Joshua 14:1--15:63 
Context14:1 The following is a record of the territory assigned to the Israelites in the land of Canaan by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite tribal leaders. 1 14:2 The land assignments to the nine-and-a-half tribes were made by drawing lots, as the Lord had instructed Moses. 2 14:3 Now Moses had assigned land 3 to the two-and-a-half tribes east of the Jordan, but he assigned no land 4 to the Levites. 5 14:4 The descendants of Joseph were considered as two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites were allotted no territory, though they were assigned cities in which to live, along with the grazing areas for their cattle and possessions. 6 14:5 The Israelites followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses and divided up the land. 7
14:6 The men of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said about you and me to Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh Barnea. 8 14:7 I was forty years old when Moses, the Lord’s servant, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy on the land and I brought back to him an honest report. 9 14:8 My countrymen 10 who accompanied 11 me frightened the people, 12 but I remained loyal to the Lord my God. 13 14:9 That day Moses made this solemn promise: 14 ‘Surely the land on which you walked 15 will belong to you and your descendants permanently, 16 for you remained loyal to the Lord your God.’ 14:10 So now, look, the Lord has preserved my life, just as he promised, these past forty-five years since the Lord spoke these words to Moses, during which Israel traveled through the wilderness. Now look, I am today eighty-five years old. 14:11 Today I am still as strong as when Moses sent me out. I can fight and go about my daily activities with the same energy I had then. 17 14:12 Now, assign me this hill country which the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard at that time that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities. 18 But, assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer 19 them, as the Lord promised.” 14:13 Joshua asked God to empower Caleb son of Jephunneh and assigned him Hebron. 20 14:14 So Hebron remains the assigned land of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this very day 21 because he remained loyal to the Lord God of Israel. 14:15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba. Arba was a famous Anakite. 22 ) Then the land was free of war.
15:1 The land allotted to the tribe of Judah by its clans reached to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin in the Negev far to the south. 23 15:2 Their southern border started at the southern tip of the Salt Sea, 24 15:3 extended 25 south of the Scorpion Ascent, 26 crossed to Zin, went up from the south to Kadesh Barnea, crossed to Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned toward Karka. 15:4 It then crossed to Azmon, extended to the Stream of Egypt, 27 and ended at the sea. This was their 28 southern border.
15:5 The eastern border was the Salt Sea to the mouth 29 of the Jordan River. 30
The northern border started north of the Salt Sea at the mouth of the Jordan, 31 15:6 went up to Beth Hoglah, crossed north of Beth Arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 15:7 It then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning northward to Gilgal (which is opposite the Pass 32 of Adummim south of the valley), crossed to the waters of En Shemesh and extended to En Rogel. 15:8 It then went up the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the slope of the Jebusites on the south (that is, Jerusalem), 33 going up to the top of the hill opposite the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the Valley of the Rephaites to the north. 15:9 It then went from the top of the hill to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, extended to the cities of Mount Ephron, and went to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). 15:10 It then turned from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, crossed to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is Kesalon), descended to Beth Shemesh, and crossed to Timnah. 15:11 It then extended to the slope of Ekron to the north, went toward Shikkeron, crossed to Mount Baalah, extended to Jabneel, and ended at the sea.
15:12 The western border was the Mediterranean Sea. 34 These were the borders of the tribe of Judah and its clans. 35
15:13 Caleb son of Jephunneh was assigned Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) within the tribe of Judah, according to the Lord’s instructions to Joshua. (Arba was the father of Anak.) 36 15:14 Caleb drove out 37 from there three Anakites – Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. 15:15 From there he attacked the people of Debir. 38 (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 15:16 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife.” 15:17 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, 39 captured it, Caleb 40 gave Acsah his daughter to him as a wife.
15:18 One time Acsah 41 came and charmed her father 42 so that she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 15:19 She answered, “Please give me a special present. 43 Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water. So he gave her both upper and lower springs.
15:20 This is the land assigned to the tribe of Judah by its clans: 44 15:21 These cities were located at the southern extremity of Judah’s tribal land near the border of Edom: 45 Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 15:22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 15:23 Kedesh, Hazor, 46 Ithnan, 15:24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 15:25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), 15:26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 15:27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshbon, Beth Pelet, 15:28 Hazar Shual, Beer Sheba, Biziothiah, 15:29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 15:30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 15:31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 15:32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon – a total of twenty-nine cities and their towns. 47
15:33 These cities were 48 in the lowlands: 49 Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 15:34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 15:35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 15:36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim) – a total of fourteen cities and their towns.
15:37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 15:38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 15:39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 15:40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, 15:41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah – a total of sixteen cities and their towns.
15:42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 15:43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 15:44 Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah – a total of nine cities and their towns.
15:45 Ekron and its surrounding towns 50 and settlements; 15:46 from Ekron westward, all those in the vicinity of Ashdod and their towns; 15:47 Ashdod with its surrounding towns and settlements, and Gaza with its surrounding towns and settlements, as far as the Stream of Egypt 51 and the border at the Mediterranean Sea. 52
15:48 These cities were 53 in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 15:49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), 15:50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 15:51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh – a total of eleven cities and their towns.
15:52 Arab, Dumah, 54 Eshan, 15:53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 15:54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior – a total of nine cities and their towns.
15:55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 15:56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 15:57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah – a total of ten cities and their towns.
15:58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 15:59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon – a total of six cities and their towns.
15:60 Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah – a total of two cities and their towns.
15:61 These cities were 55 in the desert: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 15:62 Nibshan, the city of Salt, and En Gedi – a total of six cities and their towns.
15:63 The men of Judah were unable to conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. 56 The Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day. 57
Psalms 146:1--147:20
Context146:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
146:2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live!
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist!
146:3 Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver! 59
146:4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground;
on that day their plans die. 60
146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
146:6 the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful, 61
146:7 vindicates the oppressed, 62
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
146:8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over. 63
The Lord loves the godly.
146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;
he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, 64
but he opposes the wicked. 65
146:10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come! 66
Praise the Lord!
147:1 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God!
Yes, 68 praise is pleasant and appropriate!
147:2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, 69
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
147:3 He heals 70 the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
147:4 He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
147:5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power; 71
there is no limit to his wisdom. 72
147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks 73 the wicked to the ground.
147:7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks! 74
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp!
147:8 He covers 75 the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides. 76
147:9 He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp. 77
147:10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs. 78
147:11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers, 79
and in those who wait for his loyal love.
147:12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
147:13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.
He blesses your children 80 within you.
147:14 He 81 brings peace to your territory. 82
He abundantly provides for you 83 the best grain.
147:15 He 84 sends his command through the earth; 85
swiftly his order reaches its destination. 86
147:16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;
he spreads the frost that is white like ashes. 87
147:17 He throws his hailstones 88 like crumbs.
Who can withstand the cold wind he sends? 89
147:18 He then orders it all to melt; 90
he breathes on it, 91 and the water flows.
147:19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
147:20 He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
Jeremiah 7:1-34
Context7:1 The Lord said to Jeremiah: 92 7:2 “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s temple and proclaim 93 this message: ‘Listen, all you people of Judah who have passed through these gates to worship the Lord. 94 Hear what the Lord has to say. 7:3 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 95 says: Change the way you have been living and do what is right. 96 If you do, I will allow you to continue to live in this land. 97 7:4 Stop putting your confidence in the false belief that says, 98 “We are safe! 99 The temple of the Lord is here! The temple of the Lord is here! The temple of the Lord is here!” 100 7:5 You must change 101 the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly. 102 7:6 Stop oppressing foreigners who live in your land, children who have lost their fathers, and women who have lost their husbands. 103 Stop killing innocent people 104 in this land. Stop paying allegiance to 105 other gods. That will only bring about your ruin. 106 7:7 If you stop doing these things, 107 I will allow you to continue to live in this land 108 which I gave to your ancestors as a lasting possession. 109
7:8 “‘But just look at you! 110 You are putting your confidence in a false belief 111 that will not deliver you. 112 7:9 You steal. 113 You murder. You commit adultery. You lie when you swear on oath. You sacrifice to the god Baal. You pay allegiance to 114 other gods whom you have not previously known. 7:10 Then you come and stand in my presence in this temple I have claimed as my own 115 and say, “We are safe!” You think you are so safe that you go on doing all those hateful sins! 116 7:11 Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own 117 is to be a hideout for robbers? 118 You had better take note! 119 I have seen for myself what you have done! says the Lord. 7:12 So, go to the place in Shiloh where I allowed myself to be worshiped 120 in the early days. See what I did to it 121 because of the wicked things my people Israel did. 7:13 You also have done all these things, says the Lord, and I have spoken to you over and over again. 122 But you have not listened! You have refused to respond when I called you to repent! 123 7:14 So I will destroy this temple which I have claimed as my own, 124 this temple that you are trusting to protect you. I will destroy this place that I gave to you and your ancestors, 125 just like I destroyed Shiloh. 126 7:15 And I will drive you out of my sight just like I drove out your relatives, the people of Israel.’” 127
7:16 Then the Lord said, 128 “As for you, Jeremiah, 129 do not pray for these people! Do not cry out to me or petition me on their behalf! Do not plead with me to save them, 130 because I will not listen to you. 7:17 Do you see 131 what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 132 7:18 Children are gathering firewood, fathers are building fires with it, and women are mixing dough to bake cakes to offer to the goddess they call the Queen of Heaven. 133 They are also pouring out drink offerings to other gods. They seem to do all this just 134 to trouble me. 7:19 But I am not really the one being troubled!” 135 says the Lord. “Rather they are bringing trouble on themselves to their own shame! 136 7:20 So,” the Lord God 137 says, “my raging fury will be poured out on this land. 138 It will be poured out on human beings and animals, on trees and crops. 139 And it will burn like a fire which cannot be extinguished.”
7:21 The Lord said to the people of Judah, 140 “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all 141 says: ‘You might as well go ahead and add the meat of your burnt offerings to that of the other sacrifices and eat it, too! 142 7:22 Consider this: 143 When I spoke to your ancestors after I brought them out of Egypt, I did not merely give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. 7:23 I also explicitly commanded them: 144 “Obey me. If you do, I 145 will be your God and you will be my people. Live exactly the way I tell you 146 and things will go well with you.” 7:24 But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better. 147 7:25 From the time your ancestors departed the land of Egypt until now, 148 I sent my servants the prophets to you again and again, 149 day after day. 150 7:26 But your ancestors 151 did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate 152 and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.’”
7:27 Then the Lord said to me, 153 “When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not respond to you. 7:28 So tell them: ‘This is a nation that has not obeyed the Lord their God and has not accepted correction. Faithfulness is nowhere to be found in it. These people do not even profess it anymore. 154 7:29 So, mourn, 155 you people of this nation. 156 Cut off your hair and throw it away. Sing a song of mourning on the hilltops. For the Lord has decided to reject 157 and forsake this generation that has provoked his wrath!’” 158
7:30 The Lord says, “I have rejected them because 159 the people of Judah have done what I consider evil. 160 They have set up their disgusting idols in the temple 161 which I have claimed for my own 162 and have defiled it. 7:31 They have also built places of worship 163 in a place called Topheth 164 in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire. That is something I never commanded them to do! Indeed, it never even entered my mind to command such a thing! 165 7:32 So, watch out!” 166 says the Lord. “The time will soon come when people will no longer call those places Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom. But they will call that valley 167 the Valley of Slaughter and they will bury so many people in Topheth they will run out of room. 168 7:33 Then the dead bodies of these people will be left on the ground for the birds and wild animals to eat. 169 There will not be any survivors to scare them away. 7:34 I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, or the glad celebration of brides and grooms throughout the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. For the whole land will become a desolate wasteland.”
Matthew 21:1-46
Context21:1 Now 170 when they approached Jerusalem 171 and came to Bethphage, 172 at the Mount of Olives, 173 Jesus sent two disciples, 21:2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. 174 Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 21:3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ 175 and he will send them at once.” 21:4 This 176 took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: 177
21:5 “Tell the people of Zion, 178
‘Look, your king is coming to you,
unassuming and seated on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 179
21:6 So 180 the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks 181 on them, and he sat on them. 21:8 A 182 very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 21:9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, 183 “Hosanna 184 to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 185 Hosanna in the highest!” 21:10 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, 186 saying, “Who is this?” 21:11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth 187 in Galilee.”
21:12 Then 188 Jesus entered the temple area 189 and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, 190 and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 21:13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ 191 but you are turning it into a den 192 of robbers!” 193
21:14 The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them. 21:15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law 194 saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, 195 “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 21:16 and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?” 196 21:17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
21:18 Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 21:19 After noticing a fig tree 197 by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once. 21:20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” 21:21 Jesus 198 answered them, “I tell you the truth, 199 if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, 200 you will receive.”
21:23 Now after Jesus 201 entered the temple courts, 202 the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority 203 are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 21:24 Jesus 204 answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” 205 They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 21:26 But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.” 21:27 So 206 they answered Jesus, 207 “We don’t know.” 208 Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell you 209 by what authority 210 I am doing these things.
21:28 “What 211 do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 21:29 The boy answered, 212 ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart 213 and went. 21:30 The father 214 went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, 215 ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” 216 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, 217 tax collectors 218 and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although 219 you saw this, you did not later change your minds 220 and believe him.
21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner 221 who planted a vineyard. 222 He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then 223 he leased it to tenant farmers 224 and went on a journey. 21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves 225 to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 226 21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, 227 killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, 228 saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 21:39 So 229 they seized him, 230 threw him out of the vineyard, 231 and killed him. 21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 21:41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 232
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 233
21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people 234 who will produce its fruit. 21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” 235 21:45 When 236 the chief priests and the Pharisees 237 heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds 238 regarded him as a prophet.
1 tn Heb “These are [the lands] which the sons of Israel received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes assigned as an inheritance to the sons of Israel.”
2 tn Heb “By lot was their inheritance, as the
3 tn Or “assigned an inheritance.”
4 tn Or “no inheritance.”
5 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in their midst.”
6 tn Heb “and they did not assign a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities [in which] to live and their pastures for their cattle and property.”
7 tn Heb “Just as the
8 tn Heb “You know the word which the
sn On this incident at Kadesh Barnea see Num 14:30.
9 tn Heb “and I brought back to him a word just as [was] in my heart.”
10 tn Heb “brothers.”
11 tn Heb “went up with.”
12 tn Heb “made the heart[s] of the people melt.”
13 tn Heb “I filled up after the
14 tn Heb “swore an oath.”
15 tn Heb “on which your foot has walked.”
16 tn Heb “will belong to you for an inheritance, and to your sons forever.”
17 tn Heb “like my strength then, like my strength now, for battle and for going out and coming in.”
18 tn Heb “are there and large, fortified cities.”
19 tn Or “will dispossess.”
20 tn Heb “Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.”
21 tn Heb “Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance to this day.”
22 tn Heb “And he was the great man among the Anakites.”
23 tn Heb “The lot was to the tribe of the sons of Judah by their clans to the border of Edom, the wilderness of Zin toward the south, southward.”
24 tn Heb “Their southern border was from the end of the Salt Sea, from the tongue that faces to the south.”
sn The Salt Sea is another name for the Dead Sea (also in v. 5).
25 tn Heb “went out.”
26 tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [’aqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).
27 tn Traditionally “the Brook of Egypt,” although a number of recent translations have “the Wadi of Egypt” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV).
28 tn The translation follows the LXX at this point. The MT reads, “This will be your southern border.”
29 tn Heb “end.”
30 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.
31 tn Heb “the border on the northern side was from the tongue of the sea, from the end of the Jordan.”
32 tn Or “ascent.”
33 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
34 tn Heb “the Great Sea,” the typical designation for the Mediterranean Sea.
35 tn Heb “this was the border of the sons of Judah round about, by their clans.”
36 tn Heb “To Caleb son of Jephunneh he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah according to the mouth [i.e., command] of the
37 tn Or “dispossessed.”
38 tn Heb “he went up against the inhabitants of Debir.”
39 tn “Caleb’s brother” may refer either to Othniel or to Kenaz. If Kenaz was the brother of Caleb, Othniel is Caleb’s nephew.
40 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Caleb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
41 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Acsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42 tn Heb “him.” The referent of the pronoun could be Othniel, in which case the translation would be, “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Acsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 19. The LXX has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18//Judges 1:14,” CBQ 46 (1984): 18-22. This incident is also recorded in Judg 1:14.
43 tn Elsewhere this Hebrew word (בְּרָכָה, bÿrakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; and 2 Kgs 5:15).
44 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah by their clans.”
45 tn Heb “and the cities were at the end of the tribe of the sons of Judah, at the border of Edom, to the south.”
46 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
47 tn The total number of names in the list is thirty-six, not twenty-nine. Perhaps (1) some of the names are alternatives (though the text appears to delineate clearly such alternative names here and elsewhere, see vv. 8, 9, 10, 13, 25b) or (2), more likely, later scribes added to a list originally numbering twenty-nine and failed to harmonize the concluding summary statement with the expanded list.
48 tn The words “these cities were” have been supplied for English stylistic reasons.
49 tn Or “the foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”
50 tn Heb “daughters.”
51 tn See the note on this place name in 15:4.
52 tn Heb “the Great Sea,” the typical designation for the Mediterranean Sea.
53 tn The words “These cities were” have been supplied in the translation for English stylistic reasons.
54 tc Some Hebrew
55 tn The words “These cities were” have been supplied for English stylistic reasons.
56 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
57 sn The statement to this very day reflects the perspective of the author, who must have written prior to David’s conquest of the Jebusites (see 2 Sam 5:6-7).
58 sn Psalm 146. The psalmist urges his audience not to trust in men, but in the
59 tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”
60 tn Heb “his spirit goes out, it returns to his ground; in that day his plans die.” The singular refers to the representative man mentioned in v. 3b.
61 tn Heb “the one who guards faithfulness forever.”
62 tn Heb “executes justice for the oppressed.”
63 tn Perhaps “discouraged” (see Ps 57:6).
64 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident aliens, the fatherless, and widows.
65 tn Heb “he makes the way of the wicked twisted.” The “way of the wicked” probably refers to their course of life (see Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1). God makes their path tortuous in the sense that he makes them pay the harmful consequences of their actions.
66 tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.”
67 sn Psalm 147. The psalmist praises the
68 tn Or “for.”
69 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
70 tn Heb “the one who heals.”
71 tn Heb “and great of strength.”
72 tn Heb “to his wisdom there is no counting.”
73 tn Heb “brings down.”
74 tn Heb “sing to the
75 tn Heb “the one who covers.”
76 tn Heb “hills.”
77 tn Heb “which cry out.”
78 tn Heb “he does not desire the strength of the horse, he does not take delight in the legs of the man.” Here “the horse” refers to the war horse used by ancient Near Eastern chariot forces, and “the man” refers to the warrior whose muscular legs epitomize his strength.
79 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
80 tn Heb “your sons.”
81 tn Heb “the one who.”
82 tn Heb “he makes your boundary peace.”
83 tn Heb “satisfies you with.”
84 tn Heb “the one who.”
85 tn Heb “the one who sends his word, the earth.” The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) is an adverbial accusative; one must supply a preposition before it (such as “through” or “to”) in the English translation.
86 tn Heb “swiftly his word runs.”
87 tn Heb “the one who gives snow like wool, frost like ashes he scatters.”
88 tn Heb “his ice.”
89 tn Heb “Before his cold, who can stand?”
90 tn Heb “he sends his word and melts them.”
91 tn Heb “he blows his breath.”
92 tn Heb “The word which came to Jeremiah from the
93 tn Heb “Proclaim there…” The adverb is unnecessary in English style.
94 sn That is, all those who have passed through the gates of the outer court and are standing in the courtyard of the temple.
95 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God Israel.”
sn Compare the use of similar titles in 2:19; 5:14; 6:6 and see the explanation in the study note at 2:19. In this instance the title appears to emphasize the
96 tn Or “Make good your ways and your actions.” J. Bright’s translation (“Reform the whole pattern of your conduct”; Jeremiah [AB], 52) is excellent.
97 tn Heb “place” but this might be misunderstood to refer to the temple.
98 tn Heb “Stop trusting in lying words which say.”
99 tn The words “We are safe!” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
100 tn Heb “The temple of the
101 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
102 tn Heb “you must do justice between a person and his fellow/neighbor.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
103 tn Heb “Stop oppressing foreigner, orphan, and widow.”
104 tn Heb “Stop shedding innocent blood.”
105 tn Heb “going/following after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for an explanation of the idiom involved here.
106 tn Heb “going after other gods to your ruin.”
107 tn The translation uses imperatives in vv. 5-6 followed by the phrase, “If you do all this,” to avoid the long and complex sentence structure of the Hebrew sentence which has a series of conditional clauses in vv. 5-6 followed by a main clause in v. 7.
108 tn Heb “live in this place, in this land.”
109 tn Heb “gave to your fathers [with reference to] from ancient times even unto forever.”
110 tn Heb “Behold!”
111 tn Heb “You are trusting in lying words.” See the similar phrase in v. 4 and the note there.
112 tn Heb “not profit [you].”
113 tn Heb “Will you steal…then say, ‘We are safe’?” Verses 9-10 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text.
114 tn Heb “You go/follow after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for an explanation of the idiom involved here.
115 tn Heb “over which my name is called.” For this nuance of this idiom cf. BDB 896 s.v. קָרָא Niph.2.d(4) and see the usage in 2 Sam 12:28.
116 tn Or “‘We are safe!’ – safe, you think, to go on doing all those hateful things.” Verses 9-10 are all one long sentence in the Hebrew text. It has been broken up for English stylistic reasons. Somewhat literally it reads “Will you steal…then come and stand…and say, ‘We are safe’ so as to/in order to do…” The Hebrew of v. 9 has a series of infinitives which emphasize the bare action of the verb without the idea of time or agent. The effect is to place a kind of staccato like emphasis on the multitude of their sins all of which are violations of one of the Ten Commandments. The final clause in v. 8 expresses purpose or result (probably result) through another infinitive. This long sentence is introduced by a marker (ה interrogative in Hebrew) introducing a rhetorical question in which God expresses his incredulity that they could do these sins, come into the temple and claim the safety of his protection, and then go right back out and commit the same sins. J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 52) catches the force nicely: “What? You think you can steal, murder…and then come and stand…and say, ‘We are safe…’ just so that you can go right on…”
117 tn Heb “over which my name is called.” For this nuance of this idiom cf. BDB 896 s.v. קָרָא Niph.2.d(4) and see the usage in 2 Sam 12:28.
118 tn Heb “Is this house…a den/cave of robbers in your eyes?”
119 tn Heb “Behold!”
120 tn Heb “where I caused my name to dwell.” The translation does not adequately represent the theology of the
121 sn The place in Shiloh…see what I did to it. This refers to the destruction of Shiloh by the Philistines circa 1050
122 tn This reflects a Hebrew idiom (e.g., 7:25; 11:7; 25:3, 4), i.e., an infinitive of a verb meaning “to do something early [or eagerly]” followed by an infinitive of another verb of action. Cf. HALOT 1384 s.v. שָׁכַם Hiph.2.
123 tn Heb “I called to you and you did not answer.” The words “to repent” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
124 tn Heb “over which my name is called.” For this nuance of this idiom cf. BDB 896 s.v. קָרָא Niph.2.d(4) and see the usage in 2 Sam 12:28.
125 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 22, 25, 26).
126 tn Heb “I will do to this house which I…in which you put…and to this place which…as I did to Shiloh.”
127 tn Heb “the descendants of Ephraim.” However, Ephraim here stands (as it often does) for all the northern tribes of Israel.
128 tn The words “Then the
129 tn Heb “As for you.” The personal name Jeremiah is supplied in the translation for clarity.
130 tn The words “to save them” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
131 tn Or “Just look at…” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer.
132 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
133 tn The form for “queen” is unusual. It is pointed (מְלֶכֶת [mÿlekhet] instead of מַלְכַּת [malkat]) as though the Masoretes wanted to read the word for “work” (מְלֶאכֶת [mÿle’khet]), i.e., the “hosts of,” a word that several Hebrew
sn The Queen of Heaven is probably a reference to the goddess known as Ishtar in Mesopotamia, Anat in Canaan, Ashtoreth in Israel. She was the goddess of love and fertility. For further discussion, see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 266-68.
134 tn Heb “to provoke me.” There is debate among grammarians and lexicographers about the nuance of the Hebrew particle לְמַעַן (lÿma’an). Some say it always denotes purpose, while others say it may denote either purpose or result, depending on the context. For example, BDB 775 s.v. לְמַעַן note 1 says that it always denotes purpose, never result, but that sometimes what is really a result is represented ironically as though it were a purpose. That explanation fits nicely here in the light of the context of the next verse. The translation is intended to reflect some of that ironic sarcasm.
135 tn Heb “Is it I whom they provoke?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer which is made explicit in the translation.
136 tn Heb “Is it not themselves to their own shame?” The rhetorical question expects a positive answer which is made explicit in the translation.
137 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.” The translation follows the ancient Jewish tradition of substituting the Hebrew word for God for the proper name Yahweh.
138 tn Heb “this place.” Some see this as a reference to the temple but the context has been talking about what goes on in the towns of Judah and Jerusalem and the words that follow, meant as a further explanation, are applied to the whole land.
139 tn Heb “the trees of/in the field and the fruit of/in the ground.”
140 tn The words “The
141 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.”
sn See the study notes on 2:19 and 7:3.
142 tn Heb “Add your burnt offerings to your [other] sacrifices and eat the meat!” See the following sn for explanation. This is an example of the rhetorical use of the imperative for a sarcastic challenge. Cf. GKC 324 §110.a; cf. Amos 4:4, “Go to Bethel and sin!”
sn All of the burnt offering, including the meat, was to be consumed on the altar (e.g., Lev 1:6-9). The meat of the other sacrifices could be eaten by the priest who offered the sacrifice and the person who brought it (e.g., Lev 7:16-18, 32). Since, however, the people of Judah were making a mockery of the sacrificial system by offering sacrifices while disobeying the law, the
143 tn Heb “For” but this introduces a long explanation about the relative importance of sacrifice and obedience.
144 tn Verses 22-23a read in Hebrew, “I did not speak with your ancestors and I did not command them when I brought them out of Egypt about words/matters concerning burnt offering and sacrifice, but I commanded them this word:” Some modern commentators have explained this passage as an evidence for the lateness of the Pentateuchal instruction regarding sacrifice or a denial that sacrifice was practiced during the period of the wilderness wandering. However, it is better explained as an example of what R. de Vaux calls a dialectical negative, i.e., “not so much this as that” or “not this without that” (Ancient Israel, 454-56). For other examples of this same argument see Isa 1:10-17; Hos 6:4-6; Amos 5:21-25.
145 tn Heb “Obey me and I will be.” The translation is equivalent syntactically but brings out the emphasis in the command.
146 tn Heb “Walk in all the way that I command you.”
147 tn Or “They went backward and not forward”; Heb “They were to the backward and not to the forward.” The two phrases used here appear nowhere else in the Bible and the latter preposition plus adverb elsewhere is used temporally meaning “formerly” or “previously.” The translation follows the proposal of J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 57. Another option is “they turned their backs to me, not their faces,” understanding the line as a variant of a line in 2:27.
148 tn Heb “from the day your ancestors…until this very day.” However, “day” here is idiomatic for “the present time.”
149 tn On the Hebrew idiom see the note at 7:13.
150 tc There is some textual debate about the legitimacy of this expression here. The text reads merely “day” (יוֹם, yom). BHS suggests the word is to be deleted as a dittography of the plural ending of the preceding word. The word is in the Greek and Latin, and the Syriac represents the typical idiom “day after day” as though the noun were repeated. Either יוֹם has dropped out by haplography or a ם (mem) has been left out, i.e., reading יוֹמָם (yomam, “daily”).
151 tn Or “But your predecessors…”; Heb “But they….” There is a confusing interchange in the pronouns in vv. 25-26 which has led to some leveling in the ancient versions and the modern English versions. What is involved here are four levels of referents, the “you” of the present generation (vv. 21-22a), the ancestors who were delivered from Egypt (i.e., the “they” of vv. 22b-24), the “you” of v. 25 which involves all the Israelites from the Exodus to the time of speaking, and the “they” of v. 26 which cannot be the ancestors of vv. 22-24 (since they cannot be more wicked than themselves) but must be an indefinite entity which is a part of the “you” of v. 25, i.e., the more immediate ancestors of the present generation. If this is kept in mind, there is no need to level the pronouns to “they” and “them” or to “you” and “your” as some of the ancient versions and modern English versions have done.
152 tn Heb “hardened [or made stiff] their neck.”
153 tn The words, “Then the
154 tn Heb “Faithfulness has vanished. It is cut off from their lips.”
sn For the need for faithfulness see 5:1, 3.
155 tn The word “mourn” is not in the text. It is supplied in the translation for clarity to explain the significance of the words “Cut your hair and throw it away.”
sn Cf. Mic 1:16; Job 1:20 for other examples of this practice which was involved in mourning.
156 tn The words, “you people of this nation” are not in the text. Many English versions supply, “Jerusalem.” The address shifts from second masculine singular addressing Jeremiah (vv. 27-28a) to second feminine singular. It causes less disruption in the flow of the context to see the nation as a whole addressed here as a feminine singular entity (as, e.g., in 2:19, 23; 3:2, 3; 6:26) than to introduce a new entity, Jerusalem.
157 tn The verbs here are the Hebrew scheduling perfects. For this use of the perfect see GKC 312 §106.m.
158 tn Heb “the generation of his wrath.”
159 tn The words “I have rejected them” are not in the Hebrew text, which merely says “because.” These words are supplied in the translation to show more clearly the connection to the preceding.
160 tn Heb “have done the evil in my eyes.”
161 sn Compare, e.g., 2 Kgs 21:3, 5, 7; 23:4, 6; Ezek 8:3, 5, 10-12, 16. Manasseh had desecrated the temple by building altars, cult symbols, and idols in it. Josiah had purged the temple of these pagan elements. But it is obvious from both Jeremiah and Ezekiel that they had been replaced shortly after Josiah’s death. They were a primary cause of Judah’s guilt and punishment (see beside this passage, 19:5; 32:34-35).
162 tn Heb “the house which is called by my name.” Cf. 7:10, 11, 14 and see the translator’s note 7:10 for the explanation for this rendering.
163 tn Heb “high places.”
sn These places of worship were essentially open air shrines often located on hills or wooded heights. They were generally connected with pagan worship and equipped with altars of sacrifice and of incense and cult objects such as wooden poles and stone pillars which were symbols of the god and/or goddess worshiped at the sight. The Israelites were commanded to tear down these Canaanite places of worship (Num 33:52) but they did not do so, often taking over the site for the worship of Yahweh but even then incorporating some of the pagan cult objects and ritual into their worship of Yahweh (1 Kgs 12:31, 32; 14:23). The prophets were especially opposed to these places and to this kind of syncretism (Hos 10:8; Amos 7:9) and to the pagan worship that was often practiced at them (Jer 7:31; 19:5; 32:35).
164 tn Heb “the high places of [or in] Topheth.”
sn The noun Topheth is generally explained as an artificial formation of a word related to the Aramaic word for “cooking stove” combined with the vowels for the word for “shame.” Hence, Jewish piety viewed it as a very shameful act, one that was contrary to the law (see Lev 18:21; 20:2-6). Child sacrifice was practiced during the reigns of the wicked kings Ahaz and Manasseh and apparently during Jeremiah’s day (cf. 2 Kgs 16:3; 21:6; Jer 32:35).
165 tn Heb “It never entered my heart.” The words “to command such a thing” do not appear in the Hebrew but are added for the sake of clarity.
166 tn Heb “Therefore, behold!”
167 tn Heb “it will no longer be said ‘Topheth’ or ‘the Valley of Ben Hinnom’ but ‘the valley of slaughter.’
168 tn Heb “And they will bury in Topheth so there is not room.”
169 tn Heb “Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.”
170 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
171 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
172 sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.
173 sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
174 tn Grk “the village lying before you” (BDAG 530 s.v. κατέναντι 2.b).
175 sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.
176 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
177 tn Grk “what was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The present participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.
178 tn Grk “Tell the daughter of Zion” (the phrase “daughter of Zion” is an idiom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “people of Zion”). The idiom “daughter of Zion” has been translated as “people of Zion” because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.
179 tn Grk “the foal of an animal under the yoke,” i.e., a hard-working animal. This is a quotation from Zech 9:9.
180 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions in vv. 2-3.
181 tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.
182 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
183 tn Grk “were shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
184 tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (Jwsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.
sn Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.
185 sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
186 tn Grk “was shaken.” The translation “thrown into an uproar” is given by L&N 25.233.
187 map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.
188 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
189 tn Grk “the temple.”
sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.
190 tn Grk “the temple.”
sn Matthew (here, 21:12-27), Mark (11:15-19) and Luke (19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See the note on the word temple courts in John 2:14 for a discussion of the relationship of these accounts to one another.
191 sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.
192 tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).
193 sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.
194 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
195 tn Grk “crying out in the temple [courts] and saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
196 sn A quotation from Ps 8:2.
197 tn Grk “one fig tree.”
sn The fig tree is a variation on the picture of a vine as representing the nation; see Isa 5:1-7.
198 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
199 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
200 tn Grk “believing”; the participle here is conditional.
201 tn Grk “he.”
202 tn Grk “the temple.”
203 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.1
204 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
205 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).
sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.
206 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the clause is a result of the deliberations of the leaders.
207 tn Grk “answering Jesus, they said.” This construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been simplified in the translation.
208 sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were – hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Matt 21:23-27 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question, they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.
209 sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.
210 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 23.
211 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
212 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
213 tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.
214 tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.
215 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
216 tc Verses 29-31 involve a rather complex and difficult textual problem. The variants cluster into three different groups: (1) The first son says “no” and later has a change of heart, and the second son says “yes” but does not go. The second son is called the one who does his father’s will. This reading is found in the Western
217 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
218 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
219 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
220 sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.
221 tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
222 sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.
223 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
224 sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.
225 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
sn These slaves represent the prophets God sent to the nation, who were mistreated and rejected.
226 tn Grk “to collect his fruits.”
227 sn The image of the tenants mistreating the owner’s slaves pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.
228 sn The owner’s decision to send his son represents God sending Jesus.
229 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son in v. 38.
230 tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.
231 sn Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.
232 tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.
sn The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The use of Ps 118:22-23 and the “stone imagery” as a reference to Christ and his suffering and exaltation is common in the NT (see also Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:6-8; cf. also Eph 2:20). The irony in the use of Ps 118:22-23 here is that in the OT, Israel was the one rejected (or perhaps her king) by the Gentiles, but in the NT it is Jesus who is rejected by Israel.
233 sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.
234 tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).
235 tc A few witnesses, especially of the Western text (D 33 it sys Or Eussyr), do not contain 21:44. However, the verse is found in א B C L W Z (Θ) 0102 Ë1,13 Ï lat syc,p,h co and should be included as authentic.
tn Grk “on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
sn This proverb basically means that the stone crushes, without regard to whether it falls on someone or someone falls on it. On the stone as a messianic image, see Isa 28:16 and Dan 2:44-45.
236 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
237 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
238 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowds) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Both previous occurrences of “they” in this verse refer to the chief priests and the Pharisees.
