Genesis 31:1-55 
Context31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 1 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 2 at our father’s expense!” 3 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 4
31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 5 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 6 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah 7 to come to the field 8 where his flocks were. 9 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, 10 but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, 11 31:7 but your father has humiliated 12 me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, 13 ‘The speckled animals 14 will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
31:10 “Once 15 during breeding season I saw 16 in a dream that the male goats mating with 17 the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe 18 that all the male goats mating with 19 the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, 20 where you anointed 21 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 22 Now leave this land immediately 23 and return to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 24 in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted 25 the money paid for us! 26 31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”
31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. 27 31:18 He took 28 away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. 29
31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, 30 Rachel stole the household idols 31 that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived 32 Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 33 31:21 He left 34 with all he owned. He quickly crossed 35 the Euphrates River 36 and headed for 37 the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 38 31:23 So he took his relatives 39 with him and pursued Jacob 40 for seven days. 41 He caught up with 42 him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, 43 “Be careful 44 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” 45
31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. 46 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me 47 and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! 48 31:27 Why did you run away secretly 49 and deceive me? 50 Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? 51 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren 52 good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have 53 the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful 54 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ 55 31:30 Now I understand that 56 you have gone away 57 because you longed desperately 58 for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” 59
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 60 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 61 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 62 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 63 In the presence of our relatives 64 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 65 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 66
31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. 67 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 68 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 69 and sat on them.) 70 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 71 31:35 Rachel 72 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 73 my lord. I cannot stand up 74 in your presence because I am having my period.” 75 So he searched thoroughly, 76 but did not find the idols.
31:36 Jacob became angry 77 and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. 78 “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? 79 31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? 80 Set it here before my relatives and yours, 81 and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! 82
31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. 83 You always made me pay for every missing animal, 84 whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat 85 during the day and by piercing cold 86 at night, and I went without sleep. 87 31:41 This was my lot 88 for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave 89 for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears 90 – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, 91 and he rebuked you last night.”
31:43 Laban replied 92 to Jacob, “These women 93 are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, 94 and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today 95 or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, 96 you and I, and it will be 97 proof that we have made peace.” 98
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he 99 said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. 100 They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, 101 but Jacob called it Galeed. 102
31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement 103 today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah 104 because he said, “May the Lord watch 105 between us 106 when we are out of sight of one another. 107 31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize 108 that God is witness to your actions.” 109
31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. 110 31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. 111 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, 112 the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. 113 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice 114 on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. 115 They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
31:55 (32:1) 116 Early in the morning Laban kissed 117 his grandchildren 118 and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. 119
Mark 2:1-28
Context2:1 Now 120 after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, 121 the news spread 122 that he was at home. 2:2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by 123 the door, and he preached the word to them. 2:3 Some people 124 came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 125 2:4 When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof 126 above Jesus. 127 Then, 128 after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. 2:5 When Jesus saw their 129 faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 130 2:6 Now some of the experts in the law 131 were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds: 132 2:7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming! 133 Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 2:8 Now 134 immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, 135 he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 136 2:9 Which is easier, 137 to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’? 2:10 But so that you may know 138 that the Son of Man 139 has authority on earth to forgive sins,” – he said to the paralytic 140 – 2:11 “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 141 2:12 And immediately the man 142 stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
2:13 Jesus 143 went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them. 2:14 As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. 144 “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 2:15 As Jesus 145 was having a meal 146 in Levi’s 147 home, many tax collectors 148 and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 2:16 When the experts in the law 149 and the Pharisees 150 saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 151 2:17 When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 152 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
2:18 Now 153 John’s 154 disciples and the Pharisees 155 were fasting. 156 So 157 they came to Jesus 158 and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?” 2:19 Jesus 159 said to them, “The wedding guests 160 cannot fast while the bridegroom 161 is with them, can they? 162 As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast. 2:20 But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, 163 and at that time 164 they will fast. 2:21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. 2:22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; 165 otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be destroyed. Instead new wine is poured into new wineskins.” 166
2:23 Jesus 167 was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat 168 as they made their way. 2:24 So 169 the Pharisees 170 said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?” 2:25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry – 2:26 how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest 171 and ate the sacred bread, 172 which is against the law 173 for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?” 174 2:27 Then 175 he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, 176 not people for the Sabbath. 2:28 For this reason the Son of Man is lord 177 even of the Sabbath.”
Esther 7:1-10
Context7:1 So the king and Haman came to dine 178 with Queen Esther. 7:2 On the second day of the banquet of wine the king asked Esther, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. And what is your petition? Ask up to half the kingdom, and it shall be done!”
7:3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have met with your approval, 179 O king, and if the king is so inclined, grant me my life as my request, and my people as my petition. 7:4 For we have been sold 180 – both I and my people – to destruction and to slaughter and to annihilation! If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have remained silent, for such distress would not have been sufficient for troubling the king.”
7:5 Then King Ahasuerus responded 181 to Queen Esther, “Who is this individual? Where is this person to be found who is presumptuous enough 182 to act in this way?”
7:6 Esther replied, “The oppressor and enemy is this evil Haman!”
Then Haman became terrified in the presence of the king and queen. 7:7 In rage the king arose from the banquet of wine and withdrew to the palace garden. Meanwhile, Haman stood to beg Queen Esther for his life, 183 for he realized that the king had now determined a catastrophic end for him. 184
7:8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet of wine, Haman was throwing himself down 185 on the couch where Esther was lying. 186 The king exclaimed, “Will he also attempt to rape the queen while I am still in the building!”
As these words left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 7:9 Harbona, 187 one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Indeed, there is the gallows that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke out in the king’s behalf. It stands near Haman’s home and is seventy-five feet 188 high.”
The king said, “Hang him on it!” 7:10 So they hanged Haman on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The king’s rage then abated.
Romans 2:1-29
Context2:1 189 Therefore 190 you are without excuse, 191 whoever you are, 192 when you judge someone else. 193 For on whatever grounds 194 you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. 2:2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth 195 against those who practice such things. 2:3 And do you think, 196 whoever you are, when you judge 197 those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, 198 that you will escape God’s judgment? 2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know 199 that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness 200 and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! 201 2:6 He 202 will reward 203 each one according to his works: 204 2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 2:8 but 205 wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition 206 and do not obey the truth but follow 207 unrighteousness. 2:9 There will be 208 affliction and distress on everyone 209 who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, 210 2:10 but 211 glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 2:11 For there is no partiality with God. 2:12 For all who have sinned apart from the law 212 will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. 213 2:14 For whenever the Gentiles, 214 who do not have the law, do by nature 215 the things required by the law, 216 these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. 2:15 They 217 show that the work of the law is written 218 in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend 219 them, 220 2:16 on the day when God will judge 221 the secrets of human hearts, 222 according to my gospel 223 through Christ Jesus.
2:17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law 224 and boast of your relationship to God 225 2:18 and know his will 226 and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, 227 2:19 and if you are convinced 228 that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 2:20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth – 2:21 therefore 229 you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 2:22 You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor 230 idols, do you rob temples? 2:23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! 2:24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 231
2:25 For circumcision 232 has its value if you practice the law, but 233 if you break the law, 234 your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 2:26 Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys 235 the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 2:27 And will not the physically uncircumcised man 236 who keeps the law judge you who, despite 237 the written code 238 and circumcision, transgress the law? 2:28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, 2:29 but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart 239 by the Spirit 240 and not by the written code. 241 This person’s 242 praise is not from people but from God.
1 tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”
2 sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).
3 tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”
4 tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.
5 tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
6 sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the
7 tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.
8 tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
9 tn Heb “to his flock.”
10 tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”
11 tn Heb “with all my strength.”
12 tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).
13 tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.
14 tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.
15 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”
16 tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”
17 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
18 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
19 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
20 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
21 sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the
22 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
23 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
sn Leave this land immediately. The decision to leave was a wise one in view of the changed attitude in Laban and his sons. But more than that, it was the will of God. Jacob needed to respond to God’s call – the circumstances simply made it easier.
24 tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”
25 tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.
sn He sold us and…wasted our money. The precise nature of Rachel’s and Leah’s complaint is not entirely clear. Since Jacob had to work to pay for them, they probably mean that their father has cheated Jacob and therefore cheated them as well. See M. Burrows, “The Complaint of Laban’s Daughters,” JAOS 57 (1937): 250-76.
26 tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.
27 tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”
28 tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.
29 tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”
30 tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.
31 tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.
32 tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.
33 tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.
34 tn Heb “and he fled.”
35 tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.
36 tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
37 tn Heb “he set his face.”
38 tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”
39 tn Heb “his brothers.”
40 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
41 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
42 tn Heb “drew close to.”
43 tn Heb “said to him.”
44 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
45 tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.
46 tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.
47 tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).
48 tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”
49 tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”
50 tn Heb “and steal me.”
51 tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”
52 tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
53 tn Heb “there is to my hand.”
54 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
55 tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.
56 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
57 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
58 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
59 sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.
60 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
61 tn Heb “for I said.”
62 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
63 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
64 tn Heb “brothers.”
65 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
66 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.
67 tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
68 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
69 tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”
70 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.
71 tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
72 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
73 tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.
74 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
75 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
76 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
77 tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.
78 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.
79 tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).
80 tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”
81 tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
82 tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”
83 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.
84 tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.
85 tn Or “by drought.”
86 tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.
87 tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”
88 tn Heb “this to me.”
89 tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”
90 tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.
91 tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”
92 tn Heb “answered and said.”
93 tn Heb “daughters.”
94 tn Heb “children.”
95 tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”
96 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
97 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”
98 tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”
99 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
100 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
101 sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
102 sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.
103 tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”
104 tn Heb “and Mizpah.”
105 sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the
106 tn Heb “between me and you.”
107 tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”
108 tn Heb “see.”
109 tn Heb “between me and you.”
110 tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
111 tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”
112 tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.
113 tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.
114 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
115 tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.
116 sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
117 tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”
118 tn Heb “his sons.”
119 tn Heb “to his place.”
120 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
121 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
122 tn Grk “it was heard.”
123 tn Some translations (e.g., NIV, NLT) take the preposition πρός (pro"), which indicates proximity, to mean “outside the door.” Others render it as “in front of the door” (TEV, CEV), and still others, “around the door” (NAB). There is some ambiguity inherent in the description here.
124 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
125 tn The redundancy in this verse is characteristic of the author’s rougher style.
126 sn A house in 1st century Palestine would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up. This access was often from the outside of the house.
127 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
128 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
129 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
130 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
131 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
132 tn Grk “Reasoning within their hearts.”
133 sn Blaspheming meant to say something that dishonored God. To claim divine prerogatives or claim to speak for God when one really does not would be such an act of offense. The remark raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry.
134 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the shift from the thoughts of the experts in the law to Jesus’ response.
135 tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”
136 tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”
137 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
138 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
139 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
140 sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
141 tn Grk “to your house.”
142 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man who was healed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
143 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
144 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.
sn The tax booth was a booth located on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade. There was a tax booth in Capernaum, which was on the trade route from Damascus to Galilee and the Mediterranean. The “taxes” were collected on produce and goods brought into the area for sale, and were a sort of “sales tax” paid by the seller but obviously passed on to the purchaser in the form of increased prices (L&N 57.183). It was here that Jesus met Levi (also named Matthew [see Matt 9:9]) who was ultimately employed by the Romans, though perhaps more directly responsible to Herod Antipas. It was his job to collect taxes for Rome and he was thus despised by Jews who undoubtedly regarded him as a traitor.
145 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
146 tn Grk “As he reclined at table.”
sn As Jesus was having a meal. 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
147 tn Grk “his.”
148 sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.
149 tn Or “the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
150 sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
151 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.
152 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
153 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
154 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
155 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
156 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
157 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate that in the narrative this question happened as a result of the fasting of John’s disciples and the Pharisees.
158 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
159 tn Grk “And Jesus.”
160 tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically, friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
161 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5; 4 Ezra 2:15, 38).
162 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “can they?”).
163 sn The statement the bridegroom will be taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 8:27ff. (cf. 8:31; 9:31; 10:33).
164 tn Grk “then on that day.”
165 sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
166 sn The meaning of the saying new wine is poured into new skins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.
167 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
168 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).
169 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
170 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
171 tn A decision about the proper translation of this Greek phrase (ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως, ejpi Abiaqar ajrcierew") is very difficult for a number of reasons. The most natural translation of the phrase is “when Abiathar was high priest,” but this is problematic because Abiathar was not the high priest when David entered the temple and ate the sacred bread; Ahimelech is the priest mentioned in 1 Sam 21:1-7. Three main solutions have been suggested to resolve this difficulty. (1) There are alternate readings in various manuscripts, but these are not likely to be original: D W {271} it sys and a few others omit ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως, no doubt in conformity to the parallels in Matt 12:4 and Luke 6:4; {A C Θ Π Σ Φ 074 Ë13 and many others} add τοῦ before ἀρχιερέως, giving the meaning “in the days of Abiathar the high priest,” suggesting a more general time frame. Neither reading has significant external support and both most likely are motivated by the difficulty of the original reading. (2) Many scholars have hypothesized that one of the three individuals who would have been involved in the transmission of the statement (Jesus who uttered it originally, Mark who wrote it down in the Gospel, or Peter who served as Mark’s source) was either wrong about Abiathar or intentionally loose with the biblical data in order to make a point. (3) It is possible that what is currently understood to be the most natural reading of the text is in fact not correct. (a) There are very few biblical parallels to this grammatical construction (ἐπί + genitive proper noun, followed by an anarthrous common noun), so it is possible that an extensive search for this construction in nonbiblical literature would prove that the meaning does involve a wide time frame. If this is so, “in the days of Abiathar the high priest” would be a viable option. (b) It is also possible that this phrasing serves as a loose way to cite a scripture passage. There is a parallel to this construction in Mark 12:26: “Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush?” Here the final phrase is simply ἐπὶ τοῦ βάτου (ejpi tou batou), but the obvious function of the phrase is to point to a specific passage within the larger section of scripture. Deciding upon a translation here is difficult. The translation above has followed the current consensus on the most natural and probable meaning of the phrase ἐπὶ ᾿Αβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως: “when Abiathar was high priest.” It should be recognized, however, that this translation is tentative because the current state of knowledge about the meaning of this grammatical construction is incomplete, and any decision about the meaning of this text is open to future revision.
172 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”
sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Matt 12:1-8, Luke 6:1-5.
173 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
174 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
175 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
176 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used twice in this verse in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
177 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
sn A second point in Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ actions was that his authority as Son of Man also allowed it, since as Son of Man he was lord of the Sabbath.
178 tn Heb “to drink”; NASB “to drink wine.” The expression is a metaphor for lavish feasting, cf. NRSV “to feast”; KJV “to banquet.”
179 tn Heb “If I have found grace in your eyes” (so also in 8:5); TEV “If it please Your Majesty.”
180 sn The passive verb (“have been sold”) is noncommittal and nonaccusatory with regard to the king’s role in the decision to annihilate the Jews.
181 tc The second occurrence of the Hebrew verb וַיּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”) in the MT should probably be disregarded. The repetition is unnecessary in the context and may be the result of dittography in the MT.
182 tn Heb “has so filled his heart”; NAB “who has dared to do this.”
183 sn There is great irony here in that the man who set out to destroy all the Jews now finds himself begging for his own life from a Jew.
184 tn Heb “for he saw that calamity was determined for him from the king”; NAB “the king had decided on his doom”; NRSV “the king had determined to destroy him.”
185 tn Heb “falling”; NAB, NRSV “had (+ just TEV) thrown himself (+ down TEV).”
186 tn Heb “where Esther was” (so KJV, NASB). The term “lying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “was reclining.”
187 sn Cf. 1:10, where Harbona is one of the seven eunuchs sent by the king to summon Queen Vashti to his banquet.
188 tn Heb “fifty cubits.” See the note on this expression in Esth 5:14.
189 sn Rom 2:1-29 presents unusual difficulties for the interpreter. There have been several major approaches to the chapter and the group(s) it refers to: (1) Rom 2:14 refers to Gentile Christians, not Gentiles who obey the Jewish law. (2) Paul in Rom 2 is presenting a hypothetical viewpoint: If anyone could obey the law, that person would be justified, but no one can. (3) The reference to “the ones who do the law” in 2:13 are those who “do” the law in the right way, on the basis of faith, not according to Jewish legalism. (4) Rom 2:13 only speaks about Christians being judged in the future, along with such texts as Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10. (5) Paul’s material in Rom 2 is drawn heavily from Diaspora Judaism, so that the treatment of the law presented here cannot be harmonized with other things Paul says about the law elsewhere (E. P. Sanders, Paul, the Law, and the Jewish People, 123); another who sees Rom 2 as an example of Paul’s inconsistency in his treatment of the law is H. Räisänen, Paul and the Law [WUNT], 101-9. (6) The list of blessings and curses in Deut 27–30 provide the background for Rom 2; the Gentiles of 2:14 are Gentile Christians, but the condemnation of Jews in 2:17-24 addresses the failure of Jews as a nation to keep the law as a whole (A. Ito, “Romans 2: A Deuteronomistic Reading,” JSNT 59 [1995]: 21-37).
190 tn Some interpreters (e.g., C. K. Barrett, Romans [HNTC], 43) connect the inferential Διό (dio, “therefore”) with 1:32a, treating 1:32b as a parenthetical comment by Paul.
191 tn That is, “you have nothing to say in your own defense” (so translated by TCNT).
192 tn Grk “O man.”
193 tn Grk “Therefore, you are without excuse, O man, everyone [of you] who judges.”
194 tn Grk “in/by (that) which.”
195 tn Or “based on truth.”
196 tn Grk “do you think this,” referring to the clause in v. 3b.
197 tn Grk “O man, the one who judges.”
198 tn Grk “and do them.” The other words are supplied to bring out the contrast implied in this clause.
199 tn Grk “being unaware.”
200 tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.
201 tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
202 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
203 tn Or “will render,” “will recompense.” In this context Paul is setting up a hypothetical situation, not stating that salvation is by works.
204 sn A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.
205 tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.
206 tn Grk “those who [are] from selfish ambition.”
207 tn Grk “are persuaded by, obey.”
208 tn No verb is expressed in this verse, but the verb “to be” is implied by the Greek construction. Literally “suffering and distress on everyone…”
209 tn Grk “every soul of man.”
210 sn Paul uses the term Greek here and in v. 10 to refer to non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.
211 tn Grk “but even,” to emphasize the contrast. The second word has been omitted since it is somewhat redundant in English idiom.
212 sn This is the first occurrence of law (nomos) in Romans. Exactly what Paul means by the term has been the subject of much scholarly debate. According to J. A. Fitzmyer (Romans [AB], 131-35; 305-6) there are at least four different senses: (1) figurative, as a “principle”; (2) generic, meaning “a law”; (3) as a reference to the OT or some part of the OT; and (4) as a reference to the Mosaic law. This last usage constitutes the majority of Paul’s references to “law” in Romans.
213 tn The Greek sentence expresses this contrast more succinctly than is possible in English. Grk “For not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.”
214 sn Gentile is a NT term for a non-Jew.
215 tn Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:135-37) take the phrase φύσει (fusei, “by nature”) to go with the preceding “do not have the law,” thus: “the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature,” that is, by virtue of not being born Jewish.
216 tn Grk “do by nature the things of the law.”
217 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
218 tn Grk “show the work of the law [to be] written,” with the words in brackets implied by the Greek construction.
219 tn Or “excuse.”
220 tn Grk “their conscience bearing witness and between the thoughts accusing or also defending one another.”
221 tn The form of the Greek word is either present or future, but it is best to translate in future because of the context of future judgment.
222 tn Grk “of people.”
223 sn On my gospel cf. Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8.
224 sn The law refers to the Mosaic law, described mainly in the OT books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
225 tn Grk “boast in God.” This may be an allusion to Jer 9:24.
226 tn Grk “the will.”
227 tn Grk “because of being instructed out of the law.”
228 tn This verb is parallel to the verbs in vv. 17-18a, so it shares the conditional meaning even though the word “if” is not repeated.
229 tn The structure of vv. 21-24 is difficult. Some take these verses as the apodosis of the conditional clauses (protases) in vv. 17-20; others see vv. 17-20 as an instance of anacoluthon (a broken off or incomplete construction).
230 tn Or “detest.”
231 sn A quotation from Isa 52:5.
232 sn Circumcision refers to male circumcision as prescribed in the OT, which was given as a covenant to Abraham in Gen 17:10-14. Its importance for Judaism can hardly be overstated: According to J. D. G. Dunn (Romans [WBC], 1:120) it was the “single clearest distinguishing feature of the covenant people.” J. Marcus has suggested that the terms used for circumcision (περιτομή, peritomh) and uncircumcision (ἀκροβυστία, akrobustia) were probably derogatory slogans used by Jews and Gentiles to describe their opponents (“The Circumcision and the Uncircumcision in Rome,” NTS 35 [1989]: 77-80).
233 tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.
234 tn Grk “if you should be a transgressor of the law.”
235 tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.
236 tn Grk “the uncircumcision by nature.” The word “man” is supplied here to make clear that male circumcision (or uncircumcision) is in view.
237 tn Grk “through,” but here the preposition seems to mean “(along) with,” “though provided with,” as BDAG 224 s.v. διά A.3.c indicates.
238 tn Grk “letter.”
239 sn On circumcision is of the heart see Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4; Ezek 44:9.
240 tn Some have taken the phrase ἐν πνεύματι (en pneumati, “by/in [the] S/spirit”) not as a reference to the Holy Spirit, but referring to circumcision as “spiritual and not literal” (RSV).
241 tn Grk “letter.”
242 tn Grk “whose.” The relative pronoun has been replaced by the phrase “this person’s” and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation.
