Genesis 14:23

14:23 that I will take nothing ¹  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I ²  who made Abram rich.’

Genesis 23:13

23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay ³  to you the price ⁴  of the field. Take it from me so that I may ⁵  bury my dead there.”

Deuteronomy 16:16-17

16:16 Three times a year all your males must appear before the Lord your God in the place he chooses for the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Temporary Shelters; and they must not appear before him ⁶  empty-handed. 16:17 Every one of you must give as you are able, ⁷  according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.

Malachi 1:12-14

1:12 “But you are profaning it by saying that the table of the Lord is common and its offerings ⁸  despicable. 1:13 You also say, ‘How tiresome it is.’ You turn up your nose at it,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and instead bring what is stolen, lame, or sick. You bring these things for an offering! Should I accept this from you?” ⁹  asks the Lord. 1:14 “There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king,” ¹⁰  says the Lord who rules over all, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”

Romans 12:17

12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. ¹¹ 

¹ tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

² tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

³ tn Heb “give.”

⁴ tn Heb “silver.”

⁵ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.

⁶ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 16:1.

⁷ tn Heb “a man must give according to the gift of his hand.” This has been translated as second person for stylistic reasons, in keeping with the second half of the verse, which is second person rather than third.

⁸ tn Heb “fruit.” The following word “food” in the Hebrew text (אָכְלוֹ, ’okhlo) appears to be an explanatory gloss to clarify the meaning of the rare word נִיב (niv, “fruit”; see Isa 57:19 Qere; נוֹב, nov, “fruit,” in Kethib). Cf. ASV “the fruit thereof, even its food.” In this cultic context the reference is to the offerings on the altar.

⁹ tn Heb “from your hand,” a metonymy of part (the hand) for whole (the person).

¹⁰ sn The epithet great king was used to describe the Hittite rulers on their covenant documents and so, in the covenant ideology of Malachi, is an apt description of the Lord.

¹¹ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic and refers to both men and women.