Leviticus 23:1-44 
Context23:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘These are the Lord’s appointed times which you must proclaim as holy assemblies – my appointed times: 1
23:3 “‘Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, 2 a holy assembly. You must not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord in all the places where you live.
23:4 “‘These are the Lord’s appointed times, holy assemblies, which you must proclaim at their appointed time. 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, 3 is a Passover offering to the Lord. 23:6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month 4 will be the festival of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 23:7 On the first day there will be a holy assembly for you; you must not do any regular work. 5 23:8 You must present a gift to the Lord for seven days, and the seventh day is a holy assembly; you must not do any regular work.’”
23:9 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land that I am about to give to you and you gather in its harvest, 6 then you must bring the sheaf of the first portion of your harvest 7 to the priest, 23:11 and he must wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for your benefit 8 – on the day after the Sabbath the priest is to wave it. 9 23:12 On the day you wave the sheaf you must also offer 10 a flawless yearling lamb 11 for a burnt offering to the Lord, 23:13 along with its grain offering, two tenths of an ephah of 12 choice wheat flour 13 mixed with olive oil, as a gift to the Lord, a soothing aroma, 14 and its drink offering, one fourth of a hin of wine. 15 23:14 You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this very day, 16 until you bring the offering of your God. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations 17 in all the places where you live.
23:15 “‘You must count for yourselves seven weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the wave offering sheaf; they must be complete weeks. 18 23:16 You must count fifty days – until the day after the seventh Sabbath – and then 19 you must present a new grain offering to the Lord. 23:17 From the places where you live you must bring two loaves of 20 bread for a wave offering; they must be made from two tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour, baked with yeast, 21 as first fruits to the Lord. 23:18 Along with the loaves of bread, 22 you must also present seven flawless yearling lambs, 23 one young bull, 24 and two rams. 25 They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord along with their grain offering 26 and drink offerings, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 27 23:19 You must also offer 28 one male goat 29 for a sin offering and two yearling lambs for a peace offering sacrifice, 23:20 and the priest is to wave them – the two lambs 30 – along with the bread of the first fruits, as a wave offering before the Lord; they will be holy to the Lord for the priest.
23:21 “‘On this very day you must proclaim an assembly; it is to be a holy assembly for you. 31 You must not do any regular work. This is a perpetual statute in all the places where you live throughout your generations. 32 23:22 When you gather in the harvest 33 of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, 34 and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.’” 35
23:23 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:24 “Tell the Israelites, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you must have a complete rest, a memorial announced by loud horn blasts, 36 a holy assembly. 23:25 You must not do any regular work, but 37 you must present a gift to the Lord.’”
23:26 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:27 “The 38 tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. 39 It is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must humble yourselves 40 and present a gift to the Lord. 23:28 You must not do any work on this particular day, 41 because it is a day of atonement to make atonement for yourselves 42 before the Lord your God. 23:29 Indeed, 43 any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people. 44 23:30 As for any person 45 who does any work on this particular day, I will exterminate 46 that person from the midst of his people! 47 23:31 You must not do any work. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations 48 in all the places where you live. 23:32 It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves on the ninth day of the month in the evening, from evening until evening you must observe your Sabbath.” 49
23:33 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:34 “Tell the Israelites, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Temporary Shelters 50 for seven days to the Lord. 23:35 On the first day is a holy assembly; you must do no regular work. 51 23:36 For seven days you must present a gift to the Lord. On the eighth day there is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must present a gift to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly day; 52 you must not do any regular work.
23:37 “‘These are the appointed times of the Lord that you must proclaim as holy assemblies to present a gift to the Lord – burnt offering, grain offering, sacrifice, and drink offerings, 53 each day according to its regulation, 54 23:38 besides 55 the Sabbaths of the Lord and all your gifts, votive offerings, and freewill offerings which you must give to the Lord.
23:39 “‘On 56 the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the Lord for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest. 23:40 On the first day you must take for yourselves branches from majestic trees 57 – palm branches, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the brook – and you must rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 23:41 You must celebrate it as a pilgrim festival to the Lord for seven days in the year. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations; 58 you must celebrate it in the seventh month. 23:42 You must live in temporary shelters 59 for seven days; every native citizen in Israel must live in temporary shelters, 23:43 so that your future generations may know that I made the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
23:44 So Moses spoke to the Israelites about the appointed times of the Lord. 60
Psalms 30:1-12
ContextA psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; 62 by David.
30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, 63
and did not allow my enemies to gloat 64 over me.
30:2 O Lord my God,
I cried out to you and you healed me. 65
30:3 O Lord, you pulled me 66 up from Sheol;
you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. 67
30:4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers 68 of his;
give thanks to his holy name. 69
30:5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment,
and his good favor restores one’s life. 70
One may experience sorrow during the night,
but joy arrives in the morning. 71
30:6 In my self-confidence I said,
“I will never be upended.” 72
30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. 73
Then you rejected me 74 and I was terrified.
30:8 To you, O Lord, I cried out;
I begged the Lord for mercy: 75
30:9 “What 76 profit is there in taking my life, 77
in my descending into the Pit? 78
Can the dust of the grave 79 praise you?
Can it declare your loyalty? 80
30:10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me!
O Lord, deliver me!” 81
30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. 82
30:12 So now 83 my heart 84 will sing to you and not be silent;
O Lord my God, I will always 85 give thanks to you.
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12
Context6:1 Here is 86 another misfortune 87 that I have seen on earth, 88
and it weighs 89 heavily on people: 90
6:2 God gives a man riches, property, and wealth
so that he lacks nothing that his heart 91 desires, 92
yet God does not enable 93 him to enjoy 94 the fruit of his labor 95 –
instead, someone else 96 enjoys 97 it! 98
This is fruitless and a grave misfortune. 99
6:3 Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years –
even if he lives a long, long time, 100 but cannot enjoy his prosperity –
even if he were to live forever 101 –
I would say, “A stillborn child 102 is better off than he is!” 103
6:4 Though the stillborn child 104 came into the world 105 for no reason 106 and departed into darkness,
though its name is shrouded in darkness, 107
6:5 though it never saw the light of day 108 nor knew anything, 109
yet it has more rest 110 than that man –
6:6 if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity.
For both of them die! 111
6:7 All of man’s labor is for nothing more than 112 to fill his stomach 113 –
yet his appetite 114 is never satisfied!
6:8 So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? 115
And what advantage 116 does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive? 117
6:9 It is better to be content with 118 what the eyes can see 119
than for one’s heart always to crave more. 120
This continual longing 121 is futile – like 122 chasing the wind.
6:10 Whatever has happened was foreordained, 123
and what happens to a person 124 was also foreknown.
It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate
because God is more powerful than he is. 125
6:11 The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. 126
How does that benefit him? 127
6:12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life 128 –
during the few days of his fleeting life –
for 129 they pass away 130 like a shadow.
Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth. 131
2 Timothy 2:1-26
Context2:1 So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2:2 And entrust what you heard me say 132 in the presence of many others as witnesses 133 to faithful people 134 who will be competent 135 to teach others as well. 2:3 Take your share of suffering 136 as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2:4 No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please 137 the one who recruited him. 2:5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner 138 unless he competes according to the rules. 139 2:6 The farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops. 2:7 Think about what I am saying and 140 the Lord will give you understanding of all this. 141
2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; 142 such is my gospel, 143 2:9 for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment 144 as a criminal, but God’s message 145 is not imprisoned! 146 2:10 So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, 147 that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory. 148 2:11 This saying 149 is trustworthy: 150
If we died with him, we will also live with him.
2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with him. 151
If we deny 152 him, 153 he will also deny us.
2:13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself. 154
2:14 Remind people 155 of these things and solemnly charge them 156 before the Lord 157 not to wrangle over words. This is of no benefit; it just brings ruin on those who listen. 158 2:15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately. 159 2:16 But avoid profane chatter, 160 because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness, 161 2:17 and their message will spread its infection 162 like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are in this group. 163 2:18 They have strayed from the truth 164 by saying that the resurrection has already occurred, and they are undermining some people’s faith. 2:19 However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” 165 and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord 166 must turn away from evil.”
2:20 Now in a wealthy home 167 there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also ones made of wood and of clay, and some are for honorable use, but others for ignoble use. 168 2:21 So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, 169 he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 2:22 But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others 170 who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 171 2:23 But reject foolish and ignorant 172 controversies, because you know they breed infighting. 173 2:24 And the Lord’s slave 174 must not engage in heated disputes 175 but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient, 2:25 correcting 176 opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and then knowledge of the truth 177 2:26 and they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap where they are held captive 178 to do his will. 179
1 tn Heb “these are them, my appointed times.”
sn The term מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, rendered “appointed time” here) can refer to either a time or place of meeting. See the note on “tent of meeting” (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ohel mo’ed) in Lev 1:1.
2 tn This is a superlative expression, emphasizing the full and all inclusive rest of the Sabbath and certain festival times throughout the chapter (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 155). Cf. ASV “a sabbath of solemn rest.”
3 tn Heb “between the two evenings,” perhaps designating the time between the setting of the sun and the true darkness of night. Cf. KJV, ASV “at even”; NAB “at the evening twilight.”
sn See B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 156, for a full discussion of the issues raised in this verse. The rabbinic tradition places the slaughter of Passover offerings between approximately 3:00
4 tn Heb “to this month.”
5 tn Heb “work of service”; KJV “servile work”; NASB “laborious work”; TEV “daily work.”
6 tn Heb “and you harvest its harvest.”
7 tn Heb “the sheaf of the first of your harvest.”
8 tn Heb “for your acceptance.”
9 sn See Lev 7:30 for a note on the “waving” of a “wave offering.”
10 tn Heb “And you shall make in the day of your waving the sheaf.”
11 tn Heb “a flawless lamb, a son of its year”; KJV “of the first year”; NLT “a year-old male lamb.”
12 sn See the note on Lev 5:11.
13 sn See the note on Lev 2:1.
14 sn See the note on Lev 1:9.
15 tn Heb “wine, one fourth of the hin.” A pre-exilic hin is about 3.6 liters (= ca. 1 quart), so one fourth of a hin would be about one cup.
16 tn Heb “until the bone of this day.”
17 tn Heb “for your generations.”
18 tn Heb “seven Sabbaths, they shall be complete.” The disjunctive accent under “Sabbaths” precludes the translation “seven complete Sabbaths” (as NASB, NIV; cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT). The text is somewhat awkward, which may explain why the LXX tradition is confused here, either adding “you shall count” again at the end of the verse, or leaving out “they shall be,” or keeping “they shall be” and adding “to you.”
19 tn Heb “and.” In the translation “then” is supplied to clarify the sequence.
20 tc Smr, LXX, Syriac, Tg. Onq., and Tg. Ps.-J. insert the word חַלּוֹת (khallot, “loaves”; cf. Lev 2:4 and the note there). Even though “loaves” is not explicit in the MT, the number “two” suggests that these are discrete units, not just a measure of flour, so “loaves” should be assumed even in the MT.
21 tn Heb “with leaven.” The noun “leaven” is traditional in English versions (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV), but “yeast” is more commonly used today.
22 tn Heb “And you shall present on the bread.”
23 tn Heb “seven flawless lambs, sons of a year.”
24 tn Heb “and one bull, a son of a herd.”
25 tc Smr and LXX add “flawless.”
26 tn Heb “and their grain offering.”
27 sn See the note on Lev 1:9.
28 tn Heb “And you shall make.”
29 tn Heb “a he-goat of goats.”
30 tn Smr and LXX have the Hebrew article on “lambs.” The syntax of this verse is difficult. The object of the verb (two lambs) is far removed from the verb itself (shall wave) in the MT, and the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”), rendered “along with” in this verse, is also added to the far removed subject (literally, “upon [the] two lambs”; see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 159). It is clear, however, that the two lambs and the loaves (along with their associated grain and drink offerings) constituted the “wave offering,” which served as the prebend “for the priest.” Burnt and sin offerings (vv. 18-19a) were not included in this (see Lev 7:11-14, 28-36).
31 tn Heb “And you shall proclaim [an assembly] in the bone of this day; a holy assembly it shall be to you” (see the remarks in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 160, and the remarks on the LXX rendering in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 367).
32 tn Heb “for your generations.”
33 tn Heb “And when you harvest the harvest.”
34 tn Heb “you shall not complete the corner of your field in your harvest.”
35 sn Compare Lev 19:9-10.
36 tn Heb “a memorial of loud blasts.” Although the term for “horn” does not occur here, allowing for the possibility that vocal “shouts” of acclamation are envisioned (see P. J. Budd, Leviticus [NCBC], 325), the “blast” of the shofar (a trumpet made from a ram’s “horn”) is most likely what is intended. On this occasion, the loud blasts on the horn announced the coming of the new year on the first day of the seventh month (see the explanations in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 387, and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 160).
37 tn Heb “and.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have adversative force here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV).
38 tn Heb “Surely the tenth day” or perhaps “Precisely the tenth day.” The Hebrew adverbial particle אַךְ (’akh) is left untranslated by most recent English versions; cf. however NASB “On exactly the tenth day.”
39 sn See the description of this day and its regulations in Lev 16 and the notes there.
40 tn Heb “you shall humble your souls.” See the note on Lev 16:29 above.
41 tn Heb “in the bone of this day.”
42 tn Heb “on you [plural]”; cf. NASB, NRSV “on your behalf.”
43 tn The particular כִּי (ki) is taken in an asseverative sense here (“Indeed,” see the NJPS translation).
44 tn Heb “it [i.e., that person; literally “soul,” feminine] shall be cut off from its peoples [plural]”; NLT “from the community.”
45 tn Heb “And any person.”
46 tn See HALOT 3 s.v. I אבד hif. Cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “destroy”; CEV “wipe out.”
47 tn Heb “its people” (“its” is feminine to agree with “person,” literally “soul,” which is feminine in Hebrew; cf. v. 29).
48 tn Heb “for your generations.”
49 tn Heb “you shall rest your Sabbath.”
50 tn The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut, booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast (see the following verses) as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.
51 tn Heb “work of service”; KJV “servile work”; NASB “laborious work”; TEV “daily work.”
52 tn The Hebrew term עֲצֶרֶת (’atseret) “solemn assembly [day]” derives from a root associated with restraint or closure. It could refer either to the last day as “closing assembly” day of the festival (e.g., NIV) or a special day of restraint expressed in a “solemn assembly” (e.g., NRSV); cf. NLT “a solemn closing assembly.”
53 tn The LXX has “[their] burnt offerings, and their sacrifices, and their drink offerings.”
54 tn Heb “a matter of a day in its day”; NAB “as prescribed for each day”; NRSV, NLT “each on its proper day.”
55 tn Heb “from to separation.” See BDB 94 s.v. בַּד 1.e for an explanation of this phrase. This phrase is repeated in front of each of the four items in this verse in the Hebrew text, but these have not been translated into English for stylistic reasons. Cf. KJV, NASB “besides”; NRSV “apart from.”
56 tn Heb “Surely on the fifteenth day.” The Hebrew adverbial particle אַךְ (’akh) is left untranslated by most recent English versions; however, cf. NASB “On exactly the fifteenth day.”
57 tn Heb “fruit of majestic trees,” but the following terms and verses define what is meant by this expression. For extensive remarks on the celebration of this festival in history and tradition see B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 163; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 389-90; and P. J. Budd, Leviticus (NCBC), 328-29.
58 tn Heb “for your generations.”
59 tn Heb “in the huts” (again at the end of this verse and in v. 43), perhaps referring to temporary shelters (i.e., huts) made of the foliage referred to in v. 40 (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 389).
60 sn E. S. Gerstenberger (Leviticus [OTL], 352) takes v. 44 to be an introduction to another set of festival regulations, perhaps something like those found in Exod 23:14-17. For others this verse reemphasizes the Mosaic authority of the preceding festival regulations (e.g., J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 390).
61 sn Psalm 30. The author thanks the Lord for delivering him from death and urges others to join him in praise. The psalmist experienced divine discipline for a brief time, but when he cried out for help the Lord intervened and restored his favor.
62 tn Heb “a song of the dedication of the house.” The referent of “house” is unclear. It is possible that David wrote this psalm for the dedication ceremony of Solomon’s temple. Another possibility is that the psalm was used on the occasion of the dedication of the second temple following the return from exile, or on the occasion of the rededication of the temple in Maccabean times.
63 tn Elsewhere the verb דָּלָה (dalah) is used of drawing water from a well (Exod 2:16, 19; Prov 20:5). The psalmist was trapped in the pit leading to Sheol (see v. 3), but the
64 tn Or “rejoice.”
65 sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.
66 tn Or “my life.”
67 tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”
68 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
69 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the
70 tn Heb “for [there is] a moment in his anger, [but] life in his favor.” Because of the parallelism with “moment,” some understand חַיִּים (khayyim) in a quantitative sense: “lifetime” (cf. NIV, NRSV). However, the immediate context, which emphasizes deliverance from death (see v. 3), suggests that חַיִּים has a qualitative sense: “physical life” or even “prosperous life” (cf. NEB “in his favour there is life”).
71 tn Heb “in the evening weeping comes to lodge, but at morning a shout of joy.” “Weeping” is personified here as a traveler who lodges with one temporarily.
72 sn In my self-confidence I said… Here the psalmist begins to fill in the background of the crisis referred to in the earlier verses. He had been arrogant and self-confident, so the Lord withdrew his protection and allowed trouble to invade his life (vv. 8-11).
73 tn Heb “in your good favor you caused to stand for my mountain strength.” Apparently this means “you established strength for my mountain” (“mountain” in this case representing his rule, which would be centered on Mt. Zion) or “you established strength as my mountain” (“mountain” in this case being a metaphor for security).
74 tn Heb “you hid your face.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or, as here, carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Ps 88:14).
75 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.
76 sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.
77 tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.
78 tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).
79 tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
80 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”
sn According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 6:5; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
81 tn Heb “be a helper to me.”
82 sn Covered me with joy. “Joy” probably stands metonymically for festive attire here.
83 tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”
84 tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “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 (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. 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.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.
85 tn Or “forever.”
86 tn The term יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is”) is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced “sometimes” (Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).
87 tn The noun רָעָה (ra’ah, “evil”) probably means “misfortune” (HALOT 1263 s.v. רָעָה 4) or “injustice, wrong” (HALOT 1262 s.v. רָעָה 2.b); see, e.g., Eccl 2:17; 5:12, 15; 6:1; 10:5.
88 tn Heb “under the sun.”
89 tn The word “weighs” does not appear in Hebrew, but is added in the translation for smoothness.
90 tn Heb “it is great upon men.” The phrase וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָם (vÿrabbah hi’ ’al-ha’adam) is taken in two basic ways: (1) commonality: “it is common among men” (KJV, MLB), “it is prevalent among men” (NASB), “that is frequent among men” (Douay). (2) oppressiveness: “it lies heavy upon men” (RSV, NRSV), “it weighs heavily upon men” (NEB, NAB, NIV), “it presses heavily on men” (Moffatt), “it is heavy upon men” (ASV), and “a grave one it is for man” (NJPS). The preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) argues against the first in favor of the second; the notion of commonality would be denoted by the preposition בְּ (bet, “among”). The singular noun אָדָם (’adam) is used as a collective, denoting “men.” The article on הָאָדָם (ha’adam) is used in a generic sense referring to humankind as a whole; the generic article is often used with a collective singular (IBHS 244 §13.5.1f).
91 tn Heb “his appetite.”
92 tn Heb “There is no lack in respect to his appetite”; or “his desire lacks nothing.”
93 tn The verb שָׁלַט (shalat) in the Qal stem means “to domineer; to dominate; to lord it over; to be master of” and in the Hiphil stem “to give power to” (BDB 1020 s.v. שָׁלַט) and “to grant” (HALOT 1522 s.v. שׁלט). God must grant a person the ability to enjoy the fruit of his labor, otherwise a person will not be able to enjoy his possessions and wealth. The ability to partake of the fruit of one’s labor and to find satisfaction and joy in it is a gift from God (e.g., Eccl 2:24-26; 3:13; 5:18 [19]; 9:7).
94 tn Heb “to eat of it.” The verb אָכַל (’akhal, “to eat”) functions as a metonymy of association, that is, the action of eating is associated with the enjoyment of the fruit of one’s labor (e.g., Eccl 2:24-26; 3:12-13, 22; 5:17-19; 8:15; 9:9).
95 tn The phrase “the fruit of his labor” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
96 tn Heb “a stranger.” The Hebrew expression אִיש נָכְרִי (’ish nokhri, “stranger”) sometimes refers not to a foreigner or someone that the person does not know, but simply to someone else other than the subject (e.g., Prov 27:2). In the light of 6:3-6, it might even refer to the man’s own heirs. The term is used as a synecdoche of species (foreigner for stranger) in the sense of someone else other than the subject: “someone else” (BDB 649 s.v. נָכְרִי 3).
97 tn Heb “eats.”
98 sn Instead, someone else enjoys it. A person may be unable to enjoy the fruit of his/her labor due to an unfortunate turn of events that robs a person of his possessions (5:13-14) or a miserly, lifelong hoarding of one’s wealth that robs him of the ability to enjoy what he has worked so hard to acquire (5:15-17). Qoheleth recommends the enjoyment of life and the fruit of one’s labor, as God enables (5:18-20). Unfortunately, the ability to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor is often thwarted by the obstacles described in 6:1-2 and 6:3-9.
99 tn Heb “an evil sickness.”
100 tn Heb “the days of his years are many.”
101 tn Heb “he has no burial.” The phrase וְגַם־קְבוּרָה לֹא־הָיְתָה (vÿgam-qÿvurah lo’-haytah, “he even has no burial”) is traditionally treated as part of a description of the man’s sorry final state, that is, he is deprived of even a proper burial (KJV, NEB, RSV, NRSV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NJPS, MLB, Moffatt). However, the preceding parallel lines suggest that this a hyperbolic protasis: “If he were to live one hundred years…even if he were never buried [i.e., were to live forever]….” A similar idea occurs elsewhere (e.g., Pss 49:9; 89:48). See D. R. Glenn, “Ecclesiastes,” BKCOT, 990.
102 tn The noun נֶפֶל (nefel) denotes “miscarriage” and by metonymy of effect, “stillborn child” (e.g., Ps 58:9; Job 3:16; Eccl 6:3); cf. HALOT 711. The noun is related to the verb נָפַל (nafal, “to fall,” but occasionally “to be born”; see Isa 26:18); cf. HALOT 710 s.v. נפל 5.
103 sn The point of 6:3-6 is that the futility of unenjoyed wealth is worse than the tragedy of being stillborn.
104 tn Heb “he”; the referent (“the stillborn child”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
105 tn The phrase “into the world” does not appear in Hebrew, but is added in the translation for clarity.
106 sn The birth of the stillborn was in vain – it did it no good to be born.
107 sn The name of the stillborn is forgotten.
108 tn Heb “it never saw the sun.”
109 tn The word “anything” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
110 sn The Hebrew term translated rest here refers to freedom from toil, anxiety, and misery – part of the miserable misfortune that the miserly man of wealth must endure.
111 tn Heb “Do not all go to the same place?” The rhetorical question is an example of erotesis of positive affirmation, expecting a positive answer, e.g., Ps 56:13 [14] (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 947). It affirms the fact that both the miserly rich man who lives two thousand years, as well as the stillborn who never lived one day, both go to the same place – the grave. And if the miserly rich man never enjoyed the fruit of his labor during his life, his fate was no better than that of the stillborn who never had opportunity to enjoy any of the blessings of life. In a sense, it would have been better for the miserly rich man to have never lived than to have experienced the toil, anxiety, and misery of accumulating his wealth, but never enjoying any of the fruits of his labor.
112 tn The phrase “for nothing more than” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
113 tn Heb “All man’s work is for his mouth.” The term “mouth” functions as a synecdoche of part (i.e., mouth) for the whole (i.e., person), substituting the organ of consumption for the person’s action of consumption (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 641-43), as suggested by the parallelism with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “his appetite”).
114 tn The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “desire; appetite”) is used as a metonymy of association, that is, the soul is associated with man’s desires and appetites (BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 5.c; 6.a).
115 sn So what advantage does the wise man have over a fool? The rhetorical question in Hebrew implies a negative answer: the wise man has no absolute advantage over a fool in the sense that both will share the same fate: death. Qoheleth should not be misunderstood here as denying that wisdom has no relative advantage over folly; elsewhere he affirms that wisdom does yield some relative benefits in life (7:1-22). However, wisdom cannot deliver one from death.
116 sn As in the preceding parallel line, this rhetorical question implies a negative answer (see the note after the word “fool” in the preceding line).
117 tn Heb “ What to the pauper who knows to walk before the living”; or “how to get along in life.”
118 tn The phrase “to be content with” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
119 tn The expression מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם (mar’eh ’enayim, “the seeing of the eyes”) is a metonymy of cause (i.e., seeing an object) for effect (i.e., being content with what the eyes can see); see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 552-54.
120 tn Heb “the roaming of the soul.” The expression מֵהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ (mehalakh-nafesh, “the roaming of the soul”) is a metonymy for unfulfilled desires. The term “soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) is used as a metonymy of association for man’s desires and appetites (BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 5.c; 6.a). This also involves the personification of the roving appetite as “roving” (מֵהֲלָךְ); see BDB 235 s.v. הָלַךְ II.3.f; 232 I.3.
121 tn The phrase “continual longing” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
122 tn The term “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
123 tn Heb “already its name was called.”
124 tn Or “and what a person (Heb “man”) is was foreknown.”
125 tn Heb “he cannot contend with the one who is more powerful than him.” The referent of the “the one who is more powerful than he is” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The words “with God about his fate” have been added for clarity as well.
126 tn Heb “The more the words, the more the futility.”
127 tn Or “What benefit does man have [in that]?”
128 tn Heb “For who knows what is good for a man in life?” The rhetorical question (“For who knows…?”) is a negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “For no one knows…!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.
129 tn The vav prefixed to וְיַעֲשֵׂם (vÿya’asem, conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from עָשַׂה, ’asah, “to do” + 3rd person masculine plural suffix) functions in an explanatory or epexegetical sense (“For …”).
130 tn The 3rd person masculine plural suffix on the verb וְיַעֲשֵׂם (vÿya’asem, conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from ָָעשַׂה, ’asah, “to do” + 3rd person masculine plural suffix) refers to מִסְפַּר יְמֵי־חַיֵּי הֶבְלוֹ (mispar yÿme-khayye hevlo, “the few days of his fleeting life”). The suffix may be taken as an objective genitive: “he spends them [i.e., the days of his life] like a shadow” (HALOT 891 s.v. I ָָעשַׂה 8) or as a subjective genitive: “they [i.e., the days of his life] pass like a shadow” (BDB 795 s.v. ָָעשַׂה II.11).
131 tn Heb “Who can tell the man what shall be after him under the sun?” The rhetorical question (“For who can tell him…?”) is a negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “For no one can tell him…!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). The translation renders this rhetorical device as a positive affirmation.
132 tn Grk “what you heard from me” (cf. 1:13).
133 tn Grk “through many witnesses.” The “through” is used here to show attendant circumstances: “accompanied by,” “in the presence of.”
134 tn Grk “faithful men”; but here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is generic, referring to both men and women.
135 tn Or “able” (see Paul’s use of this word in regard to ministry in 2 Cor 2:16; 3:5-6).
136 tn Grk “suffer hardship together,” implying “join with me and others in suffering” (cf. 1:8).
137 tn Grk “that he may please.”
138 tn Grk “will not be crowned,” speaking of the wreath awarded to the victor.
139 sn According to the rules (Grk “lawfully, by law”) referring to the rules of competition. In the ancient world these included requirements for training as well as rules for the competition itself.
140 tn The Greek word here usually means “for,” but is used in this verse for a milder continuation of thought.
141 tn Grk “in all things.”
142 tn Grk “of David’s seed” (an idiom for physical descent).
143 tn Grk “according to my gospel.”
144 tn Or “chains,” “bonds.”
145 tn Or “word.”
146 tn Or “chained,” “bound.”
147 tn Grk “the elect.”
148 tn Grk “with eternal glory.”
149 sn This saying (Grk “the saying”) refers to the following citation. See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase.
150 sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
151 tn Grk “died together…will live together…will reign together,” without “him” stated explicitly. But “him” is implied by the parallel ideas in Rom 6:8; 8:17 and by the reference to Christ in vv. 12b-13.
152 tn Or “renounce,” “disown,” “repudiate.” It is important to note that the object of Christ’s denial is “us.” The text does not contain an implied object complement (“he will deny us [x]”), which would mean that Christ was withholding something from us (for example, “The owner denied his pets water”), since the verb ἀρνέομαι (arneomai) is not one of the category of verbs that normally occurs in these constructions (see ExSyn 182-89).
153 tn Grk “if we renounce,” but the “him” is implied by the parallel clauses.
154 sn If we are unfaithful…he cannot deny himself. This could be (1) a word of warning (The Lord will exact punishment; he cannot deny his holiness) or (2) a word of hope (Because of who he is, he remains faithful to us despite our lapses). The latter is more likely, since Paul consistently cites God’s faithfulness as a reassurance, not as a warning (cf. especially Rom 3:3; also 1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor 1:18; 1 Thess 5:24; 2 Thess 3:3).
155 tn Grk “remind of these things,” implying “them” or “people” as the object.
156 tn Grk “solemnly charging.” The participle διαμαρτυρόμενος (diamarturomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
157 tc ‡ Most witnesses (A D Ψ 048 1739 1881 Ï sy) have κυρίου (kuriou, “Lord”) instead of θεοῦ (qeou, “God”) here, while a few have Χριστοῦ (Cristou, “Christ”; 206 {429 1758}). θεοῦ, however, is well supported by א C F G I 614 629 630 1175 al. Internally, the Pastorals never elsewhere use the expression ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enwpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), but consistently use ἐνώπιον θεοῦ (“before God”; cf. 1 Tim 2:3; 5:4, 21; 6:13; 2 Tim 4:1). But this fact could be argued both ways: The author’s style may be in view, or scribes may have adjusted the wording to conform it to the Pastorals’ universal expression. Further, only twice in the NT (Jas 4:10 [v.l. θεοῦ]; Rev 11:4 [v.l. θεοῦ]) is the expression ἐνώπιον κυρίου found. That such an expression is not found in the corpus Paulinum seems to be sufficient impetus for scribes to change the wording here. Thus, although the external evidence is somewhat on the side of θεοῦ, the internal evidence is on the side of κυρίου. A decision is difficult, but κυρίου is the preferred reading.
158 tn Grk “[it is] beneficial for nothing, for the ruin of those who listen.”
159 sn Accurately is a figure of speech that literally means something like “cutting a straight road.” In regard to the message of truth, it means “correctly handling” or “imparting it without deviation.”
160 sn Profane chatter was apparently a characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus (cf. 1 Tim 1:3-4; 4:7; 6:20).
161 tn Grk “they [who engage in it] will progress even more in ungodliness.”
162 tn Or “eat away.”
163 tn Grk “of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, this last clause has been made a new sentence in the translation.
164 tn Grk “have deviated concerning the truth.”
165 sn A quotation from Num 16:5.
166 tn Grk “names the name of the Lord.”
167 tn Grk “a great house.”
168 tn Grk “for dishonor,” probably referring to vessels used for refuse or excrement.
169 tn Grk “from these,” alluding to the errors and deeds of the false teachers described in vv. 14-19.
170 tn Grk “and peace, with those.”
171 sn In company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart alludes to the value of the community of believers for the development of Christian virtues.
172 tn Or “uninstructed,” “silly.”
173 tn Or “fights,” although this could suggest weapons and blows, whereas in the present context this is not the primary focus. Although “quarrel” is frequently used here (NAB, NIV, NRSV) it may be understood to refer to a relatively minor disagreement.
174 tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
175 tn Grk “must not fight” or “must not quarrel.” The Greek verb is related to the noun translated “infighting” in v. 23.
176 sn Correcting is the word for “child-training” or “discipline.” It is often positive (training, educating) but here denotes the negative side (correcting, disciplining).
177 tn Grk “repentance unto knowledge of the truth.”
178 tn Grk “having been captured by him.”
179 tn Grk “for that one’s will,” referring to the devil, but with a different pronoun than in the previous phrase “by him.” Some have construed “for his will” with the earlier verb and referred the pronoun to God: “come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap (though they have been captured by him) in order to do His will.” In Classical Greek the shift in pronouns would suggest this, but in Koine Greek this change is not significant. The more natural sense is a reference to the devil’s will.
