1 Kings 22:1-53 
Context22:1 There was no war between Syria and Israel for three years. 1 22:2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to visit 2 the king of Israel. 22:3 The king of Israel said to his servants, “Surely you recognize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, though we are hesitant to reclaim it from the king of Syria.” 3 22:4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.” 4 22:5 Then Jehoshaphat added, 5 “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” 6 22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” 7 They said, “Attack! The sovereign one 8 will hand it over to the king.” 22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. 9 But I despise 10 him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. 11 Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.” 22:9 The king of Israel summoned an official and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
22:10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, 12 dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. 13 All the prophets were prophesying before them. 22:11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.’” 22:12 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 22:13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. 14 Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.” 15 22:14 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what the Lord tells me to say.”
22:15 When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 16 22:16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in 17 the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 22:17 Micaiah 18 said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 22:18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” 22:19 Micaiah 19 said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. 22:20 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die 20 there?’ One said this and another that. 22:21 Then a spirit 21 stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ 22:22 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord 22 said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. 23 Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 22:23 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 22:24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 22:25 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 22:26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 22:27 Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water 24 until I safely return.”’” 25 22:28 Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note, 26 all you people.”
22:29 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. 22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter 27 into the battle; but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and then entered into the battle. 22:31 Now the king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high-ranking officers; 28 fight only the king of Israel.” 22:32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 22:33 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 22:34 Now an archer shot an arrow at random, 29 and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king 30 ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line, 31 because I’m wounded.” 22:35 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening; the blood from the wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot. 22:36 As the sun was setting, a cry went through the camp, “Each one should return to his city and to his homeland.” 22:37 So the king died and was taken to Samaria, where they buried him. 32 22:38 They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria (this was where the prostitutes bathed); 33 dogs licked his blood, just as the Lord had said would happen. 34
22:39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, including a record of his accomplishments and how he built a luxurious palace and various cities, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 35 22:40 Ahab passed away. 36 His son Ahaziah replaced him as king.
22:41 In the fourth year of King Ahab’s reign over Israel, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became king over Judah. 22:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. 37 His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 22:43 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved. 38 (22:44) 39 However, the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. 22:44 (22:45) Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.
22:45 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, including his successes and military exploits, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 40 22:46 He removed from the land any male cultic prostitutes who had managed to survive the reign of his father Asa. 41 22:47 There was no king in Edom at this time; a governor ruled. 22:48 Jehoshaphat built a fleet of large merchant ships 42 to travel to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage because they were shipwrecked in Ezion Geber. 22:49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my sailors join yours in the fleet,” 43 but Jehoshaphat refused.
22:50 Jehoshaphat passed away 44 and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor 45 David. His son Jehoram replaced him as king.
22:51 In the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahab’s son Ahaziah became king over Israel in Samaria. 46 He ruled for two years over Israel. 22:52 He did evil in the sight of 47 the Lord and followed in the footsteps 48 of his father and mother; like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he encouraged Israel to sin. 49 22:53 He worshiped and bowed down to Baal, 50 angering the Lord God of Israel just as his father had done. 51
1 Thessalonians 5:1-28
Context5:1 Now on the topic of times and seasons, 52 brothers and sisters, 53 you have no need for anything to be written to you. 5:2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord 54 will come in the same way as a thief in the night. 55 5:3 Now when 56 they are saying, “There is peace and security,” 57 then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains 58 on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape. 5:4 But you, brothers and sisters, 59 are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would. 5:5 For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. 5:6 So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober. 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 5:8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate 60 of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation. 61 5:9 For God did not destine us for wrath 62 but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:10 He died 63 for us so that whether we are alert or asleep 64 we will come to life together with him. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.
5:12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, 65 to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, 5:13 and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 5:14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, 66 admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. 5:15 See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 5:16 Always rejoice, 5:17 constantly pray, 5:18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 5:19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 5:20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt. 5:21 But examine all things; hold fast to what is good. 5:22 Stay away from every form of evil.
5:23 Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this. 67 5:25 Brothers and sisters, 68 pray for us too. 5:26 Greet all the brothers and sisters 69 with a holy kiss. 5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord 70 to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. 71 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 72
Daniel 4:1-37
Context4:1 (3:31) 73 “King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: Peace and prosperity! 74 4:2 I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.
4:3 “How great are his signs!
How mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom will last forever, 75
and his authority continues from one generation to the next.”
4:4 (4:1) 76 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was relaxing in my home, 77 living luxuriously 78 in my palace. 4:5 I saw a dream that 79 frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed – these visions of my mind – were terrifying me. 4:6 So I issued an order 80 for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought 81 before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 4:7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me. 4:8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, 82 and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well, 4:9 saying, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider 83 my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation! 4:10 Here are the visions of my mind 84 while I was on my bed.
While I was watching,
there was a tree in the middle of the land. 85
It was enormously tall. 86
4:11 The tree grew large and strong.
Its top reached far into the sky;
it could be seen 87 from the borders of all the land. 88
4:12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;
on it there was food enough for all.
Under it the wild animals 89 used to seek shade,
and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.
All creatures 90 used to feed themselves from it.
4:13 While I was watching in my mind’s visions 91 on my bed,
a holy sentinel 92 came down from heaven.
4:14 He called out loudly 93 as follows: 94
‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches!
Strip off its foliage
and scatter its fruit!
Let the animals flee from under it
and the birds from its branches!
4:15 But leave its taproot 95 in the ground,
with a band of iron and bronze around it 96
surrounded by the grass of the field.
Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,
and let it live with 97 the animals in the grass of the land.
4:16 Let his mind 98 be altered from that of a human being,
and let an animal’s mind be given to him,
and let seven periods of time 99 go by for 100 him.
4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;
this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,
so that 101 those who are alive may understand
that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, 102
and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.
He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’
4:18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its 103 interpretation, for none of the wise men in 104 my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
4:19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time; 105 his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir, 106 if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries! 4:20 The tree that you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky, and which could be seen 107 in all the land, 4:21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals 108 used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest – 4:22 it is you, 109 O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth. 4:23 As for the king seeing a holy sentinel coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him’ – 4:24 this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king. 4:25 You will be driven 110 from human society, 111 and you will live 112 with the wild animals. You will be fed 113 grass like oxen, 114 and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before 115 you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. 4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven 116 rules. 4:27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.” 117
4:28 Now all of this happened 118 to King Nebuchadnezzar. 4:29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements 119 of the royal palace of Babylon. 4:30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence 120 by my own mighty strength 121 and for my majestic honor?” 4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips, 122 a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, 123 King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! 4:32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before 124 you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”
4:33 Now in that very moment 125 this pronouncement about 126 Nebuchadnezzar came true. 127 He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails like a bird’s claws. 128
4:34 But at the end of the appointed time 129 I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up 130 toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me.
I extolled the Most High,
and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever.
For his authority is an everlasting authority,
and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next.
4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. 131
He does as he wishes with the army of heaven
and with those who inhabit the earth.
No one slaps 132 his hand
and says to him, ‘What have you done?’
4:36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored 133 to the honor of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstated 134 over my kingdom. I became even greater than before. 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who live 135 in pride.
Psalms 108:1--109:31
ContextA song, a psalm of David.
108:1 I am determined, 137 O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. 138
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 139
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 140
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 141
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up 142 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 143
108:6 Deliver by your power 144 and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe. 145
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 146
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off. 147
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 148
Ephraim is my helmet, 149
Judah my royal scepter. 150
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 151
I will make Edom serve me. 152
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 153
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 154
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer; 155
he will trample down 156 our enemies.
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 158
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 159
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 160
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 161
but I continue to pray. 162
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 163
and hate for love.
109:6 164 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 165
May an accuser stand 166 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 167 guilty! 168
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
109:8 May his days be few! 169
May another take his job! 170
109:9 May his children 171 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 172 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 173
109:11 May the creditor seize 174 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 175
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 176
May no one have compassion 177 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 178 be cut off! 179
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 180
109:14 May his ancestors’ 181 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 182
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 183
and cut off the memory of his children 184 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 185
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 186
109:17 He loved to curse 187 others, so those curses have come upon him. 188
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 189
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 190
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 191
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 192
or a belt 193 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 194
those who say evil things about 195 me! 196
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 197
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 198
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 199
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 200
I have turned into skin and bones. 201
109:25 I am disdained by them. 202
When they see me, they shake their heads. 203
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 204
109:27 Then they will realize 205 this is your work, 206
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 207
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 208
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 209 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 210
in the middle of a crowd 211 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 212 his life.
1 tn Heb “and they lived three years without war between Aram and Israel.”
2 tn The word “visit” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Heb “Do you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we hesitate to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course, you must know!”
4 tn Heb “Like me, like you; like my people, like your people; like my horses; like your horses.”
5 tn Heb “and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel.”
6 tn Heb “the word of the
7 tn Heb “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
8 tn Though Jehoshaphat requested an oracle from “the
9 tn Heb “to seek the
10 tn Or “hate.”
11 tn The words “his name is” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
12 tn Heb “were sitting, a man on his throne.”
13 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
14 tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”
15 tn Heb “let your words be like the word of each of them and speak good.”
16 sn “Attack! You will succeed; the
17 tn Or “swear an oath by.”
18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 tn Heb “and fall.”
21 tn Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of v. 24. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 24 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the
22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
23 tn The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (vÿgam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the
24 tn Heb “the bread of affliction and the water of affliction.”
25 tn Heb “come in peace.” So also in v. 28.
26 tn Heb “Listen.”
27 tn The Hebrew verbal forms could be imperatives (“Disguise yourself and enter”), but this would make no sense in light of the immediately following context. The forms are better interpreted as infinitives absolute functioning as cohortatives. See IBHS 594 §35.5.2a. Some prefer to emend the forms to imperfects.
28 tn Heb “small or great.”
29 tn Heb “now a man drew a bow in his innocence” (i.e., with no specific target in mind, or at least without realizing his target was the king of Israel).
30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 tn Heb “camp.”
32 tn Heb “and the king died and he came to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.”
33 tn Heb “now the prostitutes bathed.”
34 tn Heb “according to the word of the
35 tn Heb “As for the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the house of ivory which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
36 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
37 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
38 tn Heb “he walked in all the way of Asa his father and did not turn from it, doing what is right in the eyes of the
39 sn Beginning with 22:43b, the verse numbers through 22:53 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), because 22:43b in the English Bible = 22:44 in the Hebrew text. The remaining verses in the chapter differ by one, with 22:44-53 ET = 22:45-54 HT.
40 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoshaphat, and his strength that he demonstrated and how he fought, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
41 tn Heb “and the rest of the male cultic prostitutes who were left in the days of Asa his father, he burned from the land.” Some understand the verb בִּעֵר (bi’er) to mean “sweep away” here rather than “burn.” See the note at 1 Kgs 14:10.
sn Despite Asa’s opposition to these male cultic prostitutes (see 1 Kgs 15:12) some of them had managed to remain in the land. Jehoshaphat finished what his father had started.
42 tn Heb “a fleet of Tarshish [ships].” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
43 tn Heb “Let my servants go with your servants in the fleet.”
44 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
45 tn Heb “with his fathers in the city of his father.”
46 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
47 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
48 tn Or “way.”
49 tn Heb “and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat who made Israel sin.”
50 tn Heb “he served Baal and bowed down to him.”
51 tn Heb “according to all which his father had done.”
52 tn Grk “concerning the times and the seasons,” a reference to future periods of eschatological fulfillment (cf. Acts 1:7).
53 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
54 sn The day of the Lord is the period of time in the future when the Lord will intervene in the events of this earth to consummate his redemption and his judgment (Isa 2:11-12; 13:6-13; Ezek 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:32; 3:18; Amos 5:18-20; Obad 15-17; Zeph 1:7-18; 2:2-3; Zech 14:1, 13, 20-21; Mal 4:1, 5; 1 Cor 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; 2 Thess 2:2; 2 Pet 3:10). It includes both blessings and curses, though the latter is emphasized here.
55 sn Jesus used a thief coming at night as an illustration of the unexpected and hostile nature of the coming of God’s judgment in the future. This is repeated in various ways in v. 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
56 tc ‡ δέ (de, “now”) is found in א2 B D 0226 6 1505 1739 1881 al, but lacking in א* A F G 33 it. γάρ (gar, “for”) is the reading of the Byzantine text and a few other witnesses (Ψ 0278 Ï). Although normally the shorter reading is to be preferred, the external evidence is superior for δέ (being found in the somewhat better Alexandrian and Western witnesses). What, then, is to explain the γάρ? Scribes were prone to replace δέ with γάρ, especially in sentences suggesting a causal or explanatory idea, thus making the point more explicit. Internally, the omission of δέ looks unintentional, a case of homoioarcton (otandelegwsin). Although a decision is difficult, in this instance δέ has the best credentials for authenticity.
57 tn Grk “peace and security,” with “there is” understood in the Greek construction.
58 tn Grk a singular “birth pain.”
59 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
60 sn An allusion to Isa 59:17.
61 tn Grk “hope of salvation” (“a helmet…for salvation” is an allusion to Isa 59:17).
62 sn God did not destine us for wrath. In context this refers to the outpouring of God’s wrath on the earth in the day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:2-4).
63 tn Grk “the one who died,” describing Jesus Christ (1 Thess 5:9). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 10 in the translation.
64 sn The phrases alert or asleep may be understood (1) of moral alertness (living in faith, love, and hope as vv. 6, 8 call for, versus being unresponsive to God) or (2) of physical life and death (whether alive or dead). The first fits better with the context of 5:1-9, while the second returns to the point Paul started with in 4:13-18 (no disadvantage for the believing dead).
65 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
66 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
67 tn Grk “who will also do,” with the object understood from v. 23.
68 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
69 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
70 tn Grk “I adjure you by the Lord,” “I put you under oath before the Lord.”
71 tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א2 A Ψ [33] 1739 1881 Ï ar vg sy bo), read “holy” before “brothers [and sisters]” (ἁγίοις ἀδελφοῖς, Jagioi" adelfoi"). It is possible that ἁγίοις dropped out by way of homoioteleuton (in uncial script the words would be written agioisadelfois), but it is equally possible that the adjective was added because of the influence of ἁγίῳ (Jagiw) in v. 26. Another internal consideration is that the expression ἅγιοι ἀδελφοί ({agioi adelfoi, “holy brothers”) is not found elsewhere in the corpus Paulinum, though Col 1:2 comes close. But this fact could be argued either way: It may suggest that such an expression is not Pauline; on the other hand, the unusualness of the expression could have resulted in an alteration by some scribes. At the same time, since 1 Thessalonians is one of the earliest of Paul’s letters, and written well before he addresses Christians as saints (ἅγιοι) in 1 Corinthians for the first time, one might argue that Paul’s own forms of expression were going through something of a metamorphosis. Scribes insensitive to this fact could well impute later Pauline collocations onto his earlier letters. The internal evidence seems to support, albeit slightly, the omission of ἁγίοις here. Externally, most of the better witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texts (א* B D F G 0278 it sa) combine in having the shorter reading. Although the rating of “A” in UBS4 for the omission seems too generous, this reading is still to be preferred.
tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
72 tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (א A D1 Ψ 1739c Ï lat sy bo), conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the witnesses for the omission are sufficiently early and diffuse (B D* F G 0278 6 33 1739* 1881 it sa) to render the verdict against the particle here.
73 sn Beginning with 4:1, the verse numbers through 4:37 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Aramaic text (BHS), with 4:1 ET = 3:31 AT, 4:2 ET = 3:32 AT, 4:3 ET = 3:33 AT, 4:4 ET = 4:1 AT, etc., through 4:37 ET = 4:34 AT. Thus Dan 3:31-33 of the Aramaic text appears as Dan 4:1-3 in the English Bible, and the corresponding verses of ch. 4 differ accordingly. In spite of the division of the Aramaic text, a good case can be made that 3:31-33 AT (= 4:1-3 ET) is actually the introduction to ch. 4.
74 tn Aram “May your peace increase!”
75 tn Aram “his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”
76 sn This verse marks the beginning of chap. 4 in the Aramaic text of Daniel (see the note on 4:1). The Greek OT (LXX) has the following addition: “In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign he said.” This date would suggest a link to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586
77 tn Aram “my house.”
78 tn Aram “happy.”
79 tn Aram “and it.”
80 tn Aram “from me there was placed a decree.”
81 tn The Aramaic infinitive here is active.
82 sn This explanation of the meaning of the name Belteshazzar may be more of a paronomasia than a strict etymology.
83 tc The present translation assumes the reading חֲזִי (khazi, “consider”) rather than the MT חֶזְוֵי (khezvey, “visions”). The MT implies that the king required Daniel to disclose both the dream and its interpretation, as in chapter 2. But in the following verses Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream, while Daniel presents only its interpretation.
84 tc The LXX lacks the first two words (Aram “the visions of my head”) of the Aramaic text.
85 tn Instead of “in the middle of the land,” some English versions render this phrase “a tree at the center of the earth” (NRSV); NAB, CEV “of the world”; NLT “in the middle of the earth.” The Hebrew phrase can have either meaning.
86 tn Aram “its height was great.”
87 tn Aram “its sight.” So also v. 17.
88 tn Or “to the end of all the earth” (so KJV, ASV); NCV, CEV “from anywhere on earth.”
89 tn Aram “the beasts of the field.”
90 tn Aram “all flesh.”
91 tn Aram “the visions of my head.”
92 tn Aram “a watcher and a holy one.” The expression is a hendiadys; so also in v. 23. This “watcher” is apparently an angel. The Greek OT (LXX) in fact has ἄγγελος (angelo", “angel”) here. Theodotion simply transliterates the Aramaic word (’ir). The term is sometimes rendered “sentinel” (NAB) or “messenger” (NIV, NLT).
93 tn Aram “in strength.”
94 tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”
95 tn Aram “the stock of its root.” So also v. 23. The implication here is that although the tree is chopped down, it is not killed. Its life-giving root is spared. The application to Nebuchadnezzar is obvious.
96 sn The function of the band of iron and bronze is not entirely clear, but it may have had to do with preventing the splitting or further deterioration of the portion of the tree that was left after being chopped down. By application it would then refer to the preservation of Nebuchadnezzar’s life during the time of his insanity.
97 tn Aram “its lot be.”
98 tn Aram “its heart.” The metaphor of the tree begins to fade here and the reality behind the symbol (the king) begins to emerge.
99 sn The seven periods of time probably refer to seven years.
100 tn Aram “over” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
101 tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).
102 tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”
103 tc The present translation reads פִּשְׁרֵהּ (pishreh, “its interpretation”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
104 tn Aram “of.”
105 tn Aram “about one hour.” The expression refers idiomatically to a brief period of time of undetermined length.
106 tn Aram “my lord.”
107 tn Aram “its sight.”
108 tn Aram “the beasts of the field” (also in vv. 23, 25, 32).
109 sn Much of modern scholarship views this chapter as a distortion of traditions that were originally associated with Nabonidus rather than with Nebuchadnezzar. A Qumran text, the Prayer of Nabonidus, is often cited for parallels to these events.
110 tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.
111 tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.
112 tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.
113 tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”
114 sn Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity has features that are associated with the mental disorder known as boanthropy, in which the person so afflicted imagines himself to be an ox or a similar animal and behaves accordingly.
115 tn Aram “until.”
116 sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).
117 tn Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”
118 tn Aram “reached.”
119 tn The word “battlements” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context. Many English versions supply “roof” here (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); cf. NLT “on the flat roof.”
120 tn Aram “house.”
121 tn Aram “by the might of my strength.”
122 tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”
123 tn Aram “to you they say.”
124 tn Aram “until.”
125 tn Aram “hour.”
126 tn Or “on.”
127 tn Aram “was fulfilled.”
128 tn The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.
129 tn Aram “days.”
130 tn Aram “lifted up my eyes.”
131 tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kÿla’), with many medieval Hebrew
132 tn Aram “strikes against.”
133 tc The translation reads הַדְרֵת (hadret, “I returned”) rather than the MT הַדְרִי (hadri, “my honor”); cf. Theodotion.
134 tc The translation reads הָתְקְנֵת (hotqÿnet, “I was established”) rather than the MT הָתְקְנַת (hotqÿnat, “it was established”). As it stands, the MT makes no sense here.
135 tn Aram “walk.”
136 sn Psalm 108. With some minor variations, this psalm is a composite of Ps 57:7-11 (see vv. 1-5) and Ps 60:5-12 (see vv. 6-13).
137 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
138 tn Heb “also my glory,” but this makes little sense in the context. Some view the term כָּבוֹד (“glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvodiy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 57:9; as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 3:93. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
139 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
140 tn Or “the peoples.”
141 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
142 tn Or “be exalted.”
143 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
144 tn Heb “right hand.”
145 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
146 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
147 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan River; the valley of Succoth represents the region east of the Jordan.
148 tn Gilead was located east of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
149 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
sn Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan River. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.
150 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan River. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
151 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
152 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
153 sn The psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
154 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
155 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 118:16-16).
156 sn On the expression trample down our enemies see Ps 44:5.
157 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
158 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
159 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
160 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
161 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
162 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
163 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
164 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
165 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
166 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
167 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
168 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
169 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
170 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
171 tn Or “sons.”
172 tn Or “sons.”
173 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
174 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
175 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
176 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
177 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
178 tn Or “offspring.”
179 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
180 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
181 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
182 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)
183 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
184 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
185 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
186 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
187 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
188 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
189 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
190 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
191 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
192 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
193 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
194 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
195 tn Or “against.”
196 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
197 tn Heb “but you,
198 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
199 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
200 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
201 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
202 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
203 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
204 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
205 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
206 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
207 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
208 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
209 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
210 tn Heb “I will thank the
211 tn Heb “many.”
212 tn Heb “judge.”
