Zechariah 11:6-9

11:6 Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land,” says the Lord, “but instead I will turn every last person over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from them.”

11:7 So I ¹  began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter, the most afflicted ²  of all the flock. Then I took two staffs, ³  calling one “Pleasantness” ⁴  and the other “Binders,” ⁵  and I tended the flock. 11:8 Next I eradicated the three shepherds in one month, ⁶  for I ran out of patience with them and, indeed, they detested me as well. 11:9 I then said, “I will not shepherd you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be eradicated, let it be eradicated. As for those who survive, let them eat each other’s flesh!”

Deuteronomy 28:49-68

28:49 The Lord will raise up a distant nation against you, one from the other side of the earth ⁷  as the eagle flies, ⁸  a nation whose language you will not understand, 28:50 a nation of stern appearance that will have no regard for the elderly or pity for the young. 28:51 They ⁹  will devour the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your soil until you are destroyed. They will not leave you with any grain, new wine, olive oil, calves of your herds, ¹⁰  or lambs of your flocks ¹¹  until they have destroyed you. 28:52 They will besiege all of your villages ¹²  until all of your high and fortified walls collapse – those in which you put your confidence throughout the land. They will besiege all your villages throughout the land the Lord your God has given you. 28:53 You will then eat your own offspring, ¹³  the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you, because of the severity of the siege ¹⁴  by which your enemies will constrict you. 28:54 The man among you who is by nature tender and sensitive will turn against his brother, his beloved wife, and his remaining children. 28:55 He will withhold from all of them his children’s flesh that he is eating (since there is nothing else left), because of the severity of the siege by which your enemy will constrict ¹⁵  you in your villages. 28:56 Likewise, the most ¹⁶  tender and delicate of your women, who would never think of putting even the sole of her foot on the ground because of her daintiness, ¹⁷  will turn against her beloved husband, her sons and daughters, 28:57 and will secretly eat her afterbirth ¹⁸  and her newborn children ¹⁹  (since she has nothing else), ²⁰  because of the severity of the siege by which your enemy will constrict you in your villages.

The Curse of Covenant Termination

28:58 “If you refuse to obey ²¹  all the words of this law, the things written in this scroll, and refuse to fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, 28:59 then the Lord will increase your punishments and those of your descendants – great and long-lasting afflictions and severe, enduring illnesses. 28:60 He will infect you with all the diseases of Egypt ²²  that you dreaded, and they will persistently afflict you. ²³  28:61 Moreover, the Lord will bring upon you every kind of sickness and plague not mentioned in this scroll of commandments, ²⁴  until you have perished. 28:62 There will be very few of you left, though at one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky, ²⁵  because you will have disobeyed ²⁶  the Lord your God. 28:63 This is what will happen: Just as the Lord delighted to do good for you and make you numerous, he ²⁷  will take delight in destroying and decimating you. You will be uprooted from the land you are about to possess. 28:64 The Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of wood and stone. 28:65 Among those nations you will have no rest nor will there be a place of peaceful rest for the soles of your feet, for there the Lord will give you an anxious heart, failing eyesight, and a spirit of despair. 28:66 Your life will hang in doubt before you; you will be terrified by night and day and will have no certainty of surviving from one day to the next. ²⁸  28:67 In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ And in the evening you will say, ‘I wish it were morning!’ because of the things you will fear and the things you will see. 28:68 Then the Lord will make you return to Egypt by ship, over a route I said to you that you would never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”

Isaiah 65:12-15

65:12 I predestine you to die by the sword, ²⁹ 

all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, ³⁰ 

because I called to you, and you did not respond,

I spoke and you did not listen.

You did evil before me; ³¹ 

you chose to do what displeases me.”

65:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:

“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!

Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!

Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!

65:14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts! ³² 

But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts; ³³ 

you will wail because your spirits will be crushed. ³⁴ 

65:15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. ³⁵ 

The sovereign Lord will kill you,

but he will give his servants another name.

Isaiah 66:4-6

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment ³⁶  for them;

I will bring on them what they dread,

because I called, and no one responded,

I spoke and they did not listen.

They did evil before me; ³⁷ 

they chose to do what displeases me.”

66:5 Hear the word of the Lord,

you who respect what he has to say! ³⁸ 

Your countrymen, ³⁹  who hate you

and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,

say, “May the Lord be glorified,

then we will witness your joy.” ⁴⁰ 

But they will be put to shame.

66:6 The sound of battle comes from the city;

the sound comes from the temple!

It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.

Isaiah 66:24

66:24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, ⁴¹  and the fire that consumes them will not die out. ⁴²  All people will find the sight abhorrent.” ⁴³ 

Ezekiel 5:2-4

5:2 Burn a third of it in the fire inside the city when the days of your siege are completed. Take a third and slash it with a sword all around the city. Scatter a third to the wind, and I will unleash a sword behind them. 5:3 But take a few strands of hair ⁴⁴  from those and tie them in the ends of your garment. ⁴⁵  5:4 Again, take more of them and throw them into the fire, ⁴⁶  and burn them up. From there a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 5:12

5:12 A third of your people will die of plague or be overcome by the famine within you. ⁴⁷  A third of your people will fall by the sword surrounding you, ⁴⁸  and a third I will scatter to the winds. I will unleash a sword behind them.

Daniel 9:27

9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. ⁴⁹ 

But in the middle of that week

he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt.

On the wing ⁵⁰  of abominations will come ⁵¹  one who destroys,

until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.”

Malachi 3:1-2

3:1 “I am about to send my messenger, ⁵²  who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord ⁵³  you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger ⁵⁴  of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.

3:2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, ⁵⁵  like a launderer’s soap.

Malachi 3:5

3:5 “I ⁵⁶  will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, ⁵⁷  and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, ⁵⁸  who refuse to help ⁵⁹  the immigrant ⁶⁰  and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Malachi 4:1-3

4:1 (3:19) ⁶¹  “For indeed the day ⁶²  is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. “It ⁶³  will not leave even a root or branch. 4:2 But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication ⁶⁴  will rise with healing wings, ⁶⁵  and you will skip about ⁶⁶  like calves released from the stall. 4:3 You will trample on the wicked, for they will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Matthew 3:10-12

3:10 Even now the ax is laid at ⁶⁷  the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

3:11 “I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy ⁶⁸  to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ⁶⁹  3:12 His winnowing fork ⁷⁰  is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, ⁷¹  but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” ⁷² 

Matthew 21:43-44

21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people ⁷³  who will produce its fruit. 21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” ⁷⁴ 

Matthew 22:7

22:7 The ⁷⁵  king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death ⁷⁶  and set their city ⁷⁷  on fire.

Matthew 23:35-37

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, ⁷⁸  whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, ⁷⁹  this generation will be held responsible for all these things! ⁸⁰ 

Judgment on Israel

23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ⁸¹  you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! ⁸²  How often I have longed ⁸³  to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but ⁸⁴  you would have none of it! ⁸⁵ 

Matthew 24:21

24:21 For then there will be great suffering ⁸⁶  unlike anything that has happened ⁸⁷  from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen.

Luke 19:41-44

Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem under Judgment

19:41 Now ⁸⁸  when Jesus ⁸⁹  approached ⁹⁰  and saw the city, he wept over it, 19:42 saying, “If you had only known on this day, ⁹¹  even you, the things that make for peace! ⁹²  But now they are hidden ⁹³  from your eyes. 19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build ⁹⁴  an embankment ⁹⁵  against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. 19:44 They will demolish you ⁹⁶  – you and your children within your walls ⁹⁷  – and they will not leave within you one stone ⁹⁸  on top of another, ⁹⁹  because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” ¹⁰⁰ 

Luke 20:16-18

20:16 He will come and destroy ¹⁰¹  those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” ¹⁰²  When the people ¹⁰³  heard this, they said, “May this never happen!” ¹⁰⁴  20:17 But Jesus ¹⁰⁵  looked straight at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? ¹⁰⁶  20:18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, ¹⁰⁷  and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” ¹⁰⁸ 

Luke 21:20-24

The Desolation of Jerusalem

21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem ¹⁰⁹  surrounded ¹¹⁰  by armies, then know that its ¹¹¹  desolation ¹¹²  has come near. 21:21 Then those who are in Judea must flee ¹¹³  to the mountains. Those ¹¹⁴  who are inside the city must depart. Those ¹¹⁵  who are out in the country must not enter it, 21:22 because these are days of vengeance, ¹¹⁶  to fulfill ¹¹⁷  all that is written. 21:23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! For there will be great distress ¹¹⁸  on the earth and wrath against this people. 21:24 They ¹¹⁹  will fall by the edge ¹²⁰  of the sword and be led away as captives ¹²¹  among all nations. Jerusalem ¹²²  will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ¹²³ 

Luke 23:28-30

23:28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, ¹²⁴  do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves ¹²⁵  and for your children. 23:29 For this is certain: ¹²⁶  The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’ ¹²⁷  23:30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ¹²⁸  ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ¹²⁹ 

Luke 23:1

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

23:1 Then ¹³⁰  the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus ¹³¹  before Pilate. ¹³² 

Luke 2:15-16

2:15 When ¹³³  the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem ¹³⁴  and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord ¹³⁵  has made known to us.” 2:16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. ¹³⁶ 

Revelation 8:7-12

8:7 The ¹³⁷  first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that ¹³⁸  a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8:8 Then ¹³⁹  the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A ¹⁴⁰  third of the sea became blood, 8:9 and a third of the creatures ¹⁴¹  living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed. ¹⁴² 

8:10 Then ¹⁴³  the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky; ¹⁴⁴  it landed ¹⁴⁵  on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 8:11 (Now ¹⁴⁶  the name of the star is ¹⁴⁷  Wormwood.) ¹⁴⁸  So ¹⁴⁹  a third of the waters became wormwood, ¹⁵⁰  and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned. ¹⁵¹ 

8:12 Then ¹⁵²  the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day ¹⁵³  and for a third of the night likewise.

Revelation 16:19

16:19 The ¹⁵⁴  great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations ¹⁵⁵  collapsed. ¹⁵⁶  So ¹⁵⁷  Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup ¹⁵⁸  filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath. ¹⁵⁹ 

[11:7]  ¹ sn The first person pronoun refers to Zechariah himself who, however, is a “stand-in” for the Lord as the actions of vv. 8-14 make clear. The prophet, like others before him, probably performed actions dramatizing the account of God’s past dealings with Israel and Judah (cf. Hos 1-3; Isa 20:2-4; Jer 19:1-15; 27:2-11; Ezek 4:1-3).

[11:7]  ² tc For the MT reading לָכֵן עֲנִיֵּי (lakhen ’aniyyey, “therefore the [most] afflicted of”) the LXX presupposes לִכְנַעֲנֵיּי (“to the merchants of”). The line would then read “So I began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter for the sheep merchants” (cf. NAB). This helps to explain the difficult לָכֵן (lakhen) here but otherwise has no attestation or justification, so the MT is followed by most modern English versions.

[11:7]  ³ sn The two staffs represent the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. For other examples of staffs representing tribes or nations see Num 17:1-11; Ezek 37:15-23.

[11:7]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew term נֹעַם (no’am) is frequently translated “Favor” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); cf. KJV “Beauty”; CEV “Mercy.”

[11:7]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew term חֹבְלִים (khovlim) is often translated “Union” (so NASB, NIV, NLT); cf. KJV, ASV “Bands”; NAB “Bonds”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “Unity”).

[11:8]  ⁶ sn Zechariah is only dramatizing what God had done historically (see the note on the word “cedars” in 11:1). The “one month” probably means just any short period of time in which three kings ruled in succession. Likely candidates are Elah, Zimri, Tibni (1 Kgs 16:8-20); Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem (2 Kgs 15:8-16); or Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah (2 Kgs 24:1–25:7).

[28:49]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.”

[28:49]  ⁸ tn Some translations understand this to mean “like an eagle swoops down” (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), comparing the swift attack of an eagle to the attack of the Israelites’ enemies.

[28:51]  ⁹ tn Heb “it” (so NRSV), a collective singular referring to the invading nation (several times in this verse and v. 52).

[28:51]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “increase of herds.”

[28:51]  ¹¹ tn Heb “growth of flocks.”

[28:52]  ¹² tn Heb “gates,” also in vv. 55, 57.

[28:53]  ¹³ tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NRSV); NASB “the offspring of your own body.”

[28:53]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “siege and stress.”

[28:55]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “besiege,” redundant with the noun “siege.”

[28:56]  ¹⁶ tc The LXX adds σφόδρα (sfodra, “very”) to bring the description into line with v. 54.

[28:56]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “delicateness and tenderness.”

[28:57]  ¹⁸ tn Heb includes “that which comes out from between her feet.”

[28:57]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “her sons that she will bear.”

[28:57]  ²⁰ tn Heb includes “in her need for everything.”

[28:58]  ²¹ tn Heb “If you are not careful to do.”

[28:60]  ²² sn These are the plagues the Lord inflicted on the Egyptians prior to the exodus which, though they did not fall upon the Israelites, must have caused great terror (cf. Exod 15:26).

[28:60]  ²³ tn Heb “will cling to you” (so NIV); NLT “will claim you.”

[28:61]  ²⁴ tn The Hebrew term תּוֹרָה (torah) can refer either (1) to the whole Pentateuch or, more likely, (2) to the book of Deuteronomy or even (3) only to this curse section of the covenant text. “Scroll” better reflects the actual document, since “book” conveys the notion of a bound book with pages to the modern English reader. Cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “the book of this law”; NIV, NLT “this Book of the Law”; TEV “this book of God’s laws and teachings.”

[28:62]  ²⁵ tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

[28:62]  ²⁶ tn Heb “have not listened to the voice of.”

[28:63]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 28:8.

[28:66]  ²⁸ tn Heb “you will not be confident in your life.” The phrase “from one day to the next” is implied by the following verse.

[65:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.

[65:12]  ³⁰ tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”

[65:12]  ³¹ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[65:14]  ³² tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”

[65:14]  ³³ tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”

[65:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”

[65:15]  ³⁵ tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”

[66:4]  ³⁶ tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

[66:4]  ³⁷ tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[66:5]  ³⁸ tn Heb “who tremble at his word.”

[66:5]  ³⁹ tn Heb “brothers” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “Your own people”; NLT “Your close relatives.”

[66:5]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “so that we might witness your joy.” The point of this statement is unclear.

[66:24]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “for their worm will not die.”

[66:24]  ⁴² tn Heb “and their fire will not be extinguished.”

[66:24]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

[5:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “from there a few in number.” The word “strands” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁴⁵ sn Objects could be carried in the end of a garment (Hag 2:12).

[5:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “into the midst of” (so KJV, ASV). This phrase has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[5:12]  ⁴⁷ sn The judgment of plague and famine comes from the covenant curse (Lev 26:25-26). As in v. 10, the city of Jerusalem is figuratively addressed here.

[5:12]  ⁴⁸ sn Judgment by plague, famine, and sword occurs in Jer 21:9; 27:13; Ezek 6:11, 12; 7:15.

[9:27]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “one seven” (also later in this line).

[9:27]  ⁵⁰ tn The referent of the Hebrew word כְּנַף (kÿnaf, “wing”) is unclear here. The LXX and Theodotion have “the temple.” Some English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV) take this to mean “a wing of the temple,” but this is not clear.

[9:27]  ⁵¹ tn The Hebrew text does not have this verb, but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[3:1]  ⁵² tn In Hebrew the phrase “my messenger” is מַלְאָכִי (mal’akhi), the same form as the prophet’s name (see note on the name “Malachi” in 1:1). However, here the messenger appears to be an eschatological figure who is about to appear, as the following context suggests. According to 4:5, this messenger is “Elijah the prophet,” whom the NT identifies as John the Baptist (Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2) because he came in the “spirit and power” of Elijah (Matt 11:14; 17:11-12; Lk 1:17).

[3:1]  ⁵³ tn Here the Hebrew term הָאָדוֹן (ha’adon) is used, not יְהוָה (yÿhvah, typically rendered Lord). Thus the focus is not on the Lord as the covenant God, but on his role as master.

[3:1]  ⁵⁴ sn This messenger of the covenant may be equated with my messenger (that is, Elijah) mentioned earlier in the verse, or with the Lord himself. In either case the messenger functions as an enforcer of the covenant. Note the following verses, which depict purifying judgment on a people that has violated the Lord’s covenant.

[3:2]  ⁵⁵ sn The refiner’s fire was used to purify metal and refine it by melting it and allowing the dross, which floated to the top, to be scooped off.

[3:5]  ⁵⁶ tn The first person pronoun (a reference to the Lord) indicates that the Lord himself now speaks (see also v. 1). The prophet speaks in vv. 2-4 (see also 2:17).

[3:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “those who swear [oaths] falsely.” Cf. NIV “perjurers”; TEV “those who give false testimony”; NLT “liars.”

[3:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and against the oppressors of the worker for a wage, [the] widow and orphan.”

[3:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “those who turn aside.”

[3:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “resident foreigner”; NIV “aliens”; NRSV “the alien.”

[4:1]  ⁶¹ sn Beginning with 4:1, the verse numbers through 4:6 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 4:1 ET = 3:19 HT, 4:2 ET = 3:20 HT, etc., through 4:6 ET = 3:24 HT. Thus the book of Malachi in the Hebrew Bible has only three chapters, with 24 verses in ch. 3.

[4:1]  ⁶² sn This day is the well-known “day of the Lord” so pervasive in OT eschatological texts (see Joel 2:30-31; Amos 5:18; Obad 15). For the believer it is a day of grace and salvation; for the sinner, a day of judgment and destruction.

[4:1]  ⁶³ tn Heb “so that it” (so NASB, NRSV). For stylistic reasons a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[4:2]  ⁶⁴ tn Here the Hebrew word צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah), usually translated “righteousness” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT; cf. NAB “justice”), has been rendered as “vindication” because it is the vindication of God’s people that is in view in the context. Cf. BDB 842 s.v. צְדָקָה 6; “righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.”

[4:2]  ⁶⁵ sn The point of the metaphor of healing wings is unclear. The sun seems to be compared to a bird. Perhaps the sun’s “wings” are its warm rays. “Healing” may refer to a reversal of the injury done by evildoers (see Mal 3:5).

[4:2]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “you will go out and skip about.”

[3:10]  ⁶⁷ sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.

[3:11]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”

[3:11]  ⁶⁹ sn With the Holy Spirit and fire. There are differing interpretations for this phrase regarding the number of baptisms and their nature. (1) Some see one baptism here, and this can be divided further into two options. (a) The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire could refer to the cleansing, purifying work of the Spirit in the individual believer through salvation and sanctification, or (b) it could refer to two different results of Christ’s ministry: Some accept Christ and are baptized with the Holy Spirit, but some reject him and receive judgment. (2) Other interpreters see two baptisms here: The baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to the salvation Jesus brings at his first advent, in which believers receive the Holy Spirit, and the baptism of fire refers to the judgment Jesus will bring upon the world at his second coming. One must take into account both the image of fire and whether individual or corporate baptism is in view. A decision is not easy on either issue. The image of fire is used to refer to both eternal judgment (e.g., Matt 25:41) and the power of the Lord’s presence to purge and cleanse his people (e.g., Isa 4:4-5). The pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, a fulfillment of this prophecy no matter which interpretation is taken, had both individual and corporate dimensions. It is possible that since Holy Spirit and fire are governed by a single preposition in Greek, the one-baptism view may be more likely, but this is not certain. Simply put, there is no consensus view in scholarship at this time on the best interpretation of this passage.

[3:12]  ⁷⁰ sn A winnowing fork was a pitchfork-like tool used to toss threshed grain in the air so that the wind blew away the chaff, leaving the grain to fall to the ground. The note of purging is highlighted by the use of imagery involving sifting though threshed grain for the useful kernels.

[3:12]  ⁷¹ tn Or “granary,” “barn” (referring to a building used to store a farm’s produce rather than a building to house livestock).

[3:12]  ⁷² sn The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.

[21:43]  ⁷³ tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).

[21:44]  ⁷⁴ tc A few witnesses, especially of the Western text (D 33 it sy^s Or Eus^syr), do not contain 21:44. However, the verse is found in א B C L W Z (Θ) 0102 Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy^c,p,h co and should be included as authentic.

[22:7]  ⁷⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[22:7]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers.” The verb ἀπώλεσεν (apwlesen) is causative, indicating that the king was the one behind the execution of the murderers. In English the causative idea is not expressed naturally here; either a purpose clause (“he sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death”) or a relative clause (“he sent his soldier who put those murderers to death”) is preferred.

[22:7]  ⁷⁷ tn The Greek text reads here πόλις (polis), which could be translated “town” or “city.” The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem, so “city” is more appropriate here.

[23:35]  ⁷⁸ sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).

[23:36]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:36]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”

[23:37]  ⁸¹ sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.

[23:37]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[23:37]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “you were not willing.”

[24:21]  ⁸⁶ tn Traditionally, “great tribulation.”

[24:21]  ⁸⁷ sn Suffering unlike anything that has happened. Some refer this event to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. While the events of a.d. 70 may reflect somewhat the comments Jesus makes here, the reference to the scope and severity of this judgment strongly suggest that much more is in view. Most likely Jesus is referring to the great end-time judgment on Jerusalem in the great tribulation.

[19:41]  ⁸⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[19:41]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “he.”

[19:41]  ⁹⁰ sn When Jesus approached and saw the city. This is the last travel note in Luke’s account (the so-called Jerusalem journey), as Jesus approached and saw the city before entering it.

[19:42]  ⁹¹ sn On this day. They had missed the time of Messiah’s coming; see v. 44.

[19:42]  ⁹² tn Grk “the things toward peace.” This expression seems to mean “the things that would ‘lead to,’ ‘bring about,’ or ‘make for’ peace.”

[19:42]  ⁹³ sn But now they are hidden from your eyes. This becomes an oracle of doom in the classic OT sense; see Luke 13:31-35; 11:49-51; Jer 9:2; 13:7; 14:7. They are now blind and under judgment (Jer 15:5; Ps 122:6).

[19:43]  ⁹⁴ sn Jesus now predicted the events that would be fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. The details of the siege have led some to see Luke writing this after Jerusalem’s fall, but the language of the verse is like God’s exilic judgment for covenant unfaithfulness (Hab 2:8; Jer 6:6, 14; 8:13-22; 9:1; Ezek 4:2; 26:8; Isa 29:1-4). Specific details are lacking and the procedures described (build an embankment against you) were standard Roman military tactics.

[19:43]  ⁹⁵ sn An embankment refers to either wooden barricades or earthworks, or a combination of the two.

[19:44]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “They will raze you to the ground.”

[19:44]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “your children within you.” The phrase “[your] walls” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the city of Jerusalem, metaphorically pictured as an individual, is spoken of here.

[19:44]  ⁹⁸ sn (Not) one stone on top of another is an idiom for total destruction.

[19:44]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “leave stone on stone.”

[19:44]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “the time of your visitation.” To clarify what this refers to, the words “from God” are supplied at the end of the verse, although they do not occur in the Greek text.

[20:16]  ¹⁰¹ sn The statement that the owner will come and destroy those tenants is a promise of judgment; see Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44.

[20:16]  ¹⁰² sn The warning that the owner would give the vineyard to others suggests that the care of the promise and the nation’s hope would be passed to others. This eventually looks to Gentile inclusion; see Eph 2:11-22.

[20:16]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people addressed in v. 9) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:16]  ¹⁰⁴ sn May this never happen! Jesus’ audience got the point and did not want to consider a story where the nation would suffer judgment.

[20:17]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:17]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.

[20:18]  ¹⁰⁷ tn On this term, see BDAG 972 s.v. συνθλάω.

[20:18]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

[21:20]  ¹⁰⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:20]  ¹¹⁰ sn See Luke 19:41-44. This passage refers to the events associated with the fall of Jerusalem, when the city is surrounded by armies.

[21:20]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “her,” referring to the city of Jerusalem (the name “Jerusalem” in Greek is a feminine noun).

[21:20]  ¹¹² sn The phrase its desolation is a reference to the fall of the city, which is the only antecedent present in Luke’s account. The parallels to this in Matt 24:15 and Mark 13:14 refer to the temple’s desolation, though Matthew’s allusion is clearer. They focus on the parallel events of the end, not on the short term realization in a.d. 70. The entire passage has a prophetic “two events in one” typology, where the near term destruction (a.d. 70) is like the end. So the evangelists could choose to focus on the near time realization (Luke) or on its long term fulfillment, which mirrors it (Matthew, Mark).

[21:21]  ¹¹³ sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.

[21:21]  ¹¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:21]  ¹¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:22]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “of punishment.” This is a time of judgment.

[21:22]  ¹¹⁷ tn The passive construction with the infinitive πλησθῆναι (plhsqhnai) has been translated as an active construction for simplicity, in keeping with contemporary English style.

[21:23]  ¹¹⁸ sn Great distress means that this is a period of great judgment.

[21:24]  ¹¹⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:24]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “by the mouth of the sword” (an idiom for the edge of a sword).

[21:24]  ¹²¹ sn Here is the predicted judgment against the nation until the time of Gentile rule has passed: Its people will be led away as captives.

[21:24]  ¹²² tn Grk “And Jerusalem.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:24]  ¹²³ sn Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled implies a time when Israel again has a central role in God’s plan.

[23:28]  ¹²⁴ sn The title Daughters of Jerusalem portrays these women mourning as representatives of the nation.

[23:28]  ¹²⁵ sn Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves. Judgment now comes on the nation (see Luke 19:41-44) for this judgment of Jesus. Ironically, they mourn the wrong person – they should be mourning for themselves.

[23:29]  ¹²⁶ tn Grk “For behold.”

[23:29]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have not nursed!”

[23:30]  ¹²⁸ sn The figure of crying out to the mountains ‘Fall on us!’ (appealing to creation itself to hide them from God’s wrath), means that a time will come when people will feel they are better off dead (Hos 10:8).

[23:30]  ¹²⁹ sn An allusion to Hos 10:8 (cf. Rev 6:16).

[23:1]  ¹³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:1]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:1]  ¹³² sn Pilate was the Roman prefect (procurator) in charge of collecting taxes and keeping the peace. His immediate superior was the Roman governor (proconsul) of Syria, although the exact nature of this administrative relationship is unknown. Pilate’s relations with the Jews had been rocky (v. 12). Here he is especially sensitive to them.

[2:15]  ¹³³ tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[2:15]  ¹³⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[2:15]  ¹³⁵ sn Note how although angels delivered the message, it was the Lord whose message is made known, coming through them.

[2:16]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “a feeding trough.”

[8:7]  ¹³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:7]  ¹³⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” because what follows has the logical force of a result clause.

[8:8]  ¹³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[8:8]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:9]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “a third of the living creatures in the sea”; Grk “the third of the creatures which were in the sea, the ones having life.”

[8:9]  ¹⁴² tn On the term translated “completely destroyed,” L&N 20.40 states, “to cause the complete destruction of someone or something – ‘to destroy utterly.’ τὸ τρίτον τῶν πλοίων διεφθάρησαν ‘a third of the ships were completely destroyed’ Re 8:9.”

[8:10]  ¹⁴³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[8:10]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “from heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[8:10]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “fell.”

[8:11]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” in keeping with the parenthetical nature of this remark.

[8:11]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “is called,” but this is somewhat redundant in contemporary English.

[8:11]  ¹⁴⁸ sn Wormwood refers to a particularly bitter herb with medicinal value. According to L&N 3.21, “The English term wormwood is derived from the use of the plant as a medicine to kill intestinal worms.” This remark about the star’s name is parenthetical in nature.

[8:11]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the star falling on the waters.

[8:11]  ¹⁵⁰ tn That is, terribly bitter (see the note on “Wormwood” earlier in this verse).

[8:11]  ¹⁵¹ tn Grk “and many of the men died from these waters because they were bitter.”

[8:12]  ¹⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[8:12]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “the day did not shine [with respect to] the third of it.”

[16:19]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[16:19]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[16:19]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “fell.”

[16:19]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).

[16:19]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).

[16:19]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (qumo") and ὀργή (orgh) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.