22:13 “‘Sure to be judged 1 is the king who builds his palace using injustice
and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. 2
He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing.
He does not pay them for their labor.
22:14 He says, “I will build myself a large palace
with spacious upper rooms.”
He cuts windows in its walls,
panels it 3 with cedar, and paints its rooms red. 4
22:15 Does it make you any more of a king
that you outstrip everyone else in 5 building with cedar?
Just think about your father.
He was content that he had food and drink. 6
He did what was just and right. 7
So things went well with him.
22:16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy.
So things went well for Judah.’ 8
The Lord says,
‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ 9
22:17 But you are always thinking and looking
for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means.
Your eyes and your heart are set
on killing some innocent person
and committing fraud and oppression. 10
2:2 They confiscate the fields they desire,
and seize the houses they want. 11
They defraud people of their homes, 12
and deprive people of the land they have inherited. 13
2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. 14
He does this so he can build his nest way up high
and escape the clutches of disaster. 15
2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.
Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. 16
2:11 For the stones in the walls will cry out,
and the wooden rafters will answer back. 17
2:12 The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead 18 –
he who starts 19 a town by unjust deeds.
12:22 Then 34 Jesus 35 said to his 36 disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry 37 about your 38 life, what you will eat, or about your 39 body, what you will wear. 12:23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. 12:24 Consider the ravens: 40 They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds 41 them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!
1 sn Heb “Woe.” This particle is used in laments for the dead (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 34:5) and as an introductory particle in indictments against a person on whom judgment is pronounced (cf., e.g., Isa 5:8, 11; Jer 23:1). The indictment is found here in vv. 13-17 and the announcement of judgment in vv. 18-19.
2 tn Heb “Woe to the one who builds his house by unrighteousness and its upper rooms with injustice using his neighbor [= countryman] as a slave for nothing and not giving to him his wages.”
3 tc The MT should be emended to read חַלֹּנָיו וְסָפוֹן (khallonayv vÿsafon) instead of חַלֹּנָי וְסָפוּן (khallonay vÿsafon), i.e., the plural noun with third singular suffix rather than the first singular suffix and the infinitive absolute rather than the passive participle. The latter form then parallels the form for “paints” and functions in the same way (cf. GKC 345 §113.z for the infinitive with vav [ו] continuing a perfect). The errors in the MT involve reading the וְ once instead of twice (haplography) and reading the וּ (u) for the וֹ (o).
4 tn The word translated “red” only occurs here and in Ezek 23:14 where it refers to the pictures of the Babylonians on the wall of the temple. Evidently this was a favorite color for decoration. It is usually identified as vermilion, a mineral product from red ocher (cf. C. L. Wickwire, “Vermilion,” IDB 4:748).
5 tn For the use of this verb see Jer 12:5 where it is used of Jeremiah “competing” with horses. The form is a rare Tiphel (see GKC 153 §55.h).
6 tn Heb “Your father, did he not eat and drink and do justice and right.” The copulative vav in front of the verbs here (all Hebrew perfects) shows that these actions are all coordinate not sequential. The contrast drawn here between the actions of Jehoiakim and Josiah show that the phrase eating and drinking should be read in the light of the same contrasts in Eccl 2 which ends with the note of contentment in Eccl 2:24 (see also Eccl 3:13; 5:18 [5:17 HT]; 8:15). The question is, of course, rhetorical setting forth the positive role model against which Jehoiakim’s actions are to be condemned. The key terms here are “then things went well with him” which is repeated in the next verse after the reiteration of Josiah’s practice of justice.
7 sn The father referred to here is the godly king Josiah. He followed the requirements for kings set forth in 22:3 in contrast to his son who did not (22:13).
8 tn The words “for Judah” are not in the text, but the absence of the preposition plus object as in the preceding verse suggests that this is a more general statement, i.e., “things went well for everyone.”
9 tn Heb “Is that not what it means to know me.” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer. It is translated in the light of the context.
10 tn Heb “Your eyes and your heart do not exist except for dishonest gain and for innocent blood to shed [it] and for fraud and for oppression to do [them].” The sentence has been broken up to conform more to English style and the significance of “eyes” and “heart” explained before they are introduced into the translation.
11 tn Heb “they desire fields and rob [them], and houses and take [them] away.”
12 tn Heb “and they oppress a man and his home.”
13 tn Heb “and a man and his inheritance.” The verb עָשַׁק (’ashaq, “to oppress”; “to wrong”) does double duty in the parallel structure and is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
14 tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who profits unjustly by evil unjust gain for his house.” On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.
15 tn Heb “to place his nest in the heights in order to escape from the hand of disaster.”
16 tn Heb “you planned shame for your house, cutting off many nations, and sinning [against] your life.”
17 sn The house mentioned in vv. 9-10 represents the Babylonian empire, which became great through imperialism. Here the materials of this “house” (the stones in the walls, the wooden rafters) are personified as witnesses who testify that the occupants have built the house through wealth stolen from others.
18 tn On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.
19 tn Or “establishes”; or “founds.”
20 tc The most important
21 tn Grk “And he.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.
22 tn Grk “a parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
23 tn Or “yielded a plentiful harvest.”
24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this is a result of the preceding statement.
25 tn Grk “to himself, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
26 sn I have nowhere to store my crops. The thinking here is prudent in terms of recognizing the problem. The issue in the parable will be the rich man’s solution, particularly the arrogance reflected in v. 19.
27 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
28 sn Note how often the first person pronoun is present in these verses. The farmer is totally self absorbed.
29 tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.
30 tn Grk “your soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.
31 tn Or “required back.” This term, ἀπαιτέω (apaitew), has an economic feel to it and is often used of a debt being called in for repayment (BDAG 96 s.v. 1).
32 tn Grk “the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The words “for yourself” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
33 sn It is selfishness that is rebuked here, in the accumulation of riches for himself. Recall the emphasis on the first person pronouns throughout the parable.
34 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Jesus’ remarks to the disciples are an application of the point made in the previous parable.
35 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 tc αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) is lacking in Ì45vid,75 B 1241 c e. Although the addition of clarifying pronouns is a known scribal alteration, in this case it is probably better to view the dropping of the pronoun as the alteration in light of its minimal attestation.
37 tn Or “do not be anxious.”
38 tc Most
39 tc Some
40 tn Or “crows.” Crows and ravens belong to the same family of birds. English uses “crow” as a general word for the family. Palestine has several indigenous members of the crow family.
41 tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”