaning in this particular context would seem to be make your bed. The phrase make your bed must of course not be translated in a form which would imply building or constructing the bed. It is only arranging or rolling up the bed or mat.

Acts 9:35

Sharon is the coastal plain extending thirty miles along the sea from Joppa to Caesarea. A translation should make clear that Sharon is not a town, but the coastal plain (see Twentieth Century “all the inhabitants of Lydda and of the Plain of Sharon”; see also Zürich).

Turned to the Lord must be understood in the sense of “became believers in the Lord.” In many languages the mere process of “turning” implies no figurative extension of believing in or becoming a disciple of.

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1972). A handbook on the Acts of the Apostles (p. 199). United Bible Societies.

Today’s Verse of the Day – Matthew 13:44 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

13:44–46 These two parables describe the great value of the kingdom of heaven, as well as the extreme and urgent measures people should take because of it.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Mt 13:44–46). Lexham Press.

The Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament surveys each book of the New Testament at several levels—Book, Division, Section, Pericope, Paragraph, and Unit—providing contextually appropriate commentary on each level. The reader of the commentary can easily ascertain the contextual importance of any larger section, or pericope, or even a particular verse of Scripture.

Parable of the Hidden Treasure (13:44)

Another single-verse parable is given, indicating likeness to the kingdom of heaven (13:24, 31, 33). No addressee is given for these last three parables, but the disciples were the last ones addressed in 13:36, and after these final three parables Jesus will ask, “Have you understood all these?” (13:51).

This makes these last parables teachings for the disciples to test their discernment. Indication was given that Jesus only spoke to the crowds in parables (13:44), but not that parables were only for the crowds. Parables and metaphors were used elsewhere in teaching the disciples (5:15–16; 7:24–27; 9:16, 17; 12:43–45).

This parable and the next describe the value of the kingdom of God. In this analogy, a man stumbles across a treasure in a field and conceals it, and then sells everything he has to buy the field and thus ensure that he has the treasure.

Mangum, D., ed. (2020). Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Mt 13:44). Lexham Press.

Today’s Devotional – Connect the Testaments

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

June 5: When Words Are Enough

2 Chronicles 11:1–13:22; Titus 2:9–2:15; Psalm 96:1–13

It’s not often that words change the course of history. But Shemaiah, a little-known prophet, was given such an opportunity. We can easily pass over these life-altering moments if we’re not looking for them.

Rehoboam had assembled 180,000 chosen “makers of war” to fight against Israel in hopes of restoring his kingdom. He was prepared to destroy a portion of God’s people in order to gain a temporary victory. Then Shemaiah—a “man of God”—came along (2 Chr 11:2).

When Shemaiah spoke for Yahweh, Rehoboam backed down; he sent the 180,000 men home (2 Chr 11:1–4). You can imagine Rehoboam trembling in fear as he told this enormous number of warriors, “Thanks for coming out today, but Shemaiah just told me that Yahweh doesn’t approve, so we can start fortifying this city instead (see 2 Chr 11:5–12), or you can just go home if you want.”

Trust goes both ways in this story. Rehoboam trusted that Shemaiah spoke the true word of Yahweh, and Rehoboam had the trust of his men, who chose to listen to him instead of independently heading into battle. All of the parties decided to trust Yahweh, whether directly through His oracle or indirectly through following the words of their leaders.

When things seem out of control, we expect God to show up. But we often make that request without regard for the foundation we should have laid before—when things were calm. Times of rest and waiting are not times to be stagnant; instead, they are times to get to know God better so that we are prepared for what’s next. Shemaiah prepared for this situation by knowing God—the best kind of preparation.

How can you establish the foundation for your future ministry experiences now?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Today’s Verse of the Day Psalm 8:3-4 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

8:title–9 Declarations of Yahweh’s majesty frame this hymn of praise (vv. 1, 9). In this praise psalm, the psalmist notes God’s special role for humanity in creation. He begins by proclaiming God’s glory (vv. 1–2), then examines the remarkable work of God and is amazed that God even gives thought to the people He created (vv. 3–4). The psalmist then praises God for glorifying and placing humanity above the rest of creation (vv. 5–8)

8:3 your heavens Psalms often express praise for God as the Creator (Pss 33:6–7; 104:1–30). These praises are meant to inspire awe and respect at Yahweh’s sovereign power (33:8–9).

your fingers The finger of God symbolizes His power: Pharaoh’s magicians attributed the third plague to the finger of God (Exod 8:19); the finger of God wrote the law on stone tablets (Exod 31:18; Deut 9:10); and in the nt, Jesus cast out demons by the finger of God (Luke 11:20).

8:4 that you think of him The psalmist marvels that God—the supreme Creator—involves Himself with humanity.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 8:3). Lexham Press.

Today’s Verse of the Day 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

5:6 we must not sleep Earlier in this letter, Paul used a Greek word for “sleep,” koimaō, metaphorically to describe those who have died (4:13). In this verse, he uses a different Greek word, katheudō, also translated “sleep,” to refer to being unaware of God, His workings, and His return.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Th 5:6–7). Lexham Press.

The Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament surveys each book of the New Testament at several levels—Book, Division, Section, Pericope, Paragraph, and Unit—providing contextually appropriate commentary on each level. The reader of the commentary can easily ascertain the contextual importance of any larger section, or pericope, or even a particular verse of Scripture.

Be Sober and Awake (5:6–11)

Paul both encourages and urges the Thessalonians: because sudden destruction is coming, they must be sober and awake.

5:6 Paul continues to use sleep imagery—or rather its reverse. Believers are not to “sleep”—in the sense of becoming dulled to what is going on in these last days. They are instead to be “awake” and “sober,” metaphors for being spiritually alert and vigilant. Christ already taught through his famous Parable of the Ten Virgins that these qualities are necessary among his disciples (Matt 25:1–13). The unexpectedness of Christ’s coming must not produce in believers a complacent dullness.

Mangum, D., ed. (2020). Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (1 Th 5:6–11). Lexham Press.

Today’s Daily Devotional – Connect the Testaments

May 27: Math: Maybe Not a Mystic Language After All

1 Chronicles 21:1–22:19; 2 Timothy 2:14–26; Psalm 86:1–87:7

In a world of metrics, it’s easy to become obsessed with statistics and start to quantify every aspect of our lives. Stats can even become a type of scorekeeping between churches or pastors: “We have more members than you do.” We may never say those words out loud, but we think them; more than one person has made the mistake of measuring a ministry based on attendance. But God has His own method for measuring success.

Prompted by an adversary (“Satan” is often better translated as “adversary” or “accuser” in the Old Testament), David decides to seek metrics—to count the people of Israel. This account illustrates the harm of seeking gratification or understanding in numbers. In 1 Chronicles 21, major problems emerge from this: including placing an adversary’s will above God’s and predicting God’s will rather than seeking it regularly.

Rather than counting our successes, we should be counting on God for success. We should also be tallying how often He is faithful rather than how many we are in number. We’re more likely to see God’s faithfulness when we’re looking for it rather than looking for probabilities. David succeeded as a warrior and king not because he deserved it, but because God chose for him to do so. In 1 Chronicles 21, David forgets God’s role, even though his (often wrong and bloodthirsty) general reminds him otherwise. In fact, God’s use of Joab as His messenger demonstrates that God’s providential will can come from the least likely places.

Keeping a tally isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and we shouldn’t avoid metrics and stats. But we need to keep information in perspective. It’s not about baptizing 200 people on a Sunday—although that’s a blessed thing. It’s about lives being transformed and people being blessed so that they can experience transformation.

How can you count on what God is doing instead of counting what you deem success?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Saturday Short Study with the NA28 w/apparatus & Commentary

The Nestle-Aland 28th Edition Greek New Testament now incorporates the text-critical insights of the Editio Critical Maior (ECM) of the Greek New Testament into the text of Catholic Epistles, representing the most recent scholarly research in establishing the Greek text.

*63 Καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ συνέχοντες αὐτὸν ἐνέπαιζον αὐτῷ ^* δέροντες,* 

64 καὶ περικαλύψαντες ^* αὐτὸν ^* ἐπηρώτων λέγοντες^* ·* προφήτευσον, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παίσας σε; 

65 καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ βλασφημοῦντες ἔλεγον εἰς αὐτόν.

Aland, K., Aland, B., Karavidopoulos, J., Martini, C. M., & Metzger, B. M. (2012). Novum Testamentum Graece (28th Edition, Lk 22:63–65). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

Apparatus

The Novum Testamentum Graece is the basis for nearly every modern Bible translation. Used by scholars, pastors, students and translators, the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece is the standard and globally preeminent critical edition of the Greek New Testament. The 28th edition includes fundamental revisions for better clarity and usability.

63 ° D 0171 it bo^ms

64 ⸀ p) αυτον ετυπτον αυτου το προσωπον και (− 579) A (D) N W Γ Δ Θ Ψ ƒ¹³ 565. 579. 700. 892. 1424 𝔪 lat sy^h

¦ ετυπτον αυτον και 2542. l 844

¦ αυτου το προσωπον 070 ƒ¹ (a f q r¹) sy^s.c.p sa

¦ − א (cf ⸂)

¦ txt 𝔓⁷⁵ B K L T 1241 bo

⸂ ελεγον D sy^p

¦ επηρωτων αυτον λεγοντες א A N W Γ Δ Θ Ψ ƒ^1.13 565. 579. 700. 892. 1241. 1424. 2542. l 844 𝔪 lat sy^h

¦ txt 𝔓⁷⁵ B K L T 070

Nestle, E., & Nestle, E. (2012). Nestle-Aland: NTG Apparatus Criticus (B. Aland, K. Aland, J. Karavidopoulos, C. M. Martini, & B. M. Metzger, Eds.; 28. revidierte Auflage, p. 280). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

Translation

The New Testament writers used a variety of literary and grammatical devices to help guide the reader. Some of these devices were intended to attract attention to important information, while others served to push less-important information into the background. Some were used simply to grab your attention, alerting you that something important or surprising was about to happen. 

⁶³ Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him.

⁶⁴ They also blindfolded him and kept asking him,

“Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?”

⁶⁵ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham High Definition New Testament: ESV Edition (Lk 22:64–65). Lexham Press.

Composite Gospel

321: The council of religious leaders condemns Jesus

Content: Trial

Themes: God: Power; Guilt; Holidays; Honesty and Dishonesty; Jesus: Humanity; Jesus: Passion; Killing; Prophecy: Jesus; Slander

Speakers• Jesus• A Chief Priest• Scribes at the Trial and Crucifixion

Addressees• Jesus• A Chief Priest• Scribes at the Trial and Crucifixion

Other Participants• Sanhedrin• Elders questioning Jesus’ Authority• Elders with Sanhedrin

Settings• Jerusalem

Events

Jesus’ trial › Jesus before the Sanhedrin › The Sanhedrin condemns Jesus

Matt 27:1–2

Mark 15:1

Luke 22:66–23:1

John 18:28

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

Luke 22:63–64

Exegesis For a correct understanding of these verses it should be noted that the mocking and beating related in v. 63 are understood to be going on in v. 64. The latter represents as it were one specific moment in the events related in v. 63.

hoi andres hoi sunechontes auton ‘the men were holding him in custody’.

sunechō ‘to hold in custody’, ‘to guard’.

enepaizon autō derontes lit. ‘mocked him beating (him)’ with auton understood. derontes (cp. on 12:47) may refer to the same act as enepaizon (cp. Phillips), or to a separate act (cp. RSV), preferably the latter,

(v. 64) kai perikalupsantes auton epērōtōn legontes ‘and after blindfolding him they asked him’. epērōtōn in the imperfect tense may be iterative.

perikaluptō (‡) ‘to cover’, ‘to conceal’, here with personal object, ‘to blindfold’, probably with a cloth.

prophēteuson, tis estin ho paisas se ‘prophesy, who is it that struck you?’. For prophēteuō cp. on 1:67. Here it may be used in an ironical sense (‘Play the prophet! Who is it …’, Jerusalem, cp. NEB) or in a less specific meaning, viz, ‘to tell what one cannot see’ (cp. TH-Mk on 14:65) ‘preferably the former.

paiō (‡) ‘to strike’, ‘to hit’.

Translation For mocked him see on 14:29, for beat him, i.e. struck him repeatedly, probably with fist or stick, cp. N.T.Wb./15.

(V 64) Blindfolded him, or ‘covered his face/eyes/head’.

Prophesy. Where an ironical use of the verb or the cognate noun (see on 1:67, 70) is undesirable one may shift to a more generic term, cp. “guess’ (TEV, similarly Shona 1966, Colloquial Japanese), ‘make known’ (South Toradja, Trukese). Phillips combines the two solutions, “Now, prophet, guess who …”.

Luke 22:65

Exegesis kai hetera polla blasphēmountes elegon eis auton ‘and they said many other insulting things with regard to him’. blasphēmountes and elegon are to be taken together.

blasphēmeō (cp. on 12:10), here of one human being towards another, ‘to revile’, ‘to inflame’, ‘to insult’.

Translation Spoke many other words against him, reviling him, or, ‘to revile him, or, with which they reviled him’; or ‘said many other insulting things at his expense, or, to his discredit’. For to revile see on 6:22.

Reiling, J., & Swellengrebel, J. L. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of Luke (p. 711). United Bible Societies.

Today’s Verse of the Day John 14:3 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

14:3 will come again Jesus is describing an event that will occur after His ascension to God’s heavenly abode (v. 2). Consequently, this refers to His return to earth, not His resurrection.

you may be also Refers to Jesus’ followers living with Him in God’s heavenly dwelling place.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 14:3). Lexham Press.

The Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament surveys each book of the New Testament at several levels—Book, Division, Section, Pericope, Paragraph, and Unit—providing contextually appropriate commentary on each level. The reader of the commentary can easily ascertain the contextual importance of any larger section, or pericope, or even a particular verse of Scripture.

Seeing God Through Love (4:12–16)

Loving one another perfects God’s love by allowing others to see it. The Spirit is the guarantee that we abide in him and he in us. Abiding comes with the profession that Jesus is the Son of God. John testifies to seeing that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. This is how we know God is love and abide in it.

4:13 God abides in his people and his people in him. Mutual abiding is certain because he has given them the Holy Spirit.

Mangum, D., ed. (2020). Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (1 Jn 4:12–16). Lexham Press.

Today’s Devotional – Connect the Testaments

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

May 20: From Concept to Caution to Cause

1 Chronicles 8:1–40; 1 Timothy 5:10–17; Psalm 78:53–72

Some things in the Bible are downright surprising, including several passages in Paul’s letters. Sometimes his words are so personal or they’re addressed to such a specific person our group, that it’s hard to understand why that particular passage is there. But God uses people to do His work, and whatever they show or teach us sets a precedent—like how to deal with difficult people, or how to best help the poor.

Some sections of Paul’s letters are rarely read aloud in church; we simply can’t figure out how to apply them. What application can you draw from a long list of people, or from the very specific details of how to evaluate a widow in need in your community (1 Tim 5)? What if there are no widows in your community? Do you just move on?

First Timothy 5:10–17 sets a good precedent for us as Christians, and it can serve as a standard for applying other passages. We don’t know precisely why Paul told Timothy not to help widows “less than sixty years of age,” but we do know that he was setting criteria for evaluating and helping the poor (1 Tim 5:9). Other than children and previously freed slaves, widows were the most impoverished members of society in biblical times.

Paul provides further criteria that would prevent a handout-based culture, and would also require a widow to have truly been transformed by Jesus’ teachings (1 Tim 5:10). Helping the poor isn’t enough—they need spiritual help, too. Paul also cautions against those who abuse the system (1 Tim 5:11–13), acknowledging that it can actually cause more harm than good when the church helps them.

As the Church, we want to help. But there have been times when we have done more harm than good—both locally and globally, particularly in the developing world—by failing to understanding the power struggles at play in any given situation. This should not stop us from helping; instead, it should encourage us to be both fiscally wise and culturally educated before providing funds. Understanding what people are really going through and how to truly help them is nearly as important as giving.

Who is your community trying to help? How can you better educate yourself on their real needs and how to meet them?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Today’s Devotional – Connect the Testaments

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

May 19: Outline for Honor

1 Chronicles 7:1–40; 1 Timothy 5:1–9; Psalm 78:30–52

In most Western cultures today, we’ve lost our connection with the elderly. With one grandparent living halfway across the country and the others having died before I was born, I wasn’t around older people until I met my wife and her family.

Unlike me, my wife had the privilege of knowing her great-grandparents. She has a strong sense of tradition and respect for the elderly, as well as a deep desire to help them in all aspects of life, and she has been able to teach me to do the same. Paul is dealing with a similar experience in his first letter to Timothy.

Paul says to Timothy, “Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows” (1 Tim 5:1–3). By “honor,” Paul means showing a deep sense of concern and an earnest, regular desire to help them financially and with their daily needs.

What Paul says is revolutionary for his time. It wasn’t that the elderly were disrespected culturally, but they weren’t sought out as teachers and people to help. Paul commanded not just equality in this scenario, but assistance and compassion. Widows, who were of the lowest rank of society, were to be loved as equals. And older men, at the higher rank, were to be respected for their understanding.

We don’t make these connections as readily in Western society. Instead, we see someone’s need as something to pray for, not to act on. And we see older men’s perspectives as simply “old guard” rather than a legitimate opinion we should take into consideration.

Paul doesn’t say older people are always right, just as our fathers are not always right, but he does encourage Timothy to show them the respect they deserve “as a father.” Paul’s outline for honor was as powerful then as it is now.

How can you make the elderly and widowed a part of your life and church community?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Verse of the day Jeremiah 6:16 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

6:16 the ancient paths A metaphor for the proper way to worship Yahweh according to the laws of the Pentateuch. Compare Jer 18:15. (See Below NET)

We will not walk The people’s refusal is direct and explicit; it is open rebellion against following Yahweh.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Je 6:16). Lexham Press.

Biblical Studies Press.

Jer 18:15.

^18:15 Yet my people have forgotten me

and offered sacrifices to worthless idols!

This makes them stumble along in the way they live

and leave the old reliable path of their fathers.²⁶

They have left them to walk in bypaths,

in roads that are not smooth and level.²⁷

.²⁶ sn Heb “the ancient path.” This has already been referred to in Jer 6:16. There is another “old way” but it is the path trod by the wicked (cf. Job 22:15).

.²⁷ sn Heb “ways that are not built up.” This refers to the built-up highways. See Isa 40:4 for the figure. The terms “way,” “by-paths,” “roads” are, of course, being used here in the sense of moral behavior or action.

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Je 6:16). Biblical Studies Press.

Saturday Short Study 2 Samuel 23:1-7 (NET 2nd Ed.)

Ever feel lost in translation? With the NET Full-notes Edition of the Holy Bible, you don’t need to be. Modern readers can find it challenging to connect with the ancient words and cultural contexts of the biblical writers. The NET offers a completely new solution: pairing a readable, everyday English translation with the largest set of translators’ notes ever created for a Bible.

David’s Final Words

23 These are the final words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised up a as the ruler chosen by the God of Jacob, Israel’s beloved singer of songs:

² The Lord’s spirit spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.

³ The God of Israel spoke, the protector of Israel spoke to me. The one who rules fairly among men, the one who rules in the fear of God,

⁴ is like the light of morning when the sun comes up, a morning in which there are no clouds. He is like the brightness after rain that produces grass from the earth.

⁵ My dynasty is approved by God, for he has made a perpetual covenant with me, arranged in all its particulars and secured. He always delivers me, and brings all I desire to fruition.

⁶ But evil people are like thorns— all of them are tossed away, for they cannot be held in the hand.

⁷ The one who touches them must use an iron instrument or the wooden shaft of a spear. They are completely burned up right where they lie!”

Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, 2 Sa 23:1). Thomas Nelson.

How can we account for the “Book of the Law” suddenly being discovered during Josiah’s renovation of the temple (2 Chron 34:14)? We know from Egypt and Mesopotamia that it was common to seal important documents—including theological documents—in the masonry or foundations of a palace or temple in order to inform a future king who might undertake restoration of the building.

23:1-7

Last Words of David

23:1. oracle of David. The introductory term translated “oracle” is most commonly used to introduce speeches of the Lord, but it is also sometimes used to introduce wise sayings (Agur’s oracle, Prov 30:1) or prophetic speeches (Balaam’s oracle, Num 24:3, 15), as verses two and three suggest this is. This is the only insinuation in the Old Testament that David could be classified among the prophets.

23:1. singer of songs. It is unclear whether this phrase represents a description of David or a description of the “God of Jacob.” Both can be justified from usage of this terminology in the Ugaritic texts. The former would describe David’s singing talents, and the latter would describe God as the treasured object of the songs or perhaps the cherished defender of Israel.

23:5–7. metaphors of kingship. The metaphor begun at verse five has a solar flavor. The rule of a just king is like the warmth of the sun for crops but is devastating to the unjust. Representing the king’s justice as the sun (Yahweh is the king in this case) is found among the Hittites and especially for the kings of Egypt. A Middle Kingdom hymn to the god Amun-Re describes the king as the lord of rays, who gives life-giving rays to those whom he loves but is a consuming fire to his enemies. In Mesopotamia it is Shamash, the sun god, who is the god of justice. Thorns symbolize rebels, who are simply poked into the fire (the result of the sun’s heat).

Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed., 2 Sa 23:1). InterVarsity Press.

No one familiar with the Bible needs to be told that it is a truly remarkable work. But it takes help to understand this ancient collection of diverse forms of literature written by different people across many centuries. The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (ECB) is the finest, most up-to-date single-volume Bible handbook now available.

Ch. 23 The second and much shorter “concluding” poem (vv. 1–7) also encapsulates the official royal ideology, but it is much more unusual. The surprise is not that the narrative introduction presents it briefly as “David’s last words,” while there is still a major episode to follow in ch. 24—the situation of the blessings in Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33 is similar. The strangeness consists more in the formal poetic introduction (23:1b), which can be matched only in two oracles of the seer Balaam, reported in Num 24:3–9, 15–19.

The first of these utters a rich blessing on Jacob/Israel; the second foresees in the distance a star/scepter rising from Jacob/Israel which will dominate the various peoples of Transjordan. In this third and far separated oracle, David claims by the authority of the God of Jacob/Israel to be that long foreseen king. This poem is the only point in the books of Samuel at which there is talk of a divine “covenant” with David (v. 5).

It is this biblical oracle which establishes the important postbiblical tradition of David’s status as prophet, whereby many of the psalms became understood as prophetic oracles. And its suggestion at the end of 2 Samuel of a prophetic role for David corresponds in an interesting way to the presentation of Samuel the prophet as something of a royal figure in the early chapters of 1 Samuel.

The remainder of this chapter offers a list of David’s principal military men. Most of this material in Samuel is found also in 1 Chronicles 11, just after the report in that book of David’s takeover of Jerusalem. The Chronicler’s list is some 60 percent longer and is immediately followed by a long account, not represented at all in Samuel, of support David received in men and supplies from each of the tribes while he was still in Ziklag. Although here and there 1 Chr 11:11–41 may have preserved a name better than Samuel, we do well to prefer the shorter version here in Samuel.

It is sometimes hard to keep track of the arithmetic, but the text broadly maintains a distinction between three superheroes, of whom some exploits are mentioned (23:8–12), and thirty heroes who are simply listed (vv. 24–39). Yet exploits are also reported of Abishai and Benaiah, who, though leaders of the thirty, did not attain the level of the three (vv. 19, 23). We should note that the Samuel list ends with Uriah the Hittite; as with Goliath and Saul, his is a name we already know far better from the much fuller story we have earlier read.

The most famous and poignant story in this section is set immediately after the three superheroes have been introduced (23:13–17). Yet it is attributed to three heroes of the thirty. Since these remain unnamed, the matter of their relationship to the surrounding lists cannot be settled. In any case, the action is more striking than the actors. David is in the Cave of Adullam—this mention of the cave in a story drawn from the Book of Two Houses may be the source on which 1 Sam 22:1–2 draws—but prevented by a Philistine garrison from entering Bethlehem, not many miles above.

Like many an exile, he longs for nothing more than the familiar water of home, but he is incautious enough to say so in the presence of daring and devoted heroes. When his dream actually materialized, he would not even drink the water but poured it out as a solemn libation. It was not for drinking, for it was men’s blood—and all blood had to be poured on the soil (Deut 12:16, 23–25). Water that is men’s blood is powerfully suggestive of bread that is a man’s body and wine that is his blood. However, in the context of the Christian eucharistic communion, the command is to eat and to drink remembering the cost—not to abstain and treat as too holy.

Auld, G. (2003). 1 and 2 Samuel. In J. D. G. Dunn & J. W. Rogerson (Eds.), Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (p. 243). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Verse of the day Mark 10:21 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

10:21 Go, sell all that you have Compare Mark 8:34–38.

Mark 8:34–38.

Following Jesus

^8:34 Then⁵⁰ Jesus⁵¹ called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower,⁵² he must deny⁵³ himself, take up his cross,⁵⁴ and follow me. ^8:35 For whoever wants to save his life⁵⁵ will lose it,⁵⁶ but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. ^8:36 For what benefit is it for a person⁵⁷ to gain the whole world, yet⁵⁸ forfeit his life? ^8:37 What can a person give in exchange for his life? ^8:38 For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him⁵⁹ when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Notes

⁵⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁵¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵² tn Grk “to follow after me.”

⁵³ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

⁵⁴ sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

⁵⁵ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 35–37).

⁵⁶ sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

⁵⁷ tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.

⁵⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

⁵⁹ sn How one responds now to Jesus and his teaching is a reflection of how Jesus, as the Son of Man who judges, will respond then in the final judgment.

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Mk 8:34–38). Biblical Studies Press.

Commentary

This volume offers exceptional commentary on Mark that clearly shows the second Gospel—though it was a product of the earliest Christian community—to be both relevant and sorely needed in today’s church.

21 Christian readers often assume that the man was hypocritical in bringing his moral report card to Jesus. That would not seem to be the case, however, for Mark says that “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Jesus did not look on hypocrisy with love. Should it be countered that v. 20 reveals arrogance rather than hypocrisy, that, too, may be a misjudgment. Given Jesus’ affection for the man, it seems more reasonable to assume that his ready presentation of his goodness was childlike, unreflective perhaps, but not arrogant.

The word for “looked at” (Gk. emblepein) is an intensified compound of the normal word for “look,” meaning “to look at intently,” “to examine,” or “to scrutinize.” Jesus is not being deceived by the rich man. He sees inside him and “loved him.” The word for “love” (Gk. agapan) is the highest form of love in the NT, meaning love that characterizes God and of which God is worthy. There must have been something rare and admirable in the man, for of no one else in the Gospel does Mark say that Jesus “loved him.”

It is often further assumed that if one followed the law perfectly one would be assured of eternal life. In this passage Jesus teaches something quite different. We may safely assume that the man has kept the law, for Jesus does not challenge his statement to this effect in v. 20. But even if the law were kept, the most essential thing is still lacking! “ ‘One thing you lack,’ [Jesus] said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow me’ ” (also Luke 12:33–34). How profoundly ironic is the kingdom of God. The children in the former story who possess nothing are not told that they lack anything, but rather that the kingdom of God is theirs; yet this man who possesses everything still lacks something! Only when he sells all he has—only when he becomes like a vulnerable child—will he possess everything. To the question what the man must do to inherit life in the future (v. 17), Jesus directs him to the present. He must do something now.

His full adherence to the moral law, good and necessary as it is, is no substitute for following Jesus.³⁴ The question about the law, in other words, is answered with reference to a relationship with Jesus! True obedience to the law can be rendered only in discipleship to Jesus, and unless obedience to the law leads to discipleship with Jesus it is incomplete and futile. In following Jesus the man “will have treasure in heaven” (v. 21). Jesus offers himself as a substitute for the man’s possessions.

³⁴ “Although [Jesus] did not oppose the law, he did indicate that what was most important was accepting him and following him. This could eventually lead to the view that the law was unnecessary, but it appears that Jesus himself did not draw this conclusion, nor does this seem to have been an accusation against him.… [H]e regarded his own mission as what really counted. If the most important thing that people could do was to accept him, the importance of other demands was reduced, even though Jesus did not say that those demands were invalid” (E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus [London: Penguin Press, 1993], 236–37).

Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 311). Eerdmans; Apollos.

Today’s Devotional – Connect the Testaments

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

May 14: A Sense of History

1 Chronicles 1:1–54; 1 Timothy 2:1–15; Psalm 74:1–23

When I was in sixth grade, my teacher assigned our class a family genealogy and history project. At first it was frustrating. It seemed like unnecessary work. But eventually I became obsessive over it as I discovered our family stories. Many of us share this same experience; we’ve uncovered ancestors who have done great things. Through this process, we can begin to understand not just these people of history, but also ourselves.

Although we may be especially interested in our own family history, who doesn’t skip (or at least think about skipping) the genealogies of the Bible? Even if we’re serious about reading biblical books front to back, we prefer to skip over the long lists of names. But that would be a mistake in the case of 1 Chr 1:1–54.

This genealogy is about human history leading up to a monumental person: King David. The lineage also makes the book of Ruth incredibly relevant: Boaz, Ruth’s husband, shows up in the line (1 Chr 2:11–12), which indicates that God had a plan to enfold non-Israelites into His people long before Christ’s work brought about that result (e.g., Acts 2).

Just as our family history teaches us about the way we are, reading the Bible allows us to learn why David was the way he was. Through genealogies, we can learn about the heart and character of God and His intricate plan to save the world.

How does the sense of history conveyed in the Bible connect to your sense of history?

How does it connect to the work Christ is doing in and through you today?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Verse of the day Matthew 12:49-50 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

12:46–50 Jesus’ direct opposition to the religious establishment of His day drew the attention and concern of His family. Here, Jesus defines His extended family as those who do the will of His heavenly Father.

12:50 my brother and sister and mother Jesus is not negating the importance of the natural family, but He is emphasizing the greater importance of the spiritual family. Commitment to Jesus and His cause is a higher loyalty than familial loyalty.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Mt 12:50). Lexham Press.

The visit of the Magi, the Sermon on the Mount, the Great Commission: these are only a few of the well-known passages in Matthew’s Gospel. Yet it begins with a list of unknown names and apparently irrelevant ‘begettings’. The early church may have placed Matthew first in the New Testament because it provides a Christian perspective on the relation between the church and the Jews

viii. Jesus’ true family (12:46–50)

48–49. Jesus’ words have been taken to imply a lack of proper respect for his mother; but see his remarks on the subject, 15:3–6. The point here is, as in 10:34–37, that there is a tie which is closer even than that of family.

50. The disciples (v. 49) who are thus privileged are described as whoever does the will of God. The emphasis, as in 7:15–27, is not on intellectual assent but on practical obedience; that is the essence of discipleship, and here, as in 7:21–23, it is the test of the reality of a relationship with Jesus.

Here then, in contrast with the various wrong responses to Jesus set out in chapters 11–12, is the response for which he looked, and the section closes with Jesus, rejected by most of ‘this generation’, surrounded by the select group of the true family of his Father in heaven

France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 1, p. 218). InterVarsity Press.

Verse of the day Ephesians 3:17 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

3:17 Paul restates the prayer’s central appeal, identifying the presence of Christ with the empowerment of the Spirit (Eph 3:16). Just as the Church is becoming a holy temple for God (2:21–22), so the individual believer receives the presence of Christ (compare Gal 2:20).

may dwell The Greek word used here, katoikeō, carries the sense of residing permanently.

in your hearts The heart in ancient Greek and Jewish thought represents the essential aspects of existence and identity: the inner being, will, and intelligence.

firmly rooted and established Paul uses these two metaphors—one agricultural (“rooted”) and the other architectural (“established”)—as a reminder of the stability that Christ provides. Paul’s ultimate hope is that the indwelling presence of Christ will deepen the believers’ experience of God’s love.

in love Refers to God’s love (Eph 2:4).

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Eph 3:16–17). Biblical Studies Press.

Daily Devotional from Connect the Testaments by John D. Barry & Rebecca Van Noord

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

May 6: Community Driven

Judges 9:22–10:18; Philippians 2:19–30; Psalm 68:1–14

By default, we flag our own needs as high priority. And we often measure our church community by how well it’s serving our needs. Caught up in our own spiritual growth, we tend to forget that we’re meant to attend to the physical and spiritual needs of others. Paul upholds Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippians as examples of what this type of service should look like.

Paul was intent on sending Timothy to the Philippian church because of his discernment and his servant-like heart. In fact Timothy was the only one suited for the task. Others wouldn’t “sincerely be concerned about [the Philippians’] circumstances. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Phil 2:20–21). Likewise, Paul describes Epaphroditus as a man who suffered to the point of death in order to assist him in his ministry (Phil 2:30).

Both of these men epitomized the natural result of Paul’s commands earlier in his letter: “Do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves, each of you not looking out for your own interests, but also each of you for the interests of others” (Phil 2:3–4).

“Considering another individual better” didn’t mean the Philippians had to foster an exaggerated opinion of others—as if they deserved honor. Rather, Paul was instructing them to consider others’ needs ahead of their own. The church in Philippi had this example in Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. But the original example is found in the person of Christ, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8).

Christ’s sacrificial love was first shown undeservedly to us, and His example of humility, obedience, and service is a reminder that we should be looking for ways to serve those around us.

How can you reach out to someone who needs guidance, love or encouragement?

Rebecca Van Noord

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Verse of the day Colossians 4:2 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

4:2 alert The Colossians must stay alert for false teachings that contradict the gospel message (Col 2:8). Jesus gave His disciples a similar warning prior to His arrest (Mark 14:38).

thanksgiving See note on Col 3:15.

Note on Colossians 3:15 

NET Text

^3:15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body¹⁷ to this peace), and be thankful

17tn Grk “in one body.” This phrase emphasizes the manner in which the believers were called, not the goal of their calling, and focuses upon their unity.

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Col 4:2). Biblical Studies Press.

FSB Commentary

3:15 Paul commands the Colossians to express gratitude for the things they have and the people in their lives. Gratitude is a safeguard against grumbling and complaining, both of which can ruin a community.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Col 4:2). Lexham Press.

Today’s Devotional from Connect the Testaments by John D. Barry & Rebecca Van Noord

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

May 3: If Life Were a Musical

Judges 4:1–6:10; Philippians 1:19–30; Psalm 65:1–13

Maybe life should be more like a musical or an oratorio—like Les Misérables or Handel’s Messiah. How we feel is often expressed better in song or poetry than anything else. Literary criticism tells us that poets write verse because prose simply can’t capture the emotions they’re feeling. So much of the Bible is poetry, suggesting that maybe, in a way, poems and songs are the language of God.

Deborah and Barak understood this. After Yahweh claimed victory over Israel’s foes through them, they “sang on that day” (Judg 5:1). The Bible records their song. It was epic—the earth trembling (Judg 5:4, 5), the people rejoicing (Judg 5:7), and everyone singing as they recounted “the righteous deeds of Yahweh” and made their way to the city gates (Judg 5:11). This is music, after all; it’s expressive.

Paul breaks out in a type of song in Philippians as well (Phil 2:5–11). His song is a result of his raw excitement from reflecting on the work of the good news of Jesus in himself and others (Phil 1:12–26) and his hope that believers will be filled with “one purpose” (Phil 2:2). To truly worship God, you just have to sing. You have to feel and sound like a poet. God’s too exciting for anything else to suffice.

I know someone who thinks of life as a musical. Life is joy for that person because there’s a soundtrack for everything. If God is at work in everything, then we should want to worship Him constantly. We should sing His praises. We should write about our journeys, speak about them, share them, and experience God’s work among us collectively.

Christianity isn’t meant to be stale or dull—the early church was anything but. It was exciting, like God Himself, because His Spirit was working among believers. And his Spirit is working today. So clap, sing a little louder, and share your story. Find the soundtrack to it all.

How can you praise God more fully?

John D. Barry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Verse of the day Daniel 2:44 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

2:44 will never be destroyed The fifth and final kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is the kingdom God Himself will establish universally. This is the great hope for Daniel’s readers.

the kingdom will not be left for another nation While the Jews were exiled in Babylon, Jerusalem and Judah were left for others to inhabit. The kingdom of God would never be left desolate for others to occupy.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Da 2:44–45). Lexham Press.

Daily Devotional from Connect the Testaments by John D. Barry & Rebecca Van Noord

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

May 2: Don’t Focus on Overcoming

Judges 2:11–3:31; Philippians 1:12–18; Psalm 63–64

When I go through difficult circumstances, I want the end. I’m so focused on escape and overcoming that I barely think about what God might be teaching me through that experience. And I’m certainly not thinking about how He might be using me to witness to others.

Paul was on a completely different wavelength. In his letter to the church at Philippi, he sets his Roman imprisonment in context: “Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have happened instead for the progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in Christ has become known in the whole praetorium and to all the rest” (Phil 1:12–13).

Paul wasn’t just enduring or anticipating the end of his imprisonment. He was using his experience to be a witness for Christ. His captors must have wondered: what makes a person willing to suffer like this? What makes his message worth imprisonment?

Paul’s circumstances didn’t merely create waves with those he was testifying to. Other believers were emboldened by Paul’s endurance and preached the gospel without fear (Phil 1:14).

It’s not natural to be filled with joy in the midst of difficult times. It’s not normal to have a sense of purpose when everything appears to be going wrong. We don’t expect much from ourselves or others during these times, but God wants to refine us and use us. He’s giving us a chance to display the “peace of God that surpasses all understanding”—as a testimony to Christ’s redemptive work (Phil 4:7). Are you responding?

How can you use your difficult circumstances to point others toward Christ?

Rebecca Van Noord

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Verse of the day 2 Samuel 7:16 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

7:16 The three promises in this verse—the permanence of David’s dynasty, kingdom, and throne—summarize Yahweh’s 10 promises in 2 Sam 7:9–15. They are mentioned three times in Psa 89:4, 29, 36.

Central to the nt is the understanding of Jesus as the culmination and ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. All four Gospels recognize Jesus as the Son of David (especially Luke; see Luke 1:32, 69). The “kingdom of God” (or “kingdom of heaven”) language of the Gospel accounts also affirm the other aspects of 2 Sam 7:16, identifying Jesus’ kingdom as inaugurated on earth but not yet fully realized—with its full realization happening in Jesus’ return. Paul likewise testifies to Jesus’ Davidic heritage, particularly in Rom 1:3 and 2 Tim 2:8. In addition, Revelation acknowledges Jesus’ ancestry (see Rev 5:5; 22:16). By identifying Jesus as a descendant of David, the nt authors affirm their conviction that Jesus is Yahweh’s ultimate anointed ruler (Messiah or Christ) from the Davidic line.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (2 Sa 7:16). Lexham Press.

Daily Devotional from Connect the Testaments by John D. Barry & Rebecca Van Noord

This 365-day devotional walks you through the Bible in a year, following a custom reading plan that delves into the stories of the Bible from five unique perspectives.

May 1: Who Will Fight for Us?

Judges 1:1–2:10; Philippians 1:1–11; Psalm 61:1–62:12

“Who will go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?” (Judg 1:1).

I’ve felt this way before—wondering who will be my advocate in my time of need. It’s ironic that we are surrounded by people, and we have constant access to communication, and yet we can still feel alone. In a world of ambient noise, we’re often left feeling that no one is there to come to our aid. Most of us do have people to help us; it’s just that we’re not willing to ask for help. At all times, we have someone who will be our guide in times of distress.

Paul tells us that it is Christ “who began a good work in you [and He] will finish it until the day [He returns]” (Phil 1:6). In essence, the story of Paul and the Philippian believers’ struggles is really the same story told in the book of Judges. God’s people are at war against powers seen and unseen (Phil 3:1–4; compare Col 1:16). They feel lonely and wounded, but when they search their hearts, they see that God really is rising up to defend them. In Judges, He sends His people great advocates who go out before them in battle. In Philippians, we see Paul telling his story to a church in need of a leader so they can look to his example (e.g., Phil 1:12–25; 3:1–21). We also see Paul, time and time again, point to the greatest example: Christ (e.g., Phil 1:9–11).

In the humility of his situation, Paul sees God at work (Phil 2). When God’s people found themselves in dire circumstances, being opposed by outside forces, they saw God come to their aid (e.g., Judg 4). Christ is our advocate before God the Father, and He is our guide in this life, which can often be confusing and disheartening. God’s faithfulness in guiding and loving His people remains the same today as yesterday, but now we see an even greater manifestation of that love in Jesus.

What humbling situation are you going through? How can you hand it over to God and trust in His providence?

John D. Barrry

Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012). Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Lexham Press.

Acts 5:21-24 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

The Greek Text

 ²²  οἱ δὲ παραγενόμενοι ὑπηρέται οὐχ εὗρον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ ἀναστρέψαντες δὲ ἀπήγγειλαν 

²³ λέγοντες ὅτι Τὸ δεσμωτήριον  εὕρομενκεκλεισμένον ἐν πάσῃ ἀσφαλείᾳ καὶ  τοὺς φύλακας  ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τῶν θυρῶν ἀνοίξαντες δὲ  ἔσω  οὐδένα εὕρομεν ”

²⁴ ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν τοὺς λόγους τούτους ὅ τε στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς διηπόρουν περὶ αὐτῶν τί ἂν γένοιτο τοῦτο

²⁵ παραγενόμενος δέ τις ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι Ἰδοὺ οἱ ἄνδρες οὓς ἔθεσθε ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ εἰσὶν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἑστῶτες καὶ διδάσκοντες τὸν λαόν 

²⁶ τότε ἀπελθὼν ὁ στρατηγὸς σὺν τοῖς ὑπηρέταις ἦγεν αὐτοὺς οὐ μετὰ βίας

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Ac 5:22–23). Lexham Press.

Translation

The English Standard Version™ is founded on the conviction that the words of the Bible are the very words of God. And because the words themselves—not just the thoughts or ideas—are inspired by God, each word must be translated with the greatest precision and accuracy.

22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,

23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”

24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.

25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”

26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ac 5:22–26). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

Acts 5:22

The officials (see 13:5) are either officers of the Jewish Council or Levites of the temple guard under the officer in charge of the temple guards (see v. 24). In some languages the term officials is equivalent to “policemen.” In other instances the closest equivalent is “soldiers.”

To the Council has been added to the verb they returned in order to indicate to what place they returned.

The verb reported may be rendered as “said to the men in the Council.”

Acts 5:23

When we arrived at the jail is implicit in the Greek text and the TEV has made this information explicit. Most translators prefer to render without a transitional (NEB “we found the jail securely locked”).

The phrase found it locked up tight may require some slight modification since in some languages one does not “lock a jail,” but rather one “locks the doors of the jail”; therefore, “found the doors securely locked.”

The clause all the guards on watch at the gates is equivalent in many languages to “all the soldiers carefully guarding the doors.”

There is a potential problem in the phrase did not find anyone inside. This could be interpreted to mean that the angel of the Lord led out not only the apostles but all of the criminals in the jail. Some translators have therefore preferred to render this as “did not find either of the apostles inside.” Note that in verse 24 the concern is only for the apostles who had apparently escaped.

Acts 5:24

The officer in charge of the temple guards is the same term used in 4:1 They wondered what had happened to the apostles is one possible meaning of the difficult Greek expression in this verse. Goodspeed (“they were very much at a loss as to what would come of it”) and JB (“they wondered what this could mean”) are two other possible translations of this somewhat puzzling expression.

Acts 5:25

The location indicated by in must be made more specific in some languages, for example, “into the Council” or “where the leaders were gathered together.”

The particle translated listen may have the force of “at this very moment” (see JB). It is the same particle that the TEV translates right now in 5:9 and suddenly in 1:10.

The reference to standing is again not so much a designation of posture as one of location.

In some languages the relationship between standing and teaching is expressed by two closely combined clauses: “they are in the temple; they are teaching the people.”

Acts 5:26

The officer is the same word used in verse 24, the officer in charge of the temple guards.

Many languages are quite specific in the use of terms such as brought … back. In this context a rendering may be “caused them to return with them” or “commanded them to return with them.” The text clearly states that no physical force was used.

In order to indicate clearly that they did not use force, one may say in some languages “they did not grab them” or “they did not tie them up.” In other languages a common expression is “they did not beat them.”

It is important that in the final clause the goal of the stoning is the officer and the soldiers, not the apostles.

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1972). A handbook on the Acts of the Apostles (pp. 125–126). United Bible Societies.

Luke 22:19-13 (NA28) Short Study

The Nestle-Aland 28th Edition Greek New Testament now incorporates the text-critical insights of the Editio Critical Maior (ECM) of the Greek New Testament into the text of Catholic Epistles, representing the most recent scholarly research in establishing the Greek text.

19 Καὶ λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.

20 καὶ τὸ ποτήριον ὡσαύτως μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λέγων· τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐν τῷ αἵματί μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυννόμενον.

21 Πλὴν ἰδοὺ ἡ χεὶρ τοῦ παραδιδόντος με μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης.

22 ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς μὲν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ τὸ ὡρισμένον πορεύεται πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ διʼ οὗ παραδίδοται.

23 καὶ αὐτοὶ ἤρξαντο συζητεῖν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς τὸ τίς ἄρα εἴη ἐξ αὐτῶν ὁ τοῦτο μέλλων πράσσειν.

Aland, K., Aland, B., Karavidopoulos, J., Martini, C. M., & Metzger, B. M. (2012). Novum Testamentum Graece (28th Edition, Lk 22:19–23). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

Translation

Biblical Studies Press.

^22:19 Then⁴⁸ he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body⁴⁹ which is given for you.⁵⁰ Do this in remembrance of me.” 

^22:20 And in the same way he took⁵¹ the cup after they had eaten,⁵² saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant⁵³ in my blood.

A Final Discourse

^22:21 “But look, the hand of the one who betrays⁵⁴ me is with me on the table.⁵⁵ 

^22:22 For the Son of Man is to go just as it has been determined,⁵⁶ but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 

^22:23 So⁵⁷ they began to question one another as to which of them it could possibly be who would do this.

NET Notes

⁴⁸

tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁴⁹

tc Some important Western mss (D it) lack the words from this point to the end of v. 20. However, the authenticity of these verses is very likely. The inclusion of the second cup is the harder reading, since it differs from Matt 26:26–29 and Mark 14:22–25, and it has much better ms support. It is thus easier to explain the shorter reading as a scribal accident or misunderstanding. Further discussion of this complicated problem (the most difficult in Luke) can be found in TCGNT 148–50.

⁵⁰

sn The language of the phrase given for you alludes to Christ’s death in our place. It is a powerful substitutionary image of what he did for us.

⁵¹

tn The words “he took” are not in the Greek text at this point, but are an understood repetition from v. 19.

⁵²

tn The phrase “after they had eaten” translates the temporal infinitive construction μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι (meta to deipnēsai), where the verb δειπνέω (deipneō) means “to eat a meal” or “to have a meal.”

⁵³

sn Jesus’ death established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jer 31:31. Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era.

⁵⁴

sn The one who betrays me. Jesus knows about Judas and what he has done.

⁵⁵

sn The point of Jesus’ comment here is not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him—somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas’ betrayal.

⁵⁶

sn Jesus’ death has been determined as a part of God’s plan (Acts 2:22–24).

⁵⁷

tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ comments: The disciples begin wondering who would betray him.

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Lk 22:19–23). Biblical Studies Press.

Commentary

The Holman Bible Atlas is a visual feast, illuminating the Bible for a whole new generation of students, teachers and laypeople by introducing them to the physical, cultural, and historical settings of the biblical narrative. A 2000 Gold Medallion Winner, the Atlas integrates insights from physical and historical geography, archaeology, ancient historical sources, and the Bible itself.

THURSDAY

Jesus spent Thursday with His disciples anticipating sharing the Passover meal with them. Peter and John were sent ahead to make final preparations (Luke 22:8–12). In the evening Jesus observed the traditional meal with His disciples and interpreted the wine and bread in light of His impending death (Luke 22:14–20).

Later in the evening, Jesus retired with His disciples to the Mount of Olives and a place called Gethsemane, where He engaged in fervent prayer (Matt. 26:36–45; Mark 14:32–42). Ancient traditions locate Gethsemane opposite the temple, across the Kidron Valley on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. Here Judas betrayed Jesus to temple authorities who placed Jesus under arrest (Luke 22:47–53; John 18:2–12).

Brisco, T. V. (1998). Holman Bible atlas (p. 234). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Verse of the day Isaiah 11:1 (NET)

Biblical Studies Press.

An Ideal King Establishes a Kingdom of Peace

^11:1 A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s¹ root stock,

a bud will sprout² from his roots.

sn The text mentions David’s father Jesse, instead of the great king himself. Perhaps this is done for rhetorical reasons to suggest that a new David, not just another disappointing Davidic descendant, will arise. Other prophets call the coming ideal Davidic king “David” or picture him as the second coming of David, as it were. See Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23–24; 37:24–25; Hos 3:5; and Mic 5:2 (as well as the note there).

tc The Hebrew text has יִפְרֶה (yifreh, “will bear fruit,” from פָּרָה, parah), but the ancient versions, as well as the parallelism suggest that יִפְרַח (yifrakh, “will sprout”, from פָּרַח, parakh) is the better reading here. See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:276, n. 2.

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

11:1 a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse The stump is a metaphor for the remnant of the royal family of David. The kingly line is all but eliminated in the invasions and deportations by the Babylonians (see 6:13). The shoot is a metaphor for restoration of the line in the Messiah. Compare 53:2.

a branch from its roots will bear fruit The branch is again a metaphor for the Messiah. See Zech 3:8 and note.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Is 11:1). Lexham Press.

The New Testament depends heavily on the Old Testament. The significant metaphors, themes, and stories are used by all the writers of the New. The New Testament contains stories of prophecies and promises fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus Christ and in the work of the Early Church. Understanding the New Testament use of the Old Testament is critical for interpretation and exegesis.

Isaiah 11:1
1A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s root stock, a bud will sprout from his roots.

Matthew 2:23
23He came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.

Acts 13:23
23From the descendants of this man God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised.

Hebrews 7:14
14For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

Revelation 5:5
5Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; thus he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Revelation 22:16
16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for

Jones, D. A. (2009). Old Testament Quotations and Allusions in the New Testament (Is 11:1–Re 22:16). Logos Bible Software.

Verse of the day Amos 3:8 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

3:3–8 Yahweh uses a series of rhetorical questions, where the expected answer is “no,” to emphasize that judgment is just as certain as the predictable reactions evoked by the questions.

Seven questions in Amos 3:3–6 are interrupted by the acknowledgment of Yahweh’s sovereignty required by the question in v. 6. The final questions in v. 8 emphasize the prophet’s role as a mere messenger for God who is unable to resist the call to preach (compare Jer 20:8–9).

Since a commentary is a fundamental tool for the expositor or teacher who seeks to interpret and apply Scripture in the church or classroom, the NAC focuses on communicating the theological structure and content of each biblical book. The writers seek to illuminate both the historical meaning and contemporary significance of Holy Scripture.

3:8 The style shift in v. 8 alerted Amos’s audience (reader) that he had reached the climax. He turned from hypothetical situations (vv. 3–6) to statements of fact. “The lion has roared,” the first statement of fact, is the cause of “fear.” Here the lion’s roar strikes fear in humans, “who will not fear?” The effect of the lion’s roar in v. 4 was on other animals.

Since “the lion has roared” is parallel to “the Sovereign Lord has spoken,” both expressions refer to God. This usage accords with the parallel statements in 1:2, “The Lord from Zion will roar, and from Jerusalem he will give his voice” (author’s translation). Amos had heard the lion’s roar of the Lord’s judgment upon Israel.

That roar struck “fear” in Amos. He knew the lion’s roar signaled a kill. Amos spoke God’s message in Israel because he had heard the Lord speak. The prophet’s message was not his own. He only spoke what he heard the Lord speak. With this rhetorical unit Amos would justify his appearance in Israel as spokesman for God. S. Paul captures Amos’s point: “The prophet speaks when commanded but, once commanded, must speak.” Gitay explains the significance of this point as adding to Amos’s credibility.

Amos did not enjoy his task of conveying unpleasant words. He was simply “one of the audience, one who [had] no choice but to prophesy.” D. Hubbard’s concluding paragraph on the unit contains a striking statement about how Amos “won his points”: “He has done so by leading his hearers through a catechism of common-sense questions to his double conclusion that reinforces all that he said in the beginning verses of this chapter: Yahweh will bring disaster on his people (v. 6b), and Amos has no choice but to announce it” (v. 8b).

(3) The Downfall and Devouring of Israel (3:9–12)

9 Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod and to the fortresses of Egypt: “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria; see the great unrest within her and the oppression among her people.”

10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses.”

11 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “An enemy will overrun the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses.”

12 This is what the Lord says: “As a shepherd saves from the lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites be saved, those who sit in Samaria on the edge of their beds and in Damascus on their couches.” Having prepared his audience for the message and justified his ministry of judgment in Israel, Amos then spelled out the crimes the Lord would punish.

This oracle has a mixture of forms. The call for witnesses suggests the covenant lawsuit form (v. 9) and serves as an introduction to the second half of the message in this chapter (cf. v. 1). Emphasis on the word of the Lord is a feature of the messenger form (vv. 10–11). Samaria was the likely location of the prophet’s proclamation, and Samaria’s leading citizens probably were the prophet’s target audience.

Smith, B. K., & Page, F. S. (1995). Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Vol. 19B, pp. 75–77). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Verse of the day Galatians 3:28 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

3:28 neither Greek or Jew Paul emphasizes that the standard categories that often divide people—race, social status, gender—do not apply to those who are in Christ. It is not that such criteria cease to exist; rather, these distinctions are not grounds for exclusion from the life that God offers to all people in Christ. Because God is one (v. 20), He seeks to establish through Christ a single, unified family.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ga 3:28). Lexham Press.

The Lexham Research Commentary is your starting point for study and research. It surveys all the relevant literature on a passage and brings the summary back to you. This guide summarizes a broad range of views on a particular passage—views you may or may not agree with, but in all cases, views you will encounter as you critically study the text

One in Christ Jesus

At the end of his lengthy debate about the law and the promises of God in Gal 3:6–22, Paul ties together the strands of his argument by describing the true heirs of Abraham as those who are God’s children by faith and are baptized into Christ (Gal 3:26–27).

Then, in Galatians 3:28–29, Paul makes one of the most remarkable statements on Christian unity in the nt. Crossing theological lines into the realm of social relationships, Paul announces the direct result of the blessings promised to Abraham coming to all people through the one seed, Christ: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).

Two major questions concerning this verse feature in commentaries. First, in what sense—or to what extent—does Paul think the social relationships mentioned in Gal 3:28 no longer exist? Second, what does it mean for all believers to be “one” (heis) in Christ Jesus?

• Bruce argues that Paul’s law-free gospel places Jews and Gentiles on the same level before God. As a result, the distinctives of the pairs in Gal 3:28 have been erased for a new identity in Christ, though a certain degree of (social) inequality is not ruled out. Bruce also views the notion of “oneness” in Gal 3:28 in light of Rom 12:5 and 1 Cor 10:17, where Paul speaks of the “one body” of Christ. “Galatians 3:28” The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Galatians

• Dunn rightly notes that the Jew-Gentile dichotomy and divisions based on slavery and gender represented the fundamental divisions among humanity for the Jews of Paul’s day. Paul’s language therefore implies a “radically reshaped social world” within the Christian worldview.

It’s not that these distinctions have been removed, but that they have been “relativized” where they no longer have significance before God. Instead, all believers—whether Jew, Gentile, male, female, slave, or free—are God’s children through the one faith. “Galatians 3:28” Black’s New Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Galatians

• Martyn regards Galatians 3:26–29 as a baptismal formula from early Christian liturgy (compare 1 Cor 12:13; Col 3:9–11). According to Martyn, God’s new creation—“the eschatological novum”—serves as the basis of the new oneness of God’s people in Christ, who are no longer defined simply in terms of the social pairs mentioned in Gal 3:28. These social pairs belong to the old order. “Galatians 3:26–29” Anchor Yale Bible: Galatians

• Schreiner cautions against interpreting Gal 3:28 to mean the end of all social distinctions. According to Schreiner, Paul means that being in Christ—belonging to the family of Abraham (Gal 3:26, 29)—means that God’s people should not be “marked by social classes and cliques.” “Galatians 3:28” Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Galatians

• In his social-rhetorical commentary, Witherington engages the issue of why Paul, in referring to the male-female pair, uses the conjunctive kai (“and”) rather than oude (“or”). Whereas most believe Paul was following the wording of the Septuagint in Gen 1:17, Witherington puts forward the unusual argument that Paul here is addressing the Galatians adoption of a nomistic lifestyle and its implications for gender inequality. “Galatians 3:28” Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians

Mangum, D., & Brown, D. R. (2012). Galatians (Ga 3:1–4:7). Lexham Press.

Luke 20:14-18 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation. 

14

ἰδόντες

δὲ

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

αὐτὸν

saw

but

him

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	οἱ		γεωργοὶ		διελογίζοντο
	[when] the		tenant farmers		they began to reason

πρὸς		Reciprocal Reference	ἀλλήλους		λέγοντες
with			one another		saying

Demonstrative or Deictic Reference

Οὗτός

ἐστιν

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

ὁ

this

is

the

	κληρονόμος
	heir

		ἀποκτείνωμεν		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	αὐτόν
		let us kill			him

ἵνα

Speaker

ἡμῶν

γένηται

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

ἡ

κληρονομία

so that

ours

will become

the

inheritance

15

καὶ

ἐκβαλόντες

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

αὐτὸν

ἔξω

and

[they] threw

him

out

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τοῦ		ἀμπελῶνος		ἀπέκτειναν
	of the		vineyard		[and] killed [him]

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τί

οὖν

ποιήσει

what

then

do

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	αὐτοῖς		Whom or	What Spoken or Written About
	to them

ὁ		κύριος		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τοῦ		ἀμπελῶνος
[will] the		owner			of the		vineyard

16

ἐλεύσεται

καὶ

ἀπολέσει

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τοὺς

he will come

and

destroy

[-]

γεωργοὺς		Demonstrative or	Deictic Reference	τούτους
tenant farmers				those

καὶ

δώσει

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

τὸν

ἀμπελῶνα

ἄλλοις

and

will give

the

vineyard

to others

		ἀκούσαντες		δὲ		εἶπαν
		[when they] heard [this]		and		they said

Μὴ

γένοιτο

[may this] never

happen

17

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

δὲ

ἐμβλέψας

he

but

looked intently at

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	αὐτοῖς				εἶπεν
	them				[and] said

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

Τί

οὖν

ἐστιν

what

then

is

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τὸ

γεγραμμένον

Demonstrative or Deictic

[-]

that is written

Reference	τοῦτο
	this

Λίθον

Relative Reference

ὃν

ἀπεδοκίμασαν

the stone

which

rejected

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	οἱ		οἰκοδομοῦντες								Demonstrative or Deictic
	the		builders

Reference

οὗτος

ἐγενήθη

εἰς

κεφαλὴν

γωνίας

this

has become

[-]

the head

of the corner

18

πᾶς

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

ὁ

πεσὼν

ἐπʼ

everyone

[-]

who falls

on

Demonstrative or Deictic	Reference	ἐκεῖνον		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τὸν		λίθον
		that			[-]		stone

	συνθλασθήσεται
	will be broken to pieces

ἐφʼ

Relative Reference

ὃν

δʼ

ἂν

πέσῃ

λικμήσει

[the one] on

whom

and

[-]

it falls

it will crush

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	αὐτόν
	him

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Lk 20:14–18). Lexham Press.

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

Luke 20:14

Exegesis hoi geōrgoi dielogizonto pros allēlous ‘the tenants discussed among themselves’, cp. A-G s.v. dialogizomai 2. The imperfect is durative and implies that it took some time before they came to the decision expressed in what follows.

houtos estin ho klēronomos ‘this is the heir’. klēronomos (‡)

hina hēmōn genētai hē klēronomia ‘in order that the inheritance be ours’, i.e. ‘may come to us’. hēmōn is possessive genitive and goes with the predicate. genētai is ingressive aorist.

Translation Said to themselves, or, ‘to one another’, see on 4:36.

For this is the heir and that the inheritance may be ours see TH-Mk on 12:7, and cp. ‘he (it is who) will own the garden later’ and ‘that his garden be our (inclus.) share’ (East Toradja 1933), ‘he will receive the property of his father’ and ‘that the property come in our hands’ (Sranan), ‘to him his father will leave the property’ and ‘that we may possess what-is-his (South Toradja), or, the property/vineyard’.

Luke 20:15

Exegesis ti oun poiēsei autois ho kurios tou ampelōnos ‘what then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?’ This question interrupts the parable since it is addressed to the listeners. No answer from them is expected or given and the question serves to enliven the parable and focus attention on its main point. It is in the future tense as if Jesus and the listeners witnesses of the events.

Translation Cast him out … and killed him the victim is cast or pushed out of the vineyard while still alive, and then killed outside.

What then will the owner … do …? The force of this question may have to be brought out by saying, ‘what then do you expect the owner … will do …?’, or as a statement, ‘you all, or, we (inclus.) all, know what the owner … will do, of course …’. Then, or, ‘therefore’, ‘so’, indicates that the question draws the inference from the parable, and as such marks its end. If this is still felt to be too abrupt a transition, one may add, “Jesus asked” (TEV), or, ‘thereupon Jesus said’.

Luke 20:16

Exegesis eleusetai kai apolesei … kai dōsei ‘he will come and destroy (or put to death) … and give’. The end of the parable is told in the future as it is yet to come.

akousantes de eipan ‘when they heard it they said’. Subject is the people (v. 9).

mē genoito lit, ‘let it not happen’, expressing strong rejection, in Paul always in response to a question, here in reaction upon the preceding statement, ‘never!’, or ‘God forbid’, cp. Bl-D, § 384. This strong reaction of the people is understandable only when it is assumed that the people know the application of the parable.

Translation For the first part of this verse see TH-Mk on 12:9.

God forbid!, or, “heaven forbid!” (Goodspeed), ‘by no means!’, ‘not at all!’, ‘surely not!’ ‘far from it!’ (Balinese), ‘may God hinder it, or, protect us from it’ (Fulani, Zarma), ‘oh, God, perhaps not’ (the usual Tzeltal way of remonstrating).

Luke 20:17

Exegesis ho de emblepsas autois eipen ‘he looked at them and said’. emblepsas (also 22:61) denotes a meaningful look; the verb is often used to introduce an act of special meaning, cp. e.g. Mk. 10:21.

ti oun estin to gegrammenon touto ‘than what does this text of Scripture mean?’ oun is inferential and means, ‘if you don’t want this to happen’, cp. Plummer. to gegrammenon lit. ‘that which is written’, hence ‘text of Scripture’.

For the rest of v. 17 cp. TH-Mk on 12:10.

Translation He, or, ‘Jesus’.

Looked at, or, ‘fixed-his-eyes-on’ (East Toradja), ‘observed-closely/intently’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC).

What then is this that is written, i.e. how then do you explain/interpret/understand this text? (cp. Plummer). For this that is written cp. on “the place where it is written” in 4:17.

Builders, or, ‘those who build/make the house’. The head of the corner, or, “the main corner-stone” (NEB), ‘the post of the corner’ (Javanese), ‘the stone that-strengthens the corner of the wall’ (Balinese). Some renderings make use of cultural equivalents, e.g. ‘principal stone’ (South Toradja, employing the name of the big stones on which the main poles of a house are erected), ‘stone which combines the house’ (Kipsigis in 1 Peter 2:6, in analogy to the term for the centre pole of the hut), ‘the root of the house at the corner’ (Kekchi), ‘stone heavy pole’ (East Toradja, qualifying ‘stone’ by the term that refers to the four big corner-poles of a house), ‘the main pole’ (Aguaruna, without any reference to a stone, since stones are never used in the region for the building of a house). Some descriptive renderings used are, ‘place/thing-where-the-house-corner-receives-strength’ (Tzeltal), ‘the chief stone that carries the whole house’ (Sranan), ‘the thing joining the walls’ (Shona 1966). Cp. also TH-Mk on 12:10.

Luke 20:18

Exegesis pas ho pesōn epʾ ekeinon ton lithon sunthlasthēsetai ‘every one who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces’. The clause is an expansion of v. 17 but it changes the picture considerably since it refers no longer to a cornerstone, but a stone which is in such a position that one can fall upon it, or, as the rest of v. 18 shows, it can fall upon somebody.

sunthlaō (‡) ‘to crush together’, ‘to dash to pieces’, here of people. ephʾ hon dʾ an pesē, likmēsei auton ‘(the man) on which it falls, him it will crush’.

likmaō (‡) ‘to winnow’ (so usually in Greek), hence ‘to scatter (like chaff)’, or ‘to crush to powder’, ‘to pulverize’, preferably the latter.

Translation The translator should not feel called upon to set right the incongruity that exists between v. 17 and v. 18 (as shown in Exegesis).

Every one who … may better become ‘when a person … he’, cp. on “whoever …” in 9:24.

Will be broken to pieces, or, ‘will go to (or, break into) pieces’, ‘will shatter himself on it’ (Jerusalem). ‘will break his body’ (Sranan).

When it falls on any one it will crush him, or, ‘the man whom the stone falls upon, that one it will smash completely’ (Sranan); or, keeping the same subject, and using a passive form of the first verb, or of both, ‘he who is-fallen-upon by it (or, by the stone) will turn-to-pulp, or, will be shattered’ (Javanese, Malay).

‡ Greek word occurs only once in the Gospel of Luke.

TH-Mk Translator’s Handbook Mark

TEV Today’s English Version

TH-Mk Translator’s Handbook Mark

TH-Mk Translator’s Handbook Mark

NEB New English Bible

TH-Mk Translator’s Handbook Mark

‡ Greek word occurs only once in the Gospel of Luke.

‡ Greek word occurs only once in the Gospel of Luke.

Reiling, J., & Swellengrebel, J. L. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of Luke (p. 643). United Bible Societies.

Cross References (NET) from KBC

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is one of the most comprehensive sets of cross references ever compiled, consisting of over 572,000 entries. This reference tool is an invaluable asset for your Bible study library. The Logos Bible Software edition makes it even more attractive and interactive by making every single reference in the book a link. Simply click on any reference 

Luke 19:27 | But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!’ ”

1 Corinthians 6:15 | Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!

Galatians 2:17 | But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not!

Acts 4:1–37 | While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead…

Romans 3:4 | Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar, just as it is written: “so that you will be justified in your words and will prevail when you are judged.”

Blayney, B., Scott, T., & Torrey, R. A. with Canne, J., Browne. (n.d.). The Treasury of Scripture knowledge (Vol. 2, p. 58). Samuel Bagster and Sons.

John 18:19-24 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

19

Today

John 18:19–24

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

Ὁ

οὖν

ἀρχιερεὺς

ἠρώτησεν

the

so

high priest

questioned

Whom or What Spoken	or Written About	τὸν		Ἰησοῦν
		[-]		Jesus

		περὶ		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τῶν		μαθητῶν		Whom or What
		about			[-]		disciples

Spoken or Written	About	αὐτοῦ
		his

καὶ

περὶ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῆς

διδαχῆς

Whom or What Spoken or

and

about

[-]

teaching

Written About	αὐτοῦ
	his

20

ἀπεκρίθη

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτῷ

Ἰησοῦς

replied

to him

Jesus

Speaker

Ἐγὼ

παρρησίᾳ

λελάληκα

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τῷ

I

openly

have spoken

to the

κόσμῳ
world

Speaker

ἐγὼ

πάντοτε

ἐδίδαξα

ἐν

συναγωγῇ

καὶ

ἐν

Whom

I

always

taught

in the

synagogue

and

in

or What Spoken or Written	About	τῷ		ἱερῷ
		the		temple [courts]

ὅπου

πάντες

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

οἱ

Ἰουδαῖοι

συνέρχονται

where

all

the

Jews

assemble

καὶ

ἐν

κρυπτῷ

ἐλάλησα

Whom or What

Spoken or Written

About

οὐδέν

and

in

secret

I have said

nothing

21

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τί

Speaker

με

ἐρωτᾷς

why

me

are you asking

		ἐρώτησον		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	τοὺς		ἀκηκοότας
		ask				those		who heard

		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	τί		ἐλάλησα		Whom or
				what		I have said

What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτοῖς
		to them

Prompters of

Attention

ἴδε

Demonstrative

or Deictic

Reference

οὗτοι

behold

these [people]

οἴδασιν
know

Relative

Reference

ἃ

εἶπον

Speaker

ἐγώ

what

said

I

22

ταῦτα

δὲ

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

αὐτοῦ

these [things]

now

[when] he

εἰπόντος
had said

εἷς

παρεστηκὼς

Whom or What

Spoken or Written

About

τῶν

ὑπηρετῶν

one

who was standing by

of the

officers

ἔδωκεν

ῥάπισμα

Whom or What Spoken

or Written About

τῷ

Ἰησοῦ

εἰπών

gave

a slap in the face

to

Jesus

saying

Οὕτως

ἀποκρίνῃ

Whom or What

Spoken or Written

About

τῷ

in this way

do you reply

to the

ἀρχιερεῖ
high priest

23

ἀπεκρίθη

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτῷ

Ἰησοῦς

replied

to him

Jesus

Εἰ

κακῶς

ἐλάλησα

μαρτύρησον

περὶ

Whom or What Spoken or

if

wrongly

I have spoken

testify

about

Written About	τοῦ		κακοῦ
	what [is]		wrong

εἰ

δὲ

καλῶς

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

τί

Speaker

με

if [I have spoken]

but

correctly

why

me

	δέρεις
	do you strike

24

ἀπέστειλεν

οὖν

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

αὐτὸν

sent

then

him

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	ὁ		Ἅννας		δεδεμένον		πρὸς		Καϊάφαν
		[-]		Annas		tied up		to		Caiaphas

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	τὸν		ἀρχιερέα
		the		high priest

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 18:19–24). Lexham Press.

From the Second Millennium B.C. to the First Century A.D., this compact and lavishly illustrated Bible Atlas, with its many maps, illuminates the biblical period and provides the reader with a visual background to the beauty of the Holy Scriptures. Now revised, it will serve another generation in gaining a better image of the Holy Writ.

Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judaea, some six miles south of Jerusalem, shortly before Herod’s death, but he spent most of his life in Galilee. He was brought up at Nazareth, about four miles southeast of Sepphoris, which was until about A.D. 20 the residence of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. Later, Antipas built himself a new capital at Tiberias, on the southwestern shore of the lake of Galilee.

The traditional sites of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and his temptation in the wilderness are near Jericho. When he began his public ministry, he set up his headquarters at Capernaum, a Galilaean fishing town on the northwestern shore of the lake. Other towns which feature in the record of his Galilaean ministry are Cana, Nain, Chorazin and Bethsaida (which lies east of the point where the Jordan enters the lake from the north). When Herod Antipas, after his execution of John the Baptist, began to take an ominous interest in the activities of Jesus and his disciples, it was easy for them to sail across the lake and find refuge in the principality of his brother Philip.

It was there that Jesus fed the multitudes and healed the Gadarene demoniac. It was in Philip’s principality, too, near his capital Caesarea Philippi (modern Banyas), that Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, a turning point in the gospel narrative.

Jesus paid several visits to Judaea, the direct road to which led through Samaria. His best-known experience in Samaria was his meeting with the woman of Sychar at Jacob’s well, a well whose fresh water can be appreciated today (John 4:4–42).

When Jesus visited Judaea, he found himself in a Roman province, governed (from A.D. 26 to 36) by the prefect Pontius Pilate. A mutilated inscription bearing his name was discovered at Caesarea in 1961. For his last visit to Judaea, Jesus appears to have traveled through Transjordan rather than Samaria, crossing the Jordan opposite Jericho. The road between Jericho and Jerusalem was the scene of the parable of the good Samaritan. Near the Jerusalem end of this road was the village of Bethany, where Jesus could count on the hospitality of his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

It was Pontius Pilate who sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion. The Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem marks the traditional line of Jesus’ brief journey from Pilate’s judgment-hall (possibly in the Antonia fortress) to Golgotha. Golgotha lay by the main road just outside a gate in the (second) north wall of the city; its site is covered by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There, on the third day, his tomb was found empty. In resurrection he appeared to his disciples at various places in Judaea and Galilee. His ascension traditionally took place from the location on the Mount of Olives called Viri Galilaei.

Bruce, F. F. (2010). Carta’s Illustrated Bible Atlas with Historical Notes (Second Revised Edition, p. 20). Carta, Jerusalem.

Verse of the day Luke 24:52-53 (NET)

One of the largest homiletical commentary sets of its kind, this work gives a verse-by-verse exposition, a translation, and historical and geographical information, followed by the homiletics section, homilies by numerous authors, and a homiletical index to the Bible.

Ver. 52.—And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. This “great joy,” on first thoughts, is singular till we read between the lines, and see how perfectly they now grasped the new mode of the Lord’s connection with his own. They knew that henceforth, not for a little time as before the cross, not fitfully as since the Resurrection, but that for ever, though their eyes might not see him, would they feel his blessed presence near (see John 14:28; 16:7).

One question more connected with the Ascension presses for an answer. Much modern criticism regards this last scene simply as one of the ordinary disappearances of the forty days, and declines to admit any external, visible fact in which the Ascension was manifested. But St. Luke’s description, both in his Gospel and in the Acts, is plainly too circumstantial to admit of any hypothesis which limits the Ascension to a purely spiritual elevation. At the end of his earthly ministry, the evening before the cross, Jesus asked back his glory: “Now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:5).

The Ascension and consequent session at the right hand was the answer to the prayer of Christ. It was necessary for the training of the first teachers of Christianity that the great fact should be represented in some outward and visible form. “The physical elevation,” writes Dr. Westcott, “was a speaking parable, an eloquent symbol, but not the truth to which it pointed, or the reality which it foreshadowed. The change which Christ revealed by the Ascension was not a change of place, but a change of state; not local, but spiritual.

Still, from the necessities of our human condition, the spiritual change was represented sacramentally, so to speak, in an outward form.… He passed beyond the sphere of man’s sensible existence to the open presence of God” (‘The Revelation of the Risen Lord’). The session at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19) cannot designate any particular place. The ascension, then, of Jesus is not the exchange of one locality, earth, merely for another we term heaven. It is a change of state; it is a passing from all confinement within the limits of space to omnipresence.

Ver. 53.—And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. These last words of the Gospel just alluded to the life of the first teachers, which is dwelt upon with considerable detail in the Acts. In the early days which succeeded the Ascension, the temple and its courts were the principal resort of the teachers of the new “way.” We know that in an extraordinarily short time the numbers of adherents to the crucified and risen Jesus, in Jerusalem only, were counted by thousands.

The temple and its vast courts, from its storied past, from its having been the scene of much of the Master’s last teaching, was the natural centre for these leaders of the new “way.” When Luke wrote the words,“were continually in the temple,” it is almost certain that he proposed continuing his great narrative in the book we know as the Acts of the Apostles, in which, guided by the Divine Spirit, he relates to us how the Lord Jesus continued to work on earth—in and by his Church—from his glory-throne in heaven.

The early chapters of the Acts take up the thread of the gospel story, and describe the life and work of the friends of Jesus in the great Jerusalem temple, the dangers they had to encounter, and the splendid success which rewarded their brave, faithful toil. These same Acts, in the first lines of their thrilling story, take up again the Ascension scene, which is described with fresh and vivid details. From these details we learn how, when the disciples’ eyes were fixed on that cloud which veiled their ascending Master, they became aware of two stranger-forms with them, clad in white and glistening garments.

They knew these belonged to no earthly company. They were two among the thousands of thousands of angels, possibly the angels of the Resurrection, who sat in the empty garden-tomb. These angels tell the awe-struck friends of the ascended Jesus that their adored Master will one day (Acts 1:2) come back to earth in like manner as they had seen him go to heaven.

“O earth, thou grain of sand on the shore of the great ocean of the universe of God, thou Bethlehem among the princes of the regions of heaven, thou art and thou ever wilt be, among ten thousand times ten thousand suns and worlds, the loved one, the elect of the Lord; thee will he visit again; thou shalt provide him a throne, even as thou gavest him a manger; thou shalt rejoice in the splendour of his glory, even as thou drankest his blood and his tears, and mournedst at his death. On thee he hath a great work yet to accomplish” (Häfeli, quoted by Stier).

Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). St Luke (Vol. 2, p. 278). Funk & Wagnalls Company.

John 18:12-18 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

12

Today

John 18:12–18

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

Ἡ

οὖν

σπεῖρα

καὶ

Whom or What Spoken or

the

then

cohort

and

Written About	ὁ		χιλίαρχος		καὶ		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	οἱ
	the		military tribune		and			the

ὑπηρέται

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῶν

Ἰουδαίων

συνέλαβον

Whom

officers

of the

Jews

seized

or What Spoken or Written About	τὸν		Ἰησοῦν
	[-]		Jesus

		καὶ		ἔδησαν		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτὸν
		and		tied				him [up]

13

καὶ

ἤγαγον

πρὸς

Ἅνναν

πρῶτον

and

brought [him]

to

Annas

first

ἦν

γὰρ

πενθερὸς

Whom or What Spoken

or Written About

τοῦ

Καϊάφα

he was

for

the father-in-law

of

Caiaphas

Relative

Reference

ὃς

ἦν

ἀρχιερεὺς

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τοῦ

who

was

high priest

[-]

ἐνιαυτοῦ		Demonstrative or Deictic	Reference	ἐκείνου
year				that

14

ἦν

δὲ

Καϊάφας

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

ὁ

it was

now

Caiaphas

[-]

συμβουλεύσας		Whom	or What Spoken or Written About	τοῖς		Ἰουδαίοις
who had advised				the		Jews

ὅτι

συμφέρει

ἕνα

ἄνθρωπον

ἀποθανεῖν

ὑπὲρ

Whom or

that

it was better

[that] one

man

die

for

What Spoken or Written	About	τοῦ		λαοῦ
		the		people

15

Ἠκολούθει

δὲ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῷ

Ἰησοῦ

Σίμων

followed

so

[-]

Jesus

Simon

Πέτρος

καὶ

ἄλλος

μαθητής

Peter

and

another

disciple

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

δὲ

μαθητὴς

Demonstrative or

[-]

now

disciple

Deictic Reference

ἐκεῖνος

ἦν

γνωστὸς

Whom or What Spoken

or Written About

τῷ

that

was

known

to the

ἀρχιερεῖ
high priest

καὶ

συνεισῆλθεν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῷ

Ἰησοῦ

εἰς

Whom

and

entered with

[-]

Jesus

into

or What Spoken or Written	About	τὴν		αὐλὴν		Whom	or What Spoken or Written
		the		courtyard

About	τοῦ		ἀρχιερέως
	of the		high priest

16

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

δὲ

Πέτρος

εἱστήκει

πρὸς

[-]

but

Peter

was standing

by

Whom or What	Spoken or Written About	τῇ		θύρᾳ		ἔξω
		the		door		outside

ἐξῆλθεν

οὖν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

μαθητὴς

Whom or

went out

so

the

disciple

What Spoken or Written About

ὁ

ἄλλος

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

ὁ

[-]

other

[who was]

γνωστὸς		Whom or What Spoken	or Written About	τοῦ		ἀρχιερέως
known				to the		high priest

καὶ

εἶπεν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῇ

θυρωρῷ

and

spoke

to the

doorkeeper

καὶ

εἰσήγαγεν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τὸν

Πέτρον

and

brought

[-]

Peter [in]

17

λέγει

οὖν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῷ

Πέτρῳ

said

then

to

Peter

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	ἡ		παιδίσκη		Whom or
		the		female slave

What Spoken or Written About	ἡ		θυρωρός
	[who was] the		doorkeeper

Μὴ

καὶ

Receptor, Receptors

σὺ

ἐκ

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

not

also

you

[one] of

τῶν

μαθητῶν

εἶ

Whom or

What Spoken or Written

About

τοῦ

ἀνθρώπου

the

disciples

are

of

man [are you]

Demonstrative or Deictic	Reference	τούτου
		this

λέγει

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

ἐκεῖνος

said

he

Οὐκ

εἰμί

not

I am

18

εἱστήκεισαν

δὲ

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

οἱ

δοῦλοι

were standing there

now

the

slaves

καὶ		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	οἱ		ὑπηρέται
and			the		officers

		ἀνθρακιὰν		πεποιηκότες
		a charcoal fire		having made

		ὅτι		ψῦχος		ἦν
		because		cold		it was

		καὶ		ἐθερμαίνοντο
		and		they were warming themselves

ἦν

δὲ

καὶ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

Πέτρος

μετʼ

was

and

also

[-]

Peter

with

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτῶν
		them

		ἑστὼς
		standing there

		καὶ		θερμαινόμενος
		and		warming himself

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 18:12–18). Lexham Press.

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

John 18:12–14

Jesus before Annas may not be sufficiently meaningful as a section heading. It is, of course, possible to say “Jesus is led before Annas” or “They lead Jesus to Annas.”

John 18:12

The Roman soldiers is the same term discussed at verse 3. Commanding officer (JB “captain”; NEB “commander”) literally means “commander of a thousand.” It was a technical term in the Roman army for the commander of a cohort (see comments on verse 3). A more generic term, such as commanding officer, “commander,” or “officer in charge” seems preferable to a specific term, such as “captain.” In some languages the commanding officer must be mentioned before the soldiers, for example, “the commanding officer together with the Roman soldiers.” One may, however, introduce the commanding officer in parentheses, for example, “the Roman soldiers (this included their commanding officer) and the Jewish guards.”

Jewish guards is the same term translated temple guards in verse 3 ((see also 7:32).

In some languages it is important in rendering tied him up to indicate specifically what happened. It would be wrong to suggest that Jesus was tied both hand and foot and therefore had to be carried, or that he was tied to some object such as a tree or post. What is indicated here is that his hands were tied, probably behind his back.

John 18:13

According to Matthew 26:57, Jesus was tried before Caiaphas; (Mark 14:53) and (Luke 22:57) simply mention the High Priest. But John clearly indicates that Jesus was taken first before Annas (verse 13), and later before Caiaphas (verse 24). John does not indicate what happened in the trial before Caiaphas. To resolve these difficulties one ancient manuscript puts verse 24 in the middle of verse 13, thus indicating that it was before Caiaphas that Jesus was tried (18:19–23). It is obvious that this reordering is simply an attempt to make the text conform to the Synoptic accounts. Mft is the only translation that reorders the verses. His reordering (13, 14, 19–24, 15–18, 25–27) is rather radical and wholly without textual support.

Annas is mentioned only here and in verse 24 in John’s Gospel. Elsewhere in the New Testament he is mentioned in Luke 3:2 and Acts 4:6. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, Annas was appointed High Priest in A.D. 6 but was deposed in A.D. 15. However, he remained a very powerful man, and eventually each of his five sons became High Priest. Only John’s Gospel indicates that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Most languages have a term for father-in-law, but if such a term does not exist, one can say “Annas was the father on the woman Caiaphas married.”

For the statement who was High Priest that year, see the comments at 11:49.

John 18:14

This verse refers back to 11:50. It may be necessary to introduce a temporal adverb to indicate that Caiaphas’ advice to the other Jewish authorities had been given at an earlier time, for example, “It was Caiaphas who some time before had said to the Jewish authorities, ‘It is better that one man die.…’ ” Obviously, the form of Caiaphas’ statement should be as close as possible to the rendering of 11:50.

John 18:15–18

The section heading, Peter Denies Jesus, may require expansion because of the complex meaning involved in the word denies. One may say, for example, “Peter tells people he doesn’t know Jesus” or “Peter says he has never known Jesus” or “Peter says he doesn’t know who Jesus is.”

John 18:15

The identity of another disciple is disputed. Some have identified him with the other disciple (20:3), whom others further identify with the disciple whom Jesus loved (13:23). However, there is no firm basis for this identification, and it should not be used in translation. Some languages have two distinct terms for disciple, one of which is used in speaking of the twelve and another which designates a larger group of followers. Because another disciple is not identified as a member of the twelve, some translators prefer to use the second of these terms. However, only someone who had been present with Jesus in the garden would be likely to have followed him to the High Priest’s house after his arrest.

The Greek word gnōstos, rendered well known (Phps “known personally to”; Mft, Gdsp “an acquaintance of”; NEB “who was acquainted with”; JB, NAB “who was known to”), is used in the Septuagint (note Psa 55:13, for example) to mean a close friend.” If this disciple was a “close friend” of the High Priest, it is hard to identify him with the disciple whom Jesus loved (13:23; see the comment in the previous paragraph).

The Greek word aulē, rendered courtyard of the … house, also appears in the Synoptic accounts of Peter’s denial. There the word is used of the place where Peter was warming himself by the fire (Mark 14:54; Luke 22:55), which suggests a large enclosed space open to the sky. In John’s account, however, aulē occurs only in verse 15. The fact that the other disciple was admitted to aulē because he was well known to the High Priest and that Peter was admitted only after the other disciple … spoke to the girl at the gate (verse 16) suggests that John may understand aulē to mean a building rather than an open courtyard, which would not normally be so restricted. This explains the translation “palace” in JB, Luther Revised, and the note of NAB. However, most translations agree with the rendering of TEV.

John 18:16

In the Greek text, the expression translated in TEV as the other disciple is literally “the other disciple who was well known to the High Priest.” Since, however, this same expression occurs in verse 15, it seems better from the standpoint of English style to say “the other disciple.” The Greek text repeats the expression who was well known to the High Priest for emphasis.

The girl at the gate is one word in Greek. The word may be either masculine or feminine; however, since it is used with the feminine article, it is definitely feminine in this context.

John 18:17

The girl at the gate renders the same Greek word that was translated in this way in verse 16. However, in verse 17 this person is further described as “a servant girl” (paidiskē). RSV has “the maid who kept the door” in both verses. Some translations give the impression that two different persons were involved. NEB has “the woman at the door … the maid on duty at the door,” and NAB translates “the woman at the gate.… This servant girl kept the gate.” The translator should either use the same phrase in verses 16 and 17 or introduce in verse 16 the information that the girl was a servant and then render “the girl” in verse 17: “(16) … spoke to the servant girl at the gate and led Peter inside. (17) The girl said to Peter …”

In Greek the question Aren’t you also one of the disciples of that man is introduced by a particle (me) which normally expects the answer “no.” The same particle is used in the second question that Peter is asked (verse 25). However, since the third question (verse 26) definitely expects a positive answer, it may be best to translate the first two questions as expecting positive answers also, especially since the particle me may have lost its original force in John.

Also probably does not mean, “in addition to the other disciple,” since if the other disciple had been known to be Jesus’ disciple, he would not have been admitted (verse 15). More likely it means “like the others who were with Jesus when he was arrested.” Almost all translations (RSV, NEB, GeCL, JB, Gdsp, Phps, Barclay, Segond, Zür, Luther Revised) have “also” or an equivalent. NEB translates “Are you another of this man’s disciples?”

In Greek that man is literally “this man” (so most translations), but TEV’s rendering is more natural for English readers, since Jesus is not present. In some languages it may be necessary to translate one of the disciples of that man as “one of the disciples of that man Jesus.” Otherwise, the reader might misunderstand the phrase to mean “a disciple of ‘the other disciple.’ ”

‘No, I am not,’ answered Peter is literally “That man says, ‘I am not.’ ” I am not may be rendered in some languages “I am not one of his disciples” or “No, indeed!”

John 18:18

TEV radically restructures the first sentence in verse 18. It reads literally “But the servants and the guards were standing, having made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.” TEV (also JB) introduces first in the sentence the information that it was cold, since this fact explains the actions which follow. JB reads “Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves.” The servants and guards refers to the personal servants of the High Priest and the temple guards (verse 3 and 10). The Greek word translated charcoal fire appears in the New Testament only here and in 21:9.

Since charcoal is known in almost all parts of the world, there should be no difficulty in translating a charcoal fire. In some instances it may be necessary to say “a fire of coals” or “a fire of burning embers” to distinguish it from a wood fire, which would give off a lot of smoke and not be suitable in a courtyard.

Peter went over and stood with them, warming himself also represents some restructuring. The Greek literally reads “But Peter was with them standing and warming himself.”

JB Jerusalem Bible

NEB New English Bible

Mft Moffatt

Phps Phillips

Mft Moffatt

Gdsp Goodspeed

NEB New English Bible

JB Jerusalem Bible

NAB New American Bible

JB Jerusalem Bible

NAB New American Bible

TEV Today’s English Version

TEV Today’s English Version

RSV Revised Standard Version

NEB New English Bible

NAB New American Bible

RSV Revised Standard Version

NEB New English Bible

GeCL German Common language translation

JB Jerusalem Bible

Gdsp Goodspeed

Phps Phillips

Zür Zürcher Bibel

NEB New English Bible

TEV Today’s English Version

TEV Today’s English Version

TEV Today’s English Version

JB Jerusalem Bible

JB Jerusalem Bible

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (pp. 554–558). United Bible Societies.

Luke 19:41-44 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

41

Markers of

Transition

Καὶ

ὡς

ἤγγισεν

ἰδὼν

Whom or What

and

when

he approached

[and] saw

Spoken or Written About	τὴν		πόλιν		ἔκλαυσεν		ἐπʼ		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About
	the		city		he wept		over

αὐτήν
it

			42		λέγων		ὅτι
					saying		[-]

Εἰ

ἔγνως

ἐν

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τῇ

ἡμέρᾳ

if

you had known

on

[-]

day

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

ταύτῃ

καὶ

Receptor, Receptors

σὺ

this

even

you

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	τὰ		πρὸς		εἰρήνην
		the things		[that make] for		peace

νῦν

δὲ

ἐκρύβη

ἀπὸ

ὀφθαλμῶν

Receptor, Receptors

σου

now

but

they are hidden

from

eyes

your

43

ὅτι

ἥξουσιν

ἡμέραι

ἐπὶ

Receptor,

Receptors

σὲ

for

will come

days

upon

you

καὶ

παρεμβαλοῦσιν

Whom or What Spoken

or Written About

οἱ

ἐχθροί

Receptor,

and

will put up

[-]

enemies

Receptors	σου		χάρακά		Receptor,	Receptors	σοι
	your		an embankment				against you

καὶ

περικυκλώσουσίν

Receptor,

Receptors

σε

καὶ

συνέξουσίν

Receptor,

and

will surround

you

and

press

Receptors	σε		πάντοθεν
	you [hard]		from all directions

44

καὶ

ἐδαφιοῦσίν

Receptor,

Receptors

σε

καὶ

and

they will raze

you [to the ground]

[you] and

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τὰ		τέκνα		Receptor, Receptors	σου		ἐν
	[-]		children			your		within

Receptor, Receptors	σοί
	you

καὶ

οὐκ

ἀφήσουσιν

λίθον

ἐπὶ

λίθον

ἐν

Receptor, Receptors

σοί

and

[will] not

leave

a stone

upon

a stone

within

you

		ἀνθʼ		Relative Reference	ὧν		οὐκ		ἔγνως		Whom
		in return for			which		[you did] not		recognize

or What Spoken or	Written About	τὸν		καιρὸν		Whom or	What Spoken or	Written About
		the		time

τῆς		ἐπισκοπῆς		Receptor,	Receptors	σου
of		visitation				your

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Lk 19:41–44). Lexham Press.

Commentary

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Vs. 41. And wept.—Not only ἐδἁκρυσεν, as in John 11:35, but έ̓κλαυσεν, with loud voice and words of lamentation. What the cause of these tears is, appears from ἐπ̓ αὐτή and the immediately following words. Again, it is Luke alone who has preserved to us this affecting trait, and it scarcely needs to be mentioned how exactly such a trait fits into the gospel which teaches us in our Lord to know the true and holy Son of Man.

And yet we cannot be surprised that precisely this genuinely and purely human trait, even from of old, has been to many a stumbling-block and scandal. In relation to this, it is noticeable (see Grotius, ad loc.) that the words έ̓κλαυσεν ἐπ̓ αὐτ. in individual ancient manuscripts do not appear; ἐν τοῖς ἀδιορθώτοις ἀντιγράφοις, says, however, Epiphanius, the words are read. “Mutarunt homines temerarii et delicati, quibus flere Christo indignum videbatur.”

Vs. 42. If thou also hadst known.—“Pathetic aposiopesis, and thereby the expression of a fruitless wish.” Meyer. The thou also places the unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem in opposition to the disciples of our Lord, who had really considered τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην, perhaps a delicate allusion to what the name of Jerusalem as City of Peace (Salem) signifies.

The here-designated ημέρα can be no other than what our Lord, vs. 44, calls τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς. Comp. ch. 1:68. The whole time of the public activity of our Lord in Jerusalem was a respite of two years, which had been prepared for more than twenty centuries, and now, as it were, concentrated itself in the one day on which the Lord entered as King into Jerusalem.

This Jerusalem would have known (έ̓ηως), if it had unanimously rendered homage to its Messiah; but although the Lord here also had found individual believing hearts, yet Jerusalem as a city rejected its King; the ̓Ιουδαῖοι recognized Him not. It was hidden from their eyes who He was, and what a salvation He would bestow. ̓Εκρὐβη according to the righteous counsel of God, Matt. 11:25, 26, but not without their own personal guilt.

Vs. 43. Days shall come.—Vss. 43, 44 is the text of the powerful discourse respecting the destruction of Jerusalem which our Lord, ch. 21:5 seq., two days afterwards delivered before His disciples. The ἡμέραι which are now threatened are the terrible consequences of the fact that the ἡμέρα, vs. 43, has hastened by in vain. ̔́Οτι does not depend on ἐκρύβη, so that thereby the thing that is hidden is indicated (Theophylact), neither is it any strengthening word, in the sense of profecto utique (Starke), but the common signification “for” must be here retained, in the sense that the wish, vs. 42, has thereby a reason given for it, as if the Saviour would say, “I might indeed wish that, &c., for now the things that belong to thy peace remain hidden from thine eyes. Now impends,” &c.

An embankment, χάρακα, masculine.—It is remarkable how our Lord not only in general foretells the destruction of Jerusalem, but also in particular describes the way and method in which this judgment should be accomplished. He announces a formal siege, in which they should avail themselves of all the then usual auxiliaries and should permit themselves all the atrocities which victors have at any time exercised against the vanquished.

First He mentions the χάρμξ, a camp strengthened with palisades and line of circumvallation, in short, a wall such as we actually read in Josephus (De Bell. Jud. 5:6,2; 5:12,2) was thrown up around Jerusalem, but burned by the Jews. Afterwards, in consequence of this structure, περικυκλώσουσίν σε καὶ συνέξουσίν σε πάντοθεν. We may here understand the wall thirty stadia long, which Titus in three days caused to be erected around the city, in place of the burnt χάραξ.

In consequence of this measure the desolation now breaking in upon her and upon her children (ἐδαθιοῦσι) becomes general. This word occurs in a twofold signification: “to level with the earth” and “to dash to the ground” (Ps. 137:9); the first prophesies the fate of the city, the other that of her inhabitants, both being here zeugmatically connected. Finally, the conclusion of all this, no stone remains upon another, so that now, vs. 40, the stones begin to cry out.

This last part of the prophecy was first completely fulfilled after the insurrection of Bar-Cochba in the days of the Emperor Adrian, and this is the terrible result, continuing unto the present day, of this one blinding, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation! In this conclusion, and especially in this continually ascending καί, καί, καί lies a δεινότης orationis, which can be better felt than described

Lange, J. P., & van Oosterzee, J. J. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Luke (P. Schaff & C. C. Starbuck, Trans.; pp. 297–298). Logos Bible Software.

Verse of the day 1 Peter 5:6 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

5:6 Humble yourselves Peter urges his audience to be humble while they wait for God to honor their faithfulness in His timing.

This call to humility reinforces the repeated call in the letter to endure various kinds of suffering for their faith by placing their trust in God’s plan (see 4:19 and note).

4:19 & Note

4:19 (NET) So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good

(FSB Note) Peter asserts that God desires for Christians in the Roman Empire—including himself and the churches to which he writes—to consider their suffering as a means of becoming more like Christ. They suffer according to God’s will by suffering as Jesus would

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Pe 4:19). Lexham Press.

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (1 Pe 4:19). Biblical Studies Press.

Verse of the day Psalm 19:7 (NET)

The Bible Knowledge Commentary is a verse by verse, phrase by phrase walk through the entire Bible. This commentary explains problem passages, alleged discrepancies, customs, geographical locations, key Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words. It includes for each book an introduction (discussion of author, historical background, purpose, features), outline, commentary, and bibliography.

B. Specific revelation from God’s Law (19:7–11)

19:7. In verses 7–9 David described the efficacious nature of the Law of the Lord. Just as the sun is the dominant feature of God’s natural revelation (vv. 4c–6), so the Law was the dominant element in God’s specific revelation in the Old Testament. The perfect Law of God (cf. “flawless” in 12:6; 18:30; Prov. 30:5) can change people. It revives the soul and the Law’s statutes can be trusted to make one wise.

Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 808). Victor Books.

Luke 19:1-5 (NA28) Short Study

The Nestle-Aland 28th Edition Greek New Testament now incorporates the text-critical insights of the Editio Critical Maior (ECM) of the Greek New Testament into the text of Catholic Epistles, representing the most recent scholarly research in establishing the Greek text.

1 Καὶ εἰσελθὼν διήρχετο τὴν Ἰεριχώ.

2 Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ὀνόματι °καλούμενος Ζακχαῖος, καὶ αὐτὸς ⸂ἦν ἀρχιτελώνης ⸄καὶ αὐτὸς⸅ πλούσιος⸃·

3 καὶ ἐζήτει ἰδεῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν τίς ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου, ὅτι τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μικρὸς ἦν.

4 καὶ ⸀προδραμὼν ⸋εἰς τὸ⸌ ἔμπροσθεν ἀνέβη ἐπὶ συκομορέαν ἵνα ἴδῃ αὐτὸν ὅτι ἐκείνης ἤμελλεν διέρχεσθαι.

5 καὶ ⸂ὡς ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ἀναβλέψας °ὁ Ἰησοῦς⸃ ⸆εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· Ζακχαῖε, ⸀σπεύσας κατάβηθι, σήμερον γὰρ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου δεῖ με μεῖναι

Aland, K., Aland, B., Karavidopoulos, J., Martini, C. M., & Metzger, B. M. (2012). Novum Testamentum Graece (28th Edition, Lk 19:1–5). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

			Καὶ		εἰσελθὼν		διήρχετο		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τὴν
			and		[he] entered		[and] traveled through			[-]

Ἰεριχώ
Jericho

2

Markers of

Transition

καὶ

Prompters of

Attention

ἰδοὺ

ἀνὴρ

ὀνόματι

and

behold

a man

by name

καλούμενος		Ζακχαῖος
called		Zacchaeus

καὶ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτὸς

ἦν

ἀρχιτελώνης

and

he

was

a chief tax collector

		καὶ		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	αὐτὸς		πλούσιος
		and			he [was]		rich

3

καὶ

ἐζήτει

ἰδεῖν

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

τὸν

Ἰησοῦν

and

he was seeking

to see

[-]

Jesus

Whom or	What Spoken or Written About	τίς		ἐστιν
		who		he was

καὶ

οὐκ

ἠδύνατο

ἀπὸ

Whom or

What Spoken or Written About

τοῦ

and

[he was] not

able [to]

as a result of

the

ὄχλου

ὅτι

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

τῇ

ἡλικίᾳ

μικρὸς

ἦν

crowd

because

in

stature

short

he was

4

καὶ

προδραμὼν

εἰς

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τὸ

ἔμπροσθεν

and

[he] ran on

[-]

[-]

ahead

ἀνέβη		ἐπὶ		συκομορέαν
[and] climbed up		into		a sycamore tree

		ἵνα		ἴδῃ		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	αὐτὸν
		so that		he could see				him

ὅτι

ἐκείνης

ἤμελλεν

διέρχεσθαι

because

he

was going

to go through [that way]

5

καὶ

ὡς

ἦλθεν

ἐπὶ

Whom or What Spoken

or Written About

τὸν

τόπον

and

when

he came

to

the

place

ἀναβλέψας		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	ὁ		Ἰησοῦς		εἶπεν		πρὸς
looked up			[-]		Jesus		[and] said		to

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	αὐτόν
		him

Ζακχαῖε

σπεύσας

κατάβηθι

Zacchaeus

hastening

come down

σήμερον

γὰρ

ἐν

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τῷ

οἴκῳ

today

because

at

[-]

house

Receptor, Receptors	σου		δεῖ		Speaker	με		μεῖναι
	your		it is necessary			[for] me		to stay

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Lk 19:1–5). Lexham Press.

Commentary

This commentary series is established on the presupposition that the theological character of the New Testament documents calls for exegesis that is sensitive to theological themes as well as to the details of the historical, linguistic, and textual context. Such thorough exegetical work lies at the heart of these volumes, which contain detailed verse-by-verse commentary…

vii. Zacchaeus the Tax-Collector 19:1–10

The final story in the long account of Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem is meant to be a climax in the ministry of Jesus, and it brings out several notable features which Luke considered important. It is a supreme example of the universality of the gospel offer to tax-collectors and sinners, with Jesus taking the initiative and inviting himself to the house of Zacchaeus. In doing so Jesus was certainly responding to the interest shown in him by Zacchaeus, but the decisive action, contrary to all that would be expected at the time, stemmed from Jesus.

Zacchaeus for his part responds with joy, and also by promising to use his wealth, honestly and ill-gotten, to help the poor and to make restitution for his former evil habits; in this way the meaning of discipleship, especially in regard to wealth, is clearly expressed. Jesus affirms that, tax-collector though he is, Zacchaeus is entitled to salvation, for he too is a Jew, a member of the people to whom salvation was promised by God in the coming of the Messiah. But salvation comes even to Jews only when Jesus goes after them and brings them home.

So the narrative concludes with the great declaration of the task of the Son of man as a shepherd, which may fittingly be regarded as the epitome of the message of this Gospel. In form the story is what Dibelius, 115, calls a ‘personal legend’, full of anecdotal detail which is essential to the narrative; he contrasts it with the preceding story of the blind man which is much more a ‘typical’ healing story, and he rightly regards it as having a historical core (293). He thus implicitly refutes the claim of Bultmann, 33f., that it is an ideal scene.

Essentially the story is a unified composition. Bultmann, 33f., 58f., 65, is disposed to regard vs. 8 and 10 as Lucan additions. (cf. Grundmann, 358). The difficulty with v. 8 is that it breaks the connection between v. 7 (where the bystanders grumble) and v. 9 (which, despite the πρὸς αὐτόν, appears to be addressed to them, since it refers to Zacchaeus in the third person); moreover, v. 9 makes no allusion to the proposal of Zacchaeus in v. 8.

There is certainly an inconcinnity in the narrative here, but the material has been so thoroughly edited by Luke and his source that it is hard to offer a certain analysis. If the thought of v. 8 was congenial to Luke, the same is also true of vs. 9 and 10, so that a decision on grounds of content is scarcely possible; cf. the detailed analysis by Dupont, II, 249–254. There are some grounds for regarding the legal details in v. 8 as forming an integral part of the story (Derrett, 278–285), and there are also sound reasons for regarding v. 10 as a saying of Jesus, although possibly a misplaced one.

It seems probable that v. 10 is an isolated saying, and that we should regard v. 9 as addressed to Zacchaeus and the bystanders simultaneously; it has possibly been reformulated by Luke in order to give a comment on the story for the benefit of the readers, and to give a link to v. 10. The story is from Luke’s special source, and probably stood in juxtaposition with the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector with a catchword connection. Bultmann’s view that it is a developed variant of the simpler story in Mk. 2:14–17 is pure speculation; the preservation of the name Zacchaeus speaks in favour of its historicity.

(1) The opening verse links with the preceding story of the blind man which was located outside Jericho. διέρχομαι may be Lucan (19:4; 2:15; et al.). It is difficult to know whether the detail originally belonged to the story of Zacchaeus or is a redactional addition. Schramm, 143f., argues that 18:35a contains the original introduction to the story, and that Luke created 19:1 to replace it when he repositioned the original introduction before the story of the blind man.

It is true that the story of the blind man is associated with Jericho in Luke’s source (Mk. 10:46), and the story of Zacchaeus could have been secondarily placed in the same location. But the fact that Jericho was a likely post for a tax-collector means that the Zacchaeus story could well belong to this locality also. It has further been claimed that Zacchaeus would not have climbed a tree within Jericho but rather a roof (Wellhausen, 103), but Lagrange, 488 (cf. Bultmann, 69), has indicated that trees still grow in Herodian Jericho, which was spaciously laid out.

(2) The action is introduced, as often, with καὶ ἰδού (cf. 5:12; et al.). The combination of ὀνόματι (1:5; et al.) and καλούμενος (1:36; et al.) is odd and unique. Perhaps it is meant to draw especial attention to the man’s name, Ζακχαῖος, Hebrew zaḵḵay, an abbreviation of ‘Zachariah’, meaning ‘the righteous one’ (2 Mac. 10:19; Jos., Vit. 239); Zacchaeus thus has a thoroughly Jewish name. ἀρχιτελώνης**, ‘chief tax-collector’, is found only in this passage, and implies that Zacchaeus was probably head of a group of tax-collectors who were responsible for customs dues in the area on goods passing from Peraea into Judaea (cf. O. Michel, TDNT VIII, 97–99).

From the fact that Zacchaeus was rich (6:24; et al.) we are already entitled to assume that, like others of his trade, he was none too scrupulous in making sure that he got a good profit on his transactions. More important is the allusion to the earlier question whether a rich man can be saved (Danker, 191).

(3) We are not told why Zacchaeus made an effort (ζητέω, cf. 9:9; 23:8) to see who Jesus was (cf. 4:34 par. Mk. 1:24 for this construction); curiosity is presumably the motif. The reader at least knows that Jesus has a reputation as the friend of tax-collectors, and Zacchaeus may be presumed to be in the same position. But he was unable to see Jesus because of the crowd: ἀπό is commonly used in this sense (Acts 11:19; 22:11; Mt. 18:7; et al.; AG s.v. V). ἡλικία (2:52) here obviously means ‘height’; Danker’s allusion (191) to 12:25 is fanciful. Clearly it is Zacchaeus and not Jesus who is small in height, despite the doubts expressed by Findlay, 1052.

(4) In order to gain a glimpse of Jesus, Zacchaeus runs on ahead (προτρέχω, Jn. 20:4**) in front of the crowd which is surrounding Jesus. εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν is pleonastic (cf. Tob. 11:3 B; BD 484), and Black, 116, suggests that it equals Aramaic leqaḏhmutheh, ‘to meet him’, but Zacchaeus’ action in climbing a tree hardly supports this. συκομορέα** (17:6 note) is the ‘fig-mulberry’ or ‘sycamore fig’ (Ficus sycomorus L; C.-H. Hunzinger, TDNT VII, 758f.), a tree rather like an oak and easy to climb; it had evergreen leaves and bore an edible fruit, and should not be confused with the European sycamore or the North American plane (F. N. Hepper, NBD, 1294). With ἐκείνης sc. ὁδοῦ (cf. 5:19). The preposition διʼ is prefixed in Θ Ψ f1 69 pm a l s; Diglot.

(5) Whether Zacchaeus intended to remain hidden from view or not is not stated, but it may be assumed that this was his intention, since it would hardly be consistent with his dignity to be found up a tree. But in any case, Jesus knew that he was there and knew his name (cf. Nathanael, Jn. 1:47f.); this may be a case of supernatural knowledge, but it is perfectly possible that Jesus could have known his name. After Ἰησοῦς the words εἶδεν αὐτὸν καί are added by A (D) W Γ Δ f13 pl; TR; Diglot, but they seem redundant after ἀναβλέψας.

Zacchaeus is told to waste no time (σπεύδω, 2:16; et al.) in coming down, for today Jesus must stay in his house. σήμερον is to be taken quite literally, but it may convey the idea that the time has come for the fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation (19:9; cf. 2:11; et al.; Ellis, 221). Behind Jesus’ summons lies a necessity imposed on him by God (δεῖ); the implication is that a divine plan is being worked out. μένω is the usual word for staying at a person’s house (Jn. 1:38f.), equivalent here to καταλύω, ‘to stay a night’ (19:7).

Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (pp. 694–697). Paternoster Press.

Verse of the Day Joshua 24:15 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

24:15 the gods that your ancestors served Shechem was the place at which Jacob had earlier buried the gods that his wives and concubines had brought from Haran (Gen 35:2–4). See Josh 24:14.

the Amorites Here “Amorites” refers generally to the Canaanites. Often refers to the Transjordan region (the territory of Og and Sihon; see vv. 12; Num 21; Deut 2–3).

as for me and my household Joshua and his extended family.

Transjordan The region east of the Jordan River.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jos 24:15). Lexham Press.

Cross References

Judges 6:10 | I said to you, “I am the LORD your God! Do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’ ”

Genesis 18:19 | I have chosen him so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. Then the LORD will give to Abraham what he promised him.”

1 Kings 18:21 | Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the LORD is the true God, then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word.

Exodus 23:24 | “You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces.

Ruth 1:15–16 | So Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law back home!” But Ruth replied, “Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become my God.

Verse of the Day Jonah 2:9 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

2:9 a voice of This term is used in the sense of “sound,” probably to indicate thankful singing.

will sacrifice to you Jonah intends to offer a sacrifice in the temple when he returns to Jerusalem (see Jonah 2:4).

I will fulfill what I have vowed Jonah may have vowed to offer a sacrifice to Yahweh when he prayed for deliverance (see v. 2), or the reference may be to the first half of the verse and Jonah is at that moment making a vow to Yahweh.

Deliverance belongs to Yahweh The Hebrew word used here, yeshu’a, meaning “salvation,” is used in the sense of deliverance.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jon 2:9). Lexham Press.

Verse of the Day Genesis 32:10 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ge 32:9–12). Lexham Press.

Cross References

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is one of the most comprehensive sets of cross references ever compiled, consisting of over 572,000 entries. This reference tool is an invaluable asset for your Bible study library. The Logos Bible Software edition makes it even more attractive and interactive by making every single reference in the book a link.

Genesis 24:27 | saying “Praised be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master! The LORD has led me to the house of my master’s relatives!”

Genesis 32:7 | Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels.

Genesis 38:18 | He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. She became pregnant by him.

Genesis 47:31 | Jacob said, “Swear to me that you will do so.” So Joseph gave him his word. Then Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.

Numbers 17:2 | “Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe, one from every tri

Luke 18:18-23 (NA28) Short Study

The Nestle-Aland 28th Edition Greek New Testament now incorporates the text-critical insights of the Editio Critical Maior (ECM) of the Greek New Testament into the text of Catholic Epistles, representing the most recent scholarly research in establishing the Greek text.

18 Καὶ ἐπηρώτησέν τις αὐτὸν ἄρχων λέγων· διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω

19 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς °ὁ θεός.

20 τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας· ⸂μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, μὴ φονεύσῃς, μὴ κλέψῃς, μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς⸃, τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα⸆.

21 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ταῦτα πάντα ἐφύλαξα ἐκ νεότητος⸆.

22 ἀκούσας δὲ ⸆ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ·* ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει· πάντα ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ ⸀διάδος πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν ⸂[τοῖς] οὐρανοῖς⸃, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι.

23 ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα περίλυπος ⸀ἐγενήθη·* ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα.

Aland, K., Aland, B., Karavidopoulos, J., Martini, C. M., & Metzger, B. M. (2012). Novum Testamentum Graece (28th Edition, Lk 18:18–23). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

Translation

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

			Καὶ		ἐπηρώτησέν		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	τις		Whom or What Spoken
			and		asked				a certain

or Written About	αὐτὸν				ἄρχων				λέγων
	him				ruler				saying

Διδάσκαλε

ἀγαθέ

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τί

ποιήσας

ζωὴν

teacher

good

what

[by] doing

life

αἰώνιον		κληρονομήσω
eternal		will I inherit

19

εἶπεν

δὲ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτῷ

said

and

to him

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	ὁ		Ἰησοῦς
		[-]		Jesus

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

Τί

Speaker

με

λέγεις

ἀγαθόν

why

me

do you call

good

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

οὐδεὶς

ἀγαθὸς

εἰ

μὴ

εἷς

no one

[is] good

except

[-]

alone

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	ὁ		θεός
		[-]		God

20

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τὰς

ἐντολὰς

οἶδας

the

commandments

you know

				Μὴ		μοιχεύσῃς
				[do] not		commit adultery

		Μὴ		φονεύσῃς
		[do] not		murder

		Μὴ		κλέψῃς
		[do] not		steal

		Μὴ		ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς
		[do] not		give false testimony

Τίμα

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τὸν

πατέρα

Receptor,

Receptors

σου

honor

[-]

father

your

καὶ

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τὴν

μητέρα

and

[-]

mother

21

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

δὲ

εἶπεν

he

and

said

Demonstrative or Deictic Reference

Ταῦτα

πάντα

ἐφύλαξα

ἐκ

νεότητος

these

all

I have observed

from

[my] youth

22

ἀκούσας

δὲ

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

ὁ

Ἰησοῦς

[when he] heard [this]

and

[-]

Jesus

εἶπεν		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	αὐτῷ
said			to him

Ἔτι

ἕν

Receptor, Receptors

σοι

λείπει

[is] still

one [thing]

to you

lacking

πάντα

ὅσα

ἔχεις

πώλησον

καὶ

διάδος

πτωχοῖς

all

that

you have

sell

and

distribute [it]

to the poor

καὶ

ἕξεις

θησαυρὸν

ἐν

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

τοῖς

οὐρανοῖς

and

you will have

treasure

in

[-]

heaven

καὶ

δεῦρο

ἀκολούθει

Speaker

μοι

and

come

follow

me

23

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

δὲ

ἀκούσας

[-]

but

[when he] heard

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

ταῦτα

περίλυπος

ἐγενήθη

these [things]

very sad

he became

		ἦν		γὰρ		πλούσιος		σφόδρα
		he was		because		wealthy		extremely

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Lk 18:18–23). Lexham Press.

Cross References

Matthew 19:16 | Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”

Matthew 19:17 | He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Matthew 19:18 | “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,

Matthew 19:19 | honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 19:21 | Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Commentary

The second edition of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels is a thoroughly reconstructed and revised version of the critically acclaimed 1992 first edition. Since that groundbreaking volume was published, a wave of Jesus and Gospel scholarship has crested and broken on the shores of a new century.

3.4. Luke. It is in Luke’s Gospel that we encounter the most developed favoritism toward the poor and hostility toward the wealthy. Luke depicts Jesus’ ministry as being for the poor in much stronger terms than do Matthew and Mark. Still, Luke does not typically assert that the poor are members of the kingdom of God just because they are poor. For example, the Magnificat celebrates God’s action for poor and oppressed Israel (Lk 1:52–55).

In the Nazareth synagogue sermon Jesus’ message is preached especially to the poor and the outcast (Lk 4:18; so also Lk 7:22; cf. Is 61:1–2), but that does not make irrelevant the poor’s response to Jesus (even though the poor and marginalized are depicted in Lk 14:15–24 as responding readily to the invitation to God’s eschatological banquet). In the first beatitude the poor are construed as heirs of the kingdom (Lk 6:20), though the fourth beatitude (“Blessed are you when people hate you … on account of the Son of Man” [Lk 6:22]) may be seen as filling out the description of the blessed poor; so also, the Sermon on the Plain’s ensuing ethical instructions could well be taken as moral prerequisites for the inclusion of the poor in the kingdom.

Still, when saying that Luke generally couples favoritism toward the poor with an expectation that the poor respond properly to Jesus’ proclamation, we should perhaps be cautious not to dampen the force of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31).

In this unsettling text poor Lazarus is said to have received eschatological rest for no other reason than that he lacked good things during his life (Lk 16:25); there is no indication in the parable that Lazarus demonstrated even a scrap of religious piety. By this reading, the eschatological blessedness of the poor may be partially a matter of theodicy: the promise of eternal happiness helps affirm the goodness of a God who allows the poor to endure a lifetime of suffering.

Nonetheless, many scholars prefer to read this parable within the framework Luke seems to have developed earlier in the Gospel, thus asserting that the piety of Lazarus can be safely assumed; accordingly, the emphasis of the parable is strictly upon the judgment to be incurred by the rich who revel in luxury while neglecting the needy.

Luke reflects Matthew’s conviction that God will provide for people’s needs (Lk 12:22–31), but for Luke this notion is integrated into his agenda to stimulate charity. The promises of divine provision by which Matthew encouraged pursuit of the kingdom more generally (Mt 6:19–34) are in Luke made impetuses to self-divesting almsgiving specifically (Lk 12:33–34; cf. Lk 16:9–13).

Luke echoes and expands upon Mark and Matthew’s belief in the dangers of wealth (Lk 8:14; 14:18–19; 19:20–23; cf. Lk 11:39; 16:13), but it is only in Luke, in the first woe of the Sermon on the Plain, that the rich are threatened with punishment simply for being rich (Lk 6:24). This daunting assertion is resumed in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

At first, the rich man is told that he received eternal torment because he had already enjoyed his share of good things in his own life (Lk 16:19–26). It is only in the second half of the parable (Lk 16:27–31) that the man’s fate is further specified to be the consequence of neglecting “Moses and the Prophets,” the Scriptures that, by Luke’s reckoning, commanded the rich to care for the poor (Hays, 156–58).

Thus, Luke’s initial and apparently unqualified damnation of the rich is reframed in terms of a punishment for the neglect of God’s law (cf. Lk 14:12–14). Luke also shares with Matthew and Mark a conviction that claims of the kingdom of God ought thoroughly to overshadow the concerns of this world (Lk 9:24–25; 17:26–33). He is nonetheless more adamant than his predecessors that eschatological punishments and rewards hang upon one’s use of money (Lk 12:13–31; 16:1–9).

Luke is so convinced that God will reward the poor and punish the unrighteous rich that he adopts the Jewish motif of the “reversal of fortunes” (see, e.g., 1 Sam 2:7; Is 26:5–6; Sir 11:5, 13, 21; see also 1.3 above), averring that in the end God will exalt and reward the poor while abasing and punishing the rich (Lk 1:50–53; 6:20–26; 14:7–24; 16:19–31).

Although the other Synoptics could justifiably be characterized as hostile to wealth, only Luke is antagonistic toward the rich. This point notwithstanding, Luke does, as mentioned above in relation to Luke 16:27–31, hold out the hope of eschatological reward for the rich, insofar as they cease to be preoccupied with worldly concerns (Lk 12:22–33; 14:18–20; 16:13; 17:26–33) and instead focus on providing generously for the needs of the poor (Lk 12:33–34; 16:1–9; 18:18–30; 19:1–10; cf: Lk 14:12–14).

Although the other Gospels do encourage care for the poor in degrees, Luke excels them all (see further Lk 6:30–38; 11:41–42; cf. Lk 10:25–37). As such, it is no surprise that Luke omits from the account of Jesus’ anointing (Lk 7:36–50) the comment “the poor you always have with you” (Mt 26:11 // Mk 14:7 // Jn 12:8); he likely anticipated that such a phrase could be taken as an expression of the futility of charity.

Combining the Synoptic teachings on the importance of charity and the supremacy of the kingdom of God, Luke emphasizes that following Christ and caring for the poor require profound renunciation of possessions: “Nobody is able to be my disciple who does not renounce all of his possessions” (Lk 14:33 [cf. Lk 18:22, 28–30; 19:1–10; 21:1–4]).

Accordingly, Lukan redaction is characterized by heightening the element of renunciation in texts where people are instructed to renounce, or are described as abandoning, their possessions: Simon and Andrew leave behind not just their nets (so Mt 4:20 // Mk 1:18), but “everything” (Lk 5:11) to follow Jesus (so with Levi [Lk 5:28]); the rich ruler is told to sell “everything, whatever you have” and to give it to the poor (Lk 18:22) (see further Hays, 82–84, 173–75). Although there is no legislation about a particular percentage that must be given to the needy (contrast the aforementioned texts with Lk 11:41–42; 19:8), everything must be renounced for the sake of discipleship (Lk 14:33).

Thus, while neither Luke’s preference for the poor nor his antipathy toward the rich amounts to an unqualified determination of their eternal states, his (sometimes hyperbolic) rhetoric gives the most potent expression to Jesus’ own warnings about the dangers of wealth and the neglect of the poor, as well as most vibrantly highlighting the constituency of the poor among those to whom Jesus directed his preaching.

Hays, C. M. (2013). Rich and Poor. In J. B. Green, J. K. Brown, & N. Perrin (Eds.), Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, Second Edition (pp. 807–808). IVP Academic; IVP.

Verse of the Day Isaiah 65:17 (NET)

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

65:17 new heavens and a new earth Represents the culmination of Isaiah’s visions for an idealized future ruled by the Messiah (11:1–11).

The utopian descriptions of Isaiah influenced later concepts of future redemption and restoration. The expectation of a new heavens and new earth feature prominently in apocalyptic visions of the end times (see 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1).

shall not be remembered Compare Isa 43:10–11.

Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Is 65:17). Biblical Studies Press.

John 11:53-57 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

53

Today

John 11:53–57

ἀπʼ

Demonstrative or Deictic Reference

ἐκείνης

οὖν

from

that

so

Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τῆς		ἡμέρας						ἐβουλεύσαντο
	[-]		day						they resolved

		ἵνα		ἀποκτείνωσιν		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	αὐτόν
		that		they should kill				him

54

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

Ὁ

οὖν

Ἰησοῦς

οὐκέτι

[-]

so

Jesus

[was] no longer

παρρησίᾳ

περιεπάτει

ἐν

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τοῖς

Ἰουδαίοις

openly

walking

among

the

Jews

ἀλλὰ

ἀπῆλθεν

ἐκεῖθεν

but

went away

from there

		εἰς		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τὴν		χώραν		ἐγγὺς		Whom or
		to			the		region		near

What Spoken or Written	About	τῆς		ἐρήμου
		the		wilderness

εἰς

Ἐφραὶμ

λεγομένην

πόλιν

to

Ephraim

called

a city

κἀκεῖ

ἔμεινεν

μετὰ

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τῶν

μαθητῶν

and there

he stayed

with

the

disciples

55

Ἦν

δὲ

ἐγγὺς

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τὸ

πάσχα

was

now

near

the

Passover

Whom or What	Spoken or Written About	τῶν		Ἰουδαίων
		of the		Jews

καὶ

ἀνέβησαν

πολλοὶ

εἰς

Ἱεροσόλυμα

ἐκ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῆς

and

went up

many

to

Jerusalem

from

the

χώρας		πρὸ		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	τοῦ		πάσχα
[surrounding] country		before				the		Passover

		ἵνα		ἁγνίσωσιν		Whom or What Spoken	or Written	About	ἑαυτούς
		so that		they could purify					themselves

56

ἐζήτουν

οὖν

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

τὸν

Ἰησοῦν

they were looking for

so

[-]

Jesus

καὶ

ἔλεγον

μετʼ

Reciprocal

Reference

ἀλλήλων

ἐν

and

were speaking

with

one another

in

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	τῷ		ἱερῷ		ἑστηκότες
		the		temple [courts]		[while] standing

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

Τί

δοκεῖ

Receptor,

Receptors

ὑμῖν

what

think

[do] you

ὅτι

οὐ

μὴ

ἔλθῃ

εἰς

Whom or

What Spoken or Written

About

τὴν

ἑορτήν

that

[he will] not

[-]

come

to

the

feast

57

δεδώκεισαν

δὲ

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

οἱ

ἀρχιερεῖς

καὶ

had given

now

the

chief priests

and

Whom	or What Spoken or Written About	οἱ		Φαρισαῖοι		ἐντολὰς
		the		Pharisees		orders

ἵνα

ἐάν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τις

γνῷ

ποῦ

ἐστιν

that

if

anyone

knew

where

he was

μηνύσῃ
they should report [it]

		ὅπως		πιάσωσιν		Whom or	What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτόν
		in order that		they could arrest					him

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 11:53–57). Lexham Press.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is one of the most comprehensive sets of cross references ever compiled, consisting of over 572,000 entries. This reference tool is an invaluable asset for your Bible study library. The Logos Bible Software edition makes it even more attractive and interactive by making every single reference in the book a link.

Cross References

Matthew 26:1 | When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples,

Mark 14:1 | Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.

John 2:13 | Now the Jewish feast of Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 7:1 | After this Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He stayed out of Judea because the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him.

John 7:11 | So the Jewish leaders were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?”

Blayney, B., Scott, T., & Torrey, R. A. with Canne, J., Browne. (n.d.). The Treasury of Scripture knowledge (Vol. 2, p. 74). Samuel Bagster and Sons.

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

John 11:53 From that day on refers to the time that Caiaphas spoke to the Jewish Council (verses 49–50). In order to make this fact explicit, it may be necessary, as in NAB, to indicate that verses 51–52 are a parenthetical statement by the author of the Gospel. Or one may introduce verse 53 by translating “So from the day that Caiaphas spoke to the Jewish Council, they made plans to kill Jesus.” In Greek the Jewish authorities is literally “they,” while Jesus is literally “him.” Again TEV makes pronominal references explicit. Made plans to kill Jesus may be translated “were planning to kill Jesus” or “were planning how they could kill Jesus.”

John 11:54 The word translated openly appears first in John 7:4, but it is used also in 7:13, 26; 10:24; 11:14, 54; 16:25, 29; and 18:20. Openly is also the translation of RSV and JB; NAB has “freely,” and NEB “publicly” (Mft and Gdsp “in public”). It may be important to indicate clearly the relation of the first part of verse 54 to what immediately precedes it. Hence, the particle So may require expansion in some languages, for example, “As a result of this” or “because of what the Jewish authorities were planning.” Jesus did not travel openly may be translated “Jesus did not travel in such a way that everyone knew where he was” or “… so that everyone would see him.”

In Judea (so also NEB) is literally “among the Jews” (so most translations); NAB has “in Jewish circles.” The exact location of the town called Ephraim is not known, though many scholars believe it to be the present Et-Taiyibeh, which is four miles (seven kilometers) northeast of the town of Bethel. Where (so also NEB, NAB) is literally “and there,” as in most translations.

John 11:55 The three verses 55–57 form a transition to the following section. In this respect they are similar to 7:11, 13. The time … was near may be rendered in some languages “It was almost the day” or “It was only a few more days before the day” or “In a few days it would be the day.” For the third time in John’s Gospel the Passover Festival is definitely mentioned (2:13; 6:14), though it may be that the festival mentioned in 5:1 is also a Passover (see there).

Many people did go up to the Passover Festival. During the Passover season the population of Jerusalem, normally about 25,000 swelled to more than 100,000. Went up is the same verb used in 2:13 (went to). It is the normal word used of a pilgrimage to the Holy City. It was customary for persons coming from the countryside to purify themselves before a major festival. Especially was this true of persons who lived near Gentiles or who had business dealings with Gentiles.

One may recall here Paul’s actions in Acts 21:24–26. To perform the ritual of purification (GeCL “they wanted to purify themselves before the feast according to the prescribed regulations”) is more literally “in order that they might purify themselves.” Ceremonial purification was necessary if a man were to keep the Passover correctly (Num 9:10); and this ritual of purification could last as long as an entire week, depending on the degree of pollution experienced by the worshipper.

The verb “to purify” does not appear again in John’s Gospel; but it does appear in 1 John 3:3 as a reference to spiritual purification. It may be difficult to translate perform the ritual of purification. In some languages it is rendered simply “to do what was necessary in order to be purified” or “… to be pure.”

Other languages, however, have no word which suggests purification in the ritual sense. Some employ such a phrase as “to be clean before God” or “to be clean in God’s eyes.” However, in some languages there is no relation at all between physical cleanliness and spiritual purity. It may be necessary to say “to do what was necessary in order to be free from sin.”

But such an expression may suggest the concept of atonement. If so, one may say instead “to do what was necessary in order that God would look upon them as being good” or “… that God would accept them.” There is no textual evidence to support the omission of the phrase before the festival, as in JB.

John 11:56 The word used for Temple in this verse refers to the Temple precincts, not to the sanctuary proper (see comments at 2:14). What do you think? is the way most translations render the first question the people were asking one another. The second question (Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?) is translated in a variety of ways. NAB has “Is he likely to come for the feast?”; Mft reads “Do you think he will not come up to the festival?”; Gdsp “Do you think he will not come to the festival at all?” NEB has a statement, “Perhaps he is not coming to the festival.” Phps reads “Surely he won’t come to the festival?”; and JB has “Will he come to the festival or not?”

It is difficult to determine precisely the meaning of the question in Greek. It may be that it expects a strong denial, or it may merely suggest doubt. The context suggests that an element of doubt is involved. Since the second question posed by the people is in essence the content of what they were thinking, the two questions are more frequently combined as one, for example, “Do you think that he will come to the Festival?” This form of question suggests in several languages an element of doubt.

John 11:57 As in verse 47, the Greek text here reads the chief priests and the Pharisees. In verse 47 TEV reverses the order, mentioning the Pharisees first because they were already known to the readers and the chief priests were not. It is not necessary to reverse the order here, because both the chief priests and the Pharisees have been introduced into the discourse.

The verb translated must report it (NAB “should report it”; NEB “should give information”; JB “must inform them”; Phps “should tell them”) occurs only here in John’s Gospel. It is used similarly but in a passive form in Acts 23:30 (TEV when I was informed). T

he content of what was ordered by the chief priests and Pharisees must be expressed as direct discourse in some languages, for example, “The chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded, ‘If anyone knows where Jesus is, he must report it to us so that we can arrest him’.” He must report it may also be rendered “he must tell us what he knows.”

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (pp. 383–385). United Bible Societies.

John 11:28-32 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

28

Today

John 11:28–32

Καὶ

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

τοῦτο

εἰποῦσα

ἀπῆλθεν

and

this

[when she] had said

she went

καὶ

ἐφώνησεν

Μαριὰμ

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τὴν

ἀδελφὴν

and

called

Mary

[-]

sister

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτῆς
		her

		λάθρᾳ		εἰποῦσα
		privately		saying

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

Ὁ

διδάσκαλος

πάρεστιν

the

teacher

is here

		καὶ		φωνεῖ		Receptor, Receptors	σε
		and		is calling for			you

29

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

ἐκείνη

δὲ

ὡς

ἤκουσεν

ἠγέρθη

that one

so

when

she heard [it]

got up

ταχὺ
quickly

καὶ

ἤρχετο

πρὸς

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτόν

and

went

to

him

30

οὔπω

δὲ

ἐληλύθει

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

ὁ

Ἰησοῦς

[had] not yet

now

come

[-]

Jesus

	εἰς		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τὴν		κώμην
	into			the		village

ἀλλʼ

ἦν

ἔτι

ἐν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῷ

τόπῳ

but

was

still

in

the

place

		ὅπου		ὑπήντησεν		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	αὐτῷ
		where		went to meet				him

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	ἡ		Μάρθα
		[-]		Martha

31

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

οἱ

οὖν

Ἰουδαῖοι

the

so

Jews

		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	οἱ		ὄντες		μετʼ		Whom	or What Spoken or
				[-]		who were		with

Written About	αὐτῆς		ἐν		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	τῇ		οἰκίᾳ
	her		in				the		house

καὶ

παραμυθούμενοι

Whom or What Spoken

or Written About

αὐτήν

and

were consoling

her

		ἰδόντες		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	τὴν		Μαριὰμ
		[when they] saw				[-]		Mary

ὅτι

ταχέως

ἀνέστη

καὶ

ἐξῆλθεν

that

quickly

she stood up

and

went out

		ἠκολούθησαν		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτῇ
		followed				her

		δόξαντες		ὅτι		ὑπάγει		εἰς		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About
		[because they] thought		that		she was going		to

τὸ		μνημεῖον
the		tomb

		ἵνα		κλαύσῃ		ἐκεῖ
		in order		to weep		there

32

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ἡ

οὖν

Μαριὰμ

[-]

then

Mary

ὡς

ἦλθεν

ὅπου

ἦν

Ἰησοῦς

when

she came

where

was

Jesus

		ἰδοῦσα		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτὸν
		[and] saw				him

		ἔπεσεν		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτοῦ		πρὸς		Whom
		fell				his		at

or What Spoken or Written	About	τοὺς		πόδας		λέγουσα		Whom or What	Spoken or Written
		[-]		feet		saying

About	αὐτῷ
	to him

Κύριε

εἰ

ἦς

ὧδε

οὐκ

ἄν

Speaker

μου

ἀπέθανεν

Whom or

Lord

if

you had been

here

[would] not

[-]

my

have died

What Spoken or Written	About	ὁ		ἀδελφός
		[-]		brother

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 11:28–32). Lexham Press.

Cross References

Matthew 26:18 | He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.” ’ ”

John 11:19 | so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.)

John 11:20 | So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house.

John 11:21 | Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

John 13:13 | You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am.

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

John 11:28–37 See the introductory comments to this chapter for the part these verses play in the overall account.

The section heading, Jesus Weeps, may require expansion in some languages as “Jesus weeps because of Lazarus.” It would be possible to say that Jesus wept because of his sympathy for Martha, Mary, and the others who were there (verse 33). However, Jesus’ weeping was interpreted by the Jews as being an expression of his love for Lazarus.

John 11:28 In this verse TEV makes explicit the subject of said (Greek “she”), that is, Martha.

Called her sister Mary privately may be translated as “spoke to her sister so that others would not hear, telling her to come.” To translate called literally may suggest a rather loud noise, which could hardly be done privately. The word translated Teacher in this verse is the Greek word for “teacher” (as in 3:2, 10; 13:13–14); it is not a translation of the word “rabbi,” used in verse 8.

“The Teacher is here,” she told her, “and is asking for you” is literally “saying, ‘the Teacher is here and is calling you’.” TEV restructures this part of the verse for stylistic reasons (note also verses 23 and 27); Mft and RSV translate “is calling for you.” The Teacher is here must be expressed in some languages as “the Teacher is nearby.” It would be inappropriate to use an expression meaning “here,” which would indicate his presence in the same room. The Teacher must be translated “our Teacher” in languages in which the term Teacher must be possessed. Is asking for you must be rendered in some languages “is asking that you come” or “is saying, ‘Have her come’ ” or “ ‘… have Mary come’.”

John 11:29 In Greek the subject of this verse is “that one,” which TEV renders Mary.

Hurried out is literally “went quickly.” However, most translations connect the adverb “quickly” with the verb got up rather than with “went.” This translation is more in keeping with the Greek sentence structure (NEB “she rose up quickly and went to him”). To meet him is literally “to him” (so most translations).

John 11:30 Since this verse interrupts the flow of the narrative, TEV and NAB place it as a parenthetical statement. This verse indicates, as mentioned in verse 20, that Martha met Jesus outside the village. In some languages a subtle but complex problem is involved in the statement Jesus had not yet arrived in the village. A literal translation would suggest that Jesus was moving very slowly, since Martha was able to go out and meet him, return home, and speak to Mary while Jesus was approaching the village.

There is no indication of whether Jesus was travelling slowly or remaining somewhere outside the village, but it may be necessary in some languages to say “Jesus had not yet come into the village.” This translation would focus upon Jesus’ location, rather than his rate of travel.

John 11:31 In Greek this verse is one sentence, which TEV divides into two. In English it is more natural to refer to a person by name the first time he is introduced in a narrative, and then to refer to him by pronouns. TEV does so, introducing Mary in the first part of verse 31 and then referring to Mary as her … her … her … she. This practice is not in keeping with the Greek structure, which introduces the noun Mary about midway in the verse.

However, in translating one must give attention to the structural requirements of the receptor language. The same comments can be made of get up and hurry out as were made of got up and hurried out in verse 29. Here, too, it is more natural to put the adverb “quickly” with the verb get up than with the verb “went.”

They thought is actually a participle in Greek (“thinking”) which is dependent upon the main clause in the sentence. The infinitive phrase to weep there translates a clause of purpose in Greek, literally, “in order that she might weep there.”

The grave, to which reference is made in this verse, was actually a cave with a stone placed at the entrance (verse 38). The word “tomb” (so most translations) is slightly archaic, and grave implies to most English readers something other than a cave with a stone rolled in front of the entrance. However, the word grave is a more natural English term, and a description of this grave is given in verse 38.

John 11:32 In Greek this verse is one sentence, which TEV makes into two sentences. Mary’s words to Jesus are the same as those of Martha in verse 21.

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (pp. 368–370). United Bible Societies.

John 11:17-20 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

17

Today

John 11:17–20

Ἐλθὼν

οὖν

Whom or What Spoken

or Written About

ὁ

Ἰησοῦς

εὗρεν

[when he] arrived

so

[-]

Jesus

found

Whom or	What Spoken or Written About	αὐτὸν
		he

τέσσαρας

ἤδη

ἡμέρας

ἔχοντα

ἐν

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

τῷ

four

already [been]

days

had

in

the

μνημείῳ
tomb

18

ἦν

δὲ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ἡ

Βηθανία

ἐγγὺς

was

now

[-]

Bethany

near

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

τῶν

Ἱεροσολύμων

ὡς

ἀπὸ

σταδίων

δεκαπέντε

[-]

Jerusalem

about

[-]

stadia

fifteen

19

πολλοὶ

δὲ

ἐκ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῶν

Ἰουδαίων

many

so

of

the

Jews

ἐληλύθεισαν

πρὸς

Whom or What Spoken or Written About

τὴν

Μάρθαν

καὶ

Μαριὰμ

came

to

[-]

Martha

and

Mary

ἵνα

παραμυθήσωνται

Whom or What

Spoken or Written

About

αὐτὰς

περὶ

in order

to console

them

concerning

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	τοῦ		ἀδελφοῦ
		their		brother

20

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ἡ

οὖν

Μάρθα

ὡς

ἤκουσεν

ὅτι

[-]

now

Martha

when

she heard

that

Ἰησοῦς

ἔρχεται

ὑπήντησεν

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

αὐτῷ

Jesus

was coming

went to meet

him

Μαριὰμ

δὲ

ἐν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τῷ

οἴκῳ

ἐκαθέζετο

Mary

but

in

the

house

was sitting

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 11:17–20). Lexham Press.

The Companion Bible has been a trusted resource for personal Bible study for almost a century. Originally published in six parts from 1909 to 1922, this classic study Bible features a two-column format, with Scripture on the left and notes on the right, covering Genesis through Revelation. Anglican clergyman and dispensationalist theologian E. W. Bullinger’s notes feature extensive analysis of biblical style…

17 grave = tomb. Gr. mnēmeion. First, a memorial or monument, then a sepulchre. Cp. 5:28.

18 about, &c.( the Hebrew or Greek word in question occurs too many times for all the passages to be given; but that a sufficient number is selected as evidence in favour of such amended rendering) = as it were from (Gr. apo. Ap. 104. iv) fifteen furlongs, i.e. 1¾ miles.

19 of = out of, from among. Gr. ek. Ap. 104. vii. came = had come. to. Gr. pros, as in v. 3 comfort. Gr. paramutheomai; to speak tenderly, consolingly. Occurs only here; v. 31; 1 Thess. 2:11 and 5:14. concerning. Gr. peri, as in v. 13.

20 went and met = met. The word implies desire to avoid notice. sat still = was sitting (Gr. kathezomai). There is no word for “still”, and the A. V. and R. V. insertion of it implies, without warrant, that Mary heard as well as Martha, but nevertheless remained where she was. Compare the other five occurrences of the word, 4:6; 20:12; Matt. 26:55; Luke 2:46 Acts 6:15.

Bullinger, E. W. (2018). The Companion Bible: Being the Authorized Version of 1611 with the Structures and Notes, Critical, Explanatory and Suggestive and with 198 Appendixes (Vol. 1, p. 1546). Faithlife.

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

John 11:17 The statement that Lazarus had been buried four days before is to affirm the certainty of his death. Jewish rabbis held the belief that the soul hovered near the body for three days, but after that there was no hope for restoration of life.

In Greek, Lazarus is literally “he,” but several modern translations make the reference explicit. RSV does so by way of a note indicating that the Greek has “he.” A footnote is unnecessary, however, since the meaning can be handled translationally.

He found that must be rendered in some languages “he learned that,” while the passive expression Lazarus had been buried four days before must be changed in some languages to an active one, for example, “people had put Lazarus in a tomb four days before.” However, in some languages it would be improper to speak of “putting Lazarus in the tomb”; it is necessary to say “put the body of Lazarus in a tomb,” to avoid the impression that Lazarus was put in a tomb while he was still alive.

It is essential in choosing a word for buried to indicate that Lazarus was not put beneath the ground in a grave, but rather was placed in a kind of cave. Otherwise, the miracle of his resurrection and coming forth from the tomb would be even more astounding, and, of course, quite inconsistent with what occurs later in this same chapter.

John 11:18 For Bethany, see the comments at 11:1.

Less than two miles (NEB “just under two miles”; RSV, JB “about two miles”) is literally “fifteen stadia.” A “stade” was a Roman measurement of a little more than six hundred feet, and so fifteen “stadia” is a little less than two miles or “about three kilometers.” It seems probable that the close distance between Bethany and Jerusalem is indicated to explain the large number of Jews in Bethany (see verse 19).

John 11:19 In Greek verses 18 and 19 are two separate sentences. TEV combines them into one, thus bringing together the motifs of the short distance between Bethany and Jerusalem and the visit of the many Judeans. In some languages many Judeans can be best expressed as “many people from Judea” or even “many people from that part of the country.”

To comfort them about their brother’s death (Phps “to offer them sympathy over their brother’s death”; NEB “to condole with them on their brother’s death”) is literally “to comfort them concerning the brother.” Either rendering (about their brother’s death or “about their brother”) is legitimate, as is also the rendering of GeCL (“to comfort the two of them”). The verb rendered to comfort appears again in verse 31; elsewhere in the New Testament it is used only in 1 Thessalonians 2:11 (2:12 in TEV) and 5:14, where it seems to have the meaning “to encourage” or “to cheer up.” In some languages an equivalent of comfort may be “to speak helpful words.”

If one translates in this manner, it will be possible to translate the final phrase, more or less literally, “about their brother’s death” or “about the fact that their brother had died.” However, if one uses a verb meaning “to encourage” or “to cheer them up,” it may be necessary to indicate the brother’s death as cause, for example, “to cheer them up because of the fact that their brother had died.”

Embalming was not practiced in ancient Palestine, and so burial took place on the day of death. It was common, therefore, for the mourners to remain and offer their comfort to the bereaved after the time of burial.

John 11:20 In this verse John states that Martha went out to meet Jesus, and in verse 30 that she met him before he came into the village. One cannot say for certain how Martha heard that Jesus was coming; verse 29 seems to imply that Mary had not heard of Jesus’ arrival.

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming must be understood in terms of hearing a report that Jesus was coming. It would be wrong to translate in a way that would suggest that Martha actually heard the noise of Jesus’ approach. One may translate, for example, “when Martha heard someone say that Jesus was coming” or “… had arrived nearby.”

Stayed in the house is literally “was sitting at home.” It was customary for persons in mourning to sit (Job 2:8; Ezek 8:14), as it was for these persons who came to offer comfort (Job 2:13)

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (pp. 363–364). United Bible Societies.

John 11:10-16 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.

10

Today

John 11:10–16

ἐὰν

δέ

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τις

περιπατῇ

ἐν

Whom or

if

but

anyone

walks around

in

What Spoken or Written About	τῇ		νυκτί				προσκόπτει
	the		night				he stumbles

ὅτι

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

τὸ

φῶς

οὐκ

ἔστιν

ἐν

Whom or

because

the

light

not

is

in

What Spoken or Written	About	αὐτῷ
		him

11

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

ταῦτα

εἶπεν

these [things]

he said

καὶ

μετὰ

Demonstrative or Deictic Reference

τοῦτο

λέγει

Whom or What Spoken or

and

after

this

he said

Written About	αὐτοῖς
	to them

Λάζαρος

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

ὁ

φίλος

Speaker

ἡμῶν

Lazarus

[-]

friend

our

κεκοίμηται
has fallen asleep

ἀλλὰ

πορεύομαι

ἵνα

ἐξυπνίσω

Whom

or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτόν

but

I am going

so that

I can awaken

him

12

εἶπαν

οὖν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

οἱ

μαθηταὶ

said

so

the

disciples

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	αὐτῷ
		to him

Κύριε

εἰ

κεκοίμηται

σωθήσεται

Lord

if

he has fallen asleep

he will get well

13

εἰρήκει

δὲ

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

ὁ

Ἰησοῦς

had been speaking

now

[-]

Jesus

περὶ		Whom or What Spoken or Written About	τοῦ		θανάτου		Whom or What Spoken or Written
about			[-]		death

About	αὐτοῦ
	his

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

ἐκεῖνοι

δὲ

ἔδοξαν

ὅτι

περὶ

Whom or

they

but

thought

that

about

What Spoken or Written About	τῆς		κοιμήσεως		Whom or What	Spoken or Written About	τοῦ
	the		sleep				of

ὕπνου				λέγει
slumber				he was speaking

14

τότε

οὖν

εἶπεν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτοῖς

then

so

said

to them

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	ὁ		Ἰησοῦς		παρρησίᾳ
		[-]		Jesus		plainly

Λάζαρος

ἀπέθανεν

Lazarus

has died

15

καὶ

χαίρω

διʼ

Receptor,

Receptors

ὑμᾶς

and

I am glad

for the sake of

you

		ἵνα		πιστεύσητε
		so that		you may believe

ὅτι

οὐκ

ἤμην

ἐκεῖ

that

not

I was

there

ἀλλὰ

ἄγωμεν

πρὸς

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

αὐτόν

but

let us go

to

him

16

εἶπεν

οὖν

Θωμᾶς

Whom or What Spoken or

Written About

ὁ

said

then

Thomas

the [one]

λεγόμενος		Δίδυμος		Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	τοῖς		συμμαθηταῖς
who is called		Didymus				to [his]		fellow disciples

Ἄγωμεν

καὶ

Speaker

ἡμεῖς

go

also

[let] us

		ἵνα		ἀποθάνωμεν		μετʼ		Whom or What	Spoken or Written	About	αὐτοῦ
		so that		we may die		with					him

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 11:10–16). Lexham Press.

Cross References

Matthew 9:24 | he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him.

Matthew 10:3 | Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

Mark 3:18 | and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,

John 14:5 | Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

John 20:24 | Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

John 11:10 Evidently the people of Jesus’ day believed that it was necessary for a person to “have light in himself” in order for him to see. Accordingly the two parts of this verse supplement each other. A person stumbles at night not only because of the lack of external light, but also because he has no light.

He has no light can be misleading, since it may suggest that “he has no torch.” It is important to understand the passage as referring to an internal source of light or capacity to see in the darkness.

John 11:11 Jesus said this and then added is literally “he said these things, and after this he says to them.”

Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up may have more than one meaning, as Jesus’ words often do in the Gospel of John. Both in Greek and in Hebrew “to fall asleep” may be used as a euphemism for “to die,” but the disciples fail to see this second meaning. The verb wake him up (exhupnizō) is the normal verb for “to wake someone from sleep”; it is not one of the two verbs (egeiro and anistēmi) used in the New Testament of raising people from death.

Though the readers of the Gospel will understand from the following verse what Jesus means, the disciples do not at this time comprehend the true significance of Jesus’ words. Because of the response of the disciples, it is necessary to translate has fallen asleep and wake him up in their first and primary meanings. If one goes beyond the primary meanings, the response of the disciples becomes almost meaningless. It is thought by some that by the time John’s Gospel was written the word friend had become a technical term for “Christian believer” (see Luke 12:4; Acts 27:3; 3 John 1:15; and John 15:13–15). However, it should not be so rendered in translation.

John 11:12 The disciples answered is literally “therefore the disciples said to him.” He will get well translates a verb which literally means “to be saved,” but it can be used with the meaning “to recover from sickness.” What the disciples had in mind was that if Lazarus was sleeping, the worst stage of his sickness had passed, and now he would gradually get better. But the situation was otherwise, as the next verse indicates.

John 11:13 Jesus meant that Lazarus had died is literally “but Jesus had spoken concerning his death.” TEV translates the noun phrase “concerning his death” by a verb phrase and makes the reference to Lazarus explicit. JB translates “The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus.” To translate Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, it may be necessary in some languages to introduce direct discourse, for example, “What Jesus was really trying to say was, ‘Lazarus has died’ ” or “What Jesus’ words really meant was, ‘Lazarus has died.’ ” In some languages it is possible to speak of “Lazarus’ death” and to translate “Jesus was really talking about Lazarus’ death.”

Mft, Phps. NEB, and TEV all translate John’s phrase natural sleep. In RSV this is rendered as “taking rest in sleep,” and in NAB “sleep in the sense of slumber.” The Greek phrase that John uses is unusual, but its nearest meaning in English is natural sleep.

The contrast between what Jesus meant and what the disciples thought he meant must be indicated in some languages by an adversative conjunction, such as “but,” or “on the other hand.” The final clause may then be translated “but the disciples thought he was talking about just sleeping” or, in the form of direct discourse, “but his disciples thought, ‘He is just talking about sleep.’ ” or “… He is just saying that Lazarus is sleeping.”

John 11:14 Plainly is the same adverb used in 7:4. Though in other passages it may have the meaning of “in public” or “openly,” it obviously has the meaning of plainly in the present verse (Elsewhere in John’s Gospel this adverb is used in 7:4, 13, 26; 10:24; 11:14, 54; 16:25, 29; 18:20.) In some languages “openly” may be best translated “without hiding anything” or “without covering up the words,” while in others it is best to say “Jesus told them straight” or “Jesus told them so that they could understand well.”

John 11:15 TEV and most other modern translations restructure this verse radically. It reads literally “and I am glad because of you, in order that you might believe, because I was not there. But let us go to him.” In its restructuring, NAB is close to TEV, but it retains the adverb “there,” which TEV renders with him.

So that you will believe is translated “that you may learn to believe” by Gdsp and Phps, and “that you may come to believe” by NAB. These renderings represent an attempt to carry through the force of the aorist subjunctive, which in the present context may have the meaning of “begin to believe.” That is, this verse is written as if 2:11 had not been included in the Gospel. Evidently, John is not so much concerned to show the development of the disciples’ faith as to indicate that this miracle was a means of initiating faith in their lives. For this reason the rendering of NEB, “it will be for your good and for the good of your faith,” appears not to carry through the force of the Greek aorist subjunctive.

In Greek there is no expressed object of the verb will believe, though it is obvious that Jesus is the intended object. Gdsp renders this verb “believe in me,” and GeCL is similar: “in this way you will learn to trust me.”

In some languages serious problems are involved in the first sentence of this verse. For your sake cannot be syntactically combined immediately with I am glad, but it is meaningfully associated with the entire expression which follows. Similarly the purpose, so you will believe, is not dependent solely on I was not with him. The belief of the disciples is dependent upon an implied miracle which is going to happen because of the fact that Jesus was not with Lazarus. In some languages the most appropriate way to combine these various concepts is to translate “but I am glad that I was not with him. Because of this you will learn to trust me. All this is for your benefit.”

Let us go to him may be rendered in some languages “We must now go to him.”

John 11:16 The name Thomas is derived from the Hebrew word te˒oma, meaning “twin.” The word Twin translates the Greek word “Didymus,” which has the same meaning. Though there is some doubt whether Thomas, in its Hebrew or Aramaic form, was ever used as a proper name, Didymus evidently had wide use as such in Greek circles. Two other times in John’s Gospel (20:24; 21:2) Thomas is described as “the one called the Twin.” Elsewhere in the New Testament Thomas is mentioned only in lists of the apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; and Acts 1:13). Besides the passages already mentioned, Thomas appears also in John’s Gospel in 14:5 and 20:24–29.

Thomas (called the Twin) may be translated in some languages as “Thomas, whose nickname was Twin” or “Thomas, also called Twin.” However, in some languages it is important to distinguish between the older and younger twin—that is, according to the order of their birth.

There is no way on the basis of the Greek text to make this distinction, but in some languages one must choose one term or the other. The word translated fellow disciples (so most other modern translations) is found only here in the New Testament. His fellow disciples may be translated “the rest of the disciples” or “those who were also disciples with him.”

Let us all go along with the Teacher, so that we may die with him is literally “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (RSV). The problem is of a literal rendering, in which the participants are not specifically marked, is that a serious ambiguity may result. That is, the phrase with him could possibly be taken as a reference to Lazarus, who in verse 15 is referred to by with him and to him. Here TEV makes it explicit that the disciples are intending to accompany Jesus so that they may die with him. TEV refers to Jesus by the title Teacher in this verse because this title is the one by which the disciples address him in verse 8.

However, since they address him as Lord in verse 12, it is also possible in translating to introduce “Lord” here instead of Teacher. As in other contexts, a first person plural admonition may be translated “We should all go along with the Teacher” or “… with our Teacher.” This verse introduces for the first time in John’s Gospel the theme that the destiny of the disciples must be the same as that of their Lord, a theme further developed in the farewell discourses of Chapters 15–17.

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (pp. 359–362). United Bible Societies.

John 10:31-35 (LDGNT) Short Study

Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation. 

31

Today

John 10:31–35

Ἐβάστασαν

πάλιν

λίθους

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

οἱ

Ἰουδαῖοι

picked up

again

stones

the

Jews

		ἵνα		λιθάσωσιν		Whom or What Spoken	or Written About	αὐτόν
		so that		they could stone				him

32

ἀπεκρίθη

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτοῖς

answered

them

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	ὁ		Ἰησοῦς
		[-]		Jesus

Πολλὰ

ἔργα

καλὰ

ἔδειξα

Receptor,

Receptors

ὑμῖν

ἐκ

many

deeds

good

I have shown

you

from

Whom or What Spoken or	Written About	τοῦ		πατρός
		the		Father

		διὰ		Demonstrative or Deictic Reference	ποῖον		Whom or What Spoken or	Written About
		for			which

αὐτῶν		ἔργον		Speaker	ἐμὲ		λιθάζετε
of them		one			me		are you going to stone

33

ἀπεκρίθησαν

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτῷ

answered

him

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	οἱ		Ἰουδαῖοι
		the		Jews

Περὶ

καλοῦ

ἔργου

οὐ

λιθάζομέν

Receptor,

Receptors

σε

concerning

a good

deed

[we are] not

going to stone

you

ἀλλὰ

περὶ

βλασφημίας

but

concerning

blasphemy

καὶ

ὅτι

Receptor,

Receptors

σὺ

ἄνθρωπος

ὢν

ποιεῖς

and

because

you

a man

[although you] are

make

Receptor,	Receptors	σεαυτὸν		θεόν
		yourself [to be]		God

34

ἀπεκρίθη

Whom or What Spoken or Written

About

αὐτοῖς

answered

them

Whom or What Spoken or Written	About	ὁ		Ἰησοῦς
		[-]		Jesus

Οὐκ

ἔστιν

γεγραμμένον

ἐν

Whom or What

Spoken or Written About

τῷ

νόμῳ

not

is it

written

in

[-]

law

Receptor,	Receptors	ὑμῶν
		your

ὅτι

Speaker

Ἐγὼ

εἶπα

[-]

I

said

		Θεοί		ἐστε
		gods		you are

35

εἰ

Demonstrative or Deictic

Reference

ἐκείνους

εἶπεν

θεοὺς

if

them

he called

gods

πρὸς

Relative Reference

οὓς

Whom

or What Spoken or

Written About

ὁ

λόγος

to

whom

the

word

Whom or	What Spoken or	Written About	τοῦ		θεοῦ		ἐγένετο
			of		God		came

καὶ

οὐ

δύναται

λυθῆναι

Whom or

What Spoken or

Written About

ἡ

γραφή

and

[-]

cannot

be broken

the

scripture

Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 10:31–35). Lexham Press.

Commentary

This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.

John 10:31 This verse may be understood either as the conclusion of the preceding section or as an introduction to the following section. It is really both, serving a transitional role. The claim that Jesus and the Father are one led the Jews to pick up stones to throw at him, and that in turn led Jesus into a new dialogue with them. The people translates “the Jews.” see Appendix I.

John 10:32 I have done … in your presence is literally “I have shown you” (RSV). NEB translates “I have set before you”; and JB “I have done … for you to see.” Certain problems may be involved in a more or less literal translation of I have done … in your presence. The rendering of JB “I have done … for you to see” might suggest that Jesus had performed miracles only in order to show off his power. This was evidently not Jesus’ intent, for he was not concerned with performing spectacles. It is possible to translate “I have done many good works which you have seen” or “you have seen many good works which I have done.”

Which the Father gave me to do is literally “from the Father” (RSV, NAB, “from my Father” JB). Most translations render this clause literally, though NEB has “done by my Father’s power” and GeCL “at the command of my Father.”

The clause is meant to emphasize that what Jesus has done he has done either at the Father’s command or through the Father’s power. This clause may be rendered “which my Father told me to perform.” Depending, however, upon the construction of the first part of this verse, one may employ a complete sentence, for example, “my Father told me to do these works” or “it was my Father’s power which made me able to do these works.”

Do you want to stone me? is literally “do you stone me?” (RSV). In the present context the verb “to stone” denotes intention, and so NEB translates “for which of these would you stone me?” The RSV rendering (so also JB “for which of these are you stoning me?”) could imply that the persons are actually in the process of stoning Jesus while he is speaking to them. The causal relation between the good works and the stoning may be expressed in some languages as “because of which of these works do you want to stone me to death?” or “which one of these good works has caused you to want to stone me to death?”

John 10:33 They answered is literally “the Jews answered him.” In Greek the first part of the Jews’ answer to Jesus is literally “concerning a good work we are not stoning you but concerning blasphemy.” TEV takes the verb “we are … stoning” to mean we … want to stone, and places it at the beginning of the sentence. “Good work” of the Greek text is rendered in the plural by TEV good deeds, making the phrase more generic. In most languages there is no technical term for blasphemy in the sense of a person insulting God by means of preempting some of the qualities or attributes of God. However, blasphemy may be rendered in some languages “the way in which one insults God.” Accordingly, one may translate the statement of the Jews “We do not want to stone you because of any of the good works which you have done, but because of the way in which you insult God.”

In Jewish thought blasphemy consisted primarily of speaking evil against God, though the word could also be used of abusive speech against people or sacred objects. In the present context Jesus is accused of insulting God because, although merely a man, he is trying to make himself God. In Greek the pronoun you in the statement you are only a man is emphatic. Are only a man is literally “being a man” (RSV), but the adverb only brings out the impact of the Greek. NEB translates “You, a mere man.…” JB and GeCL translate exactly as TEV does. You are trying to make expresses accurately the force of the Greek, literally “you are making.” JB and NEB translate “you claim to be.”

It is important to avoid a translation of you are trying to make yourself God which would suggest that Jesus was “making himself into God,” that is, “changing himself into God.” In most instances it seems better to translate “because you claim to be God” or “because you say that you are God.” In the clause but you are trying to make yourself God the Greek does not have the definite article “the” before the noun God. Normally in the New Testament when God the Father is referred to, the definite article “the” is used before the noun God.

Purely on the basis of the Greek text, therefore, it is possible to translate “a god,” as NEB does, rather than to translate God, as TEV and several other translations do. One might argue, on the basis of both the Greek and the context, that the Jews were accusing Jesus of claiming to be “a god” rather than “God.”

But to do so is certainly not in keeping with the theology of John’s Gospel, nor with the accusation of blasphemy brought against Jesus. Jesus does quote from Psalm 82:6, which says “you are gods,” (see verse 34) but to assume that Jesus is doing no more than claiming an equal status with the people addressed in that Psalm is to miss the entire point of the passage. Jesus’ argument is, in fact, a typically rabbinical one by which the speaker argues from the lesser to the greater.

According to the rabbis, Psalm 82 was addressed to Israel when they received the Law at Mount Sinai. Jesus’ argument proceeds in this way. If those persons who received God’s Law on Mount Sinai could be spoken of as “gods,” how much more can the one whom the Father has chosen and sent into the world claim to be “the Son of God.”

In verse 36 the Greek does not have the article “the” before “Son,” and so it is possible to translate as NEB does “I am God’s son” (“son” with lower case “s”). However, once again this interpretation is not in keeping with the theology of the Gospel of John. Moreover, it does not fit well with the context. Jesus is not claiming to be a divine being among many others; he is claiming a unique prerogative, and the Jews recognize this. Accordingly, it is best to follow TEV and most other translations.

John 10:34 Jesus answered is literally “Jesus answered them.” In Greek this verse is in the form of a rhetorical question which expects the answer “yes” (RSV “Is it not written in your law …?”). A capital “L” is used by TEV in its spelling of the word Law, for the reference is to the Jewish Scriptures. As mentioned in the preceding verse, the quotation is from Psalm 82:6, and John follows the Septuagint exactly (literally “I said, “You are gods” “). TEV makes the pronoun “I” explicit as a reference to God (God said), since in the Psalm it is God who is speaking.

This enables the person who reads this passage to himself, or who hears the passage read aloud, to know immediately that God is the one who said this in the Scripture. That is, since in this context Jesus is the one speaking, it may sound as if Jesus himself said this in their Law unless one introduces God in place of the pronoun “I” in the statement “I said.” As noted elsewhere, the expression It is written in your own Law may be difficult to express in some languages. One may sometimes say “The following words are in your laws” or “These are the words written in your Law.”

You are gods: see comments at verse 33.

John 10:35 This verse has undergone a good deal of restructuring in TEV. The form is, in fact, very much different from that of the Greek, which reads: “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken.” The order of the two major clauses in Greek (“if he called them gods” and “the scripture cannot be broken”) has been reversed, and the initial clause of TEV introduced with the words we know that, since the clause represents a well attested Jewish conviction. In this same first clause of TEV the Greek negative expression “cannot be broken” is stated positively: is true forever (GeCL “remains valid”).

In the Jewish setting the verb “to be broken,” when applied to Scripture, would indicate that the meaning could not be changed, nor could the words be declared invalid. In Greek the “if” clause actually introduces a statement of fact, not of doubt, as would normally be implied by a literal rendering into English; this is why TEV transforms “if” into “and” at the beginning of the clause. Within this same clause TEV makes explicit the meaning of the pronouns “he” (= God) and “them” (= those people), and at the same time introduces the people in a position after those people and before to whom in order to make immediately evident the connection between people and whom.

Behind the structure “to whom the word of God came” lies the meaning “to whom God gave his word,” which TEV has transformed into a passive structure: to whom his message was given. Him represents “of God,” and has been chosen by TEV for stylistic reasons. “Word” carries a broader meaning in the context of Scripture than the English equivalent, and so TEV uses message, which also has the extra advantage of avoiding the construction “his word was given,” in which “word” would suggest the meaning of “promise.”

It may not be sufficient to translate the scripture merely as “the writings.” In some languages it is essential to translate “the holy writings” or “the writings relating to God.” An expression which would mean “God’s writings,” in the sense that God himself did the writing, should be avoided.

God called those people gods may be rendered “God applied the name of gods to those people” or “God spoke of those people as gods.”

To whom his message was given is literally “to whom the word of God came.” JB translated “to whom the word of God was addressed,” while NEB has “to whom the word of God was delivered.” In the Old Testament the expression “the word of God came to …,” used by some of the prophetic books (note Jer 1:2 and Hos 1:1), was simply a Jewish way of saying “God spoke his message to.…”

The people to whom his message was given may be treated as a completely separate sentence, for example, “These are the people to whom his message was given” or “… to whom God spoke his message.”

Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (pp. 342–346). United Bible Societies.

Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

A quotation of Psa 82:6, which refers either to the divine council or to human judges as God’s representatives administering justice on earth.

Divine Council

An assembly of gods or heavenly beings. In ancient Near Eastern mythology, the divine council met to determine the fate of the universe. In the ot, a similar concept is used to describe Yahweh’s sovereignty, depicting Him as a ruler surrounded by His heavenly court of supernatural beings, who carried out His decrees.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 10:34). Lexham Press.