Numbers 15:39

15:39 You must have this tassel so that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and obey them and so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes that lead you to unfaithfulness.

Joshua 7:21

7:21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, two hundred silver pieces, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.”

Joshua 7:2

7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.

Joshua 11:2

11:2 and the northern kings who ruled in the hill country, the Arabah south of Kinnereth, the lowlands, and the heights of Dor to the west.

Job 31:1

Job Vindicates Himself

31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes;

how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin? 10 

Proverbs 4:25

4:25 Let your eyes look directly 11  in front of you

and let your gaze 12  look straight before you.

Proverbs 23:5

23:5 When you gaze upon riches, 13  they are gone,

for they surely make wings for themselves,

and fly off into the sky like an eagle! 14 

Isaiah 33:15

33:15 The one who lives 15  uprightly 16 

and speaks honestly;

the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures

and rejects a bribe; 17 

the one who does not plot violent crimes 18 

and does not seek to harm others 19 

Matthew 5:28

5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:1

The Beatitudes

5:1 When 20  he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. 21  After he sat down his disciples came to him.

Matthew 2:16

2:16 When Herod 22  saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men 23  to kill all the children in Bethlehem 24  and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.


tn Heb “seek out, look into.”

tn This last clause is a relative clause explaining the influence of the human heart and physical sight. It literally says, “which you go whoring after them.” The verb for “whoring” may be interpreted to mean “act unfaithfully.” So, the idea is these influences lead to unfaithful activity: “after which you act unfaithfully.”

tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT).

tn Heb “shekels.”

map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

map For the location of Bethel see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.

tn Heb “and to the kings who [are] from the north in.”

tn Heb “Chinneroth,” a city and plain located in the territory of Naphtali in Galilee (BDB 490 s.v. כִּנֶּרֶת, כִּנֲרוֹת).

tn The idea of cutting a covenant for something may suggest a covenant that is imposed, except that this construction elsewhere argues against it (see 2 Chr 29:10).

10 tn This half-verse is the effect of the covenant. The interrogative מָה (mah) may have the force of the negative, and so be translated “not to pay attention.”

11 tn The jussives in this verse are both Hiphil, the first from the verb “to gaze; to look intently [or, carefully],” (נָבַט, navat) and the second from the verb “to be smooth, straight” (יָשָׁר, yashar).

12 tn Heb “your eyelids.” The term “eyelids” is often a poetic synonym for “eye” (it is a metonymy of adjunct, something connected with the eye put for the eye that sees); it may intensify the idea as one might squint to gain a clearer look.

13 tc The Kethib is הֲתָעוּף (hatauf), “do your eyes fly [light] on it?” The Qere is the Hiphil, הֲתָעִיף (hataif) “do you cause your eyes to fly on it?” But the line is difficult. The question may be indirect: If you cast your eyes on it, it is gone – when you think you are close, it slips away.

14 sn This seventh saying warns people not to expend all their energy trying to get rich because riches are fleeting (cf. Instruction of Amememope, chap. 7, 9:10-11 which says, “they have made themselves wings like geese and have flown away to heaven”). In the ancient world the symbol of birds flying away signified fleeting wealth.

15 tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).

16 tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”

17 tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”

18 tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”

19 tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”

20 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

21 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").

22 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.

23 tn Or “soldiers.”

24 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.