1 Samuel 2:15-17

2:15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.” ¹  2:16 If the individual said to him, “First let the fat be burned away, and then take for yourself whatever you wish,” he would say, “No! ²  Hand it over right now! If you don’t, I will take it forcibly!”

2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they ³  treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.

1 Samuel 2:2

2:2 No one is holy ⁴  like the Lord!

There is no one other than you!

There is no rock ⁵  like our God!

1 Samuel 5:1

The Ark Causes Trouble for the Philistines

5:1 Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

Jeremiah 6:13

6:13 “That is because, from the least important to the most important of them,

all of them are greedy for dishonest gain.

Prophets and priests alike,

all of them practice deceit.

Jeremiah 8:10

8:10 ⁶ So I will give their wives to other men

and their fields to new owners.

For from the least important to the most important of them,

all of them are greedy for dishonest gain.

Prophets and priests alike,

all practice deceit.

Micah 3:5

3:5 This is what the Lord says: “The prophets who mislead my people

are as good as dead. ⁷ 

If someone gives them enough to eat,

they offer an oracle of peace. ⁸ 

But if someone does not give them food,

they are ready to declare war on him. ⁹ 

Micah 3:11

3:11 Her ¹⁰  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ¹¹ 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ¹²  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ¹³ 

Disaster will not overtake ¹⁴  us!”

Malachi 1:10

1:10 “I wish that one of you would close the temple doors, ¹⁵  so that you no longer would light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will no longer accept an offering from you.

Matthew 21:13

21:13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ ¹⁶  but you are turning it into a den ¹⁷  of robbers!” ¹⁸ 

John 10:12-13

10:12 The hired hand, ¹⁹  who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons ²⁰  the sheep and runs away. ²¹  So the wolf attacks ²²  the sheep and scatters them. 10:13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, ²³  he runs away. ²⁴ 

John 12:5-6

12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins ²⁵  and the money ²⁶  given to the poor?” 12:6 (Now Judas ²⁷  said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, ²⁸  he used to steal what was put into it.) ²⁹ 

Acts 8:18-21

8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit ³⁰  was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power ³¹  too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, ³²  because you thought you could acquire ³³  God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part ³⁴  in this matter ³⁵  because your heart is not right before God!

Acts 20:33

20:33 I have desired ³⁶  no one’s silver or gold or clothing.

Romans 16:18

16:18 For these are the kind who do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds ³⁷  of the naive.

Romans 16:2

16:2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.

Romans 2:3

2:3 And do you think, ³⁸  whoever you are, when you judge ³⁹  those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, ⁴⁰  that you will escape God’s judgment?

Romans 2:14-15

2:14 For whenever the Gentiles, ⁴¹  who do not have the law, do by nature ⁴²  the things required by the law, ⁴³  these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. 2:15 They ⁴⁴  show that the work of the law is written ⁴⁵  in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend ⁴⁶  them, ⁴⁷ 

Revelation 18:11-13

18:11 Then ⁴⁸  the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo ⁴⁹  any longer – 18:12 cargo such as gold, silver, ⁵⁰  precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, ⁵¹  scarlet cloth, ⁵²  all sorts of things made of citron wood, ⁵³  all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble, 18:13 cinnamon, spice, ⁵⁴  incense, perfumed ointment, ⁵⁵  frankincense, ⁵⁶  wine, olive oil and costly flour, ⁵⁷  wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages, ⁵⁸  slaves and human lives. ⁵⁹ 

[2:15]  ¹ tn Heb “living.”

[2:16]  ² tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss (“no”) rather than the Kethib and MT, which read “to him.”

[2:17]  ³ tc Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew ms, a Qumran ms, and the LXX.

[2:2]  ⁴ sn In this context God’s holiness refers primarily to his sovereignty and incomparability. He is unique and distinct from all other so-called gods.

[2:2]  ⁵ tn The LXX has “and there is none righteous like our God.” The Hebrew term translated “rock” refers to a rocky cliff where one can seek refuge from enemies. Here the metaphor depicts God as a protector of his people. Cf. TEV “no protector like our God”; CEV “We’re safer with you than on a high mountain.”

[8:10]  ⁶ sn See Jer 6:12-15 for parallels to 8:10-12. The words of Jeremiah to the people may have been repeated on more than one occasion or have been found appropriate to more than one of his collection of messages in written and edited form. See Jer 36:4 and Jer 36:28 for reference to at least two of these collections.

[3:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “concerning the prophets, those who mislead my people.” The first person pronominal suffix is awkward in a quotation formula that introduces the words of the Lord. For this reason some prefer to begin the quotation after “the Lord says” (cf. NIV), but this leaves “concerning the prophets” hanging very awkwardly at the beginning of the quotation. It is preferable to add הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) at the beginning of the quotation, right after the graphically similar יְהוָה (yÿhvah; see D. R. Hillers, Micah [Hermeneia], 44). The phrase הוֹי עַל (hoy ’al, “woe upon”) occurs in Jer 50:27 and Ezek 13:3 (with “the prophets” following the preposition in the latter instance).

[3:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “those who bite with their teeth and cry out, ‘peace.’” The phrase “bite with the teeth” is taken here as idiomatic for eating. Apparently these prophets were driven by mercenary motives. If they were paid well, they gave positive oracles to their clients, but if someone could not afford to pay them, they were hostile and delivered oracles of doom.

[3:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “but [as for the one] who does not place [food] in their mouths, they prepare for war against him.”

[3:11]  ¹⁰ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ¹² tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ¹⁴ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”

[1:10]  ¹⁵ sn The rhetorical language suggests that as long as the priesthood and people remain disobedient, the temple doors may as well be closed because God is not “at home” to receive them or their worship there.

[21:13]  ¹⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.

[21:13]  ¹⁷ tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).

[21:13]  ¹⁸ sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.

[10:12]  ¹⁹ sn Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away.

[10:12]  ²⁰ tn Grk “leaves.”

[10:12]  ²¹ tn Or “flees.”

[10:12]  ²² tn Or “seizes.” The more traditional rendering, “snatches,” has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12, this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so “attacks” is preferable.

[10:13]  ²³ tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”

[10:13]  ²⁴ tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several important mss (Ì^{44vid,45,66,75} א A*^vid B D L [W] Θ 1 33 1241 al co). Most likely it was added by a later scribe to improve the readability of vv. 12-13, which is one long sentence in Greek. It has been included in the translation for the same stylistic reasons.

[12:5]  ²⁵ tn Grk “three hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth a standard day’s wage, so the value exceeded what a laborer could earn in a year (taking into account Sabbaths and feast days when no work was done).

[12:5]  ²⁶ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).

[12:6]  ²⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:6]  ²⁸ tn Grk “a thief, and having the money box.” Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.

[12:6]  ²⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. This is one of the indications in the gospels that Judas was of bad character before the betrayal of Jesus. John states that he was a thief and had responsibility for the finances of the group. More than being simply a derogatory note about Judas’ character, the inclusion of the note at this particular point in the narrative may be intended to link the frustrated greed of Judas here with his subsequent decision to betray Jesus for money. The parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark seem to indicate that after this incident Judas went away immediately and made his deal with the Jewish authorities to deliver up Jesus. Losing out on one source of sordid gain, he immediately went out and set up another.

[8:18]  ³⁰ tc Most witnesses (Ì^45,74 A* C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï latt sy bo) here read “the Holy Spirit” (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, to pneuma to {agion), while a few key mss have simply τὸ πνεῦμα (א A^c B sa mae). Although it is possible that some scribes omitted τὸ ἅγιον because of its perceived superfluity (note vv. 15, 17, 19), it is far more likely that others added the adjective out of pious motives.

[8:19]  ³¹ tn Or “ability”; Grk “authority.”

[8:20]  ³² tn Grk “May your silver together with you be sent into destruction.” This is a strong curse. The gifts of God are sovereignly bestowed and cannot be purchased.

[8:20]  ³³ tn Or “obtain.”

[8:21]  ³⁴ tn The translation “share or part” is given by L&N 63.13.

[8:21]  ³⁵ tn Since the semantic range for λόγος (logos) is so broad, a number of different translations could be given for the prepositional phrase here. Something along the lines of “in this thing” would work well, but is too colloquial for the present translation.

[20:33]  ³⁶ tn Traditionally, “coveted.” BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιθυμέω 1 has “to have a strong desire to do or secure someth., desire, long for w. gen. of the thing desired…silver, gold, clothing Ac 20:33.” The traditional term “covet” is not in common usage and difficult for many modern English readers to understand. The statement affirms Paul’s integrity. He was not doing this for personal financial gain.

[16:18]  ³⁷ tn Grk “hearts.”

[2:3]  ³⁸ tn Grk “do you think this,” referring to the clause in v. 3b.

[2:3]  ³⁹ tn Grk “O man, the one who judges.”

[2:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “and do them.” The other words are supplied to bring out the contrast implied in this clause.

[2:14]  ⁴¹ sn Gentile is a NT term for a non-Jew.

[2:14]  ⁴² tn Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:135-37) take the phrase φύσει (fusei, “by nature”) to go with the preceding “do not have the law,” thus: “the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature,” that is, by virtue of not being born Jewish.

[2:14]  ⁴³ tn Grk “do by nature the things of the law.”

[2:15]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:15]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “show the work of the law [to be] written,” with the words in brackets implied by the Greek construction.

[2:15]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “excuse.”

[2:15]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “their conscience bearing witness and between the thoughts accusing or also defending one another.”

[18:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[18:11]  ⁴⁹ tn On γόμος (gomos) BDAG 205 s.v. states, “load, freight…cargo of a ship…Ac 21:3. W. gen. of the owner Rv 18:11. W. gen. of content…γ. χρυσοῦ a cargo of gold vs. 12.”

[18:12]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “and silver,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before most of these terms since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more

[18:12]  ⁵¹ tn On this term BDAG 924-25 s.v. σιρικός states, “per. to silk from Ser, subst. τὸ σιρικόν silk cloth or garments w. other costly materials Rv 18:12.”

[18:12]  ⁵² tn On the translation of κόκκινον (kokkinon) as “scarlet cloth” see L&N 6.170.

[18:12]  ⁵³ tn On the phrase πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον (pan xulon quinon) L&N 3.63 states, “pertaining to being made or consisting of citron wood (that is, from a citron tree) – ‘of citron wood.’ καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον ‘and all kinds of things made of citron wood and all kinds of objects made of ivory’ Re 18:12. The citron tree belongs to the citrus family of plants, and it produces a pale yellow fruit somewhat larger than a lemon, the rind of which is often candied. In Re 18:12, however, the focus is upon the fine quality of the wood.”

[18:13]  ⁵⁴ tn On the term ἄμωμον (amwmon) L&N 5.23 states, “a generic term for any kind of spice, though often a specific reference to amomum, an Indian type of spice – ‘spice, amomum.’ κιννάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον καὶ θυμιάματα ‘cinnamon and spice and incense’ Re 18:13. In most translations ἄμωμον is interpreted as spice in general.”

[18:13]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “myrrh,” a strong aromatic ointment often used to prepare a body for burial (L&N 6.205).

[18:13]  ⁵⁶ tn The Greek term λίβανος (libano") refers to the aromatic resin of a certain type of tree (L&N 6.212).

[18:13]  ⁵⁷ tn On σεμίδαλις (semidali") L&N 5.10 states, “a fine grade of wheat flour – ‘fine flour.’ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ σεμίδαλιν καὶ σῖτον ‘wine and oil and fine flour and wheat’ Re 18:13. In some languages ‘fine flour’ may be best expressed as ‘expensive flour.’ Such a rendering fits well the context of Re 18:13.”

[18:13]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “and wagons.” On the term ῥέδη (rJedh) see L&N 6.53: “a four-wheeled carriage or wagon used for travel or the transportation of loads – ‘carriage, wagon.’ The term ῥέδη occurs only in Re 18:13 in a list of products bought and sold by merchants.”

[18:13]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “and bodies and souls of men.” This could be understood (1) as a hendiadys (two things mentioned = one thing meant), referring only to slave trade; (2) it could be referring to two somewhat different concepts: slavery (bodies) and the cheapness of human life – some of the items earlier in the list of merchandise were to be obtained only at great cost of human life; or (3) a somewhat related idea, that the trade is in not just physical bodies (slavery) but human souls (people whose lives are destroyed through this trade).