Genesis 27:1-46

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ¹  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ²  he called his older ³  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ⁴  replied. 27:2 Isaac ⁵  said, “Since ⁶  I am so old, I could die at any time. ⁷  27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ⁸  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ⁹  I will eat it so that I may bless you ¹⁰  before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. ¹¹  When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, ¹²  27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat ¹³  it and bless you ¹⁴  in the presence of the Lord ¹⁵  before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do ¹⁶  exactly what I tell you! ¹⁷  27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ¹⁸  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ¹⁹  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ²⁰  and ²¹  bless you before he dies.”

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ²²  27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him ²³  and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ²⁴  my son! Just obey me! ²⁵  Go and get them for me!”

27:14 So he went and got the goats ²⁶  and brought them to his mother. She ²⁷  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ²⁸  on his hands ²⁹  and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed ³⁰  the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac ³¹  replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” ³²  27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up ³³  and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” ³⁴  27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world ³⁵  did you find it so quickly, ³⁶  my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” ³⁷  he replied. ³⁸  27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, ³⁹  my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” ⁴⁰  27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ⁴¹  27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob ⁴²  replied. 27:25 Isaac ⁴³  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ⁴⁴  Then I will bless you.” ⁴⁵  So Jacob ⁴⁶  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ⁴⁷  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob ⁴⁸  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent ⁴⁹  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, ⁵⁰  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky ⁵¹ 

and the richness ⁵²  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ⁵³  lord ⁵⁴  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ⁵⁵ 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left ⁵⁶  his father’s ⁵⁷  presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. ⁵⁸  27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ⁵⁹  said to him, “My father, get up ⁶⁰  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ⁶¹  27:32 His father Isaac asked, ⁶²  “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” ⁶³  he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently ⁶⁴  and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. ⁶⁵  He will indeed be blessed!”

27:34 When Esau heard ⁶⁶  his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ⁶⁷  He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac ⁶⁸  replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ⁶⁹  your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ⁷⁰  He has tripped me up ⁷¹  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ⁷²  Then Esau wept loudly. ⁷³ 

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ⁷⁴  your home will be

away from the richness ⁷⁵  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

27:40 You will live by your sword

but you will serve your brother.

When you grow restless,

you will tear off his yoke

from your neck.” ⁷⁶ 

27:41 So Esau hated ⁷⁷  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ⁷⁸  Esau said privately, ⁷⁹  “The time ⁸⁰  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ⁸¹  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ⁸²  she quickly summoned ⁸³  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ⁸⁴  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ⁸⁵  Run away immediately ⁸⁶  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ⁸⁷  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ⁸⁸  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ⁸⁹  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ⁹⁰ 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ⁹¹  because of these daughters of Heth. ⁹²  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ⁹³ 

Genesis 4:13

4:13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment ⁹⁴  is too great to endure! ⁹⁵ 

Psalms 23:5

23:5 You prepare a feast before me ⁹⁶ 

in plain sight of my enemies.

You refresh ⁹⁷  my head with oil;

my cup is completely full. ⁹⁸ 

Psalms 45:7

45:7 You love ⁹⁹  justice and hate evil. ¹⁰⁰ 

For this reason God, your God ¹⁰¹  has anointed you ¹⁰² 

with the oil of joy, ¹⁰³  elevating you above your companions. ¹⁰⁴ 

Psalms 92:10

92:10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox. ¹⁰⁵ 

I am covered ¹⁰⁶  with fresh oil.

Isaiah 61:1

The Lord Will Rejuvenate His People

61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has chosen ¹⁰⁷  me. ¹⁰⁸ 

He has commissioned ¹⁰⁹  me to encourage ¹¹⁰  the poor,

to help ¹¹¹  the brokenhearted,

to decree the release of captives,

and the freeing of prisoners,

Luke 4:18

4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed ¹¹²  me to proclaim good news ¹¹³  to the poor. ¹¹⁴ 

He has sent me ¹¹⁵  to proclaim release ¹¹⁶  to the captives

and the regaining of sight ¹¹⁷  to the blind,

to set free ¹¹⁸  those who are oppressed, ¹¹⁹ 

Acts 10:38

10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, ¹²⁰  that ¹²¹  God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He ¹²²  went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ¹²³  because God was with him. ¹²⁴ 

Acts 10:2

10:2 He ¹²⁵  was a devout, God-fearing man, ¹²⁶  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ¹²⁷  and prayed to God regularly.

Colossians 1:21-22

Paul’s Goal in Ministry

1:21 And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your ¹²⁸  minds ¹²⁹  as expressed through ¹³⁰  your evil deeds, 1:22 but now he has reconciled you ¹³¹  by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him –

Hebrews 1:9

1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions ¹³²  with the oil of rejoicing.” ¹³³ 

[27:1]  ¹ tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ² tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ³ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ⁶ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4]  ⁹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5]  ¹¹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5]  ¹² tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7]  ¹³ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7]  ¹⁴ tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7]  ¹⁵ tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9]  ¹⁸ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10]  ¹⁹ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10]  ²⁰ tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:11]  ²² tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:12]  ²³ tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”

[27:13]  ²⁴ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ²⁵ tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:14]  ²⁶ tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:14]  ²⁷ tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:16]  ²⁸ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ²⁹ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[27:17]  ³⁰ tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”

[27:18]  ³¹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ³² sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.

[27:19]  ³³ tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.

[27:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.

[27:20]  ³⁵ tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”

[27:20]  ³⁶ tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.

[27:20]  ³⁷ tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”

[27:20]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the Lord your God….’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:21]  ³⁹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:21]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.

[27:23]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:24]  ⁴² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:25]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

[27:25]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “see.”

[27:28]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

[27:28]  ⁵² tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

[27:29]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ⁵⁵ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:30]  ⁵⁶ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.

[27:30]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was

[27:30]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”

[27:31]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[27:32]  ⁶² tn Heb “said.”

[27:32]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[27:33]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.

[27:33]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”

[27:34]  ⁶⁶ tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

[27:34]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

[27:35]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “took”; “received.”

[27:36]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

[27:36]  ⁷¹ sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

[27:38]  ⁷² tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[27:39]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[27:40]  ⁷⁶ sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.

[27:41]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ⁸¹ tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ⁸² tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ⁸³ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ⁸⁸ tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ⁹⁰ tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ⁹² tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[27:46]  ⁹³ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”

[4:13]  ⁹⁴ tn The primary meaning of the Hebrew word עָוֹן (’avon) is “sin, iniquity.” But by metonymy it can refer to the “guilt” of sin, or to “punishment” for sin. The third meaning applies here. Just before this the Lord announces the punishment for Cain’s actions, and right after this statement Cain complains of the severity of the punishment. Cain is not portrayed as repenting of his sin.

[4:13]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “great is my punishment from bearing.” The preposition מִן (min, “from”) is used here in a comparative sense.

[23:5]  ⁹⁶ sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23,” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.

[23:5]  ⁹⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.

[23:5]  ⁹⁸ tn The rare noun רְַָויָה (rÿvayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.

[45:7]  ⁹⁹ sn To love justice means to actively promote it.

[45:7]  ¹⁰⁰ sn To hate evil means to actively oppose it.

[45:7]  ¹⁰¹ tn For other examples of the repetition of Elohim, “God,” see Pss 43:4; 48:8, 14; 50:7; 51:14; 67:7. Because the name Yahweh (“Lord”) is relatively rare in Pss 42-83, where the name Elohim (“God”) predominates, this compounding of Elohim may be an alternative form of the compound name “the Lord my/your/our God.”

[45:7]  ¹⁰² sn Anointed you. When read in the light of the preceding context, the anointing is most naturally taken as referring to the king’s coronation. However, the following context (vv. 8-9) focuses on the wedding ceremony, so some prefer to see this anointing as part of the king’s preparations for the wedding celebration. Perhaps the reference to his anointing at his coronation facilitates the transition to the description of the wedding, for the king was also anointed on this occasion.

[45:7]  ¹⁰³ sn The phrase oil of joy alludes to the fact that the coronation of the king, which was ritually accomplished by anointing his head with olive oil, was a time of great celebration and renewed hope. (If one understands the anointing in conjunction with the wedding ceremony, the “joy” would be that associated with the marriage.) The phrase “oil of joy” also appears in Isa 61:3, where mourners are granted “oil of joy” in conjunction with their deliverance from oppression.

[45:7]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “from your companions.” The “companions” are most naturally understood as others in the royal family or, more generally, as the king’s countrymen.

[92:10]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).

[92:10]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”

[61:1]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “anointed,” i.e., designated to carry out an assigned task.

[61:1]  ¹⁰⁸ sn The speaker is not identified, but he is distinct from the Lord and from Zion’s suffering people. He possesses the divine spirit, is God’s spokesman, and is sent to release prisoners from bondage. The evidence suggests he is the Lord’s special servant, described earlier in the servant songs (see 42:1-4, 7; 49:2, 9; 50:4; see also 51:16).

[61:1]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Or “sent” (NAB); NCV “has appointed me.”

[61:1]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “proclaim good news to.”

[61:1]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “to bind up [the wounds of].”

[4:18]  ¹¹² sn The phrase he has anointed me is an allusion back to Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:21-22.

[4:18]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “to evangelize,” “to preach the gospel.”

[4:18]  ¹¹⁴ sn The poor is a key term in Luke. It refers to the pious poor and indicates Jesus’ desire to reach out to those the world tends to forget or mistreat. It is like 1:52 in force and also will be echoed in 6:20 (also 1 Pet 2:11-25). Jesus is commissioned to do this.

[4:18]  ¹¹⁵ tc The majority of mss, especially the later Byzantines, include the phrase “to heal the brokenhearted” at this point (A Θ Ψ 0102 ˹ Ï). The phrase is lacking in several weighty mss (א B D L W Ξ Ë¹³ 33 579 700 892* pc lat sy^s co), including representatives from both the Alexandrian and Western texttypes. From the standpoint of external evidence, the omission of the phrase is more likely original. When internal evidence is considered, the shorter reading becomes almost certain. Scribes would be much more prone to add the phrase here to align the text with Isa 61:1, the source of the quotation, than to remove it from the original.

[4:18]  ¹¹⁶ sn The release in view here is comprehensive, both at a physical level and a spiritual one, as the entire ministry of Jesus makes clear (Luke 1:77-79; 7:47; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43).

[4:18]  ¹¹⁷ sn Again, as with the previous phrase, regaining of sight may well mean more than simply miraculously restoring physical sight, which itself pictures a deeper reality (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).

[4:18]  ¹¹⁸ sn The essence of Jesus’ messianic work is expressed in the phrase to set free. This line from Isa 58 says that Jesus will do what the nation had failed to do. It makes the proclamation messianic, not merely prophetic, because Jesus doesn’t just proclaim the message – he brings the deliverance. The word translated set free is the same Greek word (ἄφεσις, afesi") translated release earlier in the verse.

[4:18]  ¹¹⁹ sn Again, as with the previous phrases, oppressed may well mean more than simply political or economic oppression, but a deeper reality of oppression by sin (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).

[10:38]  ¹²⁰ sn The somewhat awkward naming of Jesus as from Nazareth here is actually emphatic. He is the key subject of these key events.

[10:38]  ¹²¹ tn Or “how.” The use of ὡς (Jws) as an equivalent to ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect or even direct discourse is well documented. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5 lists Acts 10:28 in this category.

[10:38]  ¹²² tn Grk “power, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[10:38]  ¹²³ tn The translation “healing all who were oppressed by the devil” is given in L&N 22.22.

[10:38]  ¹²⁴ sn See Acts 7:9.

[10:2]  ¹²⁵ tn In the Greek text this represents a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[10:2]  ¹²⁶ sn The description of Cornelius as a devout, God-fearing man probably means that he belonged to the category called “God-fearers,” Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 43-44, and Sir 11:17; 27:11; 39:27.

[10:2]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “gave many gifts to the poor.” This was known as “giving alms,” or acts of mercy (Sir 7:10; BDAG 315-16 s.v. ἐλεημοσύνη).

[1:21]  ¹²⁸ tn The article τῇ (th) has been translated as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[1:21]  ¹²⁹ tn Although διανοία (dianoia) is singular in Greek, the previous plural noun ἐχθρούς (ecqrous) indicates that all those from Colossae are in view here.

[1:21]  ¹³⁰ tn The dative ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς (en toi" ergoi" toi" ponhroi") is taken as means, indicating the avenue through which hostility in the mind is revealed and made known.

[1:22]  ¹³¹ tc Some of the better representatives of the Alexandrian and Western texts have a passive verb here instead of the active ἀποκατήλλαξεν (apokathllaxen, “he has reconciled”): ἀποκατηλλάγητε (apokathllaghte) in (Ì⁴⁶) B, ἀποκατήλλακται [sic] (apokathllaktai) in 33, and ἀποκαταλλαγέντες (apokatallagente") in D* F G. Yet the active verb is strongly supported by א A C D² Ψ 048 075 [0278] 1739 1881 Ï lat sy. Internally, the passive creates an anacoluthon in that it looks back to the accusative ὑμᾶς (Juma", “you”) of v. 21 and leaves the following παραστῆσαι (parasthsai) dangling (“you were reconciled…to present you”). The passive reading is certainly the harder reading. As such, it may well explain the rise of the other readings. At the same time, it is possible that the passive was produced by scribes who wanted some symmetry between the ποτε (pote, “at one time”) of v. 21 and the νυνὶ δέ (nuni de, “but now”) of v. 22: Since a passive periphrastic participle is used in v. 21, there may have a temptation to produce a corresponding passive form in v. 22, handling the ὑμᾶς of v. 21 by way of constructio ad sensum. Since παραστῆσαι occurs ten words later, it may not have been considered in this scribal modification. Further, the Western reading (ἀποκαταλλαγέντες) hardly seems to have arisen from ἀποκατηλλάγητε (contra TCGNT 555). As difficult as this decision is, the preferred reading is the active form because it is superior externally and seems to explain the rise of all forms of the passive readings.

[1:9]  ¹³² sn God…has anointed you over your companions. God’s anointing gives the son a superior position and authority over his fellows.

[1:9]  ¹³³ sn A quotation from Ps 45:6-7.