5:9 No widow should be put on the list 1 unless 2 she is at least sixty years old, was the wife of one husband, 3
29:13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me, 8
and I made the widow’s heart rejoice; 9
31:16 If I have refused to give the poor what they desired, 10
or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
68:5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows. 11
God rules from his holy palace. 12
94:6 They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land,
and they murder the fatherless. 13
146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;
he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, 14
but he opposes the wicked. 15
49:11 Leave your orphans behind and I will keep them alive.
Your widows too can depend on me.” 16
6:1 Now in those 23 days, when the disciples were growing in number, 24 a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews 25 against the native Hebraic Jews, 26 because their widows 27 were being overlooked 28 in the daily distribution of food. 29
1 sn This list was an official enrollment, apparently with a formal pledge to continue as a widow and serve the Lord in that way (cf. v. 12). It was either (1) the list of “true widows” who were given support by the church or (2) a smaller group of older women among the supported widows who were qualified for special service (perhaps to orphans, other widows, the sick, etc.). Most commentators understand it to be the former, since a special group is not indicated clearly. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles, 222-23 for discussion.
2 tn Grk “let a widow be enrolled if she has reached not less than sixty years.”
3 tn Or “a woman married only once,” “was devoted solely to her husband” (see the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 3:12; Titus 1:6).
4 tn Or “who executes justice for” (so NAB, NRSV); NLT “gives justice to.”
5 tn Heb “the
6 tn Heb “gates.”
7 tn Heb “in your gates.”
8 tn The verb is simply בּוֹא (bo’, “to come; to enter”). With the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) it could mean “came to me,” or “came upon me,” i.e., descended (see R. Gordis, Job, 320).
9 tn The verb אַרְנִן (’arnin) is from רָנַן (ranan, “to give a ringing cry”) but here “cause to give a ringing cry,” i.e., shout of joy. The rejoicing envisioned in this word is far greater than what the words “sing” or “rejoice” suggest.
10 tn Heb “kept the poor from [their] desire.”
11 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by the fatherless and widows.
12 tn Heb “God [is] in his holy dwelling place.” He occupies his throne and carries out his royal responsibilities.
13 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
14 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident aliens, the fatherless, and widows.
15 tn Heb “he makes the way of the wicked twisted.” The “way of the wicked” probably refers to their course of life (see Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1). God makes their path tortuous in the sense that he makes them pay the harmful consequences of their actions.
16 tn Or “Their children and relatives will all be destroyed. And none of their neighbors will say, ‘Leave your orphans with me and I’ll keep them alive. Your widows can trust in me.’” This latter interpretation is based on a reading in a couple of the Greek versions (Symmachus and Lucian) and is accepted by a number of the modern commentaries, (J. Bright, J. A. Thompson, W. L. Holladay, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers). However, the majority of modern English versions do not follow it and lacking any other Hebrew or versional evidence it is probable that this is an interpretation to explain the mitigation of what appears as a prophecy of utter annihilation. There have been other cases in Jeremiah where a universal affirmation (either positive or negative) has been modified in the verses that follow. The verb in the second line תִּבְטָחוּ (tivtakhu) is highly unusual; it is a second masculine plural form with a feminine plural subject. The form is explained in GKC 127-28 §47.k and 160-61 §60.a, n. 1 as a pausal substitution for the normal form תִּבְטַחְנָה (tivtakhnah) and a similar form in Ezek 37:7 cited as a parallel.
17 tc The most important
18 tn Grk “behold.” 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).
19 tn That is, carried out for burial. This was a funeral procession.
20 tn Grk “and she.” The clause introduced by καί (kai) has been translated as a relative clause for the sake of English style.
21 sn The description of the woman as a widow would mean that she was now socially alone and without protection in 1st century Jewish culture.
22 tn Or “city.”
23 tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.
24 tn Grk “were multiplying.”
25 tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.
26 tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.
27 sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.
28 tn Or “neglected.”
29 tn Grk “in the daily serving.”
30 tn Grk “who.” The relative clause makes for awkward English style here, so the following clause was made coordinate with the conjunction “and” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun.
31 tn The participle παραγενόμενον (paragenomenon) is taken temporally.
32 tn Grk “and all.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
33 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
34 tn Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
35 tn Grk “and garments,” referring here to other types of clothing besides the tunics just mentioned.
36 tn The verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a customary imperfect.
37 tn Or “in the sight of”; Grk “with.”
38 tn Grk “the God and Father.”