25:32 Then David said to Abigail, “Praised 1 be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me!
1:1 From Jude, 4 a slave 5 of Jesus Christ and brother of James, 6 to those who are called, wrapped in the love of 7 God the Father and kept for 8 Jesus Christ.
58:10 The godly 9 will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out;
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
58:11 Then 10 observers 11 will say,
“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! 12
Yes indeed, there is a God who judges 13 in the earth!”
19:1 After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
19:2 because his judgments are true and just. 14
For he has judged 15 the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,
and has avenged the blood of his servants 16 poured out by her own hands!” 17
19:3 Then 18 a second time the crowd shouted, “Hallelujah!” The smoke rises from her forever and ever. 19 19:4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground 20 and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”
1 tn Heb “blessed” (also in vv. 33, 39).
2 tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”
3 tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”
4 tn Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
5 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
6 sn Although Jude was half-brother of Jesus, he humbly associates himself with James, his full brother. By first calling himself a slave of Jesus Christ, it is evident that he wants no one to place stock in his physical connections. At the same time, he must identify himself further: Since Jude was a common name in the 1st century (two of Jesus’ disciples were so named, including his betrayer), more information was needed, that is to say, brother of James.
7 tn Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν (en) before πατρί (patri) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”
8 tn Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω (threw) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 3:10; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.
9 tn The singular is representative here, as is the singular from “wicked” in the next line.
10 tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.
11 tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.
12 tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”
13 tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.
14 tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.
15 tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.
16 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
17 tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).
18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
19 tn Or “her smoke ascends forever and ever.”
20 tn Grk “creatures fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”