2 Chronicles 30:23

30:23 The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days.

Proverbs 2:1-6

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom ¹ 

2:1 My child, ²  if ³  you receive my words,

and store up ⁴  my commands within you,

2:2 by making ⁵  your ear ⁶  attentive to wisdom,

and ⁷  by turning ⁸  your heart ⁹  to understanding,

2:3 indeed, if ¹⁰  you call out for ¹¹  discernment ¹²  –

raise your voice ¹³  for understanding –

2:4 if ¹⁴  you seek ¹⁵  it like silver, ¹⁶ 

and search for it ¹⁷  like hidden treasure,

2:5 then you will understand ¹⁸  how to fear the Lord, ¹⁹ 

and you will discover ²⁰  knowledge ²¹  about God. ²² 

2:6 For ²³  the Lord gives ²⁴  wisdom,

and from his mouth ²⁵  comes ²⁶  knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 8:33-34

8:33 Listen to my instruction ²⁷  so that you may be wise, ²⁸ 

and do not neglect it.

8:34 Blessed is the one ²⁹  who listens to me,

watching ³⁰  at my doors day by day,

waiting ³¹  beside my doorway. ³² 

Proverbs 12:1

12:1 The one who loves discipline loves knowledge, ³³ 

but the one who hates reproof is stupid. ³⁴ 

Mark 6:33-34

6:33 But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot ³⁵  from all the towns ³⁶  and arrived there ahead of them. ³⁷  6:34 As Jesus ³⁸  came ashore ³⁹  he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So ⁴⁰  he taught them many things.

Luke 19:47-48

19:47 Jesus ⁴¹  was teaching daily in the temple courts. The chief priests and the experts in the law ⁴²  and the prominent leaders among the people were seeking to assassinate ⁴³  him, 19:48 but ⁴⁴  they could not find a way to do it, ⁴⁵  for all the people hung on his words. ⁴⁶ 

Acts 4:1

The Arrest and Trial of Peter and John

4:1 While Peter and John ⁴⁷  were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander ⁴⁸  of the temple guard ⁴⁹  and the Sadducees ⁵⁰  came up ⁵¹  to them,

Acts 13:42

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ⁵²  were going out, ⁵³  the people ⁵⁴  were urging ⁵⁵  them to speak about these things ⁵⁶  on the next Sabbath.

[2:1]  ¹ sn The chapter begins with an admonition to receive wisdom (1-4) and then traces the benefits: the knowledge of God and his protection (5-8), moral discernment for living (9-11), protection from evil men (12-15) and immoral women (16-19), and enablement for righteous living (20-22).

[2:1]  ² tn Heb “my son.”

[2:1]  ³ sn Verses 1-11 form one long conditional sentence in the Hebrew text: (1) the protasis (“if…”) encompasses vv. 1-4 and (2) the apodosis (“then…”) consists of two parallel panels in vv. 5-8 and vv. 9-11 both of which are introduced by the particle אָז (’az, “then”).

[2:1]  ⁴ sn The verb “to store up” (צָפַן, tsafan; cf. NAB, NLT “treasure”) in the second colon qualifies the term “receive” (לָקַח, laqakh) in the first, just as “commands” intensifies “words.” This pattern of intensification through parallelism occurs throughout the next three verses. The verb “to store up; to treasure” is used in reference to things of value for future use, e.g., wealth, dowry for a bride. Since proverbs will be useful throughout life and not always immediately applicable, the idea of storing up the sayings is fitting. They will form the way people think which in turn will influence attitudes (W. G. Plaut, Proverbs, 43).

[2:2]  ⁵ tn The Hiphil infinitive construct לְהַקְשִׁיב (lÿhaqshiv, “by making attentive”) functions as an epexegetical explanation of how one will receive the instruction.

[2:2]  ⁶ sn The word “ear” is a metonymy of cause; the word is used as the instrument of hearing. But in parallelism with “heart” it indicates one aspect of the mental process of hearing and understanding. A “hearing ear” describes an obedient or responsive person (BDB 24 s.v. אֹזֶן 2).

[2:2]  ⁷ tn The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

[2:2]  ⁸ tn The Hiphil imperfect (“by turning”) continues the nuance introduced by the infinitive construct in the first colon (GKC 352 §114.r). The verb נָטָה (natah) normally means “to stretch out” and only occasionally “to turn” or “to incline” one’s heart to something, as is the case here.

[2:2]  ⁹ tn Or “mind” (the center of the will, the choice).

[2:3]  ¹⁰ tn Both particles retain their individual meanings, otherwise the verse would begin with a strong adversative and be a contrast to what has been said.

[2:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “summon.”

[2:3]  ¹² sn The noun recalls the second purpose of the book (1:2). It is also cognate to the last word of 2:2, forming a transition. The two objects of the prepositions in this verse are actually personifications, as if they could be summoned.

[2:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “give your voice”; the expression is idiomatic for raising or lifting the voice to make a sound that carries further (e.g., Jer 2:15). This deliberate expression indicates that something significant is being uttered. J. H. Greenstone says, “If it [understanding] does not come at your first call, raise your voice to a higher pitch, put forth greater efforts” (Proverbs, 17).

[2:4]  ¹⁴ tn The conditional particle now reiterates the initial conditional clause of this introductory section (1-4); the apodosis will follow in v. 5.

[2:4]  ¹⁵ tn The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means “to search for; to seek; to investigate” (BDB 134 s.v.). This calls for the same diligence one would have in looking for silver.

[2:4]  ¹⁶ sn The two similes affirm that the value placed on the object will influence the eagerness and diligence in the pursuit and development of wisdom (e.g., Job 28:9-11). The point is not only that the object sought is valuable, but that the effort will be demanding but rewarding.

[2:4]  ¹⁷ sn The verb חָפַשׂ (khafas) means “to dig; to search” (BDB 344 s.v.; cf. NCV “hunt for it”). The Arabic cognate means “to dig for water.” It is used literally of Joseph searching his brothers’ sacks (Gen 44:12) and figuratively for searching the soul (Ps 64:7). This is a more emphatic word than the one used in the first colon and again emphasizes that acquiring wisdom will be demanding.

[2:5]  ¹⁸ tn The verb בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to understand; to discern”) refers to ability to grasp, discern or be sensitive to what it means to fear the Lord.

[2:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The noun is an objective genitive; the Lord is to be the object of fear and reverence.

[2:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “find” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:5]  ²¹ tn The term דַּעַת (da’at, “knowledge”) goes beyond cognition; it is often used metonymically (cause) for obedience (effect); see, e.g., Prov 3:6, “in all your ways acknowledge him,” and BDB 395 s.v. This means that the disciple will follow God’s moral code; for to know God is to react ethically and spiritually to his will (e.g., J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 18).

[2:5]  ²² tn Heb “knowledge of God.” The noun is an objective genitive.

[2:6]  ²³ tn This is a causal clause. The reason one must fear and know the Lord is that he is the source of true, effectual wisdom.

[2:6]  ²⁴ tn The verb is an imperfect tense which probably functions as a habitual imperfect describing a universal truth in the past, present and future.

[2:6]  ²⁵ sn This expression is an anthropomorphism; it indicates that the Lord is the immediate source or author of the wisdom. It is worth noting that in the incarnation many of these “anthropomorphisms” become literal in the person of the Logos, the Word, Jesus, who reveals the Father.

[2:6]  ²⁶ tn The verb “comes” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[8:33]  ²⁷ tn Heb “discipline.”

[8:33]  ²⁸ tn The construction uses two imperatives joined with the vav (ו); this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is being expressed.

[8:34]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the man.”

[8:34]  ³⁰ tn The form לִשְׁקֹד (lishqod) is the infinitive construct serving epexegetically in the sentence. It explains how the person will listen to wisdom.

[8:34]  ³¹ tn Heb “keeping” or “guarding.”

[8:34]  ³² tn Heb “at the posts of my doors” (so KJV, ASV).

[12:1]  ³³ sn Those who wish to improve themselves must learn to accept correction; the fool hates/rejects any correction.

[12:1]  ³⁴ sn The word בָּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish; stupid”) normally describes dumb animals that lack intellectual sense. Here, it describes the moral fool who is not willing to learn from correction. He is like a dumb animal (so the term here functions as a hypocatastasis: implied comparison).

[6:33]  ³⁵ tn Grk “ran together on foot.” The idea of συντρέχω (suntrecw) is “to come together quickly to form a crowd” (L&N 15.133).

[6:33]  ³⁶ tn Or “cities.”

[6:33]  ³⁷ tc The translation here follows the reading προῆλθον (prohlqon, “they preceded”), found in א B [phone] pc lat co. Some mss (D 28 33 700 pc) read συνῆλθον (sunhlqon, “arrived there with them”), while the majority of mss, most of them late (Ì^84vid [A ˹³] Ï sy^h), conflate the two readings (προῆλθον αὐτοὺς καὶ συνῆλθον πρὸς αὐτόν, “they preceded them and came together to him”). The reading adopted here thus has better external credentials than the variants. As well, it is the harder reading internally, being changed “by copyists who thought it unlikely that the crowd on the land could have outstripped the boat” (TCGNT 78).

[6:34]  ³⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:34]  ³⁹ tn Grk “came out [of the boat],” with the reference to the boat understood.

[6:34]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate this action is the result of Jesus’ compassion on the crowd in the narrative.

[19:47]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[19:47]  ⁴² tn Grk “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

[19:47]  ⁴³ tn Grk “to destroy.”

[19:48]  ⁴⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[19:48]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “they did not find the thing that they might do.”

[19:48]  ⁴⁶ sn All the people hung on his words is an idiom for intent, eager listening. Jesus’ popularity and support made it unwise for the leadership to seize him.

[4:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “While they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “captain.”

[4:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.

[4:1]  ⁵⁰ sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 3:7; 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.

[4:1]  ⁵¹ tn Or “approached.” This verb often denotes a sudden appearing (BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1).

[13:42]  ⁵² tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ⁵³ tn Or “were leaving.” The participle ἐξιόντων (exiontwn) is taken temporally.

[13:42]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “begging,” “inviting.”

[13:42]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “matters.”