1 Kings 10:5

10:5 the food in his banquet hall, ¹  his servants and attendants, ²  their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the Lord’s temple, she was amazed. ³ 

Esther 1:5-6

1:5 When those days ⁴  were completed, the king then provided a seven-day ⁵  banquet for all the people who were present ⁶  in Susa the citadel, for those of highest standing to the most lowly. ⁷  It was held in the court located in the garden of the royal palace. 1:6 The furnishings included linen and purple curtains hung by cords of the finest linen ⁸  and purple wool on silver rings, alabaster columns, gold and silver couches ⁹  displayed on a floor made of valuable stones of alabaster, mother-of-pearl, and mineral stone.

Matthew 15:35

15:35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground,

Matthew 15:1

Breaking Human Traditions

15:1 Then Pharisees ¹⁰  and experts in the law ¹¹  came from Jerusalem ¹²  to Jesus and said, ¹³ 

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ¹⁴  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ¹⁵  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

¹ tn Heb “the food on his table.”

² tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”

³ tn Heb “there was no breath still in her.”

⁴ tc The Hebrew text of Esther does not indicate why this elaborate show of wealth and power was undertaken. According to the LXX these were “the days of the wedding” (αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ γάμου, Jai Jhmerai tou gamou), presumably the king’s wedding. However, a number of scholars have called attention to the fact that this celebration takes place just shortly before Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. It is possible that the banquet was a rallying for the up-coming military effort. See Herodotus, Histories 7.8. There is no reason to adopt the longer reading of the LXX here.

⁵ tc The LXX has ἕξ ({ex, “six”) instead of “seven.” Virtually all English versions follow the reading of the MT here, “seven.”

⁶ tn Heb “were found.”

⁷ tn Heb “from the great and unto the small.”

⁸ sn The finest linen was byssus, a fine, costly, white fabric made in Egypt, Palestine, and Edom, and imported into Persia (BDB 101 s.v. בּוּץ; HALOT 115-16 s.v. בּוּץ).

⁹ tn The Hebrew noun מִטָּה (mittah) refers to a reclining couch (cf. KJV “beds”) spread with covers, cloth and pillow for feasting and carousing (Ezek 23:41; Amos 3:12; 6:4; Esth 1:6; 7:8). See BDB 641-42 s.v.; HALOT 573 s.v.

¹⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

¹¹ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

¹² map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹³ tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb so that its telic (i.e., final or conclusive) force can be more easily detected: The Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus in order to speak with him.

¹⁴ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

¹⁵ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.