Acts 24:2-3

24:2 When Paul ¹  had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, ²  saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time ³  of peace through your rule, ⁴  and reforms ⁵  are being made in this nation ⁶  through your foresight. ⁷  24:3 Most excellent Felix, ⁸  we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way ⁹  with all gratitude. ¹⁰ 

Exodus 23:8

23:8 “You must not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see ¹¹  and subverts the words of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 16:19

16:19 You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort ¹²  the words of the righteous. ¹³ 

Deuteronomy 16:1

The Passover-Unleavened Bread Festival

16:1 Observe the month Abib ¹⁴  and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in that month ¹⁵  he ¹⁶  brought you out of Egypt by night.

Deuteronomy 8:3

8:3 So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. ¹⁷  He did this to teach you ¹⁸  that humankind ¹⁹  cannot live by bread ²⁰  alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth. ²¹ 

Deuteronomy 12:3

12:3 You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, ²²  burn up their sacred Asherah poles, ²³  and cut down the images of their gods; you must eliminate their very memory from that place.

Deuteronomy 12:2

12:2 You must by all means destroy ²⁴  all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree. ²⁵ 

Deuteronomy 19:7

19:7 Therefore, I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.

Job 15:34

15:34 For the company of the godless is barren, ²⁶ 

and fire ²⁷  consumes the tents of those who accept bribes. ²⁸ 

Psalms 26:9-10

26:9 Do not sweep me away ²⁹  with sinners,

or execute me along with violent people, ³⁰ 

26:10 who are always ready to do wrong ³¹ 

or offer a bribe. ³² 

Proverbs 17:8

17:8 A bribe works like ³³  a charm ³⁴  for the one who offers it; ³⁵ 

in whatever he does ³⁶  he succeeds. ³⁷ 

Proverbs 17:23

17:23 A wicked person receives a bribe secretly ³⁸ 

to pervert ³⁹  the ways of justice.

Proverbs 19:6

19:6 Many people entreat the favor ⁴⁰  of a generous person, ⁴¹ 

and everyone is the friend ⁴²  of the person who gives gifts. ⁴³ 

Proverbs 29:4

29:4 A king brings stability ⁴⁴  to a land ⁴⁵  by justice,

but one who exacts tribute ⁴⁶  tears it down.

Isaiah 1:23

1:23 Your officials are rebels, ⁴⁷ 

they associate with ⁴⁸  thieves.

All of them love bribery,

and look for ⁴⁹  payoffs. ⁵⁰ 

They do not take up the cause of the orphan, ⁵¹ 

or defend the rights of the widow. ⁵² 

Isaiah 33:15

33:15 The one who lives ⁵³  uprightly ⁵⁴ 

and speaks honestly;

the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures

and rejects a bribe; ⁵⁵ 

the one who does not plot violent crimes ⁵⁶ 

and does not seek to harm others ⁵⁷  –

Isaiah 56:11

56:11 The dogs have big appetites;

they are never full. ⁵⁸ 

They are shepherds who have no understanding;

they all go their own way,

each one looking for monetary gain. ⁵⁹ 

Ezekiel 22:27

22:27 Her officials are like wolves in her midst rending their prey – shedding blood and destroying lives – so they can get dishonest profit.

Ezekiel 33:31

33:31 They come to you in crowds, ⁶⁰  and they sit in front of you as ⁶¹  my people. They hear your words, but do not obey ⁶²  them. For they talk lustfully, ⁶³  and their heart is set on ⁶⁴  their own advantage. ⁶⁵ 

Hosea 4:18

The Shameful Sinners Will Be Brought to Shame

4:18 They consume their alcohol,

then engage in cult prostitution;

they dearly love their shameful behavior.

Hosea 12:7-8

The Lord Refutes Israel’s False Claim of Innocence

12:7 The businessmen love to cheat; ⁶⁶ 

they use dishonest scales. ⁶⁷ 

12:8 Ephraim boasts, ⁶⁸  “I am very rich!

I have become wealthy! ⁶⁹ 

In all that I have done to gain my wealth, ⁷⁰ 

no one can accuse me of any offense ⁷¹  that is actually sinful.” ⁷² 

Amos 2:6-7

God Will Judge Israel

2:6 This is what the Lord says:

“Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions ⁷³  –

make that four! ⁷⁴  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ⁷⁵ 

They sold the innocent ⁷⁶  for silver,

the needy for a pair of sandals. ⁷⁷ 

2:7 They trample ⁷⁸  on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; ⁷⁹ 

they push the destitute away. ⁸⁰ 

A man and his father go to the same girl; ⁸¹ 

in this way they show disrespect ⁸²  for my moral purity. ⁸³ 

Micah 3:11

3:11 Her ⁸⁴  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ⁸⁵ 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ⁸⁶  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ⁸⁷ 

Disaster will not overtake ⁸⁸  us!”

Micah 7:3

7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ⁸⁹ 

government officials and judges take bribes, ⁹⁰ 

prominent men make demands,

and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ⁹¹ 

Micah 7:1

Micah Laments Judah’s Sin

7:1 I am depressed! ⁹² 

Indeed, ⁹³  it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered,

and the grapes have been harvested. ⁹⁴ 

There is no grape cluster to eat,

no fresh figs that I crave so much. ⁹⁵ 

Colossians 1:9

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁹⁶  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁹⁷  to fill ⁹⁸  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Ephesians 5:5-6

5:5 For you can be confident of this one thing: ⁹⁹  that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Live in the Light

5:6 Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. ¹⁰⁰ 

Ephesians 5:1

Live in Love

5:1 Therefore, be ¹⁰¹  imitators of God as dearly loved children

Ephesians 6:9-10

6:9 Masters, ¹⁰²  treat your slaves ¹⁰³  the same way, ¹⁰⁴  giving up the use of threats, ¹⁰⁵  because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven, ¹⁰⁶  and there is no favoritism with him.

Exhortations for Spiritual Warfare

6:10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.

Ephesians 6:2

6:2 “Honor your father and mother,” ¹⁰⁷  which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely,

Ephesians 2:3

2:3 among whom ¹⁰⁸  all of us ¹⁰⁹  also ¹¹⁰  formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath ¹¹¹  even as the rest… ¹¹² 

Ephesians 2:14-15

2:14 For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one ¹¹³  and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, 2:15 when he nullified ¹¹⁴  in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man ¹¹⁵  out of two, ¹¹⁶  thus making peace,

[24:2]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:2]  ² tn Or “began to bring charges, saying.”

[24:2]  ³ tn Grk “experienced much peace.”

[24:2]  ⁴ tn Grk “through you” (“rule” is implied).

[24:2]  ⁵ tn This term is used only once in the NT (a hapax legomenon). It refers to improvements in internal administration (BDAG 251 s.v. διόρθωμα).

[24:2]  ⁶ tn Or “being made for this people.”

[24:2]  ⁷ sn References to peaceful rule, reforms, and the governor’s foresight in the opening address by Tertullus represent an attempt to praise the governor and thus make him favorable to the case. Actual descriptions of his rule portray him as inept (Tacitus, Annals 12.54; Josephus, J. W. 2.13.2-7 [2.253-270]).

[24:3]  ⁸ sn Most excellent Felix. See the note on Felix in 23:24.

[24:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “in every way and everywhere.”

[24:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “with complete thankfulness.” BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχαριστία 1 has “μετὰ πάσης εὐ.…with all gratitude Ac 24:3.” L&N 31.26 has “‘we acknowledge this anywhere and everywhere with complete thankfulness’ Ac 24:3.”

[23:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “blinds the open-eyed.”

[16:19]  ¹² tn Heb “twist, overturn”; NRSV “subverts the cause.”

[16:19]  ¹³ tn Or “innocent”; NRSV “those who are in the right”; NLT “the godly.”

[16:1]  ¹⁴ sn The month Abib, later called Nisan (Neh 2:1; Esth 3:7), corresponds to March-April in the modern calendar.

[16:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “in the month Abib.” The demonstrative “that” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[8:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “manna which you and your ancestors did not know.” By popular etymology the word “manna” comes from the Hebrew phrase מָן הוּא (man hu’), i.e., “What is it?” (Exod 16:15). The question remains unanswered to this very day. Elsewhere the material is said to be “white like coriander seed” with “a taste like honey cakes” (Exod 16:31; cf. Num 11:7). Modern attempts to associate it with various desert plants are unsuccessful for the text says it was a new thing and, furthermore, one that appeared and disappeared miraculously (Exod 16:21-27).

[8:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “in order to make known to you.” In the Hebrew text this statement is subordinated to what precedes, resulting in a very long sentence in English. The translation makes this statement a separate sentence for stylistic reasons.

[8:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the man,” but in a generic sense, referring to the whole human race (“mankind” or “humankind”).

[8:3]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. CEV).

[8:3]  ²¹ sn Jesus quoted this text to the devil in the midst of his forty-day fast to make the point that spiritual nourishment is incomparably more important than mere physical bread (Matt 4:4; cf. Luke 4:4).

[12:3]  ²² sn Sacred pillars. These are the stelae (stone pillars; the Hebrew term is מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) associated with Baal worship, perhaps to mark a spot hallowed by an alleged visitation of the gods. See also Deut 7:5.

[12:3]  ²³ sn Sacred Asherah poles. The Hebrew term (plural) is אֲשֵׁרִים (’asherim). See note on the word “(leafy) tree” in v. 2, and also Deut 7:5.

[12:2]  ²⁴ tn Heb “destroying you must destroy”; KJV “Ye shall utterly (surely ASV) destroy”; NRSV “must demolish completely.” The Hebrew infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by the words “by all means.”

[12:2]  ²⁵ sn Every leafy tree. This expression refers to evergreens which, because they keep their foliage throughout the year, provided apt symbolism for nature cults such as those practiced in Canaan. The deity particularly in view is Asherah, wife of the great god El, who was considered the goddess of fertility and whose worship frequently took place at shrines near or among clusters (groves) of such trees (see also Deut 7:5). See J. Hadley, NIDOTTE 1:569-70; J. DeMoor, TDOT 1:438-44.

[15:34]  ²⁶ tn The LXX renders this line: “for death is the witness of an ungodly man. “Death” represents “barren/sterile,” and “witness” represents “assembly.”

[15:34]  ²⁷ sn This may refer to the fire that struck Job (cf. 1:16).

[15:34]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the tents of bribery.” The word “bribery” can mean a “gift,” but most often in the sense of a bribe in court. It indicates that the wealth and the possessions that the wicked man has gained may have been gained unjustly.

[26:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”

[26:9]  ³⁰ tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).

[26:10]  ³¹ tn Heb “who [have] in their hands evil.”

[26:10]  ³² tn Heb “and their right hand is full of a bribe.”

[17:8]  ³³ tn The phrase “works like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

[17:8]  ³⁴ tn Heb “a stone of favors”; NAB, NRSV “a magic stone.” The term שֹׁחַד (shokhad, “bribe”) could be simply translated as “a gift”; but the second half of the verse says that the one who offers it is successful. At best it could be a gift that opens doors; at worst it is a bribe. The word שֹׁחַד is never used of a disinterested gift, so there is always something of the bribe in it (e.g., Ps 15:5; Isa 1:23). Here it is “a stone that brings favor,” the genitive being the effect or the result of the gift. In other words, it has magical properties and “works like a charm.”

[17:8]  ³⁵ tn Heb “in the eyes of its owner.”

[17:8]  ³⁶ tn Heb “in all that he turns”; NASB, NIV “wherever he turns.”

[17:8]  ³⁷ sn As C. H. Toy points out, the sage is merely affirming a point without making a comment – those who use bribery meet with widespread success (Proverbs [ICC], 341). This does not amount to an endorsement of bribery.

[17:23]  ³⁸ sn The fact that the “gift” is given secretly (Heb “from the bosom” [מֵחֵיק, mekheq]; so NASB) indicates that it was not proper. Cf. NRSV “a concealed bribe”; TEV, CEV, NLT “secret bribes.”

[17:23]  ³⁹ tn The form לְהַטּוֹת (lÿhattot) is the Hiphil infinitive construct of נָטָה (natah), meaning “to thrust away,” i.e., to “pervert.” This purpose clause clarifies that the receiving of the “gift” is for evil intent.

[19:6]  ⁴⁰ tn The verb יְחַלּוּ (yÿkhalu) is a Piel imperfect of חָלָה (khalah) meaning “to seek favor; to entreat favor; to mollify; to appease”; cf. NIV “curry favor.” It literally means “making the face of someone sweet or pleasant,” as in stroking the face. To “entreat the favor” of someone is to induce him to show favor; the action aims at receiving gifts, benefits, or any other kind of success.

[19:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the face of a generous man”; ASV “the liberal man.” The term “face” is a synecdoche of part (= face) for the whole (= person).

[19:6]  ⁴² sn The proverb acknowledges the fact of life; but it also reminds people of the value of gifts in life, especially in business or in politics.

[19:6]  ⁴³ tn Heb “a man of gifts.” This could be (1) attributive genitive: a man characterized by giving gifts or (2) objective genitive: a man who gives gifts (IBHS 146 §9.5.2b).

[29:4]  ⁴⁴ tn The form is the Hiphil imperfect of the verb עָמַד (’amad, “to stand”), hence, “to cause to stand.” It means that the king makes the nation “stand firm,” with “standing firm” being a figure for strength, security, and stability. Cf. NCV “makes his country (the nation CEV) strong.”

[29:4]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “country.” This term functions as a metonymy of subject for the people in the land.

[29:4]  ⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads אִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת (’ish tÿrumot, “a man of offerings”), which could refer to a man who “receives gifts” or “gives gifts.” Because of its destructive nature on the country, here the phrase must mean that he receives or “exacts” the money (cf. NRSV “makes heavy exactions”). This seems to go beyond the ordinary taxation for two reasons: (1) this ruler is a “man of offerings,” indicating that it is in his nature to do this, and (2) it tears down the country. The word “offerings” has been taken to refer to gifts or bribes (cf. NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but the word itself suggests more the idea of tribute or taxes that are demanded; this Hebrew word was used in Leviticus for offerings given to the priests, and in Ezek 45:16 for taxes. The point seems to be that this ruler or administrator is breaking the backs of the people with heavy taxes or tribute (e.g., 1 Sam 8:11-18), and this causes division and strife.

[1:23]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “stubborn”; CEV “have rejected me.”

[1:23]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and companions of” (so KJV, NASB); CEV “friends of crooks.”

[1:23]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “pursue”; NIV “chase after gifts.”

[1:23]  ⁵⁰ sn Isaiah may have chosen the word for gifts (שַׁלְמוֹנִים, shalmonim; a hapax legomena here), as a sarcastic pun on what these rulers should have been doing. Instead of attending to peace and wholeness (שָׁלוֹם, shalom), they sought after payoffs (שַׁלְמוֹנִים).

[1:23]  ⁵¹ sn See the note at v. 17.

[1:23]  ⁵² sn The rich oppressors referred to in Isaiah and the other eighth century prophets were not rich capitalists in the modern sense of the word. They were members of the royal military and judicial bureaucracies in Israel and Judah. As these bureaucracies grew, they acquired more and more land and gradually commandeered the economy and legal system. At various administrative levels bribery and graft become commonplace. The common people outside the urban administrative centers were vulnerable to exploitation in such a system, especially those, like widows and orphans, who had lost their family provider through death. Through confiscatory taxation, conscription, excessive interest rates, and other oppressive governmental measures and policies, they were gradually disenfranchised and lost their landed property, and with it, their rights as citizens. The socio-economic equilibrium envisioned in the law of Moses was radically disturbed.

[33:15]  ⁵³ tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).

[33:15]  ⁵⁴ tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”

[33:15]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”

[33:15]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”

[33:15]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”

[56:11]  ⁵⁸ sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.

[56:11]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”

[33:31]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.

[33:31]  ⁶¹ tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.

[33:31]  ⁶² tn Heb “do.”

[33:31]  ⁶³ tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”

[33:31]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “goes after.”

[33:31]  ⁶⁵ tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term which can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.

[12:7]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “the merchant…loves to cheat.” The Hebrew has singular forms (noun and verb) which are used generically to refer to all Israelite merchants and traders in general. The singular noun II כְּנַעַן (kÿna’an, “a merchant; a trader”; BDB 488 s.v. II כְּנַעַן) is used in a generic sense to refer to the merchant class of Israel as a whole (e.g., Ezek 16:29; 17:4; Zeph 1:11).

[12:7]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “The merchant – in his hand are scales of deceit – loves to cheat.” The present translation rearranges the Hebrew line division to produce a smoother English rendering.

[12:8]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “says” (so NAB).

[12:8]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “I have found wealth for myself.” The verb מָצַא (matsa’, “to find”) is repeated in 12:8 to create a wordplay that is difficult to reproduce in translation. The Israelites have “found” (מָצַא) wealth for themselves (i.e., become wealthy; v. 8a) through dishonest business practices (v. 7). Nevertheless, they claim that no guilt can be “found” (מָצַא) in anything they have done in gaining their wealth (v. 8b).

[12:8]  ⁷⁰ tc The MT reads the 1st person common singular suffix on the noun יְגִיעַי (yÿgi’ay, “my labors/gains”; masculine plural noun + 1st person common singular suffix). The LXX’s οἱ πόνοι αὐτοῦ ({oi ponoi autou, “his labors”) assumes a 3rd person masculine singular suffix on the noun יְגִיעַיו (yÿgi’av, “his labors/gains”; masculine plural noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix). The BHS editors suggest adopting the LXX reading. The textual decision is based upon whether or not this line continues the speech of Ephraim (1st person common singular suffix) or whether these are the words of the prophet (3rd person masculine singular suffix). See the following translator’s note for the two rival lexical meanings which in turn lead to the textual options for the line as a whole.

[12:8]  ⁷¹ tn The phrase מָצָאתִי אוֹן לִי (matsa’ti ’on li, “I have found wealth for myself” = I have become wealthy) forms a wordplay with לֹא יִמְצְאוּ לִי עָוֹן (lo’ yimtsÿ’u li ’avon, “they will not find guilt in me”). The repetition of מָצָא לִי (matsa’ li) is enhanced by the paronomasia between the similar sounding nouns עוֹן (’on, “guilt”) and אוֹן (’on, “wealth”). The wordplay emphasizes that Israel’s acquisition of wealth cannot be divorced from his guilt in dishonest business practices. Israel has difficulty in protesting his innocence that he is not guilty (עוֹן) of the dishonest acquisition of wealth (אוֹן).

[12:8]  ⁷² tc The MT reads “[in] all my gains, they will not find guilt in me which would be sin.” The LXX reflects a Hebrew Vorlage which would be translated “in all his labors, he cannot offset his guilt which is sin.” Some translations follow the LXX: “but all his riches can never offset the guilt he has incurred” (RSV); “None of his gains shall atone for the guilt of his sins” (NEB); “All his gain shall not suffice him for the guilt of his sin” (NAB). Most follow the MT: “In all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin” (KJV); “In all my labors they will find in me no iniquity, which would be sin” (NASB); “With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin” (NIV); “All my gains do not amount to an offense which is real guilt” (NJPS); “No one can accuse us [sic] of getting rich dishonestly” (TEV); “I earned it all on my own, without committing a sin” (CEV). See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:262-63.

[2:6]  ⁷³ tn For this translation see the note at 2:4.

[2:6]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “Because of three violations of Israel, even because of four.”

[2:6]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “I will not bring it [or “him”] back.” The translation understands the pronominal object to refer to the decree of judgment that follows; the referent (the decree) has been specified in the translation for clarity. For another option see the note on the word “judgment” in 1:3.

[2:6]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “honest” (CEV, NLT). The Hebrew word sometimes has a moral-ethical connotation, “righteous, godly,” but the parallelism (note “poor”) suggests a socio-economic or legal sense here. The practice of selling debtors as slaves is in view (Exod 21:2-11; Lev 25:35-55; Deut 15:12-18) See the note at Exod 21:8 and G. C. Chirichigno, Debt-Slavery in Israel and the Ancient Near East (JSOTSup). Probably the only “crime” the victim had committed was being unable to pay back a loan or an exorbitant interest rate on a loan. Some have suggested that this verse refers to bribery in legal proceedings: The innocent are “sold” in the sense that those in power pay off the elders or judges for favorable decisions (5:12; cf. Exod 23:6-7).

[2:6]  ⁷⁷ tn Perhaps the expression “for a pair of sandals” indicates a relatively small price or debt. Some suggest that the sandals may have been an outward token of a more substantial purchase price. Others relate the sandals to a ritual attached to the transfer of property, signifying here that the poor would be losing their inherited family lands because of debt (Ruth 4:7; cf. Deut 25:8-10). Still others emend the Hebrew form slightly to נֶעְלָם (ne’lam, “hidden thing”; from the root עָלַם, ’alam, “to hide”) and understand this as referring to a bribe.

[2:7]  ⁷⁸ tn Most scholars now understand this verb as derived from the root II שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to crush; to trample”), an alternate form of שׁוּף (shuf), rather than from I שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to pant, to gasp”; cf. KJV, ASV, NASB).

[2:7]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “those who stomp on the dirt of the ground on the head of the poor.” It is possible to render the line as “they trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the ground,” thereby communicating that the poor are being stepped on in utter contempt (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 79-80). The participial form הַשֹּׁאֲפִים (hasho’afim) is substantival and stands in apposition to the pronominal suffix on מִכְרָם (mikhram, v. 6b).

[2:7]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “they turn aside the way of the destitute.” Many interpreters take “way” to mean “just cause” and understand this as a direct reference to the rights of the destitute being ignored. The injustice done to the poor is certainly in view, but the statement is better taken as a word picture depicting the powerful rich pushing the “way of the poor” (i.e., their attempt to be treated justly) to the side. An even more vivid picture is given in Amos 5:12, where the rich are pictured as turning the poor away from the city gate (where legal decisions were made, and therefore where justice should be done).

[2:7]  ⁸¹ sn Most interpreters see some type of sexual immorality here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT), even though the Hebrew phrase הָלַךְ אֶל (halakh ’el, “go to”) never refers elsewhere to sexual intercourse. (The usual idiom is בוֹא אֶל [bo’ ’el]. However, S. M. Paul (Amos [Hermeneia], 82) attempts to develop a linguistic case for a sexual connotation here.) The precise identification of the “girl” in question is not clear. Some see the referent as a cultic prostitute (cf. NAB; v. 8 suggests a cultic setting), but the term נַעֲרָה (na’arah) nowhere else refers to a prostitute. Because of the contextual emphasis on social oppression, some suggest the exploitation of a slave girl is in view. H. Barstad argues that the “girl” is the hostess at a pagan מַרְזֵחַ (marzeakh) banquet (described at some length in 6:4-7). In his view the sin described here is not sexual immorality, but idolatry (see H. Barstad, The Religious Polemics of Amos [VTSup], 33-36). In this case, one might translate, “Father and son go together to a pagan banquet.” In light of this cultic context, F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman argue that this is a reference to a specific female deity (“the Girl”) and correlate this verse with 8:14 (Amos [AB], 318-19).

[2:7]  ⁸² tn Or “pollute”; “desecrate”; “dishonor.”

[2:7]  ⁸³ tn Heb “my holy name.” Here “name” is used metonymically for God’s moral character or reputation, while “holy” has a moral and ethical connotation.

[3:11]  ⁸⁴ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”

[7:3]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”

[7:3]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”

[7:3]  ⁹¹ tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.

[7:1]  ⁹² tn Heb “woe to me!” In light of the image that follows, perhaps one could translate, “I am disappointed.”

[7:1]  ⁹³ tn Or “for.”

[7:1]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “I am like the gathering of the summer fruit, like the gleanings of the harvest.” Micah is not comparing himself to the harvested fruit. There is an ellipsis here, as the second half of the verse makes clear. The idea is, “I am like [one at the time] the summer fruit is gathered and the grapes are harvested.”

[7:1]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “my appetite craves.”

[1:9]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ⁹⁷ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁹⁸ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[5:5]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “be knowing this.” See also 2 Pet 1:20 for a similar phrase: τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκοντες (touto prwton ginwskonte").

[5:6]  ¹⁰⁰ sn The expression sons of disobedience is a Semitic idiom that means “people characterized by disobedience.” In this context it refers to “all those who are disobedient.” Cf. Eph 2:2-3.

[5:1]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “become.”

[6:9]  ¹⁰² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:9]  ¹⁰³ tn Though the Greek text only has αὐτούς (autous, “them”), the antecedent is the slaves of the masters. Therefore, it was translated this way to make it explicit in English.

[6:9]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “do the same things to them.”

[6:9]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “giving up the threat.”

[6:9]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “because of both they and you, the Lord is, in heaven…”

[6:2]  ¹⁰⁷ sn A quotation from Exod 20:12 and Deut 5:16.

[2:3]  ¹⁰⁸ sn Among whom. The relative pronoun phrase that begins v. 3 is identical, except for gender, to the one that begins v. 2 (ἐν αἵς [en Jais], ἐν οἵς [en Jois]). By the structure, the author is building an argument for our hopeless condition: We lived in sin and we lived among sinful people. Our doom looked to be sealed as well in v. 2: Both the external environment (kingdom of the air) and our internal motivation and attitude (the spirit that is now energizing) were under the devil’s thumb (cf. 2 Cor 4:4).

[2:3]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “we all.”

[2:3]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “even.”

[2:3]  ¹¹¹ sn Children of wrath is a Semitic idiom which may mean either “people characterized by wrath” or “people destined for wrath.”

[2:3]  ¹¹² sn Eph 2:1-3. The translation of vv. 1-3 is very literal, even to the point of retaining the awkward syntax of the original. See note on the word dead in 2:1.

[2:14]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “who made the both one.”

[2:15]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “rendered inoperative.” This is a difficult text to translate because it is not easy to find an English term which communicates well the essence of the author’s meaning, especially since legal terminology is involved. Many other translations use the term “abolish” (so NRSV, NASB, NIV), but this term implies complete destruction which is not the author’s meaning here. The verb καταργέω (katargew) can readily have the meaning “to cause someth. to lose its power or effectiveness” (BDAG 525 s.v. 2, where this passage is listed), and this meaning fits quite naturally here within the author’s legal mindset. A proper English term which communicates this well is “nullify” since this word carries the denotation of “making something legally null and void.” This is not, however, a common English word. An alternate term like “rendered inoperative [or ineffective]” is also accurate but fairly inelegant. For this reason, the translation retains the term “nullify”; it is the best choice of the available options, despite its problems.

[2:15]  ¹¹⁵ tn In this context the author is not referring to a new individual, but instead to a new corporate entity united in Christ (cf. BDAG 497 s.v. καινός 3.b: “All the Christians together appear as κ. ἄνθρωπος Eph 2:15”). This is clear from the comparison made between the Gentiles and Israel in the immediately preceding verses and the assertion in v. 14 that Christ “made both groups into one.” This is a different metaphor than the “new man” of Eph 4:24; in that passage the “new man” refers to the new life a believer has through a relationship to Christ.

[2:15]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “in order to create the two into one new man.” Eph 2:14-16 is one sentence in Greek. A new sentence was started here in the translation for clarity since contemporary English is less tolerant of extended sentences.