Acts 16:30-34

16:30 Then he brought them outside ¹  and asked, “Sirs, what must ²  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ³  “Believe ⁴  in the Lord Jesus ⁵  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ⁶  they spoke the word of the Lord ⁷  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ⁸  that hour of the night he took them ⁹  and washed their wounds; ¹⁰  then ¹¹  he and all his family ¹²  were baptized right away. ¹³  16:34 The jailer ¹⁴  brought them into his house and set food ¹⁵  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ¹⁶  that he had come to believe ¹⁷  in God, together with his entire household. ¹⁸ 

Acts 26:28

26:28 Agrippa ¹⁹  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ²⁰ 

Acts 26:1

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ²¹  said to Paul, “You have permission ²²  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ²³  and began his defense: ²⁴ 

Acts 22:26-27

22:26 When the centurion ²⁵  heard this, ²⁶  he went to the commanding officer ²⁷  and reported it, ²⁸  saying, “What are you about to do? ²⁹  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ³⁰  22:27 So the commanding officer ³¹  came and asked ³²  Paul, ³³  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ³⁴  He replied, ³⁵  “Yes.”

Proverbs 1:24-32

1:24 However, ³⁶  because ³⁷  I called but you refused to listen, ³⁸ 

because ³⁹  I stretched out my hand ⁴⁰  but no one paid attention,

1:25 because ⁴¹  you neglected ⁴²  all my advice,

and did not comply ⁴³  with my rebuke,

1:26 so ⁴⁴  I myself will laugh ⁴⁵  when disaster strikes you, ⁴⁶ 

I will mock when what you dread ⁴⁷  comes,

1:27 when what you dread ⁴⁸  comes like a whirlwind, ⁴⁹ 

and disaster strikes you ⁵⁰  like a devastating storm, ⁵¹ 

when distressing trouble ⁵²  comes on you.

1:28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;

they will diligently seek ⁵³  me, but they will not find me.

1:29 Because ⁵⁴  they hated moral knowledge, ⁵⁵ 

and did not choose to fear the Lord, ⁵⁶ 

1:30 they did not comply with my advice,

they spurned ⁵⁷  all my rebuke.

1:31 Therefore ⁵⁸  they will eat from the fruit ⁵⁹  of their way, ⁶⁰ 

and they will be stuffed full ⁶¹  of their own counsel.

1:32 For the waywardness ⁶²  of the

simpletons will kill ⁶³  them,

and the careless ease ⁶⁴  of fools will destroy them.

Jeremiah 37:17-21

37:17 Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace. There he questioned him privately and asked him, ⁶⁵  “Is there any message from the Lord?” Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is.” Then he announced, ⁶⁶  “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” ⁶⁷  37:18 Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you, or the officials who serve you, or the people of Judah? What have I done to make you people throw me into prison? ⁶⁸  37:19 Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that ⁶⁹  the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? 37:20 But now please listen, your royal Majesty, ⁷⁰  and grant my plea for mercy. ⁷¹  Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.” ⁷²  37:21 Then King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be committed to the courtyard of the guardhouse. He also ordered that a loaf of bread ⁷³  be given to him every day from the baker’s street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah was kept ⁷⁴  in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

Jeremiah 38:14-28

Jeremiah Responds to Zedekiah’s Request for Secret Advice

38:14 Some time later ⁷⁵  Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah brought to him at the third entrance ⁷⁶  of the Lord’s temple. The king said to Jeremiah, “I would like to ask you a question. Do not hide anything from me when you answer.” ⁷⁷  38:15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I answer you, you will certainly kill me. ⁷⁸  If I give you advice, you will not listen to me.” 38:16 So King Zedekiah made a secret promise to Jeremiah and sealed it with an oath. He promised, ⁷⁹  “As surely as the Lord lives who has given us life and breath, ⁸⁰  I promise you this: I will not kill you or hand you over to those men who want to kill you.” ⁸¹ 

38:17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The Lord, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, ⁸²  says, ‘You must surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon. If you do, your life will be spared ⁸³  and this city will not be burned down. Indeed, you and your whole family will be spared. 38:18 But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians ⁸⁴  and they will burn it down. You yourself will not escape from them.’” ⁸⁵  38:19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Babylonians. ⁸⁶  The Babylonians might hand me over to them and they will torture me.” ⁸⁷  38:20 Then Jeremiah answered, “You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the Lord by doing what I have been telling you. ⁸⁸  Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared. ⁸⁹  38:21 But if you refuse to surrender, the Lord has shown me a vision of what will happen. Here is what I saw: 38:22 All the women who are left in the royal palace of Judah will be led out to the officers of the king of Babylon. They will taunt you saying, ⁹⁰ 

‘Your trusted friends misled you;

they have gotten the best of you.

Now that your feet are stuck in the mud,

they have turned their backs on you.’ ⁹¹ 

38:23 “All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. ⁹²  You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the ⁹³  king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.” ⁹⁴ 

38:24 Then Zedekiah told Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about the conversation we have had. ⁹⁵  If you do, you will die. ⁹⁶  38:25 The officials may hear that I have talked with you. They may come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you. ⁹⁷  Do not hide anything from us. If you do, we will kill you.’ ⁹⁸  38:26 If they do this, tell ⁹⁹  them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to die in the dungeon of Jonathan’s house.’” ¹⁰⁰  38:27 All the officials did indeed come and question Jeremiah. ¹⁰¹  He told them exactly what the king had instructed him to say. ¹⁰²  They stopped questioning him any further because no one had actually heard their conversation. ¹⁰³  38:28 So Jeremiah remained confined ¹⁰⁴  in the courtyard of the guardhouse until the day Jerusalem ¹⁰⁵  was captured.

The Fall of Jerusalem and Its Aftermath

The following events occurred when Jerusalem ¹⁰⁶  was captured. ¹⁰⁷ 

Matthew 14:5-10

14:5 Although ¹⁰⁸  Herod ¹⁰⁹  wanted to kill John, ¹¹⁰  he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet. 14:6 But on Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 14:7 so much that he promised with an oath ¹¹¹  to give her whatever she asked. 14:8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 14:9 Although it grieved the king, ¹¹²  because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given. 14:10 So ¹¹³  he sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

Matthew 22:5

22:5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.

Matthew 25:1-10

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five ¹¹⁴  of the virgins ¹¹⁵  were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When ¹¹⁶  the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra ¹¹⁷  olive oil ¹¹⁸  with them. 25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When ¹¹⁹  the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ ¹²⁰  25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The ¹²¹  foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. ¹²²  ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then ¹²³  the door was shut.

[16:30]  ¹ tn Grk “And bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the conjunction “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:30]  ² tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.

[16:31]  ³ tn Grk “said.”

[16:31]  ⁴ sn Here the summary term of response is a call to believe. In this context it refers to trusting the sovereign God’s power to deliver, which events had just pictured for the jailer.

[16:31]  ⁵ tc The majority of mss add Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) here (C D E Ψ 1739 Ï sy sa), but the best and earliest witnesses read simply τὸν κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν (ton kurion Ihsoun, “the Lord Jesus”; Ì^74vid א A B 33 81 pc bo). The addition of “Christ” to “Lord Jesus” is an obviously motivated reading. Thus on both external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.

[16:32]  ⁶ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.

[16:32]  ⁷ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[16:33]  ⁸ tn Grk “And at.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[16:33]  ⁹ tn Grk “taking them…he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:33]  ¹⁰ tn On this phrase BDAG 603 s.v. λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”

[16:33]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:33]  ¹² sn All his family. It was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to the conversion of all those in the household.

[16:33]  ¹³ tn Or “immediately.”

[16:34]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:34]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “placed [food] on the table” (a figurative expression). Since the actual word for food is not specified, it would also be possible to translate “set a meal before them,” but since this is taking place in the middle of the night, the preparations necessary for a full meal would probably not have been made. More likely Paul and Silas were given whatever was on hand that needed little or no preparation.

[16:34]  ¹⁶ tn Or “he was overjoyed.”

[16:34]  ¹⁷ tn The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.

[16:34]  ¹⁸ tn The phrase “together with his entire household” is placed at the end of the English sentence so that it refers to both the rejoicing and the belief. A formal equivalence translation would have “and he rejoiced greatly with his entire household that he had come to believe in God,” but the reference to the entire household being baptized in v. 33 presumes that all in the household believed.

[26:28]  ¹⁹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ²⁰ tn Or “In a short time you will make me a Christian.” On the difficulty of the precise nuances of Agrippa’s reply in this passage, see BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b. The idiom is like 1 Kgs 21:7 LXX. The point is that Paul was trying to persuade Agrippa to accept his message. If Agrippa had let Paul persuade him, he would have converted to Christianity.

[26:1]  ²¹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:1]  ²² tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

[26:1]  ²³ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

[26:1]  ²⁴ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

[22:26]  ²⁵ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:26]  ²⁶ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[22:26]  ²⁷ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:26]  ²⁸ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[22:26]  ²⁹ tn Or perhaps, “What do you intend to do?” Although BDAG 627 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.α lists this phrase under the category “be about to, be on the point of,” it is possible it belongs under 1.c.γ, “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν; what do you intend to do?”

[22:26]  ³⁰ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27]  ³¹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:27]  ³² tn Grk “and said to.”

[22:27]  ³³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:27]  ³⁴ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27]  ³⁵ tn Grk “He said.”

[1:24]  ³⁶ tn The term “however” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the contrast between the offer in 1:23 and the accusation in 1:24-25. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ³⁷ tn The particle יַעַן (ya’an, “because”) introduces a causal clause which forms part of an extended protasis; the apodosis is 1:26.

[1:24]  ³⁸ tn The phrase “to listen” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ³⁹ tn The term “because” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[1:24]  ⁴⁰ sn This expression is a metonymy of adjunct; it is a gesture that goes with the appeal for some to approach.

[1:25]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and.”

[1:25]  ⁴² tn The verb III פָּרַע means “to let go; to let alone” (BDB 828 s.v.). It can refer to unkempt hair of the head (Lev 10:6) or lack of moral restraint: “to let things run free” (Exod 32:25; Prov 28:19). Here it means “to avoid, neglect” the offer of wisdom (BDB 829 s.v. 2).

[1:25]  ⁴³ tn The verbs are characteristic perfects or indefinite pasts. For the word “comply, consent,” see 1:20.

[1:26]  ⁴⁴ tn The conclusion or apodosis is now introduced.

[1:26]  ⁴⁵ sn Laughing at the consequences of the fool’s rejection of wisdom does convey hardness against the fool; it reveals the folly of rejecting wisdom (e.g., Ps 2:4). It vindicates wisdom and the appropriateness of the disaster (D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 60).

[1:26]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “at your disaster.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is either (1) a genitive of worth: “the disaster due you” or (2) an objective genitive: “disaster strikes you.” The term “disaster” (אֵיד, ’ed) often refers to final life-ending calamity (Prov 6:15; 24:22; BDB 15 s.v. 3). The preposition ב (bet) focuses upon time here.

[1:26]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “your dread” (so NASB); KJV “your fear”; NRSV “panic.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is a subjective genitive: “that which you dread.”

[1:27]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “your dread.” See note on 1:31.

[1:27]  ⁴⁹ sn The term “whirlwind” (NAB, NIV, NRSV; cf. TEV, NLT “storm”) refers to a devastating storm and is related to the verb שׁוֹא (sho’, “to crash into ruins”; see BDB 996 s.v. שׁוֹאָה). Disaster will come swiftly and crush them like a devastating whirlwind.

[1:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “your disaster.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is an objective genitive: “disaster strikes you.”

[1:27]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “like a storm.” The noun סוּפָה (sufah, “storm”) is often used in similes to describe sudden devastation (Isa 5:28; Hos 8:7; Amos 1:14).

[1:27]  ⁵² tn Heb “distress and trouble.” The nouns “distress and trouble” mean almost the same thing so they may form a hendiadys. The two similar sounding terms צוּקָה (tsuqah) and צָרָה (tsarah) also form a wordplay (paronomasia) which also links them together.

[1:28]  ⁵³ tn Heb “look to.” The verb שָׁחַר (shakhar, “to look”) is used figuratively of intensely looking (=seeking) for deliverance out of trouble (W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 366); cf. NLT “anxiously search for.” It is used elsewhere in parallelism with בָּקַשׁ (baqash, “to seek rescue”; Hos 5:15). It does not mean “to seek early” (cf. KJV) as is popularly taught due to etymological connections with the noun שַׁחַר (shakhar, “dawn”; so BDB 1007 s.v. שָׁחַר).

[1:29]  ⁵⁴ tn The causal particle תַּחַת כִּי (takhat ki, “for the reason that”) introduces a second accusation of sin and reason for punishment.

[1:29]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “knowledge.” The noun דָעַת (da’at, “knowledge”) refers to moral knowledge. See note on 1:7.

[1:29]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The noun is an objective genitive; the Lord is to be the object of fear. See note on 1:7.

[1:30]  ⁵⁷ tn The verb “spurned” (נָאַץ, na’ats) is parallel to “comply, accede to, be willing” (e.g., 1:10). This is how the morally stubborn fool acts (e.g., 15:5).

[1:31]  ⁵⁸ tn The vav (ו) prefixed to the verb וְיֹאכְלוּ (vÿyo’khÿlu) functions in a consecutive logical sense: “therefore.”

[1:31]  ⁵⁹ sn The expression “eat the fruit of” is a figurative expression (hypocatastasis) that compares the consequences of sin to agricultural growth that culminates in produce. They will suffer the consequences of their sinful actions, that is, they will “reap” what they “sow.”

[1:31]  ⁶⁰ sn The words “way” (דֶּרֶךְ, derekh) and “counsel” (מוֹעֵצָה, mo’etsah) stand in strong contrast to the instruction of wisdom which gave counsel and rebuke to encourage a better way. They will bear the consequences of the course they follow and the advice they take (for that wrong advice, e.g., Ps 1:1).

[1:31]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “to eat to one’s fill.” The verb שָׂבֵעַ (savea’) means (1) positive: “to eat one’s fill” so that one’s appetite is satisfied and (2) negative: “to eat in excess” as a glutton to the point of sickness and revulsion (BDB 959 s.v.). Fools will not only “eat” the fruit of their own way (v. 31a), they will be force-fed this revolting “menu” which will make them want to vomit (v. 31b) and eventually kill them (v. 32).

[1:32]  ⁶² tn Heb “turning away” (so KJV). The term מְשׁוּבַת (mÿshuvat, “turning away”) refers to moral defection and apostasy (BDB 1000 s.v.; cf. ASV “backsliding”). The noun מְשׁוּבַת (“turning away”) which appears at the end of Wisdom’s speech in 1:32 is from the same root as the verb תָּשׁוּבוּ (tashuvu, “turn!”) which appears at the beginning of this speech in 1:23. This repetition of the root שׁוּב (shuv, “to turn”) creates a wordplay: Because fools refuse to “turn to” wisdom (1:23), they will be destroyed by their “turning away” from wisdom (1:32). The wordplay highlights the poetic justice of their judgment. But here they have never embraced the teaching in the first place; so it means turning from the advice as opposed to turning to it.

[1:32]  ⁶³ sn The Hebrew verb “to kill” (הָרַג, harag) is the end of the naive who refuse to change. The word is broad enough to include murder, massacre, killing in battle, and execution. Here it is judicial execution by God, using their own foolish choices as the means to ruin.

[1:32]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “complacency” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “smugness.” The noun שַׁלְוַה (shalvah) means (1) positively: “quietness; peace; ease” and (2) negatively: “self-sufficiency; complacency; careless security” (BDB 1017 s.v.), which is the sense here. It is “repose gained by ignoring or neglecting the serious responsibilities of life” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 29).

[37:17]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “Then King Zedekiah sent and brought him and the king asked him privately [or more literally, in secret] and said.”

[37:17]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “Then he said.”

[37:17]  ⁶⁷ sn Jeremiah’s answer even under duress was the same that he had given Zedekiah earlier. (See Jer 34:3 and see the study note on 34:1 for the relative timing of these two incidents.)

[37:18]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “What crime have I committed against you, or your servants, or this people that you [masc. pl.] have put me in prison?” Some of the terms have been expanded for clarification and the sentence has been broken in two to better conform with contemporary English style.
The masculine plural is used here because Zedekiah is being addressed as representative of the whole group previously named.

[37:19]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land?’” The indirect quote has been used in the translation because of its simpler, more direct style.

[37:20]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “My lord, the king.”

[37:20]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “let my plea for mercy fall before you.” I.e., let it come before you and be favorably received (= granted; by metonymical extension).

[37:20]  ⁷² tn Or “So that I will not die there,” or “or I will die there”; Heb “and I will not die there.” The particle that introduces this clause (וְלֹא) regularly introduces negative purpose clauses after the volitive sequence (אַל [’al] + jussive here) according to GKC 323 §109.g. However, purpose and result clauses in Hebrew (and Greek) are often indistinguishable. Here the clause is more in the nature of a negative result.

[37:21]  ⁷³ tn Heb “And/Then King Zedekiah ordered and they committed Jeremiah to [or deposited…in] the courtyard of the guardhouse and they gave to him a loaf of bread.” The translation has been structured the way it has to avoid the ambiguous “they” which is the impersonal subject which is sometimes rendered passive in English (cf. GKC 460 §144.d). This text also has another example of the vav (ו) + infinitive absolute continuing a finite verbal form (וְנָתֹן [vÿnaton] = “and they gave”; cf. GKC 345 §113.y and see Jer 32:44; 36:23).

[37:21]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “Stayed/Remained/ Lived.”

[38:14]  ⁷⁵ tn The words “Some time later” are not in the text but are a way of translating the conjunction “And” or “Then” that introduces this narrative.

[38:14]  ⁷⁶ sn The precise location of this entrance is unknown since it is mentioned nowhere else in the OT. Many commentators equate this with the “king’s outer entry” (mentioned in 2 Kgs 16:18) which appears to have been a private entryway between the temple and the palace.

[38:14]  ⁷⁷ tn The words “when you answer” are not in the text but are implicit in the connection. They are supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness of style.

[38:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “you will most certainly kill me, won’t you?” Heb “Will you not certainly kill me?” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer. In situations like this BDB s.v. לֹא 4.b(β) says that הֲלֹא (halo’) “has a tendency to become little more than an affirmative particle, declaring with some rhetorical emphasis what is, or might be, well known.” The idea of certainty is emphasized here by the addition of the infinitive absolute before the finite verb (Joüon 2:422 §123.e).

[38:16]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “So King Zedekiah secretly swore an oath to Jeremiah, saying.”

[38:16]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “who has made this life/soul/ breath [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh] for us.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ refers to the living, breathing substance of a person which constitutes his very life (cf. BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 1; 3).

[38:16]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “who are seeking your life.”

[38:17]  ⁸² tn Heb “Yahweh, the God of armies, the God of Israel.” Compare 7:3 and 35:17 and see the study note on 2:19.

[38:17]  ⁸³ tn Heb “Your life/soul will live.” The quote is a long condition-consequence sentence with compound consequential clauses. It reads, “If you will only go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, your soul [= you yourself; BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a] will live and this city will not be burned with fire and you and your household will live.” The sentence has been broken down and restructured to better conform with contemporary English style. The infinitive absolute in the condition emphasizes the one condition, i.e., going out or surrendering (cf. Joüon 2:423 §123.g, and compare usage in Exod 15:26). For the idiom “go out to” = “surrender to” see the full idiom in 21:9 “go out and fall over to” which is condensed in 38:2 to “go out to.” The expression here is the same as in 38:2.

[38:18]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[38:18]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “will not escape from their hand.”

[38:19]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[38:19]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “and they will badly abuse me.” For the usage of this verb in the situation presupposed see Judg 19:25 and 1 Sam 31:4.

[38:20]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “Please listen to the voice of the Lord with regard to what I have been telling you.” For the idiom “listen to the voice” = “obey” see BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע 1.m. Obedience here is expressed by following the advice in the qualifying clause, i.e., what I have been telling you.

[38:20]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “your life [or you yourself] will live.” Compare v. 17 and the translator’s note there for the idiom.

[38:22]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “And they will say.” The words “taunt you” are supplied in the translation to give the flavor of the words that follow.

[38:22]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “The men of your friendship incited you and prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mud. They turned backward.” The term “men of your friendship” (cf. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלוֹם 5.a) is used to refer to Jeremiah’s “so-called friends” in 20:10, to the trusted friend who deserted the psalmist in Ps 41:10, and to the allies of Edom in Obad 7. According to most commentators it refers here to the false prophets and counselors who urged the king to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar. The verb translated “misled” is a verb that often refers to inciting or instigating someone to do something, often with negative connotations (so BDB 694 s.v. סוּת Hiph.2). It is generally translated “deceive” or “mislead” in 2 Kgs 18:32; 2 Chr 32:11, 15. Here it refers to the fact that his pro-Egyptian counselors induced him to rebel. They have proven too powerful for him and prevailed on him (יָכֹל לְ, yakhol lÿ; see BDB 408 s.v. יָכֹל 2.b) to follow a policy which will prove detrimental to him, his family, and the city. The phrase “your feet are sunk in the mud” is figurative for being entangled in great difficulties (so BDB 371 s.v. טָבַע Hoph and compare the usage in the highly figurative description of trouble in Ps 69:2 [69:3 HT]).

[38:23]  ⁹² tn Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

[38:23]  ⁹³ tn Heb “you yourself will not escape from their hand but will be seized by [caught in] the hand of the king of Babylon.” Neither use of “hand” is natural to the English idiom.

[38:23]  ⁹⁴ tc This translation follows the reading of the Greek version and a few Hebrew mss. The majority of the Hebrew mss read “and you will burn down this city.” This reading is accepted by the majority of modern commentaries and English versions. Few of the commentaries, however, bother to explain the fact that the particle אֶת (’et), which normally marks the accusative object, is functioning here as the subject. For this point of grammar see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 1.b. Or this may be another case where אֵת introduces a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת 3.α and see usage in 27:8; 36:22).

[38:24]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “about these words.”

[38:24]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “so that you will not die.” Or “or you will die.” See the similar construction in 37:20 and the translator’s note there.

[38:25]  ⁹⁷ tn The phrase “and what the king said to you” is actually at the end of the verse, but most commentators see it as also under the governance of “tell us” and many commentaries and English versions move the clause forward for the sake of English style as has been done here.

[38:25]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “lest we kill you”; Heb “and we will not kill you,” which as stated in the translator’s note on 37:20 introduces a negative purpose (or result) clause. See 37:20, 38:24 for parallel usage.

[38:26]  ⁹⁹ tn Verses 25-26 form a long compound, complex conditional sentence. The condition is found in v. 25 and contains a long quote. The consequence is found in v. 26 and contains another long quote. The Hebrew sentence literally reads: “And if the officials hear that I have talked with you and come to you and say to you, ‘Please tell us what you said to the king. Do not hide from us and we will not kill you [so that we will not kill you] and [tell us] what the king said to you,’ then tell them.” The sentence has been broken up to better conform with contemporary English style.

[38:26]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “I was causing to fall [= presenting] my petition before the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.” The word “dungeon of” is supplied in the translation to help the reader connect this petition with Jeremiah’s earlier place of imprisonment where the officials had put him with every intention of letting him die there (37:15-16, 20).

[38:27]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “All the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him.”

[38:27]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “And he reported to them according to all these words which the king had commanded.”

[38:27]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “And they were silent from him because the word/matter [i.e., the conversation between Jeremiah and the king] had not been heard.” According to BDB 578 s.v. מִן 1.a the preposition “from” is significant in this construction, implying a verb of motion. I.e., “they were [fell] silent [and turned away] from him.”

[38:28]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “And Jeremiah stayed/remained in the courtyard of the guardhouse…” The translation once again intends to reflect the situation. Jeremiah had a secret meeting with the king at the third entrance to the temple (v. 14). He was returned to the courtyard of the guardhouse (cf. v. 13) after the conversation with the king where the officials came to question him (v. 27). He was not sent back to the dungeon in Jonathan’s house as he feared, but was left confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

[38:28]  ¹⁰⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[38:28]  ¹⁰⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[38:28]  ¹⁰⁷ tc The precise meaning of this line and its relation to the context are somewhat uncertain. This line is missing from the Greek and Syriac versions and from a few Hebrew mss. Some English versions and commentaries omit it as a double writing of the final words of the preceding line (see, e.g., REB; W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:268). Others see it as misplaced from the beginning of 39:3 (see, e.g., NRSV, TEV, J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 245). The clause probably does belong syntactically with 39:3 (i.e., כַּאֲשֶׁר [ka’asher] introduces a temporal clause which is resumed by the vav consecutive on וַיָּבֹאוּ (vayyavo’u; see BDB 455 s.v. כַּאֲשֶׁר 3), but it should not be moved there because there is no textual evidence for doing so. The intervening verses are to be interpreted as parenthetical, giving the background for the events that follow (see, e.g., the translation in D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 4:280). The chapter is not so much concerned with describing how Jerusalem fell as it is with contrasting the fate of Zedekiah who disregarded the word of the Lord with the fate of Jeremiah and that of Jeremiah’s benefactor Ebed Melech. The best way to treat the line without actually moving it before 39:3a is to treat it as a heading as has been done here.

[14:5]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[14:5]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:5]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “him” (also in the following phrase, Grk “accepted him”); in both cases the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:7]  ¹¹¹ tn The Greek text reads here ὁμολογέω (Jomologew); though normally translated “acknowledge, confess,” BDAG (708 s.v. 1) lists “assure, promise with an oath” for certain contexts such as here.

[14:9]  ¹¹² tn Grk “and being grieved, the king commanded.”

[14:10]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[25:2]  ¹¹⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:2]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “Five of them.”

[25:3]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[25:3]  ¹¹⁷ tn The word “extra” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The point is that the five foolish virgins had only the oil in their lamps, but took along no extra supply from which to replenish them. This is clear from v. 8, where the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because they are running out of oil.

[25:3]  ¹¹⁸ tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.

[25:5]  ¹¹⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:6]  ¹²⁰ tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA²⁷ has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[25:8]  ¹²¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:9]  ¹²² tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”

[25:10]  ¹²³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.