John 12:41

12:41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s ¹  glory, and spoke about him.

John 14:9

14:9 Jesus replied, ²  “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known ³  me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 17:6

Jesus Prays for the Disciples

17:6 “I have revealed ⁴  your name to the men ⁵  you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, ⁶  and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed ⁷  your word.

John 17:26

17:26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, ⁸  so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”

Genesis 16:13

16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” ⁹  for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” ¹⁰ 

Genesis 18:33

18:33 The Lord went on his way ¹¹  when he had finished speaking ¹²  to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. ¹³ 

Genesis 32:28-30

32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ¹⁴  “but Israel, ¹⁵  because you have fought ¹⁶  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ¹⁷  “Why ¹⁸  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ¹⁹  Then he blessed ²⁰  Jacob ²¹  there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ²²  explaining, ²³  “Certainly ²⁴  I have seen God face to face ²⁵  and have survived.” ²⁶ 

Genesis 48:15-16

48:15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked –

the God who has been my shepherd ²⁷ 

all my life long to this day,

48:16 the Angel ²⁸  who has protected me ²⁹ 

from all harm –

bless these boys.

May my name be named in them, ³⁰ 

and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.

May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”

Exodus 3:4-6

3:4 When the Lord ³¹  saw that ³²  he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” ³³  And Moses ³⁴  said, “Here I am.” 3:5 God ³⁵  said, “Do not approach any closer! ³⁶  Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ³⁷  ground.” ³⁸  3:6 He added, “I am the God of your father, ³⁹  the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look ⁴⁰  at God.

Exodus 23:21

23:21 Take heed because of him, and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name ⁴¹  is in him.

Exodus 33:18-23

33:18 And Moses ⁴²  said, “Show me your glory.” ⁴³ 

33:19 And the Lord ⁴⁴  said, “I will make all my goodness ⁴⁵  pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name ⁴⁶  before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” ⁴⁷  33:20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can ⁴⁸  see me and live.” ⁴⁹  33:21 The Lord said, “Here ⁵⁰  is a place by me; you will station yourself ⁵¹  on a rock. 33:22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover ⁵²  you with my hand ⁵³  while I pass by. ⁵⁴  33:23 Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, ⁵⁵  but my face must not be seen.” ⁵⁶ 

Exodus 34:5-7

34:5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name. ⁵⁷  34:6 The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: ⁵⁸  “The Lord, the Lord, ⁵⁹  the compassionate and gracious ⁶⁰  God, slow to anger, ⁶¹  and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, ⁶²  34:7 keeping loyal love for thousands, ⁶³  forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression ⁶⁴  of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

Numbers 12:8

12:8 With him I will speak face to face, ⁶⁵  openly, ⁶⁶  and not in riddles; and he will see the form ⁶⁷  of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Joshua 5:13--6:2

Israel Conquers Jericho

5:13 When Joshua was near ⁶⁸  Jericho, ⁶⁹  he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. ⁷⁰  Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?” ⁷¹  5:14 He answered, ⁷²  “Truly I am the commander of the Lord’s army. ⁷³  Now I have arrived!” ⁷⁴  Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground ⁷⁵  and asked, “What does my master want to say to his servant?” 5:15 The commander of the Lord’s army answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.

6:1 Now Jericho ⁷⁶  was shut tightly ⁷⁷  because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter. ⁷⁸  6:2 The Lord told Joshua, “See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you, ⁷⁹  along with its king and its warriors.

Jude 1:12

1:12 These men are ⁸⁰  dangerous reefs ⁸¹  at your love feasts, ⁸²  feasting without reverence, ⁸³  feeding only themselves. ⁸⁴  They are ⁸⁵  waterless ⁸⁶  clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit ⁸⁷  – twice dead, ⁸⁸  uprooted;

Jude 1:20-23

1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, ⁸⁹  1:21 maintain ⁹⁰  yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating ⁹¹  the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. ⁹²  1:22 And have mercy on those who waver; 1:23 save ⁹³  others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy ⁹⁴  on others, coupled with a fear of God, ⁹⁵  hating even the clothes stained ⁹⁶  by the flesh. ⁹⁷ 

Isaiah 6:1-3

Isaiah’s Commission

6:1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, ⁹⁸  I saw the sovereign master ⁹⁹  seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. 6:2 Seraphs ¹⁰⁰  stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, ¹⁰¹  and they used the remaining two to fly. 6:3 They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy ¹⁰²  is the Lord who commands armies! ¹⁰³  His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!”

Ezekiel 1:26-28

1:26 Above the platform over their heads was something like a sapphire shaped like a throne. High above on the throne was a form that appeared to be a man. 1:27 I saw an amber glow ¹⁰⁴  like a fire enclosed all around ¹⁰⁵  from his waist up. From his waist down I saw something that looked like fire. There was a brilliant light around it, 1:28 like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds after the rain. ¹⁰⁶  This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the Lord. When I saw ¹⁰⁷  it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.

Hosea 12:3-5

Israel Must Return to the God of Jacob

12:3 In the womb he attacked his brother;

in his manly vigor he struggled ¹⁰⁸  with God.

12:4 He struggled ¹⁰⁹  with an angel and prevailed;

he wept and begged for his favor.

He found God ¹¹⁰  at Bethel, ¹¹¹ 

and there he spoke with him! ¹¹² 

12:5 As for the Lord God Almighty,

the Lord is the name by which he is remembered! ¹¹³ 

Matthew 11:27

11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. ¹¹⁴  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides ¹¹⁵  to reveal him.

Luke 10:22

10:22 All things have been given to me by my Father. ¹¹⁶  No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides ¹¹⁷  to reveal him.”

Luke 10:1

The Mission of the Seventy-Two

10:1 After this ¹¹⁸  the Lord appointed seventy-two ¹¹⁹  others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town ¹²⁰  and place where he himself was about to go.

Luke 5:20

5:20 When ¹²¹  Jesus ¹²²  saw their ¹²³  faith he said, “Friend, ¹²⁴  your sins are forgiven.” ¹²⁵ 

[12:41]  ¹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent supplied here is “Christ” rather than “Jesus” because it involves what Isaiah saw. It is clear that the author presents Isaiah as having seen the preincarnate glory of Christ, which was the very revelation of the Father (see John 1:18; John 14:9).

[14:9]  ² tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[14:9]  ³ tn Or “recognized.”

[17:6]  ⁴ tn Or “made known,” “disclosed.”

[17:6]  ⁵ tn Here “men” is retained as a translation for ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") rather than the more generic “people” because in context it specifically refers to the eleven men Jesus had chosen as apostles (Judas had already departed, John 13:30). If one understands the referent here to be the broader group of Jesus’ followers that included both men and women, a translation like “to the people” should be used here instead.

[17:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “Yours they were.”

[17:6]  ⁷ tn Or “have kept.”

[17:26]  ⁸ tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).

[16:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).

[16:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “after one who sees me.”

[18:33]  ¹¹ tn Heb “And the Lord went.”

[18:33]  ¹² tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”

[18:33]  ¹³ tn Heb “to his place.”

[32:28]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:28]  ¹⁵ sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.

[32:28]  ¹⁶ sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).

[32:29]  ¹⁷ sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.

[32:29]  ¹⁸ tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:29]  ²⁰ tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.

[32:29]  ²¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ²² sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ²³ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ²⁴ tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ²⁵ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[48:15]  ²⁷ tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.

[48:16]  ²⁸ sn The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.

[48:16]  ²⁹ tn The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [VTSup], 67-77).

[48:16]  ³⁰ tn Or “be recalled through them.”

[3:4]  ³¹ tn The preterite with the vav (ו) is subordinated as a temporal clause to the main point of the verse, that God called to him. The language is anthropomorphic, as if God’s actions were based on his observing what Moses did.

[3:4]  ³² tn The particle כִּי (ki, “that”) introduces the noun clause that functions as the direct object of the verb “saw” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 81, §490).

[3:4]  ³³ sn The repetition of the name in God’s call is emphatic, making the appeal direct and immediate (see also Gen 22:11; 46:2). The use of the personal name shows how specifically God directed the call and that he knew this person. The repetition may have stressed even more that it was indeed he whom the Lord wanted. It would have been an encouragement to Moses that this was in fact the Lord who was meeting him.

[3:4]  ³⁴ tn Heb “And he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:5]  ³⁵ tn Heb “And he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:5]  ³⁶ sn Even though the Lord was drawing near to Moses, Moses could not casually approach him. There still was a barrier between God and human, and God had to remind Moses of this with instructions. The removal of sandals was, and still is in the East, a sign of humility and reverence in the presence of the Holy One. It was a way of excluding the dust and dirt of the world. But it also took away personal comfort and convenience and brought the person more closely in contact with the earth.

[3:5]  ³⁷ sn The word קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holy”) indicates “set apart, distinct, unique.” What made a mountain or other place holy was the fact that God chose that place to reveal himself or to reside among his people. Because God was in this place, the ground was different – it was holy.

[3:5]  ³⁸ tn The causal clause includes within it a typical relative clause, which is made up of the relative pronoun, then the independent personal pronoun with the participle, and then the preposition with the resumptive pronoun. It would literally be “which you are standing on it,” but the relative pronoun and the resumptive pronoun are combined and rendered, “on which you are standing.”

[3:6]  ³⁹ sn This self-revelation by Yahweh prepares for the revelation of the holy name. While no verb is used here, the pronoun and the predicate nominative are a construction used throughout scripture to convey the “I am” disclosures – “I [am] the God of….” But the significant point here is the naming of the patriarchs, for this God is the covenant God, who will fulfill his promises.

[3:6]  ⁴⁰ tn The clause uses the Hiphil infinitive construct with a preposition after the perfect tense: יָרֵא מֵהַבִּיט (yare’ mehabbit, “he was afraid from gazing”) meaning “he was afraid to gaze.” The preposition min (מִן) is used before infinitives after verbs like the one to complete the verb (see BDB 583 s.v. 7b).

[23:21]  ⁴¹ sn This means “the manifestation of my being” is in him (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 247). Driver quotes McNeile as saying, “The ‘angel’ is Jehovah Himself ‘in a temporary descent to visibility for a special purpose.’” Others take the “name” to represent Yahweh’s “power” (NCV) or “authority” (NAB, CEV).

[33:18]  ⁴² tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:18]  ⁴³ sn Moses now wanted to see the glory of Yahweh, more than what he had already seen and experienced. He wanted to see God in all his majesty. The LXX chose to translate this without a word for “glory” or “honor”; instead they used the pronoun seautou, “yourself” – show me the real You. God tells him that he cannot see it fully, but in part. It will be enough for Moses to disclose to him the reality of the divine presence as well as God’s moral nature. It would be impossible for Moses to comprehend all of the nature of God, for there is a boundary between God and man. But God would let him see his goodness, the sum of his nature, pass by in a flash. B. Jacob (Exodus, 972) says that the glory refers to God’s majesty, might, and glory, as manifested in nature, in his providence, his laws, and his judgments. He adds that this glory should and would be made visible to man – that was its purpose in the world.

[33:19]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:19]  ⁴⁵ sn The word “goodness” refers to the divine appearance in summary fashion.

[33:19]  ⁴⁶ tn The expression “make proclamation in the name of Yahweh” (here a perfect tense with vav [ו] consecutive for future) means to declare, reveal, or otherwise make proclamation of who Yahweh is. The “name of Yahweh” (rendered “the name of the Lord” throughout) refers to his divine attributes revealed to his people, either in word or deed. What will be focused on first will be his grace and compassion.

[33:19]  ⁴⁷ sn God declares his mercy and grace in similar terms to his earlier self-revelation (“I am that I am”): “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.” In other words, the grace and mercy of God are bound up in his own will. Obviously, in this passage the recipients of that favor are the penitent Israelites who were forgiven through Moses’ intercession. The two words are at the heart of God’s dealings with people. The first is חָנַן (khanan, “to be gracious, show favor”). It means to grant favor or grace to someone, grace meaning unmerited favor. All of God’s dealings are gracious, but especially in forgiving sins and granting salvation it is critical. Parallel to this is רָחַם (rakham), a word that means “show compassion, tender mercy.” It is a word that is related to the noun “womb,” the connection being in providing care and protection for that which is helpless and dependent – a motherly quality. In both of these constructions the verbs simply express what God will do, without explaining why. See further, J. R. Lundbom, “God’s Use of the Idem per idem to Terminate Debate,” HTR 71 (1978): 193-201; and J. Piper, “Prolegomena to Understanding Romans 9:14-15: An Interpretation of Exodus 33:19,” JETS 22 (1979): 203-16.

[33:20]  ⁴⁸ tn In view of the use of the verb “can, be able to” in the first clause, this imperfect tense is given a potential nuance.

[33:20]  ⁴⁹ tn Gesenius notes that sometimes a negative statement takes the place of a conditional clause; here it is equal to “if a man sees me he does not live” (GKC 498 §159.gg). The other passages that teach this are Gen 32:30; Deut 4:33, 5:24, 26; Judg 6:22, 13:22, and Isa 6:5.

[33:21]  ⁵⁰ tn The deictic particle is used here simply to call attention to a place of God’s knowing and choosing.

[33:21]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and you will,” or interpretively, “where you will.”

[33:22]  ⁵² sn Note the use in Exod 40:3, “and you will screen the ark with the curtain.” The glory is covered, veiled from being seen.

[33:22]  ⁵³ tn The circumstantial clause is simply, “my hand [being] over you.” This protecting hand of Yahweh represents a fairly common theme in the Bible.

[33:22]  ⁵⁴ tn The construction has a preposition with an infinitive construct and a suffix: “while [or until] I pass by” (Heb “in the passing by of me”).

[33:23]  ⁵⁵ tn The plural “my backs” is according to Gesenius an extension plural (compare “face,” a dual in Hebrew). The word denotes a locality in general, but that is composed of numerous parts (see GKC 397 §124.b). W. C. Kaiser says that since God is a spirit, the meaning of this word could just as easily be rendered “after effects” of his presence (“Exodus,” EBC 2:484). As S. R. Driver says, though, while this may indicate just the “afterglow” that he leaves behind him, it was enough to suggest what the full brilliancy of his presence must be (Exodus, 363; see also Job 26:14).

[33:23]  ⁵⁶ tn The Niphal imperfect could simply be rendered “will not be seen,” but given the emphasis of the preceding verses, it is more binding than that, and so a negated obligatory imperfect fits better: “it must not be seen.” It would also be possible to render it with a potential imperfect tense: “it cannot be seen.”

[34:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Some commentaries wish to make Moses the subject of the second and the third verbs, the first because he was told to stand there and this verb suggests he did it, and the last because it sounds like he was worshiping Yahweh (cf. NASB). But it is clear from v. 6 that Yahweh was the subject of the last clause of v. 5 – v. 6 tells how he did it. So if Yahweh is the subject of the first and last clauses of v. 5, it seems simpler that he also be the subject of the second. Moses took his stand there, but God stood by him (B. Jacob, Exodus, 981; U. Cassuto, Exodus, 439). There is no reason to make Moses the subject in any of the verbs of v. 5.

[34:6]  ⁵⁸ tn Here is one of the clearest examples of what it means “to call on the name of the Lord,” as that clause has been translated traditionally (וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהוָה, vayyiqra’ vÿshem yÿhvah). It seems more likely that it means “to make proclamation of Yahweh by name.” Yahweh came down and made a proclamation – and the next verses give the content of what he said. This cannot be prayer or praise; it is a proclamation of the nature or attributes of God (which is what his “name” means throughout the Bible). Attempts to make Moses the subject of the verb are awkward, for the verb is repeated in v. 6 with Yahweh clearly doing the proclaiming.

[34:6]  ⁵⁹ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 439) suggests that these two names be written as a sentence: “Yahweh, He is Yahweh.” In this manner it reflects “I am that I am.” It is impossible to define his name in any other way than to make this affirmation and then show what it means.

[34:6]  ⁶⁰ tn See Exod 33:19.

[34:6]  ⁶¹ sn This is literally “long of anger.” His anger prolongs itself, allowing for people to repent before punishment is inflicted.

[34:6]  ⁶² sn These two words (“loyal love” and “truth”) are often found together, occasionally in a hendiadys construction. If that is the interpretation here, then it means “faithful covenant love.” Even if they are left separate, they are dual elements of a single quality. The first word is God’s faithful covenant love; the second word is God’s reliability and faithfulness.

[34:7]  ⁶³ tn That is, “for thousands of generations.”

[34:7]  ⁶⁴ sn As in the ten commandments (20:5-6), this expression shows that the iniquity and its punishment will continue in the family if left unchecked. This does not go on as long as the outcomes for good (thousands versus third or fourth generations), and it is limited to those who hate God.

[12:8]  ⁶⁵ tn The emphasis of the line is clear enough – it begins literally “mouth to mouth” I will speak with him. In human communication this would mean equality of rank, but Moses is certainly not equal in rank with the Lord. And yet God is here stating that Moses has an immediacy and directness with communication with God. It goes beyond the idea of friendship, almost to that of a king’s confidant.

[12:8]  ⁶⁶ tn The word מַרְאֶה (mar’eh) refers to what is seen, a vision, an appearance. Here it would have the idea of that which is clearly visible, open, obvious.

[12:8]  ⁶⁷ tn The word “form” (תְּמוּנָה, tÿmunah) means “shape, image, form.” The Greek text took it metaphorically and rendered it “the glory of the Lord.” This line expresses even more the uniqueness of Moses. The elders saw God on one special occasion (Exod 24:10), and the people never (Deut 4:12, 15), but Moses has direct and familiar contact with God.

[5:13]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “in.”

[5:13]  ⁶⁹ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[5:13]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “he lifted up his eyes and looked. And look, a man was standing in front of him, and his sword was drawn in his hand.” The verb הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the reader to view the scene through Joshua’s eyes. By calling the stranger “a man,” the author reflects Joshua’s perspective. The text shortly reveals his true identity (vv. 14-15).

[5:13]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

[5:14]  ⁷² tc Heb “He said, “Neither.” An alternative reading is לוֹ (lo, “[He said] to him”; cf. NEB). This reading is supported by many Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX and Syriac versions. The traditional reading of the MT (לֹא, lo’, “no, neither”) is probably the product of aural confusion (the two variant readings sound the same in Hebrew). Although followed by a number of modern translations (cf. NIV, NRSV), this reading is problematic, for the commander of the Lord’s army would hardly have declared himself neutral.

[5:14]  ⁷³ sn The Lord’s heavenly army, like an earthly army, has a commander who leads the troops. For the phrase שַׂר־צְבָא (sar-tsÿva’, “army commander”) in the human sphere, see among many other references Gen 21:22, 32; 26:26; Judg 4:2, 7; 1 Sam 12:9.

[5:14]  ⁷⁴ sn The commander’s appearance seems to be for Joshua’s encouragement. Joshua could now lead Israel into battle knowing that the Lord’s invisible army would ensure victory.

[5:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “Joshua fell on his face to the ground and bowed down.”

[6:1]  ⁷⁶ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[6:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “was shutting and shut up.” HALOT 2:743 paraphrases, “blocking [any way of access] and blocked [against any who would leave].”

[6:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “there was no one going out and there was no one coming in.”

[6:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “I have given into your hand Jericho.” The Hebrew verb נָתַתִּי (natatti, “I have given”) is probably best understood as a perfect of certitude, indicating the certainty of the action. The Hebrew pronominal suffix “your” is singular, being addressed to Joshua as the leader and representative of the nation. To convey to the modern reader what is about to happen and who is doing it, the translation “I am about to defeat Jericho for you” has been used.

[1:12]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “these are the men who are.”

[1:12]  ⁸¹ tn Though σπιλάδες (spilades) is frequently translated “blemishes” or “stains,” such is actually a translation of the Greek word σπίλοι (spiloi). The two words are quite similar, especially in their root or lexical forms (σπιλάς [spila"] and σπίλος [spilos] respectively). Some scholars have suggested that σπιλάδες in this context means the same thing as σπίλοι. But such could be the case only by a stretch of the imagination (see BDAG 938 s.v. σπιλάς for discussion). Others suggest that Jude’s spelling was in error (which also is doubtful). One reason for the tension is that in the parallel passage, 2 Pet 2:13, the term used is indeed σπίλος. And if either Jude used 2 Peter or 2 Peter used Jude, one would expect to see the same word. Jude, however, may have changed the wording for the sake of a subtle wordplay. The word σπιλάς was often used of a mere rock, though it normally was associated with a rock along the shore or one jutting out in the water. Thus, the false teachers would appear as “rocks” – as pillars in the community (cf. Matt 16:18; Gal 2:9), when in reality if a believer got too close to them his faith would get shipwrecked. Some suggest that σπιλάδες here means “hidden rocks.” Though this meaning is attested for the word, it is inappropriate in this context, since these false teachers are anything but hidden. They are dangerous because undiscerning folks get close to them, thinking they are rocks and pillars, when they are really dangerous reefs.

[1:12]  ⁸² tc Several witnesses (A C^vid 1243 1846 al), influenced by the parallel in 2 Pet 2:13, read ἀπάταις (apatai", “deceptions”) for ἀγάπαις (agapai", “love-feasts”) in v. 12. However, ἀγάπαις has much stronger and earlier support and should therefore be considered original.

[1:12]  ⁸³ tn Or “fearlessly.” The term in this context, however, is decidedly negative. The implication is that these false teachers ate the Lord’s Supper without regarding the sanctity of the meal. Cf. 1 Cor 11:17-22.

[1:12]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “shepherding themselves.” The verb ποιμαίνω (poimainw) means “shepherd, nurture [the flock].” But these men, rather than tending to the flock of God, nurture only themselves. They thus fall under the condemnation Paul uttered when writing to the Corinthians: “For when it comes time to eat [the Lord’s Supper,] each one goes ahead with his own meal” (1 Cor 11:21). Above all, the love-feast was intended to be a shared meal in which all ate and all felt welcome.

[1:12]  ⁸⁵ tn “They are” is not in Greek, but resumes the thought begun at the front of v. 12. There is no period before “They are.” English usage requires breaking this into more than one sentence.

[1:12]  ⁸⁶ tn Cf. 2 Pet 2:17. Jude’s emphasis is slightly different (instead of waterless springs, they are waterless clouds).

[1:12]  ⁸⁷ sn The imagery portraying the false teachers as autumn trees without fruit has to do with their lack of productivity. Recall the statement to the same effect by Jesus in Matt 7:16-20, in which false prophets will be known by their fruits. Like waterless clouds full of false hope, these trees do not yield any harvest even though it is expected.

[1:12]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “having died twice.”

[1:20]  ⁸⁹ tn The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.

[1:21]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “keep.”

[1:21]  ⁹¹ tn Or “waiting for.”

[1:21]  ⁹² tn Grk “unto eternal life.”

[1:23]  ⁹³ tn Grk “and save.”

[1:23]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “and have mercy.”

[1:23]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “with fear.” But as this contrasts with ἀφόβως (afobw") in v. 12 (without reverence), the posture of the false teachers, it most likely refers to reverence for God.

[1:23]  ⁹⁶ sn The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning.

[1:23]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical.

[6:1]  ⁹⁸ sn That is, approximately 740 b.c.

[6:1]  ⁹⁹ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in vv. 8, 11 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[6:2]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Hebrew שָׂרָף (saraf, “seraph”) literally means “burning one,” perhaps suggesting that these creatures had a fiery appearance (cf. TEV, CEV “flaming creatures”; NCV “heavenly creatures of fire”). Elsewhere in the OT the word “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Isa 14:29; 30:6). Perhaps they were called “burning ones” because of their appearance or the effect of their venomous bites, which would cause a victim to burn up with fever. It is possible that the seraphs seen by Isaiah were at least partially serpentine in appearance. Though it might seem strange for a snake-like creature to have wings, two of the texts where “seraphs” are snakes describe them as “flying” (Isa 14:29; 30:6), perhaps referring to their darting movements. See the note at 14:29.

[6:2]  ¹⁰¹ sn Some understand “feet” here as a euphemistic reference to the genitals.

[6:3]  ¹⁰² tn Some have seen a reference to the Trinity in the seraphs’ threefold declaration, “holy, holy, holy.” This proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical. Hebrew sometimes uses repetition for emphasis. (See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a; and GKC 431-32 §133.k.) By repeating the word “holy,” the seraphs emphasize the degree of the Lord’s holiness. For another example of threefold repetition for emphasis, see Ezek 21:27 (Heb. v. 32). (Perhaps Jer 22:29 provides another example.)

[6:3]  ¹⁰³ tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.

[1:27]  ¹⁰⁴ tn See Ezek 1:4.

[1:27]  ¹⁰⁵ tc The LXX lacks this phrase. Its absence from the LXX may be explained as a case of haplography resulting from homoioteleuton, skipping from כְּמַרְאֵה (kÿmar’eh) to מִמַּרְאֵה (mimmar’eh). On the other hand, the LXX presents a much more balanced verse structure when it is recognized that the final words of this verse belong in the next sentence.

[1:28]  ¹⁰⁶ sn Reference to the glowing substance and the brilliant light and storm phenomena in vv. 27-28a echoes in reverse order the occurrence of these phenomena in v. 4.

[1:28]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The vision closes with the repetition of the verb “I saw” from the beginning of the vision in 1:4.

[12:3]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The verb שָׂרָה (sarah) means “to strive, contend” (HALOT 1354 s.v. שׂרה) or “persevere, persist” (BDB 975 s.v. שָׂרָה; see Gen 32:29). Almost all English versions render the verb here in terms of the former: NAB, NASB “contended”; NRSV “strove”; TEV, CEV “fought against.”

[12:4]  ¹⁰⁹ tc The MT vocalizes the consonantal text וָיָּשַׂר (vayyasar, vav consecutive + Qal preterite 3rd person masculine singular from שׂוּר, sur, “to see”); however, parallelism with שָׂרַה (sarah, “he contended”) in 12:3 suggested that it be vocalized as ויּשׂר (vav consecutive + Qal preterite 3rd person masculine singular from שׂרה [“to strive, contend”]). The latter is followed by almost all English versions here.

[12:4]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:4]  ¹¹¹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[12:4]  ¹¹² tc The Leningrad Codex and the Allepo Codex both read 1st person common plural עִמָּנוּ (’immanu, “with us”). The LXX and Peshitta both reflect an alternate Hebrew Vorlage of 3rd person masculine singular עִמוֹ (’imo, “with him”). The BHS editors suggest emending the MT in favor of the Greek and Syriac. The internal evidence of 12:4-5 favors the 3rd person masculine singular reading. It is likely that the 1st person common plural ־נוּ reading on עִמָּנוּ arose due to a misunderstanding of the 3rd person masculine singular ־נוּ suffix on יִמְצָאֶנּוּ (yimtsa’ennu, “he found him”; Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix) which was probably misunderstood as the 1st person common plural suffix: “he found us.” Several English versions follow the LXX and Syriac: “there he spoke with him” (RSV, NAB, NEB, NIV, NJPS, TEV). Others follow the MT: “there he spoke with us” (KJV, NASB, CEV). The Hebrew University Old Testament Project, which tends to preserve the MT whenever possible, adopts the MT reading but gives it only a “C” rating. See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:262-63.

[12:5]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “[is] his memorial name” (so ASV); TEV “the name by which he is to be worshipped.”

[11:27]  ¹¹⁴ sn This verse has been noted for its conceptual similarity to teaching in John’s Gospel (10:15; 17:2). The authority of the Son and the Father are totally intertwined.

[11:27]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “wishes”; or “intends”; or “plans” (cf. BDAG 182 s.v. βούλομαι 2.b). Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.

[10:22]  ¹¹⁶ sn This verse has been noted for its conceptual similarity to teaching in John’s Gospel (10:15; 17:2). The authority of the Son and the Father are totally intertwined.

[10:22]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “wishes”; or “intends”; or “plans” (cf. BDAG 182 s.v. βούλομαι 2.b). Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.

[10:1]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “And after these things.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:1]  ¹¹⁹ tc There is a difficult textual problem here and in v. 17, where the number is either “seventy” (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï and several church fathers and early versions) or “seventy-two” (Ì⁷⁵ B D 0181 pc lat as well as other versions and fathers). The more difficult reading is “seventy-two,” since scribes would be prone to assimilate this passage to several OT passages that refer to groups of seventy people (Num 11:13-17; Deut 10:22; Judg 8:30; 2 Kgs 10:1 et al.); this reading also has slightly better ms support. “Seventy” could be the preferred reading if scribes drew from the tradition of the number of translators of the LXX, which the Letter of Aristeas puts at seventy-two (TCGNT 127), although this is far less likely. All things considered, “seventy-two” is a much more difficult reading and accounts for the rise of the other. Only Luke notes a second larger mission like the one in 9:1-6.

[10:1]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “city.”

[5:20]  ¹²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[5:20]  ¹²² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:20]  ¹²³ sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.

[5:20]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “Man,” but the term used in this way was not derogatory in Jewish culture. Used in address (as here) it means “friend” (see BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8).

[5:20]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke stresses the forgiveness of sins (cf. 1:77; 3:3; 24:47). In 5:20 he uses both the perfect ἀφέωνται and the personal pronoun σοι which together combine to heighten the subjective aspect of the experience of forgiveness. The σοι has been omitted in translation in light of normal English style.