Deuteronomy 27:1--28:19 
Context27:1 Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Pay attention to all the commandments 1 I am giving 2 you today. 27:2 When you cross the Jordan River 3 to the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must erect great stones and cover 4 them with plaster. 27:3 Then you must inscribe on them all the words of this law when you cross over, so that you may enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, 5 said to you. 27:4 So when you cross the Jordan you must erect on Mount Ebal 6 these stones about which I am commanding you today, and you must cover them with plaster. 27:5 Then you must build an altar there to the Lord your God, an altar of stones – do not use an iron tool on them. 27:6 You must build the altar of the Lord your God with whole stones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. 27:7 Also you must offer fellowship offerings and eat them there, rejoicing before the Lord your God. 27:8 You must inscribe on the stones all the words of this law, making them clear.”
27:9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel: “Be quiet and pay attention, Israel. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 27:10 You must obey him 7 and keep his commandments and statutes that I am giving you today.” 27:11 Moreover, Moses commanded the people that day: 27:12 “The following tribes 8 must stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 27:13 And these other tribes must stand for the curse on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
27:14 “The Levites will call out to every Israelite 9 with a loud voice: 27:15 ‘Cursed is the one 10 who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent 11 to the Lord, the work of the craftsman 12 – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 13 27:16 ‘Cursed 14 is the one who disrespects 15 his father and mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:18 ‘Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:20 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with 16 his father’s former wife, 17 for he dishonors his father.’ 18 Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:21 ‘Cursed is the one who commits bestiality.’ 19 Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:22 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:23 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:24 ‘Cursed is the one who kills 20 his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:26 ‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
28:1 “If you indeed 21 obey the Lord your God and are careful to observe all his commandments I am giving 22 you today, the Lord your God will elevate you above all the nations of the earth. 28:2 All these blessings will come to you in abundance 23 if you obey the Lord your God: 28:3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. 24 28:4 Your children 25 will be blessed, as well as the produce of your soil, the offspring of your livestock, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks. 28:5 Your basket and your mixing bowl will be blessed. 28:6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 26 28:7 The Lord will cause your enemies who attack 27 you to be struck down before you; they will attack you from one direction 28 but flee from you in seven different directions. 28:8 The Lord will decree blessing for you with respect to your barns and in everything you do – yes, he will bless you in the land he 29 is giving you. 28:9 The Lord will designate you as his holy people just as he promised you, if you keep his commandments 30 and obey him. 31 28:10 Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you belong to the Lord, 32 and they will respect you. 28:11 The Lord will greatly multiply your children, 33 the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil in the land which he 34 promised your ancestors 35 he would give you. 28:12 The Lord will open for you his good treasure house, the heavens, to give you rain for the land in its season and to bless all you do; 36 you will lend to many nations but you will not borrow from any. 28:13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom, if you obey his 37 commandments which I am urging 38 you today to be careful to do. 28:14 But you must not turn away from all the commandments I am giving 39 you today, to either the right or left, nor pursue other gods and worship 40 them.
28:15 “But if you ignore 41 the Lord your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force: 42 28:16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the field. 28:17 Your basket and your mixing bowl will be cursed. 28:18 Your children 43 will be cursed, as well as the produce of your soil, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks. 28:19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. 44
Psalms 119:1-24
Contextא (Alef)
119:1 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, 46
who obey 47 the law of the Lord.
119:2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
119:3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps. 48
119:4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept. 49
119:5 If only I were predisposed 50
to keep your statutes!
119:6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if 51 I were focused on 52 all your commands.
119:7 I will give you sincere thanks, 53
when I learn your just regulations.
119:8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me! 54
ב (Bet)
119:9 How can a young person 55 maintain a pure life? 56
By guarding it according to your instructions! 57
119:10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands!
119:11 In my heart I store up 58 your words, 59
so I might not sin against you.
119:12 You deserve praise, 60 O Lord!
Teach me your statutes!
119:13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed. 61
119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules 62
as if 63 they were riches of all kinds. 64
119:15 I will meditate on 65 your precepts
and focus 66 on your behavior. 67
119:16 I find delight 68 in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions. 69
ג (Gimel)
119:17 Be kind to your servant!
Then I will live 70 and keep 71 your instructions. 72
119:18 Open 73 my eyes so I can truly see 74
the marvelous things in your law!
119:19 I am like a foreigner in this land. 75
Do not hide your commands from me!
119:20 I desperately long to know 76
your regulations at all times.
119:21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed. 77
119:22 Spare me 78 shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
119:23 Though rulers plot and slander me, 79
your servant meditates on your statutes.
119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance. 80
Isaiah 54:1-17
Context54:1 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!
Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
54:2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out! 81
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep. 82
54:3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer 83 nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
54:4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame!
Don’t be intimidated, 84 for you will not be humiliated!
You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth;
you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment. 85
54:5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector, 86 the Holy One of Israel. 87
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
54:6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression, 88
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
54:7 “For a short time I abandoned 89 you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
54:8 In a burst 90 of anger I rejected you 91 momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your protector, 92 the Lord.
54:9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time, 93
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood 94 would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
54:10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship 95 be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
54:11 “O afflicted one, driven away, 96 and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony
and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.
54:12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems, 97
your gates out of beryl, 98
and your outer wall 99 out of beautiful 100 stones.
54:13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity. 101
54:14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. 102
You will not experience oppression; 103
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified, 104
for nothing frightening 105 will come near you.
54:15 If anyone dares to 106 challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated. 107
54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon. 108
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
54:17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. 109
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,” 110
says the Lord.
Matthew 2:1-23
Context2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem 111 in Judea, in the time 112 of King Herod, 113 wise men 114 from the East came to Jerusalem 115 2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose 116 and have come to worship him.” 2:3 When King Herod 117 heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 2:4 After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, 118 he asked them where the Christ 119 was to be born. 2:5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:
2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 120
2:7 Then Herod 121 privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 2:8 He 122 sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again 123 the star they saw when it rose 124 led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. 125 2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down 126 and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, 127 and myrrh. 128 2:12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 129 they went back by another route to their own country.
2:13 After they had gone, an 130 angel of the Lord 131 appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod 132 is going to look for the child to kill him.” 2:14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during 133 the night, and went to Egypt. 2:15 He stayed there until Herod 134 died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” 135
2:16 When Herod 136 saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men 137 to kill all the children in Bethlehem 138 and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 2:17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud wailing, 139
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted, because they were 140 gone.” 141
2:19 After Herod 142 had died, an 143 angel of the Lord 144 appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 2:20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 2:21 So 145 he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus 146 was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, 147 he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee. 2:23 He came to a town called Nazareth 148 and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus 149 would be called a Nazarene. 150
1 tn Heb “the whole commandment.” See note at 5:31.
2 tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today” (likewise in v. 10).
3 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “plaster” (so KJV, ASV; likewise in v. 4). In the translation “cover” has been used for stylistic reasons.
5 tn Heb “fathers.”
6 tc Smr reads “Mount Gerizim” for the MT reading “Mount Ebal” to justify the location of the Samaritan temple there in the postexilic period. This reading is patently self-serving and does not reflect the original. In the NT when the Samaritan woman of Sychar referred to “this mountain” as the place of worship for her community she obviously had Gerizim in mind (cf. John 4:20).
7 tn Heb “listen to the voice of the
8 tn The word “tribes” has been supplied here and in the following verse in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “Israelite man.”
10 tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.
11 tn The Hebrew term translated here “abhorrent” (תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah) speaks of attitudes and/or behaviors so vile as to be reprehensible to a holy God. See note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.
12 tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”
13 tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.
14 tn The Levites speak again at this point; throughout this pericope the Levites pronounce the curse and the people respond with “Amen.”
15 tn The Hebrew term קָלָה (qalah) means to treat with disdain or lack of due respect (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “dishonors”; NLT “despises”). It is the opposite of כָּבֵד (kaved, “to be heavy,” that is, to treat with reverence and proper deference). To treat a parent lightly is to dishonor him or her and thus violate the fifth commandment (Deut 5:16; cf. Exod 21:17).
16 tn Heb “who lies with” (so NASB, NRSV); also in vv. 22, 23. This is a Hebrew idiom for having sexual relations (cf. NIV “who sleeps with”; NLT “who has sexual intercourse with”).
17 tn See note at Deut 22:30.
18 tn Heb “he uncovers his father’s skirt” (NASB similar). See note at Deut 22:30.
19 tn Heb “lies with any animal” (so NASB, NRSV). “To lie with” is a Hebrew euphemism for having sexual relations with someone (or in this case, some animal).
20 tn Or “strikes down” (so NRSV).
21 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “indeed.”
22 tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today” (likewise in v. 15).
23 tn Heb “come upon you and overtake you” (so NASB, NRSV); NIV “come upon you and accompany you.”
24 tn Or “in the country” (so NAB, NIV, NLT). This expression also occurs in v. 15.
25 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
26 sn Come in…go out. To “come in” and “go out” is a figure of speech (merism) indicating all of life and its activities.
27 tn Heb “who rise up against” (so NIV).
28 tn Heb “way” (also later in this verse and in v. 25).
29 tn Heb “the
30 tn Heb “the commandments of the
31 tn Heb “and walk in his ways” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
32 tn Heb “the name of the Lord is called over you.” The Hebrew idiom indicates ownership; see 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1, as well as BDB 896 s.v. קָרָא Niph. 2.d.(4).
33 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “will give you a lot of children.”
34 tn Heb “the
35 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 36, 64).
36 tn Heb “all the work of your hands.”
37 tn Heb “the
38 tn Heb “commanding” (so NRSV); NASB “which I charge you today.”
39 tn Heb “from all the words which I am commanding.”
40 tn Heb “in order to serve.”
41 tn Heb “do not hear the voice of.”
42 tn Heb “and overtake you” (so NIV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “and overwhelm you.”
43 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
44 sn See note on the similar expression in v. 6.
45 sn Psalm 119. The psalmist celebrates God’s law and the guidance it provides his people. He expresses his desire to know God’s law thoroughly so that he might experience the blessings that come to those who obey it. This lengthy psalm exhibits an elaborate acrostic pattern. The psalm is divided into twenty-two sections (corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), each of which is comprised of eight verses. Each of the verses in the first section (vv. 1-8) begins with the letter alef (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This pattern continues throughout the psalm as each new section highlights a successive letter of the alphabet. Each verse in section two (vv. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the alphabet, each verse in section three (vv. 17-24) with the third letter, etc. This rigid pattern creates a sense of order and completeness and may have facilitated memorization.
46 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”
47 tn Heb “walk in.”
48 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
49 tn Heb “you, you commanded your precepts, to keep, very much.”
50 tn Heb “if only my ways were established.”
51 tn Or “when.”
52 tn Heb “I gaze at.”
53 tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”
54 tn Heb “do not abandon me to excess.” For other uses of the phrase עַד מְאֹד (’ad mÿ’od, “to excess”), see Ps 38:6, 8.
55 tn Heb “young man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender specific “young man” has been translated with the more neutral “young person.”
56 tn Heb “purify his path.”
57 tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
58 tn Or “hide.”
59 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew
60 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
61 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
62 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
63 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
64 tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.
65 tn The cohortative verbal forms in this verse express the psalmist’s resolve.
66 tn Heb “gaze [at].”
67 tn Heb “ways” (referring figuratively to God’s behavior here).
68 tn The imperfects in this verse emphasize the attitude the psalmist maintains toward God’s law. Another option is to translate with the future tense, “I will find delight…I will not forget.”
69 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
70 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
71 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.
72 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
73 tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).
74 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
75 tn Heb “I am a resident alien in the land.” Resident aliens were especially vulnerable and in need of help. They needed to know the social and legal customs of the land to avoid getting into trouble. The translation (note the addition of “like”) assumes the psalmist is speaking metaphorically, not literally.
76 tn Heb “my soul languishes for longing for.”
77 tn Heb “accursed.” The traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text takes “accursed” with the previous line (“arrogant, accursed ones”), but it is preferable to take it with the second line as the predicate of the statement.
78 tn Heb “roll away from upon me.” Some derive the imperatival form גַּל (gal) from גָּלָה (galah, “uncover,” as in v. 18), but here the form is from גָּלַל (galal, “roll”; see Josh 5:9, where חֶרְפָּה [kherpah, “shame; reproach”] also appears as object of the verb). Some, following the lead of a Dead Sea scroll (11QPsa), emend the form to גֹּל (gol).
79 tn Heb “though rulers sit, about me they talk together.” (For another example of the Niphal of דָּבַר (davar) used with a suffixed form of the preposition ב, see Ezek 33:30.)
80 tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.
81 tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
82 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
83 tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”
84 tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”
85 tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood” (so NRSV). However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, abandoning her, not dying. This suggests that an אַלְמָנָה (’almanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
86 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
87 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
88 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
89 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
90 tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
91 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
92 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
93 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כְּמֵי (kÿmey, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
94 tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
95 tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.”
96 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.”
97 tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
98 tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (’eqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
99 tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.”
100 tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.”
101 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
102 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
103 tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
104 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
105 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
106 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
107 tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
108 tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
109 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
110 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
111 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
112 tn Grk “in the days.”
113 sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37
114 sn The Greek term magi here describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).
115 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
116 tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).
117 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
118 tn Or “and scribes of the people.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
119 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
120 sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.
121 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
122 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
123 tn Grk “and behold the star.”
124 tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.
125 tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”
126 tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
127 sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).
128 sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.
129 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
130 tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
131 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.
132 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.
133 tn The feminine singular genitive noun νυκτός (nuktos, “night”) indicates the time during which the action of the main verb takes place (ExSyn 124).
134 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
135 sn A quotation from Hos 11:1.
136 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
137 tn Or “soldiers.”
138 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
139 tc The LXX of Jer 38:15 (31:15 ET) has “lamentation, weeping, and loud wailing”; most later
140 tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.
141 sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.
142 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. When Herod the Great died in 4
143 tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
144 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.
145 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s instructions.
146 sn Archelaus took after his father Herod the Great in terms of cruelty and ruthlessness, so Joseph was afraid to go there. After further direction in a dream, he went instead to Galilee.
147 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
148 sn Nazareth was a very small village in the region of Galilee (Galilee lay north of Samaria and Judea). The town was located about 15 mi (25 km) west of the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee. According to Luke 1:26, Mary was living in Nazareth when the birth of Jesus was announced to her.
map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.
149 tn There is no expressed subject of the third person singular verb here; the pronoun “he” is implied. Instead of this pronoun the referent “Jesus” has been supplied in the text to clarify to whom this statement refers.
150 tn The Greek could be indirect discourse (as in the text), or direct discourse (“he will be called a Nazarene”). Judging by the difficulty of finding OT quotations (as implied in the plural “prophets”) to match the wording here, it appears that the author was using a current expression of scorn that conceptually (but not verbally) found its roots in the OT.
