1 Samuel 25:31-34

25:31 Your conscience will not be overwhelmed with guilt ¹  for having poured out innocent blood and for having taken matters into your own hands. When the Lord has granted my lord success, ²  please remember your servant.”

25:32 Then David said to Abigail, “Praised ³  be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me! 25:33 Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded ⁴  for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands! 25:34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives – he who has prevented me from harming you – if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning’s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!”

1 Samuel 25:2

David Marries Abigail the Widow of Nabal

25:2 There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. This man was very wealthy; ⁵  he owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

1 Samuel 12:7-13

12:7 Now take your positions, so I may confront you ⁶  before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors. ⁷  12:8 When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

12:9 “But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave ⁸  them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s ⁹  army, ¹⁰  and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 12:10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, ¹¹  ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. ¹²  Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’ ¹³  12:11 So the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, ¹⁴  Barak, ¹⁵  Jephthah, and Samuel, ¹⁶  and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.

12:12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God is your king! 12:13 Now look! Here is the king you have chosen – the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king!

1 Samuel 12:2

12:2 Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day.

1 Samuel 16:7-10

16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by ¹⁷  his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. ¹⁸  People look on the outward appearance, ¹⁹  but the Lord looks at the heart.”

16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. ²⁰  But Samuel ²¹  said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” 16:9 Then Jesse presented ²²  Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 16:10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. ²³  But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

1 Samuel 25:16

25:16 Both night and day they were a protective wall for us the entire time we were with them, while we were tending our flocks.

Proverbs 6:23

6:23 For the commandments ²⁴  are like ²⁵  a lamp, ²⁶ 

instruction is like a light,

and rebukes of discipline are like ²⁷  the road leading to life, ²⁸ 

Proverbs 9:8-9

9:8 Do not reprove ²⁹  a mocker or ³⁰  he will hate you;

reprove a wise person and he will love you.

9:9 Give instruction ³¹  to a wise person, ³²  and he will become wiser still;

teach ³³  a righteous person and he will add to his ³⁴  learning.

Proverbs 15:5

15:5 A fool rejects his father’s discipline,

but whoever heeds reproof shows good sense. ³⁵ 

Proverbs 15:22

15:22 Plans fail ³⁶  when there is no counsel,

but with abundant advisers they are established. ³⁷ 

Proverbs 19:25

19:25 Flog ³⁸  a scorner, and as a result the simpleton ³⁹  will learn prudence; ⁴⁰ 

correct a discerning person, and as a result he will understand knowledge. ⁴¹ 

Proverbs 25:12

25:12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, ⁴² 

so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens. ⁴³ 

Proverbs 27:5-6

27:5 Better is open ⁴⁴  rebuke

than hidden ⁴⁵  love.

27:6 Faithful ⁴⁶  are the wounds of a friend,

but the kisses ⁴⁷  of an enemy are excessive. ⁴⁸ 

Galatians 2:11-14

Paul Rebukes Peter

2:11 But when Cephas ⁴⁹  came to Antioch, ⁵⁰  I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. ⁵¹  2:12 Until ⁵²  certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this ⁵³  and separated himself ⁵⁴  because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. ⁵⁵  2:13 And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them ⁵⁶  by their hypocrisy. 2:14 But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ⁵⁷  in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force ⁵⁸  the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatians 6:1

Support One Another

6:1 Brothers and sisters, ⁵⁹  if a person ⁶⁰  is discovered in some sin, ⁶¹  you who are spiritual ⁶²  restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. ⁶³  Pay close attention ⁶⁴  to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

Revelation 3:19

3:19 All those ⁶⁵  I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!

[25:31]  ¹ tn Heb “and this will not be for you for staggering and for stumbling of the heart of my lord.”

[25:31]  ² tn Heb “and the Lord will do well for my lord.”

[25:32]  ³ tn Heb “blessed” (also in vv. 33, 39).

[25:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “blessed.”

[25:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “great.”

[12:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”

[12:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”

[12:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “sold” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera”; NLT “he let them be conquered by Sisera.”

[12:9]  ⁹ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[12:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”

[12:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and said.”

[12:10]  ¹² tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied in both vv. 3 and 4 for clarity.

[12:10]  ¹³ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.

[12:11]  ¹⁴ sn Jerub-Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The Book of Judges uses both names for him.

[12:11]  ¹⁵ tc The MT has “Bedan” (בְּדָן) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”

[12:11]  ¹⁶ tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”

[16:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “don’t look toward.”

[16:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “for not that which the man sees.” The translation follows the LXX, which reads, “for not as man sees does God see.” The MT has suffered from homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 274.

[16:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to the eyes.”

[16:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and caused him to pass before.”

[16:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “he” (also in v. 9); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:9]  ²² tn Heb “caused to pass by.”

[16:10]  ²³ tn Heb “caused seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.” This could be taken as referring to seven sons in addition to the three mentioned before this, but 1 Sam 17:12 says Jesse had eight sons, not eleven. 1 Chr 2:13-15 lists only seven sons, including David. However, 1 Chr 27:18 mentions an additional son, named Elihu.

[6:23]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the commandment” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[6:23]  ²⁵ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[6:23]  ²⁶ sn The terms “lamp,” “light,” and “way” are all metaphors. The positive teachings and commandments will illumine or reveal to the disciple the way to life; the disciplinary correctives will provide guidance into fullness of life.

[6:23]  ²⁷ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[6:23]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the way of life” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV, NLT “the way to life.” The noun “life” is a genitive following the construct “way.” It could be an attributive genitive modifying the kind of way/course of life that instruction provides, but it could also be objective in that the course of life followed would produce and lead to life.

[9:8]  ²⁹ tn In view of the expected response for reproof, the text now uses a negated jussive to advise against the attempt. This is paralleled antithetically by the imperative in the second colon. This imperative is in an understood conditional clause: “if you reprove a wise person.”

[9:8]  ³⁰ tn Heb “lest he hate you.” The particle פֶּן (pen, “lest”) expresses fear or precaution (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 79, §476). The antonyms “love” and “hate” suggest that the latter means “reject” and the former means “choosing and embracing.”

[9:9]  ³¹ tn The noun “instruction” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation.

[9:9]  ³² sn The parallelism shows what Proverbs will repeatedly stress, that the wise person is the righteous person.

[9:9]  ³³ tn The Hiphil verb normally means “to cause to know, make known”; but here the context suggests “to teach” (so many English versions).

[9:9]  ³⁴ tn The term “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of smoothness and clarity.

[15:5]  ³⁵ tn Heb “is prudent” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NCV, NLT “is wise.” Anyone who accepts correction or rebuke will become prudent in life.

[15:22]  ³⁶ tn Heb “go wrong” (so NRSV, NLT). The verb is the Hiphil infinitive absolute from פָּרַר, parar, which means “to break; to frustrate; to go wrong” (HALOT 975 s.v. I פרר 2). The plans are made ineffectual or are frustrated when there is insufficient counsel.

[15:22]  ³⁷ sn The proverb says essentially the same thing as 11:14, but differently.

[19:25]  ³⁸ tn The Hiphil imperfect תַּכֶּה (takeh) is followed by another imperfect. It could be rendered: “strike a scorner [imperfect of instruction] and a simpleton will become prudent.” But the first of the parallel verbs can also be subordinated to the second as a temporal or conditional clause. Some English versions translate “beat” (NAB “if you beat an arrogant man”), but this could be understood to refer to competition rather than physical punishment. Therefore “flog” has been used in the translation, since it is normally associated with punishment or discipline.

[19:25]  ³⁹ sn Different people learn differently. There are three types of people in this proverb: the scorner with a closed mind, the simpleton with an empty mind, and the discerning person with an open mind (D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 135). The simpleton learns by observing a scoffer being punished, even though the punishment will have no effect on the scoffer.

[19:25]  ⁴⁰ sn The word is related to “shrewdness” (cf. 1:4). The simpleton will learn at least where the traps are and how to avoid them.

[19:25]  ⁴¹ tn The second half begins with הוֹכִיחַ (hokhiakh), the Hiphil infinitive construct. This parallels the imperfect tense beginning the first half; it forms a temporal or conditional clause as well, so that the main verb is “he will understand.”

[25:12]  ⁴² sn This saying is another example of emblematic parallelism; the first half is the simile, and the second half makes the point from it: A wise rebuke that is properly received is of lasting value. The rebuke in the ear of an obedient student is like ornaments of fine jewelry.

[25:12]  ⁴³ tn The “ear of the listener” refers to the obedient disciple, the one who complies with the reproof he hears. Cf. KJV, ASV, NAB “an obedient ear.”

[27:5]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “revealed” or “uncovered” (Pual participle from גָּלָה, galah). This would specify the reproof or rebuke as direct, honest, and frank, whether it was coming from a friend or an enemy.

[27:5]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “hidden” (a Pual participle from סָתַר, satar) refers to a love that is carefully concealed; this is contrasted with the open rebuke in the first line. What is described, then, is someone too timid, too afraid, or not trusting enough to admit that reproof is a genuine part of love (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 610). It is a love that is not expressed in proper concern for the one loved. See also, e.g., 28:23 and 29:3.

[27:6]  ⁴⁶ tn The Niphal participle of אָמַן (’aman) means “faithful; reliable; sure; trustworthy.” The word indicates that the wounds from a friend “can be trusted” (so NIV, NCV) because they are meant to correct and not to destroy (e.g., 25:12; Deut 7:9; Job 12:20).

[27:6]  ⁴⁷ sn “Kisses” probably represents a metonymy of adjunct; the term describes any expressions or indications of affection. But coming from an enemy, they will be insincere – as indicated by their excessive number.

[27:6]  ⁴⁸ tn The form is נַעְתָּרוֹת (na’tarot), the Niphal participle of עָתַר (’atar, “to be abundant”). Contemporary translations render this rare form in a number of different ways: “deceitful” (NASB, NKJV); “profuse” (NRSV); “many” (NLT). But the idea of “excessive” or “numerous” fits very well. The kisses of an enemy cannot be trusted, no matter how often they are presented.

[2:11]  ⁴⁹ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

[2:11]  ⁵⁰ map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[2:11]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “because he stood condemned.”

[2:12]  ⁵² tn The conjunction γάρ has not been translated here.

[2:12]  ⁵³ tn Grk “he drew back.” If ἑαυτόν (Jeauton) goes with both ὑπέστελλεν (Jupestellen) and ἀφώριζεν (afwrizen) rather than only the latter, the meaning would be “he drew himself back” (see BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 1.a).

[2:12]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “and held himself aloof.”

[2:12]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “the [ones] of the circumcision,” that is, the group of Jewish Christians who insisted on circumcision of Gentiles before they could become Christians.

[2:13]  ⁵⁶ tn The words “with them” are a reflection of the σύν- (sun-) prefix on the verb συναπήχθη (sunaphcqh; see L&N 31.76).

[2:14]  ⁵⁷ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

[2:14]  ⁵⁸ tn Here ἀναγκάζεις (anankazei") has been translated as a conative present (see ExSyn 534).

[6:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[6:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[6:1]  ⁶¹ tn Or “some transgression” (L&N 88.297).

[6:1]  ⁶² sn Who are spiritual refers to people who are controlled and directed by God’s Spirit.

[6:1]  ⁶³ tn Or “with a gentle spirit” or “gently.”

[6:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “taking careful notice.”

[3:19]  ⁶⁵ tn The Greek pronoun ὅσος (Josos) means “as many as” and can be translated “All those” or “Everyone.”