1 Kings 3:1-28
Context3:1 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David 1 until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 3:2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, 3 because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord. 4 3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following 5 the practices 6 of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
3:4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places. 7 Solomon would offer up 8 a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared 9 to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell 10 me what I should give you.” 3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated 11 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served 12 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. 13 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 14 3:7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. 15 3:8 Your servant stands 16 among your chosen people; 17 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind 18 so he can make judicial decisions for 19 your people and distinguish right from wrong. 20 Otherwise 21 no one is able 22 to make judicial decisions for 23 this great nation of yours.” 24 3:10 The Lord 25 was pleased that Solomon made this request. 26 3:11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, 27 3:12 I 28 grant your request, 29 and give 30 you a wise and discerning mind 31 superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. 32 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving 33 you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. 34 3:14 If you follow my instructions 35 by obeying 36 my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, 37 then I will grant you long life.” 38 3:15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. 39 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, 40 and held a feast for all his servants.
3:16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 3:17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 3:18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us. 41 3:19 This woman’s child suffocated 42 during the night when she rolled 43 on top of him. 3:20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 3:21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, 44 dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 45 3:22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king. 46
3:23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 3:24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword!” So they placed a sword before the king. 3:25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 3:26 The real mother 47 spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. 48 She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” 49 But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” 3:27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 3:28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected 50 the king, for they realized 51 that he possessed supernatural wisdom 52 to make judicial decisions.
Ephesians 1:1-23
Context1:1 From Paul, 53 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], 54 the faithful 55 in Christ Jesus. 1:2 Grace and peace to you 56 from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
1:3 Blessed 57 is 58 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed 59 us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 1:4 For 60 he chose us in Christ 61 before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished 62 in his sight 63 in love. 64 1:5 He did this by predestining 65 us to adoption as his 66 sons 67 through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure 68 of his will – 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace 69 that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. 70 1:7 In him 71 we have redemption through his blood, 72 the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 1:8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. 1:9 He did this when he revealed 73 to us the secret 74 of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth 75 in Christ, 76 1:10 toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up 77 all things in Christ – the things in heaven 78 and the things on earth. 79 1:11 In Christ 80 we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, 81 since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will 1:12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope 82 on Christ, 83 would be to the praise of his glory. 1:13 And when 84 you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ 85 – you were marked with the seal 86 of the promised Holy Spirit, 87 1:14 who is the down payment 88 of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, 89 to the praise of his glory.
1:15 For this reason, 90 because I 91 have heard 92 of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love 93 for all the saints, 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you 94 in my prayers. 1:17 I pray that 95 the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, 96 may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation 97 in your growing knowledge of him, 98 1:18 – since the eyes of your 99 heart have been enlightened 100 – so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, 101 what is the wealth of his glorious 102 inheritance in the saints, 1:19 and what is the incomparable 103 greatness of his power toward 104 us who believe, as displayed in 105 the exercise of his immense strength. 106 1:20 This power 107 he exercised 108 in Christ when he raised him 109 from the dead and seated him 110 at his right hand in the heavenly realms 111 1:21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 1:22 And God 112 put 113 all things under Christ’s 114 feet, 115 and he gave him to the church as head over all things. 116 1:23 Now the church is 117 his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 118
Ezekiel 34:1-31
Context34:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 34:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds 119 of Israel; prophesy, and say to them – to the shepherds: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? 34:3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! 34:4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness 120 you have ruled over them. 34:5 They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. 121 34:6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them.
34:7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 34:8 As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, my sheep have become prey and have become food for all the wild beasts. There was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but fed themselves and did not feed my sheep, 34:9 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 34:10 This is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand my sheep from their hand. I will no longer let them be shepherds; 122 the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will rescue my sheep from their mouth, so that they will no longer be food for them.
34:11 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. 34:12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day. 123 34:13 I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. 34:14 In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush 124 pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. 34:15 I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the sovereign Lord. 34:16 I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured and strengthen the sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them – with judgment!
34:17 “‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. 34:18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? When you drink clean water, must you muddy the rest of the water by trampling it with your feet? 34:19 As for my sheep, they must eat what you trampled with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet!
34:20 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 34:21 Because you push with your side and your shoulder, and thrust your horns at all the weak sheep until you scatter them abroad, 125 34:22 I will save my sheep; they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.
34:23 I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them – namely, my servant David. 126 He will feed them and will be their shepherd. 34:24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince 127 among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!
34:25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and will rid the land of wild beasts, so that they can live securely 128 in the wilderness and even sleep in the woods. 129 34:26 I will turn them and the regions around my hill into a blessing. I will make showers come down in their season; they will be showers that bring blessing. 130 34:27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 34:28 They will no longer be prey for the nations and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely and no one will make them afraid. 34:29 I will prepare for them a healthy 131 planting. They will no longer be victims 132 of famine in the land and will no longer bear the insults of the nations. 34:30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, 133 and that they are my people, the house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord. 134 34:31 And you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are my people, 135 and I am your God, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
Psalms 83:1--84:12
ContextA song, a psalm of Asaph.
83:1 O God, do not be silent!
Do not ignore us! 137 Do not be inactive, O God!
83:2 For look, your enemies are making a commotion;
those who hate you are hostile. 138
83:3 They carefully plot 139 against your people,
and make plans to harm 140 the ones you cherish. 141
83:4 They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation! 142
Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”
83:5 Yes, 143 they devise a unified strategy; 144
they form an alliance 145 against you.
83:6 It includes 146 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites, 147
83:7 Gebal, 148 Ammon, and Amalek,
Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. 149
83:8 Even Assyria has allied with them,
lending its strength to the descendants of Lot. 150 (Selah)
83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian 151 –
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River! 152
83:10 They were destroyed at Endor; 153
their corpses were like manure 154 on the ground.
83:11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, 155
and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna, 156
83:12 who said, 157 “Let’s take over 158 the pastures of God!”
83:13 O my God, make them like dead thistles, 159
like dead weeds blown away by 160 the wind!
83:14 Like the fire that burns down the forest,
or the flames that consume the mountainsides, 161
83:15 chase them with your gale winds,
and terrify 162 them with your windstorm.
83:16 Cover 163 their faces with shame,
so they might seek 164 you, 165 O Lord.
83:17 May they be humiliated and continually terrified! 166
May they die in shame! 167
83:18 Then they will know 168 that you alone are the Lord, 169
the sovereign king 170 over all the earth.
For the music director; according to the gittith style; 172 written by the Korahites, a psalm.
84:1 How lovely is the place where you live, 173
O Lord who rules over all! 174
84:2 I desperately want to be 175
in the courts of the Lord’s temple. 176
My heart and my entire being 177 shout for joy
to the living God.
84:3 Even the birds find a home there,
and the swallow 178 builds a nest,
where she can protect her young 179
near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,
my king and my God.
84:4 How blessed 180 are those who live in your temple
and praise you continually! (Selah)
84:5 How blessed are those who 181 find their strength in you,
and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple! 182
84:6 As they pass through the Baca Valley, 183
he provides a spring for them. 184
The rain 185 even covers it with pools of water. 186
84:7 They are sustained as they travel along; 187
each one appears 188 before God in Zion.
84:8 O Lord, sovereign God, 189
hear my prayer!
Listen, O God of Jacob! (Selah)
84:9 O God, take notice of our shield! 190
Show concern for your chosen king! 191
84:10 Certainly 192 spending just one day in your temple courts is better
than spending a thousand elsewhere. 193
I would rather stand at the entrance 194 to the temple of my God
than live 195 in the tents of the wicked.
84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. 196
The Lord bestows favor 197 and honor;
he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity. 198
84:12 O Lord who rules over all, 199
how blessed are those who trust in you! 200
1 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
2 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
3 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
4 tn Heb “for the name of the
5 tn Heb “Solomon loved the
6 tn Or “policies, rules.”
7 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
8 tn The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
9 tn Or “revealed himself.”
10 tn Heb “ask.”
11 tn Heb “did.”
12 tn Heb “walked before.”
13 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
14 tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
15 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
16 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
17 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
18 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
19 tn Heb “to judge.”
20 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
21 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
22 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
23 tn Heb “to judge.”
24 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
25 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
26 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
27 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
28 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
29 tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
30 tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
31 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
32 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
33 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
34 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
35 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
36 tn Or “keeping.”
37 tn Heb “walked.”
38 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
39 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
40 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
41 sn There was no one else in the house except the two of us. In other words, there were no other witnesses to the births who could identify which child belonged to which mother.
42 tn Heb “died.”
43 tn Heb “lay, slept.”
44 tn Heb “look.”
45 tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
46 tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
47 tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.”
48 tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
49 tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
50 tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”
51 tn Heb “saw.”
52 tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”
53 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
54 tc The earliest and most important
map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.
55 tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style [and even if this letter is not by Paul it follows the general style of Paul’s letters, with some modifications]) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated. See M. Barth, Ephesians (AB 34), 1:68 and ExSyn 282.
56 tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”
57 sn Eph 1:3-14 comprises one long sentence in Greek, with three major sections. Each section ends with a note of praise for God (vv. 6, 12, 14), focusing on a different member of the Trinity. After an opening summary of all the saints’ spiritual blessings (v. 3), the first section (vv. 4-6) offers up praise that the Father has chosen us in eternity past; the second section (vv. 7-12) offers up praise that the Son has redeemed us in the historical past (i.e., at the cross); the third section (vv. 13-14) offers up praise that the Holy Spirit has sealed us in our personal past, at the point of conversion.
58 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos), the author’s intention at this point in the epistle, and the literary genre of this material must all come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. The meaning “blessed” would be more naturally paired with an indicative verb here and would suggest that blessedness is an intrinsic part of God’s character. The meaning “praised” would be more naturally paired with an optative verb here and would suggest that God ought to be praised. Pauline style in the epistles generally moves from statements to obligations, expressing the reality first and then the believer’s necessary response, which would favor the indicative. However, many scholars regard Eph 1:3-14 as a berakah psalm (cf. A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians [WBC], 10-11). Rooted in the OT and Jewish worship, berakah psalms were songs of praise in which the worshiper gave praise to God; this would favor the optative (although not all scholars are agreed on this genre classification here; see H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 153-59, for discussion and an alternate conclusion). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the indicative seems to fit all the factors better. The author seems to be pointing to who God is and what he has done for believers in this section; the indicative more naturally fits that emphasis. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3.
59 tn Or “enriched,” “conferred blessing.”
60 tn Grk “just as.” Eph 1:3-14 are one long sentence in Greek that must be broken up in English translation. Verse 4 expresses the reason why God the Father is blessed (cf. BDAG 494 s.v. καθώς 3).
61 tn Grk “in him.”
62 sn The Greek word translated unblemished (ἀμώμους, amwmous) is often used of an acceptable paschal lamb. Christ, as our paschal lamb, is also said to be unblemished (Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19). Since believers are in Christ, God views them positionally and will make them ultimately without blemish as well (Jude 24; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22).
63 tn Grk “before him.”
64 tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀγάπῃ (en agaph, “in love”) may modify one of three words or phrases: (1) “chose,” (2) “holy and unblemished,” both in v. 4, or (3) “by predestining” in v. 5. If it modifies “chose,” it refers to God’s motivation in that election, but this option is unlikely because of the placement of the prepositional phrase far away from the verb. The other two options are more likely. If it modifies “holy and unblemished,” it specifies that our holiness cannot be divorced from love. This view is in keeping with the author’s use of ἀγάπη to refer often to human love in Ephesians, but the placement of the prepositional phrase not immediately following the words it modifies would be slightly awkward. If it modifies “by predestining” (v. 5), again the motivation of God’s choice is love. This would fit the focus of the passage on God’s gracious actions toward believers, but it could be considered slightly redundant in that God’s predestination itself proves his love.
65 tn Grk “by predestining.” Verse 5 begins with an aorist participle dependent on the main verb in v. 4 (“chose”).
sn By predestining. The aorist participle may be translated either causally (“because he predestined,” “having predestined”) or instrumentally (“by predestining”). A causal nuance would suggest that God’s predestination of certain individuals prompted his choice of them. An instrumental nuance would suggest that the means by which God’s choice was accomplished was by predestination. The instrumental view is somewhat more likely in light of normal Greek syntax (i.e., an aorist participle following an aorist main verb is more likely to be instrumental than causal).
66 tn Grk “to himself” after “through Jesus Christ.”
67 tn The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).” Although some modern translations remove the filial sense completely and render the term merely “adoption” (cf. NAB, ESV), the retention of this component of meaning was accomplished in the present translation by the phrase “as…sons.”
sn Adoption as his sons is different from spiritual birth as children. All true believers have been born as children of God and will be adopted as sons of God. The adoption is both a future reality, and in some sense, already true. To be adopted as a son means to have the full rights of an heir. Thus, although in the ancient world, only boys could be adopted as sons, in God’s family all children – both male and female – are adopted.
68 tn Or “good pleasure.”
69 tn Or “to the praise of his glorious grace.” Many translations translate δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ (doxh" th" carito" autou, literally “of the glory of his grace”) with τῆς χάριτος as an attributed genitive (cf., e.g., NIV, NRSV, ESV). The translation above has retained a literal rendering in order to make clear the relationship of this phrase to the other two similar phrases in v. 12 and 14, which affect the way one divides the material in the passage.
70 tn Grk “the beloved.” The term ἠγαπημένῳ (hgaphmenw) means “beloved,” but often bears connotations of “only beloved” in an exclusive sense. “His dearly loved Son” picks up this connotation.
sn God’s grace can be poured out on believers only because of what Christ has done for them. Hence, he bestows his grace on us because we are in his dearly loved Son.
71 tn Grk “in whom” (the relative clause of v. 7 is subordinate to v. 6). The “him” refers to Christ.
72 sn In this context his blood, the blood of Jesus Christ, refers to the price paid for believers’ redemption, which is the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
73 tn Or “He did this by revealing”; Grk “making known, revealing.” Verse 9 begins with a participle dependent on “lavished” in v. 8; the adverbial participle could be understood as temporal (“when he revealed”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “lavished,” or as means (“by revealing”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.
74 tn Or “mystery.” In the NT μυστήριον (musthrion) refers to a divine secret previously undisclosed.
75 tn Or “purposed,” “publicly displayed.” Cf. Rom 3:25.
76 tn Grk “in him”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
sn In Christ. KJV has “in himself” as though the antecedent were God the Father. Although possible, the notion of the verb set forth (Greek προτίθημι, protiqhmi) implies a plan that is carried out in history (cf. Rom 1:13; 3:25) and thus more likely refers to Christ.
77 tn The precise meaning of the infinitive ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι (anakefalaiwsasqai) in v. 10 is difficult to determine since it was used relatively infrequently in Greek literature and only twice in the NT (here and Rom 13:9). While there have been several suggestions, three deserve mention: (1) “To sum up.” In Rom 13:9, using the same term, the author there says that the law may be “summarized in one command, to love your neighbor as yourself.” The idea then in Eph 1:10 would be that all things in heaven and on earth can be summed up and made sense out of in relation to Christ. (2) “To renew.” If this is the nuance of the verb then all things in heaven and earth, after their plunge into sin and ruin, are renewed by the coming of Christ and his redemption. (3) “To head up.” In this translation the idea is that Christ, in the fullness of the times, has been exalted so as to be appointed as the ruler (i.e., “head”) over all things in heaven and earth (including the church). That this is perhaps the best understanding of the verb is evidenced by the repeated theme of Christ’s exaltation and reign in Ephesians and by the connection to the κεφαλή- (kefalh-) language of 1:22 (cf. Schlier, TDNT 3:682; L&N 63.8; M. Barth, Ephesians [AB 34], 1:89-92; contra A. T. Lincoln, Ephesians [WBC], 32-33).
78 tn Grk “the heavens.”
79 sn And the things on earth. Verse 10 ends with “in him.” The redundancy keeps the focus on Christ at the expense of good Greek style. Verse 11 repeats the reference with a relative pronoun (“in whom”) – again, at the expense of good Greek style. Although the syntax is awkward, the theology is rich. This is not the first time that a NT writer was so overcome with awe for his Lord that he seems to have lost control of his pen. Indeed, it happened frequently enough that some have labeled their christologically motivated solecisms an “apostolic disease.”
80 tn Grk “in whom,” as a continuation of the previous verse.
81 tn Grk “we were appointed by lot.” The notion of the verb κληρόω (klhrow) in the OT was to “appoint a portion by lot” (the more frequent cognate verb κληρονομέω [klhronomew] meant “obtain a portion by lot”). In the passive, as here, the idea is that “we were appointed [as a portion] by lot” (BDAG 548 s.v. κληρόω 1). The words “God’s own” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this sense of the verb. An alternative interpretation is that believers receive a portion as an inheritance: “In Christ we too have been appointed a portion of the inheritance.” See H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 226-27, for discussion on this interpretive issue.
sn God’s own possession. Although God is not mentioned explicitly in the Greek text, it is clear from the context that he has chosen believers for himself. Just as with the nation Israel, the church is God’s chosen portion or possession (cf. Deut 32:8-9).
82 tn Or “who had already hoped.”
83 tn Or “the Messiah.”
84 tn Grk “in whom you also, when…” (continuing the sentence from v. 12).
85 tn Grk “in whom also having believed.” The relative pronoun “whom” has been replaced in the translation with its antecedent (“Christ”) to improve the clarity.
86 tn Or “you were sealed.”
87 tn Grk “the Holy Spirit of promise.” Here ἐπαγγελίας (epangelias, “of promise”) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
88 tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit.”
sn Down payment. The Greek word ἀρραβών (arrabwn) denotes the first payment or first installment of money or goods which serves as a guarantee or pledge for the completion of the transaction. In the NT the term is used only figuratively of the Holy Spirit as the down payment of the blessings promised by God (it is used also in 2 Cor 1:22 and 5:5). In the “already – not yet” scheme of the NT the possession of the Spirit now by believers (“already”) can be viewed as a guarantee that God will give them the balance of the promised blessings in the future (“not yet”).
89 tn Grk “the possession.”
90 sn The conjunctive phrase For this reason points back to the preceding section, vv. 3-14, which is also summed up in this verse in the expression because I have heard of your faith. In other words, the author’s prayer can be made for his audience because he knows that they are true believers.
91 tn Grk “even I.”
92 tn Grk “having also heard.”
93 tc Ì46 א* A B P 33 1739 1881 2464 Hier lack “your love” (τὴν ἀγάπην, thn agaphn), while various other groups of
94 tn Grk “making mention [of you].”
95 tn The words “I pray” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify the meaning; v. 17 is a subordinate clause to v. 16 (“I pray” in v. 17 is implied from v. 16). Eph 1:15-23 constitutes one sentence in Greek, but a new sentence was started here in the translation in light of contemporary English usage.
96 tn Or “glorious Father.” The genitive phrase “of glory” is most likely an attributive genitive. The literal translation “Father of glory” has been retained because of the parallelism with the first line of the verse: “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.”
97 tn Or “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,” or “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” Verse 17 involves a complex exegetical problem revolving around the Greek term πνεῦμα (pneuma). Some take it to mean “the Spirit,” others “a spirit,” and still others “spiritual.” (1) If “the Spirit” is meant, the idea must be a metonymy of cause for effect, because the author had just indicated in vv. 13-14 that the Spirit was already given (hence, there is no need for him to pray that he be given again). But the effect of the Spirit is wisdom and revelation. (2) If “a spirit” is meant, the idea may be that the readers will have the ability to gain wisdom and insight as they read Paul’s letters, but the exact meaning of “a spirit” remains ambiguous. (3) To take the genitives following πνεῦμα as attributed genitives (see ExSyn 89-91), in which the head noun (“S/spirit”) functions semantically like an adjective (“spiritual”) is both grammatically probable and exegetically consistent.
98 tn Grk “in the knowledge of him.”
sn The point of the knowledge of him has nothing to do with what God knows, but with what believers are to know (hence, “your…knowledge”). Further, the author’s prayer is that this knowledge of God would increase, not simply be initiated, since he is writing to believers who already know God (hence, “your growing knowledge of him”).
99 tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially of the Byzantine and Western texttypes, though with a few important Alexandrian witnesses (א A D F G Ψ 0278 Ï latt sy), add ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) after καρδίας (kardias, “heart”), though it is clearly implied in the shorter (Alexandrian) reading (found in Ì46 B 6 33 1175 1739 1881 pc). The longer reading thus looks to be a clarifying gloss, as is frequently found in the Byzantine and Western traditions. The translation above also uses “your” because of English requirements, not because of textual basis.
tn Grk “the.”
100 tn The perfect participle πεφωτισμένους (pefwtismenou") may either be part of the prayer (“that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”) or part of the basis of the prayer (“since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened”). Although the participle follows the ἵνα (Jina) of v. 17, it is awkward grammatically in the clause. Further, perfect adverbial participles are usually causal in NT Greek. Finally, the context both here and throughout Ephesians seems to emphasize the motif of light as a property belonging to believers. Thus, it seems that the author is saying, “I know that you are saved, that you have had the blinders of the devil removed; because of this, I can now pray that you will fully understand and see the light of God’s glorious revelation.” Hence, the translation takes the participle to form a part of the basis for the prayer.
101 tn Or “the hope to which he has called you.”
sn The hope of his calling. The translation is more formally equivalent for this and the following two phrases, because of the apparently intentional literary force of the original. There is a natural cadence to the three genitive expressions (hope of his calling, wealth of his glorious inheritance, and extraordinary greatness of his power). The essence of the prayer is seen here. Paraphrased it reads as follows: “Since you are enlightened by God’s Spirit, I pray that you may comprehend the hope to which he has called you, the spiritual riches that await the saints in glory, and the spiritual power that is available to the saints now.” Thus, the prayer focuses on all three temporal aspects of our salvation as these are embedded in the genitives – the past (calling), the future (inheritance), and the present (power toward us who believe).
102 tn Grk “of the glory of his inheritance.” Here “inheritance” is taken as an attributed genitive and the head noun, “glory,” is thus translated as an adjective, “glorious inheritance.”
103 tn Or “immeasurable, surpassing”
104 tn Or “for, to”
105 tn Grk “according to.”
106 tn Grk “according to the exercise of the might of his strength.”
sn What has been translated as exercise is a term used only of supernatural power in the NT, ἐνέργεια (energeia).
107 tn Grk “which” (v. 20 is a subordinate clause to v. 19).
108 tn The verb “exercised” (the aorist of ἐνεργέω, energew) has its nominal cognate in “exercise” in v. 19 (ἐνέργεια, energeia).
109 tn Or “This power he exercised in Christ by raising him”; Grk “raising him.” The adverbial participle ἐγείρας (egeiras) could be understood as temporal (“when he raised [him]”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “he exercised” earlier in the verse, or as means (“by raising [him]”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.
110 tc The majority of
111 sn Eph 1:19-20. The point made in these verses is that the power required to live a life pleasing to God is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. For a similar thought, cf. John 15:1-11.
112 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
113 tn Grk “subjected.”
114 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
116 tn Grk “and he gave him as head over all things to the church.”
117 tn Grk “which is.” The antecedent of “which” is easily lost in English, though in Greek it is quite clear. In the translation “church” is repeated to clarify the referent.
118 tn Or perhaps, “who is filled entirely.”
sn The idea of all in all is either related to the universe (hence, he fills the whole universe entirely) or the church universal (hence, Christ fills the church entirely with his presence and power).
119 tn The term shepherd is applied to kings in the ancient Near East. In the OT the
120 tn The term translated “harshness” is used to describe the oppression the Israelites suffered as slaves in Egypt (Exod 1:13).
121 tn As a case of dittography, the MT repeats “and they were scattered” at the end of the verse.
122 tn Heb “I will cause them to cease from feeding sheep.”
123 sn The imagery may reflect the overthrow of the Israelites by the Babylonians in 587/6
124 tn Heb “good.”
125 tn Heb “outside.”
126 sn The messianic king is here called “David” (see Jer 30:9 and Hos 3:5, as well as Isa 11:1 and Mic 5:2) because he will fulfill the Davidic royal ideal depicted in the prophets and royal psalms (see Ps 2, 89).
127 sn The messianic king (“David”) is called both “king” and “prince” in 37:24-25. The use of the term “prince” for this king facilitates the contrast between this ideal ruler and the Davidic “princes” denounced in earlier prophecies (see 7:27; 12:10, 12; 19:1; 21:25; 22:6, 25).
128 tn The phrase “live securely” occurs in Ezek 28:26; 38:8, 11, 14; 39:26 as an expression of freedom from fear. It is a promised blessing resulting from obedience (see Lev 26:5-6).
129 sn The woods were typically considered to be places of danger (Ps 104:20-21; Jer 5:6).
130 tn Heb “showers of blessing.” Abundant rain, which in turn produces fruit and crops (v. 27), is a covenantal blessing for obedience (Lev 26:4).
131 tc The MT reads לְשֵׁם (lÿshem, “for a name”), meaning perhaps a renowned planting (place). The translation takes this to be a metathesis of שָׁלֹם (shalom) as was read by the LXX.
132 tn Heb “those gathered” for famine.
133 sn A promise given to Abraham (Gen 15:7) and his descendants (Gen 15:8; Exod 6:7).
134 sn The blessings described in vv. 25-30 are those promised for obedience in Lev 26:4-13.
135 tn Heb, “the sheep of my pasture, you are human.” See 36:37-38 for a similar expression. The possessive pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation to balance “I am your God” in the next clause.
136 sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.
137 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
138 tn Heb “lift up [their] head[s].” The phrase “lift up [the] head” here means “to threaten; to be hostile,” as in Judg 8:28.
139 tn Heb “they make crafty a plot.”
140 tn Heb “and consult together against.”
141 tn The passive participle of the Hebrew verb צָפַן (tsafan, “to hide”) is used here in the sense of “treasured; cherished.”
142 tn Heb “we will cause them to disappear from [being] a nation.”
143 tn Or “for.”
144 tn Heb “they consult [with] a heart together.”
145 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
146 tn The words “it includes” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
147 sn The Hagrites are also mentioned in 1 Chr 5:10, 19-20.
148 sn Some identify Gebal with the Phoenician coastal city of Byblos (see Ezek 27:9, where the name is spelled differently), though others locate this site south of the Dead Sea (see BDB 148 s.v. גְּבַל; HALOT 174 s.v. גְּבַל).
149 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
150 tn Heb “they are an arm for the sons of Lot.” The “arm” is here a symbol of military might.
sn The descendants of Lot were the Moabites and Ammonites.
151 tn Heb “do to them like Midian.”
152 sn The psalmist alludes here to Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (see Judg 7-8) and to Barak’s victory over Jabin’s army, which was led by his general Sisera (Judg 4-5).
153 sn Endor is not mentioned in the accounts of Gideon’s or Barak’s victories, but both battles took place in the general vicinity of the town. (See Y. Aharoni and M. Avi-Yonah, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, 46, 54.) Because Sisera and Jabin are mentioned in v. 9b, many understand them to be the subject of the verbs in v. 10, though they relate v. 10 to Gideon’s victory, which is referred to in v. 9a, 11. (See, for example, Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 263.)
154 tn Heb “they were manure.” In addition to this passage, corpses are compared to manure in 2 Kgs 9:37; Jer 8:2; 9:21; 16:4; 25:33.
155 sn Oreb and Zeeb were the generals of the Midianite army that was defeated by Gideon. The Ephraimites captured and executed both of them and sent their heads to Gideon (Judg 7:24-25).
156 sn Zebah and Zalmunna were the Midianite kings. Gideon captured them and executed them (Judg 8:1-21).
157 tn The translation assumes that “Zebah and Zalmunna” are the antecedents of the relative pronoun (“who [said]”). Another option is to take “their nobles…all their rulers” as the antecedent and to translate, “those who say.”
158 tn Heb “let’s take possession for ourselves.”
159 tn Or “tumbleweed.” The Hebrew noun גַּלְגַּל (galgal) refers to a “wheel” or, metaphorically, to a whirling wind (see Ps 77:18). If taken in the latter sense here, one could understand the term as a metonymical reference to dust blown by a whirlwind (cf. NRSV “like whirling dust”). However, HALOT 190 s.v. II גַּלְגַּל understands the noun as a homonym referring to a “dead thistle” here and in Isa 17:13. The parallel line, which refers to קַשׁ (qash, “chaff”), favors this interpretation.
160 tn Heb “before.”
161 sn The imagery of fire and flames suggests unrelenting, destructive judgment.
162 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 15 express the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
163 tn Heb “fill.”
164 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose or result (“then they will seek”).
165 tn Heb “your name,” which stands here for God’s person.
166 tn Heb “and may they be terrified to perpetuity.” The Hebrew expression עֲדֵי־עַד (’adey-’ad, “to perpetuity”) can mean “forevermore” (see Pss 92:7; 132:12, 14), but here it may be used hyperbolically, for the psalmist asks that the experience of judgment might lead the nations to recognize (v. 18) and even to seek (v. 16) God.
167 tn Heb “may they be ashamed and perish.” The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling severe judgment down on his enemies. The strong language of the imprecation seems to run contrary to the positive outcome of divine judgment envisioned in v. 16b. Perhaps the language of v. 17 is overstated for effect. Another option is that v. 16b expresses an ideal, while the strong imprecation of vv. 17-18 anticipates reality. It would be nice if the defeated nations actually pursued a relationship with God, but if judgment does not bring them to that point, the psalmist asks that they be annihilated so that they might at least be forced to acknowledge God’s power.
168 tn After the preceding jussives (v. 17), the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose (“so that they may know”) or result.
169 tn Heb “that you, your name [is] the
170 tn Traditionally “the Most High.”
171 sn Psalm 84. The psalmist expresses his desire to be in God’s presence in the Jerusalem temple, for the Lord is the protector of his people.
172 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הַגִּתִּית (haggittit) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument.
173 tn Or “your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the
174 tn Traditionally, “
175 tn Heb “my soul longs, it even pines for.”
176 tn Heb “the courts of the
177 tn Heb “my flesh,” which stands for his whole person and being.
178 tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.
179 tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”
sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.
180 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 12 and Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
181 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here was certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to in v. 5a is representative of followers of God, as the use of plural forms in vv. 5b-7 indicates.
182 tn Heb “roads [are] in their heart[s].” The roads are here those that lead to Zion (see v. 7).
183 tn The translation assumes that the Hebrew phrase עֵמֶק הַבָּכָא (’emeq habbakha’) is the name of an otherwise unknown arid valley through which pilgrims to Jerusalem passed. The term בָּכָא (bakha’) may be the name of a particular type of plant or shrub that grew in this valley. O. Borowski (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 130) suggests it is the black mulberry. Some take the phrase as purely metaphorical and relate בָּכָא to the root בָּכָה (bakhah, “to weep”). In this case one might translate, “the valley of weeping” or “the valley of affliction.”
184 tc The MT reads “a spring they make it,” but this makes little sense. Many medieval Hebrew
185 tn This rare word may refer to the early (or autumn) rains (see Joel 2:23).
186 tc The MT reads בְּרָכוֹת (bÿrakhot, “blessings”) but the preceding reference to a “spring” favors an emendation to בְּרֵכוֹת (bÿrekhot, “pools”).
sn Pools of water. Because water is so necessary for life, it makes an apt symbol for divine favor and blessing. As the pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem, God provided for their physical needs and gave them a token of his favor and of the blessings awaiting them at the temple.
187 tn Heb “they go from strength to strength.” The phrase “from strength to strength” occurs only here in the OT. With a verb of motion, the expression “from [common noun] to [same common noun]” normally suggests movement from one point to another or through successive points (see Num 36:7; 1 Chr 16:20; 17:5; Ps 105:13; Jer 25:32). Ps 84:7 may be emphasizing that the pilgrims move successively from one “place of strength” to another as they travel toward Jerusalem. All along the way they find adequate provisions and renewed energy for the trip.
188 tn The psalmist returns to the singular (see v. 5a), which he uses in either a representative or distributive (“each one” ) sense.
189 tn Heb “
190 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “your anointed one” here and with “our king” in Ps 89:18.
191 tn Heb “look [on] the face of your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17).
192 tn Or “for.”
193 tn Heb “better is a day in your courts than a thousand [spent elsewhere].”
194 tn Heb “I choose being at the entrance of the house of my God over living in the tents of the wicked.” The verb סָפַף (safaf) appears only here in the OT; it is derived from the noun סַף (saf, “threshold”). Traditionally some have interpreted this as a reference to being a doorkeeper at the temple, though some understand it to mean “lie as a beggar at the entrance to the temple” (see HALOT 765 s.v. ספף).
195 tn The verb דּוּר (dur, “to live”) occurs only here in the OT.
196 tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.
197 tn Or “grace.”
198 tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”
199 tn Traditionally “
200 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man [who] trusts in you.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to here is representative of all followers of God, as the use of the plural form in v. 12b indicates.