15:33 The fear of the Lord provides wise instruction, 1
and before honor comes humility. 2
57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,
the one who rules 11 forever, whose name is holy:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated, 12
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged. 13
66:2 My hand made them; 14
that is how they came to be,” 15 says the Lord.
I show special favor 16 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 17
5:3 “Blessed 18 are the poor in spirit, 19 for the kingdom of heaven belongs 20 to them.
1 tn Heb “[is] instruction of wisdom” (KJV and NASB similar). The noun translated “wisdom” is an attributive genitive: “wise instruction.”
2 tn Heb “[is] humility” (so KJV). The second clause is a parallel idea in that it stresses how one thing leads to another – humility to honor. Humble submission in faith to the
3 tn Heb “the
4 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NRSV, NLT); likewise in v. 15.
5 tn Heb “manna which you and your ancestors did not know.” By popular etymology the word “manna” comes from the Hebrew phrase מָן הוּא (man hu’), i.e., “What is it?” (Exod 16:15). The question remains unanswered to this very day. Elsewhere the material is said to be “white like coriander seed” with “a taste like honey cakes” (Exod 16:31; cf. Num 11:7). Modern attempts to associate it with various desert plants are unsuccessful for the text says it was a new thing and, furthermore, one that appeared and disappeared miraculously (Exod 16:21-27).
6 tn Heb “in order to make known to you.” In the Hebrew text this statement is subordinated to what precedes, resulting in a very long sentence in English. The translation makes this statement a separate sentence for stylistic reasons.
7 tn Heb “the man,” but in a generic sense, referring to the whole human race (“mankind” or “humankind”).
8 tn The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. CEV).
9 sn Jesus quoted this text to the devil in the midst of his forty-day fast to make the point that spiritual nourishment is incomparably more important than mere physical bread (Matt 4:4; cf. Luke 4:4).
10 tn Heb “in order to humble you and in order to test you.” See 8:2.
11 tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.
12 tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.
13 tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”
14 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
15 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
16 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
17 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
18 sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.
19 sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.
20 sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.