3:20 “When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle 6 before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death. 3:21 However, if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he 7 does not sin, he will certainly live because he was warned, and you will have saved your own life.”
33:7 “As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman 15 for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf. 33:8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you must certainly die,’ 16 and you do not warn 17 the wicked about his behavior, 18 the wicked man will die for his iniquity, but I will hold you accountable for his death. 19 33:9 But if you warn the wicked man to change his behavior, 20 and he refuses to change, 21 he will die for his iniquity, but you have saved your own life.
24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, 22 whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves 23 their food at the proper time? 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work 24 when he comes. 24:47 I tell you the truth, 25 the master 26 will put him in charge of all his possessions.
1 tn The literal role of a watchman is described in 2 Sam 18:24; 2 Kgs 9:17.
2 sn Even though the infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the warning, the warning is still implicitly conditional, as the following context makes clear.
3 tn Or “in his punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and v. 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18: 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment for iniquity.”
4 tn Heb “his blood I will seek from your hand.” The expression “seek blood from the hand” is equivalent to requiring the death penalty (2 Sam 4:11-12).
5 tn Verses 17-19 are repeated in Ezek 33:7-9.
6 tn Or “stumbling block.” The Hebrew term refers to an obstacle in the road in Lev 19:14.
7 tn Heb “the righteous man.”
8 tn Heb “sons of your people.”
9 tn Heb “shofar,” a ram’s horn rather than a brass instrument (so throughout the chapter).
10 tn Sounding the trumpet was a warning of imminent danger (Neh 4:18-20; Jer 4:19; Amos 3:6).
11 tn Heb “his blood will be on his own head.”
12 tn Heb “his blood will be on him.”
13 tn Or “in his punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 8 and 9; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18: 17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.
14 tn Heb “his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.”
15 sn Jeremiah (Jer 6:17) and Habakkuk (Hab 2:1) also served in the role of a watchman.
16 tn The same expression occurs in Gen 2:17.
17 tn Heb “and you do not speak to warn.”
18 tn Heb “way.”
19 tn Heb “and his blood from your hand I will seek.”
20 tn Heb “from his way to turn from it.”
21 tn Heb “and he does not turn from his way.”
22 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
23 tn Grk “give them.”
24 tn That is, doing his job, doing what he is supposed to be doing.
25 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
26 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 tn That is, like slaves (who are mentioned later, vv. 37-38), although the term ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used here. Since in this context it appears generic rather than gender-specific, the translation “people” is employed.
28 sn An ancient wedding celebration could last for days (Tob 11:18).
29 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
30 tn Or “watching”; Grk “awake,” but in context this is not just being awake but alert and looking out.
31 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
32 tn See v. 35 (same verb).
33 tn Grk “have them recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
34 tn The participle παρελθών (parelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
35 sn He…will come and wait on them is a reversal of expectation, but shows that what Jesus asks for he is willing to do as well; see John 13:5 and 15:18-27, although those instances merely foreshadow what is in view here.
36 sn The second or third watch of the night would be between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on a Roman schedule and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on a Jewish schedule. Luke uses the four-watch schedule of the Romans in Acts 12:4, so that is more probable here. Regardless of the precise times of the watches, however, it is clear that the late-night watches when a person is least alert are in view here.
37 tn Grk “finds (them) thus”; but this has been clarified in the translation by referring to the status (“alert”) mentioned in v. 37.
38 tn Grk “blessed are they”; the referent (the watchful slaves, v. 37) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
40 tc Most
41 sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it might take some time – so long, in fact, that some would not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).
42 tn Grk “after my departure.”
43 tn That is, people like fierce wolves. See BDAG 167-68 s.v. βαρύς 4 on the term translated “fierce.” The battle that will follow would be a savage one.
44 tn Grk “from among yourselves.”
45 tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only rarely is used in a generic sense to refer to both males and females. Since Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders at this point and there is nothing in the context to suggest women were included in that group (“from among your own group”), it is most likely Paul was not predicting that these false teachers would include women.
46 tn Grk “speaking crooked things”; BDAG 237 s.v. διαστρέφω 2 has “λαλεῖν διεστραμμένα teach perversions (of the truth) Ac 20:30.”
47 tn Or “be watchful.”
48 tn Or “admonishing.”