Psalms 50:9-10

50:9 I do not need to take ¹  a bull from your household

or goats from your sheepfolds.

50:10 For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,

as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills. ² 

Job 22:2-3

22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? ³ 

22:3 Is it of any special benefit ⁴  to the Almighty

that you should be righteous,

or is it any gain to him

that you make your ways blameless? ⁵ 

Job 35:7-8

35:7 If you are righteous, what do you give to God,

or what does he receive from your hand?

35:8 Your wickedness affects only ⁶  a person like yourself,

and your righteousness only other people. ⁷ 

Luke 17:10

17:10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; ⁸  we have only done what was our duty.’” ⁹ 

Romans 11:35

11:35 Or who has first given to God, ¹⁰ 

that God ¹¹  needs to repay him? ¹² 

¹ tn Or “I will not take.”

² tn Heb “[the] animals on a thousand hills.” The words “that graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The term בְּהֵמוֹה (bÿhemot, “animal”) refers here to cattle (see Ps 104:14).

³ tn Some do not take this to be parallel to the first colon, taking this line as a statement, but the parallel expressions here suggest the question is repeated.

⁴ tn The word חֵפֶץ (khefets) in this passage has the nuance of “special benefit; favor.” It does not just express the desire for something or the interest in it, but the profit one derives from it.

⁵ tn The verb תַתֵּם (tattem) is the Hiphil imperfect of תָּמַם (tamam, “be complete, finished”), following the Aramaic form of the geminate verb with a doubling of the first letter.

⁶ tn The phrase “affects only” is supplied in the translation of this nominal sentence.

⁷ tn Heb “and to [or for] a son of man, your righteousness.”

⁸ tn Some translations describe the slaves as “worthless” (NRSV) or “unworthy” (NASB, NIV) but that is not Jesus’ point. These disciples have not done anything deserving special commendation or praise (L&N 33.361), but only what would normally be expected of a slave in such a situation (thus the translation “we have only done what was our duty”).

⁹ tn Or “we have only done what we were supposed to do.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² sn A quotation from Job 41:11.