Genesis 4:8

4:8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” ¹  While they were in the field, Cain attacked ²  his brother ³  Abel and killed him.

Genesis 4:1

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ⁴  the man had marital relations with ⁵  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ⁶  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ⁷  a man just as the Lord did!” ⁸ 

Genesis 22:14-18

22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” ⁹  It is said to this day, ¹⁰  “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” ¹¹ 

22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ ¹²  decrees the Lord, ¹³  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, ¹⁴  and I will greatly multiply ¹⁵  your descendants ¹⁶  so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession ¹⁷  of the strongholds ¹⁸  of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ¹⁹  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ²⁰  using the name of your descendants.’”

Genesis 22:2

22:2 God ²¹  said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac ²²  – and go to the land of Moriah! ²³  Offer him up there as a burnt offering ²⁴  on one of the mountains which I will indicate to ²⁵  you.”

Genesis 24:21-22

24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine ²⁶  if the Lord had made his journey successful ²⁷  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ²⁸  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ²⁹  and gave them to her. ³⁰ 

Matthew 23:34-37

23:34 “For this reason I ³¹  am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, ³²  some of whom you will kill and crucify, ³³  and some you will flog ³⁴  in your synagogues ³⁵  and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, ³⁶  whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, ³⁷  this generation will be held responsible for all these things! ³⁸ 

Judgment on Israel

23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ³⁹  you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! ⁴⁰  How often I have longed ⁴¹  to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but ⁴²  you would have none of it! ⁴³ 

Matthew 26:69-74

Peter’s Denials

26:69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A ⁴⁴  slave girl ⁴⁵  came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 26:70 But he denied it in front of them all: ⁴⁶  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 26:71 When ⁴⁷  he went out to the gateway, another slave girl ⁴⁸  saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” 26:72 He denied it again with an oath, “I do not know the man!” 26:73 After ⁴⁹  a little while, those standing there came up to Peter and said, “You really are one of them too – even your accent ⁵⁰  gives you away!” 26:74 At that he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment a rooster crowed. ⁵¹ 

Acts 7:52

7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors ⁵²  not persecute? ⁵³  They ⁵⁴  killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, ⁵⁵  whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! ⁵⁶ 

Acts 7:1

Stephen’s Defense Before the Council

7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” ⁵⁷ 

Acts 2:15

2:15 In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, ⁵⁸  for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ⁵⁹ 

Revelation 17:6

17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. ⁶⁰  I ⁶¹  was greatly astounded ⁶²  when I saw her.

[4:8]  ¹ tc The MT has simply “and Cain said to Abel his brother,” omitting Cain’s words to Abel. It is possible that the elliptical text is original. Perhaps the author uses the technique of aposiopesis, “a sudden silence” to create tension. In the midst of the story the narrator suddenly rushes ahead to what happened in the field. It is more likely that the ancient versions (Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac), which include Cain’s words, “Let’s go out to the field,” preserve the original reading here. After writing אָחִיו (’akhiyv, “his brother”), a scribe’s eye may have jumped to the end of the form בַּשָּׂדֶה (basadeh, “to the field”) and accidentally omitted the quotation. This would be an error of virtual homoioteleuton. In older phases of the Hebrew script the sequence יו (yod-vav) on אָחִיו is graphically similar to the final ה (he) on בַּשָּׂדֶה.

[4:8]  ² tn Heb “arose against” (in a hostile sense).

[4:8]  ³ sn The word “brother” appears six times in vv. 8-11, stressing the shocking nature of Cain’s fratricide (see 1 John 3:12).

[4:1]  ⁴ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ⁶ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ⁷ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[22:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “the Lord sees” (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, yÿhvah yir’eh, traditionally transliterated “Jehovah Jireh”; see the note on the word “provide” in v. 8). By so naming the place Abraham preserved in the memory of God’s people the amazing event that took place there.

[22:14]  ¹⁰ sn On the expression to this day see B. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until this Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[22:14]  ¹¹ sn The saying connected with these events has some ambiguity, which was probably intended. The Niphal verb could be translated (1) “in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen/provided” or (2) “in the mountain the Lord will appear.” If the temple later stood here (see the note on “Moriah” in Gen 22:2), the latter interpretation might find support, for the people went to the temple to appear before the Lord, who “appeared” to them by providing for them his power and blessings. See S. R. Driver, Genesis, 219.

[22:16]  ¹² tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

[22:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

[22:17]  ¹⁴ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ¹⁵ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[22:17]  ¹⁷ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

[22:18]  ¹⁹ tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.

[22:18]  ²⁰ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[22:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ²² sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.

[22:2]  ²³ sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.

[22:2]  ²⁴ sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.

[22:2]  ²⁵ tn Heb “which I will say to.”

[24:21]  ²⁶ tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ²⁷ tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).

[24:22]  ²⁸ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ²⁹ sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ³⁰ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[23:34]  ³¹ tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[23:34]  ³² tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:34]  ³³ sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

[23:34]  ³⁴ tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”

[23:34]  ³⁵ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[23:35]  ³⁶ sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).

[23:36]  ³⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:36]  ³⁸ tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”

[23:37]  ³⁹ sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.

[23:37]  ⁴⁰ tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your… you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill… sent to you”).

[23:37]  ⁴¹ sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.

[23:37]  ⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[23:37]  ⁴³ tn Grk “you were not willing.”

[26:69]  ⁴⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[26:69]  ⁴⁵ tn The Greek term here is παιδίσκη (paidiskh), referring to a slave girl or slave woman.

[26:70]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “he denied it…saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[26:71]  ⁴⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:71]  ⁴⁸ tn The words “slave girl” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the feminine singular form ἄλλη (allh).

[26:73]  ⁴⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:73]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “your speech.”

[26:74]  ⁵¹ tn It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorofwnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some mss [Ì^37vid,45 ˹] in Matt 26:34) which would have been sounded at 3 a.m.; in this case Jesus would have prophesied a precise time by which the denials would have taken place. For more details see J. H. Bernard, St. John (ICC), 2:604. However, in light of the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice (Mark 14:72) and in Luke 22:60 the words are reversed (ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ, efwnhsen alektwr), it is more probable that a real rooster is in view. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March-April) anyway.

[7:52]  ⁵² tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:52]  ⁵³ sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.

[7:52]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[7:52]  ⁵⁵ sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.

[7:52]  ⁵⁶ sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).

[7:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).

[2:15]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “These men are not drunk, as you suppose.”

[2:15]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “only the third hour.”

[17:6]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “of the witnesses to Jesus.” Here the genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou) is taken as an objective genitive; Jesus is the object of their testimony.

[17:6]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:6]  ⁶² tn Grk “I marveled a great marvel” (an idiom for great astonishment).