2 Samuel 4:1--5:25 
Context4:1 When Ish-bosheth 1 the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened, 2 and all Israel was afraid. 4:2 Now Saul’s son 3 had two men who were in charge of raiding units; one was named Baanah and the other Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, who was a Benjaminite. (Beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin, 4:3 for the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have remained there as resident foreigners until the present time.) 4
4:4 Now Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan arrived from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but in her haste to get away, he fell and was injured. 5 Mephibosheth was his name.
4:5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite – Recab and Baanah – went at the hottest part of the day to the home of Ish-bosheth, as he was enjoying his midday rest. 4:6 They 6 entered the house under the pretense of getting wheat and mortally wounded him 7 in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah escaped.
4:7 They had entered 8 the house while Ish-bosheth 9 was resting on his bed in his bedroom. They mortally wounded him 10 and then cut off his head. 11 Taking his head, 12 they traveled on the way of the Arabah all that night. 4:8 They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, “Look! The head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king this day against 13 Saul and his descendants!”
4:9 David replied to Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered my life from all adversity, 4:10 when someone told me that Saul was dead – even though he thought he was bringing good news 14 – I seized him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the good news I gave to him! 4:11 Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept 15 in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove 16 you from the earth?”
4:12 So David issued orders to the soldiers and they put them to death. Then they cut off their hands and feet and hung them 17 near the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth 18 and buried it in the tomb of Abner 19 in Hebron. 20
5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! 21 5:2 In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the real leader in Israel. 22 The Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over Israel.’”
5:3 When all the leaders 23 of Israel came to the king at Hebron, King David made an agreement with them 24 in Hebron before the Lord. They designated 25 David as king over Israel. 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned for forty years. 5:5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem 26 he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
5:6 Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem 27 against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites 28 said to David, “You cannot invade this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot invade this place!’”
5:7 But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the city of David). 5:8 David said on that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the ‘lame’ and the ‘blind’ who are David’s enemies 29 by going through the water tunnel.” 30 For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.” 31
5:9 So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards. 5:10 David’s power grew steadily, for the Lord God 32 who commands armies 33 was with him. 34
5:11 King Hiram of Tyre 35 sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace 36 for David. 5:12 David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 5:13 David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he arrived from Hebron. Even more sons and daughters were born to David. 5:14 These are the names of children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5:15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 5:16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been designated 37 king over Israel, they all 38 went up to search for David. When David heard about it, he went down to the fortress. 5:18 Now the Philistines had arrived and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 5:19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “March up, for I will indeed 39 hand the Philistines over to you.”
5:20 So David marched against Baal Perazim and defeated them there. Then he said, “The Lord has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.” So he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 40 5:21 The Philistines 41 abandoned their idols 42 there, and David and his men picked them up.
5:22 The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 5:23 So David asked the Lord what he should do. 43 This time 44 the Lord 45 said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. 46 5:24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, act decisively. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to strike down the army 47 of the Philistines.” 5:25 David did just as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. 48
1 Corinthians 15:1-58
Context15:1 Now I want to make clear for you, 49 brothers and sisters, 50 the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. 15:3 For I passed on to you as of first importance 51 what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 15:4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised 52 on the third day according to the scriptures, 15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters 53 at one time, most of whom are still alive, 54 though some have fallen asleep. 55 15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 15:8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, 56 he appeared to me also. 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 15:11 Whether then it was I or they, this is the way we preach and this is the way you believed.
15:12 Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead, 57 how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty. 15:15 Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified against God that he raised Christ from the dead, when in reality he did not raise him, if indeed the dead are not raised. 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins. 15:18 Furthermore, those who have fallen asleep 58 in Christ have also perished. 15:19 For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.
15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 15:21 For since death came through a man, 59 the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. 60 15:22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him. 61 15:24 Then 62 comes the end, 63 when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power. 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 15:26 The last enemy to be eliminated is death. 15:27 For he has put everything in subjection under his feet. 64 But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him. 15:28 And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
15:29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? 65 If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them? 15:30 Why too are we in danger every hour? 15:31 Every day I am in danger of death! This is as sure as 66 my boasting in you, 67 which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. 15:32 If from a human point of view I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, 68 what did it benefit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 69 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 70 15:34 Sober up as you should, and stop sinning! For some have no knowledge of God – I say this to your shame!
15:35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 15:36 Fool! What you sow will not come to life unless it dies. 15:37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare seed 71 – perhaps of wheat or something else. 15:38 But God gives it a body just as he planned, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 15:39 All flesh is not the same: People have one flesh, animals have another, birds and fish another. 72 15:40 And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly body is one sort and the earthly another. 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.
15:42 It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 73 15:43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 15:45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; 74 the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 15:46 However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. 15:47 The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven. 15:48 Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust, and like the one from heaven, so too those who are heavenly. 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear 75 the image of the man of heaven.
15:50 Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: 76 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 15:51 Listen, 77 I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, 78 but we will all be changed – 15:52 in a moment, in the blinking 79 of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 15:53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 15:54 Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen,
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 80
15:55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?” 81
15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 15:58 So then, dear brothers and sisters, 82 be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Ezekiel 13:1-23
Context13:1 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 13:2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination: 83 ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 13:3 This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing! 13:4 Your prophets have become like jackals among the ruins, O Israel. 13:5 You have not gone up in the breaks in the wall, nor repaired a wall for the house of Israel that it would stand strong in the battle on the day of the Lord. 13:6 They see delusion and their omens are a lie. 84 They say, “the Lord declares,” though the Lord has not sent them; 85 yet they expect their word to be confirmed. 86 13:7 Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say, “the Lord declares,” although I myself never spoke?
13:8 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you have spoken false words and forecast delusion, look, 87 I am against you, 88 declares the sovereign Lord. 13:9 My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council 89 of my people, nor be written in the registry 90 of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.
13:10 “‘This is because they have led my people astray saying, “All is well,” 91 when things are not well. When anyone builds a wall without mortar, 92 they coat it with whitewash. 13:11 Tell the ones who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. When there is a deluge of rain, hailstones 93 will fall and a violent wind will break out. 94 13:12 When the wall has collapsed, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you coated it with?”
13:13 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: In my rage I will make a violent wind break out. In my anger there will be a deluge of rain and hailstones in destructive fury. 13:14 I will break down the wall you coated with whitewash and knock it to the ground so that its foundation is exposed. When it falls you will be destroyed beneath it, 95 and you will know that I am the Lord. 13:15 I will vent my rage against the wall, and against those who coated it with whitewash. Then I will say to you, “The wall is no more and those who whitewashed it are no more – 13:16 those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem 96 and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace,” declares the sovereign Lord.’
13:17 “As for you, son of man, turn toward 97 the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination. 98 Prophesy against them 13:18 and say ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands 99 on all their wrists 100 and make headbands 101 for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives! 102 Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives? 13:19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. You have put to death people 103 who should not die and kept alive those who should not live by your lies to my people, who listen to lies!
13:20 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note 104 that I am against your wristbands with which you entrap people’s lives 105 like birds. I will tear them from your arms and will release the people’s lives, which you hunt like birds. 13:21 I will tear off your headbands and rescue my people from your power; 106 they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 13:22 This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life. 13:23 Therefore you will no longer see false visions and practice divination. I will rescue my people from your power, and you 107 will know that I am the Lord.’”
Psalms 52:1--54:7
ContextFor the music director; a well-written song 109 by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” 110
52:1 Why do you boast about your evil plans, 111 O powerful man?
God’s loyal love protects me all day long! 112
52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; 113
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. 114
52:3 You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth. 115 (Selah)
52:4 You love to use all the words that destroy, 116
and the tongue that deceives.
52:5 Yet 117 God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. 118
He will scoop you up 119 and remove you from your home; 120
he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying: 121
52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make 122 God his protector!
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” 123
52:8 But I 124 am like a flourishing 125 olive tree in the house of God;
I continually 126 trust in God’s loyal love.
52:9 I will continually 127 thank you when 128 you execute judgment; 129
I will rely 130 on you, 131 for your loyal followers know you are good. 132
For the music director; according to the machalath style; 134 a well-written song 135 by David.
53:1 Fools say to themselves, 136 “There is no God.” 137
They sin and commit evil deeds; 138
none of them does what is right. 139
53:2 God looks down from heaven 140 at the human race, 141
to see if there is anyone who is wise 142 and seeks God. 143
53:3 Everyone rejects God; 144
they are all morally corrupt. 145
None of them does what is right, 146
not even one!
53:4 All those who behave wickedly 147 do not understand 148 –
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
53:5 They are absolutely terrified, 149
even by things that do not normally cause fear. 150
For God annihilates 151 those who attack you. 152
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them. 153
53:6 I wish the deliverance 154 of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people, 155
may Jacob rejoice, 156
may Israel be happy! 157
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 159 by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” 160
54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! 161
Vindicate me 162 by your power!
54:2 O God, listen to my prayer!
Pay attention to what I say! 163
54:3 For foreigners 164 attack me; 165
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. 166 (Selah)
54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! 167
The Lord is among those who support me. 168
54:5 May those who wait to ambush me 169 be repaid for their evil! 170
As a demonstration of your faithfulness, 171 destroy them!
54:6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice 172 to you!
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!
54:7 Surely 173 he rescues me from all trouble, 174
and I triumph over my enemies. 175
1 tn The MT does not specify the subject of the verb here, but the reference is to Ish-bosheth, so the name has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 4QSama and the LXX mistakenly read “Mephibosheth.”
2 tn Heb “his hands went slack.”
3 tc The present translation, “Saul’s son had two men,” is based on the reading “to the son of Saul,” rather than the MT’s “the son of Saul.” The context requires the preposition to indicate the family relationship.
4 tn Heb “until this day.”
5 tn Heb “and was lame.”
6 tc For the MT’s וְהֵנָּה (vÿhennah, “and they,” feminine) read וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and behold”). See the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Targum.
7 tn Heb “and they struck him down.”
8 tn After the concluding disjunctive clause at the end of v. 6, the author now begins a more detailed account of the murder and its aftermath.
9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish-bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Heb “they struck him down and killed him.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
11 tn Heb “and they removed his head.” The Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate lack these words.
12 tc The Lucianic Greek recension lacks the words “his head.”
13 tn Heb “from.”
14 tn Heb “and he was like a bearer of good news in his eyes.”
15 tn Heb “on his bed.”
16 tn See HALOT 146 s.v. II בער. Some derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to burn; to consume.”
17 tn The antecedent of the pronoun “them” (which is not present in the Hebrew text, but implied) is not entirely clear. Presumably it is the corpses that were hung and not merely the detached hands and feet; cf. NIV “hung the (their NRSV, NLT) bodies”; the alternative is represented by TEV “cut off their hands and feet, which they hung up.”
18 tc 4QSama mistakenly reads “Mephibosheth” here.
19 tc The LXX adds “the son of Ner” by conformity with common phraseology elsewhere.
20 tc Some
21 tn Heb “look we are your bone and your flesh.”
22 tn Heb “you were the one leading out and the one leading in Israel.”
23 tn Heb “elders.”
24 tn Heb “and the king, David, cut for them a covenant.”
25 tn Heb “anointed.”
26 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
27 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
28 tn The Hebrew text has “he” rather than “the Jebusites.” The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. In the Syriac Peshitta and some
29 tc There is some confusion among the witnesses concerning this word. The Kethib is the Qal perfect 3cp שָׂנְאוּ (sanÿ’u, “they hated”), referring to the Jebusites’ attitude toward David. The Qere is the Qal passive participle construct plural שְׂנֻאֵי (sÿnu’e, “hated”), referring to David’s attitude toward the Jebusites. 4QSama has the Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular שָׂנְאָה (sanÿ’ah, “hated”), the subject of which would be “the soul of David.” The difference is minor and the translation adopted above works for either the Kethib or the Qere.
30 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term has been debated. For a survey of various views, see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 139-40.
sn If a water tunnel is in view here, it is probably the so-called Warren’s Shaft that extends up from Hezekiah’s tunnel. It would have provided a means for surprise attack against the occupants of the city of David. The LXX seems not to understand the reference here, translating “by the water shaft” as “with a small knife.”
31 tn Heb “the house.” TEV takes this as a reference to the temple (“the Lord’s house”).
32 tc 4QSama and the LXX lack the word “God,” probably due to harmonization with the more common biblical phrase “the
33 tn Traditionally, “the
34 tn The translation assumes that the disjunctive clause is circumstantial-causal, giving the reason for David’s success.
35 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
36 tn Heb “a house.”
37 tn Heb “anointed.”
38 tn Heb “all the Philistines.”
39 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the following verb.
40 tn The name means “Lord of the outbursts.”
41 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42 tc For “idols” the LXX and Vulgate have “gods.”
43 tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.
44 tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.
45 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
46 tn Some translate as “balsam trees” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NJB, NLT); cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV “mulberry trees”; NAB “mastic trees”; NEB, REB “aspens.” The exact identification of the type of tree or plant is uncertain.
47 tn Heb “camp” (so NAB).
48 tn Heb “from Gibeon until you enter Gezer.”
49 tn Grk “Now I make known to you.”
50 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.
51 tn Grk “among (the) first things.”
52 tn Grk “he has been raised/is raised,” using a Greek tense that points to the present effect of the act of raising him. But in English idiom the temporal phrase “on the third day” requires a different translation of the verb.
53 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.
54 tn Grk “most of whom remain until now.”
55 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death. Here the term refers to death, but “sleep” was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term.
56 sn One born at the wrong time. The Greek word used here (ἔκτρωμα, ektrwma) refers to a premature birth, a miscarriage, or an aborted child. Paul uses it as a powerful figure of the unexpected, abnormal nature of his apostolic call.
57 tn Grk “that he has been raised from the dead.”
58 tn See the note on the word “asleep” in 15:6. This term is also used in v. 20.
59 tn Or “through a human being” (a reference to Adam).
60 tn Or “through a human being” (a reference to Jesus Christ).
61 tn Grk “then those who belong to Christ, at his coming.”
62 tn This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
63 tn Grk “then the end” or “then (is) the end.” Paul explains how the “end” relates to resurrection in vv. 25-28.
64 sn A quotation from Ps 8:6.
65 sn Many suggestions have been offered for the puzzling expression baptized for the dead. There are up to 200 different explanations for the passage; a summary is given by K. C. Thompson, “I Corinthians 15,29 and Baptism for the Dead,” Studia Evangelica 2.1 (TU 87), 647-59. The most likely interpretation is that some Corinthians had undergone baptism to bear witness to the faith of fellow believers who had died without experiencing that rite themselves. Paul’s reference to the practice here is neither a recommendation nor a condemnation. He simply uses it as evidence from the lives of the Corinthians themselves to bolster his larger argument, begun in 15:12, that resurrection from the dead is a present reality in Christ and a future reality for them. Whatever they may have proclaimed, the Corinthians’ actions demonstrated that they had hope for a bodily resurrection.
66 tn Or, more literally, “I swear by the boasting in you.”
67 tc ‡ Although the witnesses for the shorter reading (Ì46 D F G Ψ 075 0243 1739 1881 Ï) are not as strong as for the addition of ἀδελφοί (adelfoi, “brothers”) at this juncture (א A B K P 33 81 104 365 1175 2464 lat sy co), it is difficult to find a reason why scribes would either intentionally or unintentionally drop the address here. Thus, the shorter reading is slightly preferred.
68 map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.
69 sn An allusion to Isa 22:13; 56:12.
70 sn A quotation from the poet Menander, Thais 218, which Paul uses in a proverbial sense.
71 tn Grk “and what you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare seed.”
72 tn Grk “all flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one (flesh) of people, but another flesh of animals and another flesh of birds and another of fish.”
73 tn Grk “it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” The “it” refers to the body, as v. 44 shows.
74 tn Grk “living soul”; a quotation from Gen 2:7.
75 tc ‡ A few significant witnesses have the future indicative φορέσομεν (foresomen, “we will bear”; B I 6 630 1881 al sa) instead of the aorist subjunctive φορέσωμεν (foreswmen, “let us bear”; Ì46 א A C D F G Ψ 075 0243 33 1739 Ï latt bo). If the original reading is the future tense, then “we will bear” would be a guarantee that believers would be like Jesus (and unlike Adam) in the resurrection. If the aorist subjunctive is original, then “let us bear” would be a command to show forth the image of Jesus, i.e., to live as citizens of the kingdom that believers will one day inherit. The future indicative is not widespread geographically. At the same time, it fits the context well: Not only are there indicatives in this section (especially vv. 42-49), but the conjunction καί (kai) introducing the comparative καθώς (kaqws) seems best to connect to the preceding by furthering the same argument (what is, not what ought to be). For this reason, though, the future indicative could be a reading thus motivated by an early scribe. In light of the extremely weighty evidence for the aorist subjunctive, it is probably best to regard the aorist subjunctive as original. This connects well with v. 50, for there Paul makes a pronouncement that seems to presuppose some sort of exhortation. G. D. Fee (First Corinthians [NICNT], 795) argues for the originality of the subjunctive, stating that “it is nearly impossible to account for anyone’s having changed a clearly understandable future to the hortatory subjunctive so early and so often that it made its way into every textual history as the predominant reading.” The subjunctive makes a great deal of sense in view of the occasion of 1 Corinthians. Paul wrote to combat an over-realized eschatology in which some of the Corinthians evidently believed they were experiencing all the benefits of the resurrection body in the present, and thus that their behavior did not matter. If the subjunctive is the correct reading, it seems Paul makes two points: (1) that the resurrection is a bodily one, as distinct from an out-of-body experience, and (2) that one’s behavior in the interim does make a difference (see 15:32-34, 58).
76 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.
77 tn Grk “Behold.”
78 tc The manuscripts are grouped into four basic readings here: (1) א C 0243* 33 1739 have “we all will sleep, but we will not all be changed” (πάντες κοιμηθησόμεθα, οὐ πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα); (2) Ì46 Ac (F G) have “we will not all sleep, but we will not all be changed” (πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα, οὐ πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα); (3) D* lat Tert Ambst Spec read “we will all rise, but we will not all be changed.” (4) The wording πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα, πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα (“we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed”) is found in B D2 Ψ 075 0243c 1881 Ï sy co. How shall we interpret such data? In light of the fact that Paul and his generation did in fact die, early scribes may have felt some embarrassment over the bald statement, “We will not all sleep” (πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα). This could account for the first variant. Although the second variant could be viewed as a conflation of (1) and (4) (so TCGNT 502; G. D. Fee, First Corinthians [NICNT], 796), it could also have arisen consciously, to guard against the notion that all whom Paul was addressing should regard themselves as true believers. The third variant, prominent in the Western witnesses, may have arisen to counter those who would deny the final resurrection (so TCGNT 502). In any event, since the fourth reading has the best credentials externally and best explains the rise of the others it should be adopted as the authentic wording here.
tn See the note on the word “asleep” in 15:6.
79 tn The Greek word ῥιπή (rJiph) refers to a very rapid movement (BDAG 906 s.v.). This has traditionally been translated as “twinkling,” which implies an exceedingly fast – almost instantaneous – movement of the eyes, but this could be confusing to the modern reader since twinkling in modern English often suggests a faint, flashing light. In conjunction with the genitive ὀφθαλμοῦ (ofqalmou, “of an eye”), “blinking” is the best English equivalent (see, e.g., L&N 16.5), although it does not convey the exact speed implicit in the Greek term.
80 sn A quotation from Isa 25:8.
81 sn A quotation from Hos 13:14.
82 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.
83 tn Heb “from their mind.”
sn Who prophesy from their imagination. Note the testimony of Moses in Num 16:28, which contains a similar expression.
84 sn The same description of a false prophet is found in Micah 2:11.
85 sn The
86 tn Or “confirmed”; NIV “to be fulfilled”; TEV “to come true.”
87 tn The word h!nn@h indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
88 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
89 tn The Hebrew term may refer to the secret council of the
90 tn The reference here is probably to a civil list (as in Ezra 2:16; Neh 7:64) rather than to a “book of life” (Exod 32:32; Isa 4:3; Ps 69:29; Dan 12:1). This registry may have been established at the making of David’s census (2 Sam 24:2, 9).
91 tn Or “peace.”
92 tn The Hebrew word only occurs here in the Bible. According to L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:202-3) it is also used in the Mishnah of a wall of rough stones without mortar. This fits the context here comparing the false prophetic messages to a nice coat of whitewash on a structurally unstable wall.
93 tn Heb “and you, O hailstones.”
94 sn A violent wind will break out. God’s judgments are frequently described in storm imagery (Pss 18:7-15; 77:17-18; 83:15; Isa 28:17; 30:30; Jer 23:19; 30:23).
95 tn Or “within it,” referring to the city of Jerusalem.
96 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
97 tn Heb “set your face against.”
98 tn Heb “from their heart.”
99 sn The wristbands mentioned here probably represented magic bands or charms. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:413.
100 tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.
101 tn The Hebrew term occurs in the Bible only here and in v. 21. It has also been understood as a veil or type of head covering. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:414) suggests that given the context of magical devices, the expected parallel to the magical arm bands, and the meaning of this Hebrew root (סָפַח [safakh, “to attach” or “join”]), it may refer to headbands or necklaces on which magical amulets were worn.
102 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).
103 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”
104 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
105 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”
106 tn Heb “from your hand(s).” This refers to their power over the people.
107 tn The Hebrew verb is feminine plural, indicating that it is the false prophetesses who are addressed here.
108 sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.
109 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
110 tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”
sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7), informed Saul of David’s whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).
111 tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
112 tn Heb “the loyal love of God [is] all the day.” In this context, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point seems to be that the psalmist is protected by God’s loyal love at all times.
113 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
114 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
115 tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
116 tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see BDB 118 s.v. בָּלַע). HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע proposes a homonym here, meaning “confusion.” This would fit the immediate context nicely and provide a close parallel to the following line, which refers to deceptive words.
117 tn The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.
118 tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”
119 tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
120 tn Heb “from [your] tent.”
121 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
122 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”
123 tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).
124 tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5-7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.
125 tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
126 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
127 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
128 tn Or “for.”
129 tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.
130 tn Or “wait.”
131 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
132 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”
133 sn Psalm 53. This psalm is very similar to Ps 14. The major difference comes in v. 5, which corresponds to, but differs quite a bit from, Ps 14:5-6, and in the use of the divine name. Ps 14 uses “the
134 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מָחֲלַת (makhalat, “machalath”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term also appears in the heading of Ps 88.
135 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
136 tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
137 sn There is no God. This statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
138 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they do evil [with] injustice.” Ps 14:1 has עֲלִילָה (’alilah, “a deed”) instead of עָוֶל (’aval, “injustice”). The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.
139 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
140 sn The picture of the
141 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
142 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
143 tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
144 tn Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol) instead of כֻּלּוֹ, and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).
145 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
146 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
147 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”
148 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).
149 tn Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror (“absolutely”).
150 tn Heb “there is no fear.” Apparently this means the evildoers are so traumatized with panic (see v. 5b) that they now jump with fear at everything, even those things that would not normally cause fear. Ps 14:5 omits this line.
151 tn Heb “scatters the bones.” The perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. Scattering the bones alludes to the aftermath of a battle. God annihilates his enemies, leaving their carcasses spread all over the battlefield. As the bodies are devoured by wild animals and decay, the bones of God’s dead enemies are exposed. See Ps 141:7.
152 tn Heb “[those who] encamp [against] you.” The second person masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to God’s people viewed as a collective whole. Instead of “for God scatters the bones of those who encamp against you,” Ps 14:5 reads, “for God is with a godly generation.”
153 tn Once again the perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. As in the previous line, God’s people are probably addressed. The second person singular verb form is apparently collective, suggesting that the people are viewed here as a unified whole. Ps 14:6 reads here “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame, even though God is his shelter,” the words being addressed to the wicked.
154 tn This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
155 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
156 tn The verb form is jussive.
157 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
158 sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention.
159 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
160 tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”
sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion the Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding in their territory (see 1 Sam 23:19-20).
161 tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17).
162 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
163 tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”
164 tc Many medieval Hebrew
165 tn Heb “rise against me.”
166 tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”
167 tn Or “my helper.”
168 tn Or “sustain my life.”
169 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
170 tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here.
171 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
172 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise.
173 tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the
174 tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred.
175 tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”
