Acts 7:51

7:51 “You stubborn ¹  people, with uncircumcised ²  hearts and ears! ³  You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors ⁴  did!

Exodus 32:9-10

32:9 Then the Lord said to Moses: “I have seen this people. ⁵  Look ⁶  what a stiff-necked people they are! ⁷  32:10 So now, leave me alone ⁸  so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

Deuteronomy 32:21

32:21 They have made me jealous ⁹  with false gods, ¹⁰ 

enraging me with their worthless gods; ¹¹ 

so I will make them jealous with a people they do not recognize, ¹² 

with a nation slow to learn ¹³  I will enrage them.

Isaiah 49:5-8

49:5 So now the Lord says,

the one who formed me from birth ¹⁴  to be his servant –

he did this ¹⁵  to restore Jacob to himself,

so that Israel might be gathered to him;

and I will be honored ¹⁶  in the Lord’s sight,

for my God is my source of strength ¹⁷  –

49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant ¹⁸  of Israel? ¹⁹ 

I will make you a light to the nations, ²⁰ 

so you can bring ²¹  my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

49:7 This is what the Lord,

the protector ²²  of Israel, their Holy One, ²³  says

to the one who is despised ²⁴  and rejected ²⁵  by nations, ²⁶ 

a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see and rise in respect, ²⁷ 

princes will bow down,

because of the faithful Lord,

the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”

49:8 This is what the Lord says:

“At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;

in the day of deliverance I will help you;

I will protect you ²⁸  and make you a covenant mediator for people, ²⁹ 

to rebuild ³⁰  the land ³¹ 

and to reassign the desolate property.

Matthew 10:13-15

10:13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ³²  10:14 And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off ³³  your feet as you leave that house or that town. 10:15 I tell you the truth, ³⁴  it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah ³⁵  on the day of judgment than for that town!

Matthew 21:43

21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people ³⁶  who will produce its fruit.

Matthew 22:6-10

22:6 The ³⁷  rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 22:7 The ³⁸  king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death ³⁹  and set their city ⁴⁰  on fire. 22:8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 22:9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 22:10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Luke 14:16-24

14:16 But Jesus ⁴¹  said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet ⁴²  and invited ⁴³  many guests. ⁴⁴  14:17 At ⁴⁵  the time for the banquet ⁴⁶  he sent his slave ⁴⁷  to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all ⁴⁸  began to make excuses. ⁴⁹  The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, ⁵⁰  and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ ⁵¹  14:19 Another ⁵²  said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, ⁵³  and I am going out ⁵⁴  to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another ⁵⁵  said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ ⁵⁶  14:21 So ⁵⁷  the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious ⁵⁸  and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly ⁵⁹  to the streets and alleys of the city, ⁶⁰  and bring in the poor, ⁶¹  the crippled, ⁶²  the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then ⁶³  the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ ⁶⁴  14:23 So ⁶⁵  the master said to his ⁶⁶  slave, ‘Go out to the highways ⁶⁷  and country roads ⁶⁸  and urge ⁶⁹  people ⁷⁰  to come in, so that my house will be filled. ⁷¹  14:24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals ⁷²  who were invited ⁷³  will taste my banquet!’” ⁷⁴ 

John 1:11

1:11 He came to what was his own, ⁷⁵  but ⁷⁶  his own people ⁷⁷  did not receive him. ⁷⁸ 

Romans 10:19-21

10:19 But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? ⁷⁹  First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.” ⁸⁰  10:20 And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me.” ⁸¹  10:21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!” ⁸² 

Romans 11:11-13

11:11 I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, ⁸³  did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel ⁸⁴  jealous. 11:12 Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full restoration ⁸⁵  bring?

11:13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

[7:51]  ¹ sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.

[7:51]  ² tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.

[7:51]  ³ tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)

[7:51]  ⁴ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[32:9]  ⁵ sn This is a bold anthropomorphism; it is as if God has now had a chance to get to know these people and has discovered how rebellious they are. The point of the figure is that there has been discernible evidence of their nature.

[32:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “and behold” or “and look.” The expression directs attention in order to persuade the hearer.

[32:9]  ⁷ sn B. Jacob says the image is that of the people walking before God, and when he called to them the directions, they would not bend their neck to listen; they were resolute in doing what they intended to do (Exodus, 943). The figure describes them as refusing to submit, but resisting in pride.

[32:10]  ⁸ tn The imperative, from the word “to rest” (נוּחַ, nuakh), has the sense of “leave me alone, let me be.” It is a directive for Moses not to intercede for the people. B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 567) reflects the Jewish interpretation that there is a profound paradox in God’s words. He vows the severest punishment but then suddenly conditions it on Moses’ agreement. “Let me alone that I may consume them” is the statement, but the effect is that he has left the door open for intercession. He allows himself to be persuaded – that is what a mediator is for. God could have slammed the door (as when Moses wanted to go into the promised land). Moreover, by alluding to the promise to Abraham God gave Moses the strongest reason to intercede.

[32:21]  ⁹ sn They have made me jealous. The “jealousy” of God is not a spirit of pettiness prompted by his insecurity, but righteous indignation caused by the disloyalty of his people to his covenant grace (see note on the word “God” in Deut 4:24). The jealousy of Israel, however (see next line), will be envy because of God’s lavish attention to another nation. This is an ironic wordplay. See H. Peels, NIDOTTE 3:938-39.

[32:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “what is not a god,” or a “nondeity.”

[32:21]  ¹¹ tn Heb “their empty (things).” The Hebrew term used here to refer pejoratively to the false gods is הֶבֶל (hevel, “futile” or “futility”), used frequently in Ecclesiastes (e.g., Eccl 1:1, “Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher, “Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”).

[32:21]  ¹² tn Heb “what is not a people,” or a “nonpeople.” The “nonpeople” (לֹא־עָם, lo’-’am) referred to here are Gentiles who someday would become God’s people in the fullest sense (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:23).

[32:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “a foolish nation” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “a nation that has no understanding”; NLT “I will provoke their fury by blessing the foolish Gentiles.”

[49:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:5]  ¹⁵ tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.

[49:5]  ¹⁶ tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”

[49:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.

[49:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”

[49:6]  ¹⁹ sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.

[49:6]  ²⁰ tn See the note at 42:6.

[49:6]  ²¹ tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”

[49:7]  ²² tn Heb “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:7]  ²³ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[49:7]  ²⁴ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the MT tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsa^a reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:294) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”

[49:7]  ²⁵ tn MT’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”

[49:7]  ²⁶ tn Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).

[49:7]  ²⁷ tn For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.

[49:8]  ²⁸ tn The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצָר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצָר (yatsar, “form”).

[49:8]  ²⁹ tn Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bÿrit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. Here עָם (’am, “people”) appears to refer to Israel. See the note at 42:6.

[49:8]  ³⁰ tn The Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “arise”) is probably used here in the sense of “rebuild.”

[49:8]  ³¹ tn The “land” probably stands by metonymy for the ruins within it.

[10:13]  ³² sn The response to these messengers determines how God’s blessing is bestowed – if the messengers are not welcomed, their blessing will return to them. Jesus shows just how important their mission is by this remark.

[10:14]  ³³ sn To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6. It was a sign of rejection.

[10:15]  ³⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[10:15]  ³⁵ sn The allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious than the worst sins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment.

[21:43]  ³⁶ tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).

[22:6]  ³⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[22:7]  ³⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[22:7]  ³⁹ tn Grk “he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers.” The verb ἀπώλεσεν (apwlesen) is causative, indicating that the king was the one behind the execution of the murderers. In English the causative idea is not expressed naturally here; either a purpose clause (“he sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death”) or a relative clause (“he sent his soldier who put those murderers to death”) is preferred.

[22:7]  ⁴⁰ tn The Greek text reads here πόλις (polis), which could be translated “town” or “city.” The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem, so “city” is more appropriate here.

[14:16]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:16]  ⁴² tn Or “dinner.”

[14:16]  ⁴³ sn Presumably those invited would have sent a reply with the invitation stating their desire to attend, much like a modern R.S.V.P. Then they waited for the servant to announce the beginning of the celebration (D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1272).

[14:16]  ⁴⁴ tn The word “guests” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[14:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “And at.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[14:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “dinner.”

[14:17]  ⁴⁷ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.

[14:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “all unanimously” (BDAG 107 s.v. ἀπό 6). "One after another" is suggested by L&N 61.2.

[14:18]  ⁴⁹ sn To make excuses and cancel at this point was an insult in the culture of the time. Regardless of customs concerning responses to invitations, refusal at this point was rude.

[14:18]  ⁵⁰ sn I have bought a field. An examination of newly bought land was a common practice. It was this person’s priority.

[14:18]  ⁵¹ sn The expression Please excuse me is probably a polite way of refusing, given the dynamics of the situation, although it is important to note that an initial acceptance had probably been indicated and it was now a bit late for a refusal. The semantic equivalent of the phrase may well be “please accept my apologies.”

[14:19]  ⁵² tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[14:19]  ⁵³ sn Five yoke of oxen. This was a wealthy man, because the normal farmer had one or two yoke of oxen.

[14:19]  ⁵⁴ tn The translation “going out” for πορεύομαι (poreuomai) is used because “going” in this context could be understood to mean “I am about to” rather than the correct nuance, “I am on my way to.”

[14:20]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[14:20]  ⁵⁶ sn I just got married, and I cannot come. There is no request to be excused here; just a refusal. Why this disqualifies attendance is not clear. The OT freed a newly married man from certain responsibilities such as serving in the army (Deut 20:7; 24:5), but that would hardly apply to a banquet. The invitation is not respected in any of the three cases.

[14:21]  ⁵⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the preceding responses.

[14:21]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “being furious, said.” The participle ὀργισθείς (orgisqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[14:21]  ⁵⁹ sn It was necessary to go out quickly because the banquet was already prepared. All the food would spoil if not eaten immediately.

[14:21]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “town.”

[14:21]  ⁶¹ sn The poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. Note how the list matches v. 13, illustrating that point. Note also how the party goes on; it is not postponed until a later date. Instead new guests are invited.

[14:21]  ⁶² tn Grk “and the crippled.” Normally crippled as a result of being maimed or mutilated (L&N 23.177). Καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following category (Grk “and the blind and the lame”) since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[14:22]  ⁶³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the order of events within the parable.

[14:22]  ⁶⁴ sn And still there is room. This comment suggests the celebration was quite a big one, picturing the openness of God’s grace.

[14:23]  ⁶⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the master’s response to the slave’s report.

[14:23]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[14:23]  ⁶⁷ sn Go out to the highways and country roads. This suggests the inclusion of people outside the town, even beyond the needy (poor, crippled, blind, and lame) in the town, and so is an allusion to the inclusion of the Gentiles.

[14:23]  ⁶⁸ tn The Greek word φραγμός (fragmo") refers to a fence, wall, or hedge surrounding a vineyard (BDAG 1064 s.v. 1). “Highways” and “country roads” probably refer not to separate places, but to the situation outside the town where the rural roads run right alongside the hedges or fences surrounding the fields (cf. J. A. Fitzmyer, Luke [AB], 1057).

[14:23]  ⁶⁹ tn Traditionally “force” or “compel,” but according to BDAG 60 s.v. ἀναγκάζω 2 this is a weakened nuance: “strongly urge/invite.” The meaning in this context is more like “persuade.”

[14:23]  ⁷⁰ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[14:23]  ⁷¹ sn So that my house will be filled. God will bless many people.

[14:24]  ⁷² tn The Greek word here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which frequently stresses males or husbands (in contrast to women or wives). However, the emphasis in the present context is on identifying these individuals as the ones previously invited, examples of which were given in vv. 18-20. Cf. also BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 2.

[14:24]  ⁷³ sn None of those individuals who were invited. This is both the point and the warning. To be a part of the original invitation does not mean one automatically has access to blessing. One must respond when the summons comes in order to participate. The summons came in the person of Jesus and his proclamation of the kingdom. The statement here refers to the fact that many in Israel will not be blessed with participation, for they have ignored the summons when it came.

[14:24]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “dinner.”

[1:11]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “to his own things.”

[1:11]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “and,” but in context this is an adversative use of καί (kai) and is thus translated “but.”

[1:11]  ⁷⁷ tn “People” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[1:11]  ⁷⁸ sn His own people did not receive him. There is a subtle irony here: When the λόγος (logos) came into the world, he came to his own (τὰ ἴδια, ta idia, literally “his own things”) and his own people (οἱ ἴδιοι, Joi idioi), who should have known and received him, but they did not. This time John does not say that “his own” did not know him, but that they did not receive him (παρέλαβον, parelabon). The idea is one not of mere recognition, but of acceptance and welcome.

[10:19]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “Israel did not ‘not know,’ did he?” The double negative in Greek has been translated as a positive affirmation for clarity (see v. 18 above for a similar situation).

[10:19]  ⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Deut 32:21.

[10:20]  ⁸¹ sn A quotation from Isa 65:1.

[10:21]  ⁸² sn A quotation from Isa 65:2.

[11:11]  ⁸³ tn Grk “that they might fall.”

[11:11]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “them”; the referent (Israel, cf. 11:7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:12]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “full inclusion”; Grk “their fullness.”