Deuteronomy 17:9-11

17:9 You will go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office in those days and seek a solution; they will render a verdict. 17:10 You must then do as they have determined at that place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught. 17:11 You must do what you are instructed, and the verdict they pronounce to you, without fail. Do not deviate right or left from what they tell you.

Deuteronomy 24:8

Respect for Human Dignity

24:8 Be careful during an outbreak of leprosy to follow precisely ¹  all that the Levitical priests instruct you; as I have commanded them, so you should do.

Leviticus 10:11

10:11 and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through ²  Moses.”

Leviticus 10:2

10:2 So fire went out from the presence of the Lord ³  and consumed them so that they died before the Lord.

Leviticus 17:8-10

17:8 “You are to say to them: ‘Any man ⁴  from the house of Israel or ⁵  from the foreigners who reside ⁶  in their ⁷  midst, who offers ⁸  a burnt offering or a sacrifice 17:9 but does not bring it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it ⁹  to the Lord – that person will be cut off from his people. ¹⁰ 

Prohibition against Eating Blood

17:10 “‘Any man ¹¹  from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside ¹²  in their ¹³  midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, ¹⁴ 

Leviticus 1:1

Introduction to the Sacrificial Regulations

1:1 Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him ¹⁵  from the Meeting Tent: ¹⁶ 

Nehemiah 8:1-9

8:1 all the people gathered together ¹⁷  in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked ¹⁸  Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had commanded Israel. 8:2 So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first day of the seventh month.) 8:3 So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon ¹⁹  before the men and women and those children who could understand. ²⁰  All the people were eager to hear ²¹  the book of the law.

8:4 Ezra the scribe stood on a towering wooden platform ²²  constructed for this purpose. Standing near him on his right were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masseiah. On his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 8:5 Ezra opened the book in plain view ²³  of all the people, for he was elevated above all the people. When he opened the book, ²⁴  all the people stood up. 8:6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

8:7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah – all of whom were Levites ²⁵  – were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing. 8:8 They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it ²⁶  and imparting insight. Thus the people ²⁷  gained understanding from what was read.

8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, ²⁸  Ezra the priestly scribe, ²⁹  and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, ³⁰  “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law.

Nehemiah 8:13-15

8:13 On the second day of the month the family leaders ³¹  met with ³²  Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law. 8:14 They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through ³³  Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 8:15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message ³⁴  in all their cities and in Jerusalem: ³⁵  “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.”

Nehemiah 8:18

8:18 Ezra ³⁶  read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last. ³⁷  They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly ³⁸  as was required. ³⁹ 

Ezekiel 44:23-24

44:23 Moreover, they will teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the ceremonially unclean and the clean. ⁴⁰ 

44:24 “‘In a controversy they will act as judges; ⁴¹  they will judge according to my ordinances. They will keep my laws and my statutes regarding all my appointed festivals and will observe ⁴²  my Sabbaths.

Hosea 4:6

4:6 You have destroyed ⁴³  my people

by failing to acknowledge me!

Because you refuse to acknowledge me, ⁴⁴ 

I will reject you as my priests.

Because you reject ⁴⁵  the law of your God,

I will reject ⁴⁶  your descendants.

Malachi 2:6-8

2:6 He taught what was true; ⁴⁷  sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin. 2:7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him ⁴⁸  because he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all. 2:8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law; ⁴⁹  you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” ⁵⁰  says the Lord who rules over all.

Matthew 23:2-3

23:2 “The ⁵¹  experts in the law ⁵²  and the Pharisees ⁵³  sit on Moses’ seat. 23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. ⁵⁴ 

John 21:15-16

Peter’s Restoration

21:15 Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, ⁵⁵  do you love me more than these do?” ⁵⁶  He replied, ⁵⁷  “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” ⁵⁸  Jesus ⁵⁹  told him, “Feed my lambs.” 21:16 Jesus ⁶⁰  said ⁶¹  a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, ⁶²  “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus ⁶³  told him, “Shepherd my sheep.”

[24:8]  ¹ tn Heb “to watch carefully and to do.”

[10:11]  ² tn Heb “by the hand of” (so KJV).

[10:2]  ³ tn See the note on 9:24a.

[17:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “Man, man.” The repetition of the word “man” is distributive, meaning “any [or “every”] man” (GKC 395-96 §123.c; cf. Lev 15:2).

[17:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “and.” Here the Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) has an alternative sense (“or”).

[17:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “from the sojourner who sojourns.”

[17:8]  ⁷ tc The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate have “your” (plural) rather than “their.”

[17:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “causes to go up.”

[17:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “to make it,” meaning “to make the sacrifice.”

[17:9]  ¹⁰ tn For remarks on the “cut off” penalty see the note on v. 4 above.

[17:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “And man, man.” The repetition of the word “man” is distributive, meaning “any (or every) man” (GKC 395-96 §123.c; cf. Lev 15:2).

[17:10]  ¹² tn Heb “from the sojourner who sojourns.”

[17:10]  ¹³ tc The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate have “your” (plural) rather than “their.”

[17:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I will give my faces against [literally “in”] the soul/person/life [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh, feminine] who eats the blood and I will cut it [i.e., that נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh] off from the midst of its people.” The uses of נֶפֶשׁ in this and the following verse are most significant for the use of animal blood in Israel’s sacrificial system. Unfortunately, it is a most difficult word to translate accurately and consistently, and this presents a major problem for the rendering of these verses (see, e.g., G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 244-45). No matter which translation of נֶפֶשׁ one uses here, it is important to see that both man and animal have נֶפֶשׁ and that this נֶפֶשׁ is identified with the blood. See the further remarks on v. 11 below. On the “cutting off” penalty see the note on v. 4 above. In this instance, God takes it on himself to “cut off” the person (i.e., extirpation).

[1:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “And he (the Lord) called (וַיִּקְרָא, vayyiqra’) to Moses and the Lord spoke (וַיְדַבֵּר, vayÿdabber) to him from the tent of meeting.” The MT assumes “Lord” in the first clause but places it in the second clause (after “spoke”). This is somewhat awkward, especially in terms of English style; most English versions reverse this and place “Lord” in the first clause (right after “called”). The Syriac version does the same.

[1:1]  ¹⁶ sn The second clause of v. 1, “and the Lord spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,” introduces the following discourse. This is a standard introductory formula (see, e.g., Exod 20:1; 25:1; 31:1; etc.). The combination of the first and second clauses is, therefore, “bulky” because of the way they happen to be juxtaposed in this transitional verse (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 8). The first clause of v. 1 connects the book back to the end of the Book of Exodus while the second looks forward the ritual legislation that follows in Lev 1:2ff. There are two “Tents of Meeting”: the one that stood outside the camp (see, e.g., Exod 33:7) and the one that stood in the midst of the camp (Exod 40:2; Num 2:2ff) and served as the Lord’s residence until the construction of the temple in the days of Solomon (Exod 27:21; 29:4; 1 Kgs 8:4; 2 Chr 5:5, etc.; cf. 2 Sam 7:6). Exod 40:35 uses both “tabernacle” and “tent of meeting” to refer to the same tent: “Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” It is clear that “tent of meeting” in Lev 1:1 refers to the “tabernacle.” The latter term refers to the tent as a “residence,” while the former refers to it as a divinely appointed place of “meeting” between God and man (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:873-77 and 2:1130-34). This corresponds to the change in terms in Exod 40:35, where “tent of meeting” is used when referring to Moses’ inability to enter the tent, but “tabernacle” when referring to the Lord taking up residence there in the form of the glory cloud. The quotation introduced here extends from Lev 1:2 through 3:17, and encompasses the burnt, grain, and peace offering regulations. Compare the notes on Lev 4:1; 5:14; and 6:1 [5:20 HT] below.

[8:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “like one man.”

[8:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “said [to].”

[8:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “from the light till the noon of the day.”

[8:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “all who could hear with understanding.” The word “children” is understood to be implied here by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, TEV, NLT).

[8:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “the ears of all the people were toward.”

[8:4]  ²² tn Heb “a tower of wood.”

[8:5]  ²³ tn Heb “to the eyes.”

[8:5]  ²⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the book) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:7]  ²⁵ tc The MT reads “and the Levites.” The conjunction (“and”) should be deleted, following the LXX, Aquila, and the Vulgate. That the vav (ו) of the MT is the vav explicativum (“even the Levites”) is unlikely here.

[8:8]  ²⁶ tn The exact meaning of the pual participle מְפֹרָשׁ (mÿforash) in this verse is uncertain. The basic sense of the Hebrew word seems to be “to make distinct.” The word may also have the sense of “to divide in parts,” “to interpret,” or “to translate.” The context of Neh 8:8 does not decisively clarify how the participle is to be understood here. It probably refers to the role of the Levites as those who explained or interpreted the portions of biblical text that had been publicly read on this occasion. A different option, however, is suggested by the translation distincte (“distinctly”) of the Vulgate (cf. KJV, ASV). If the Hebrew word means “distinctly” here, it would imply that the readers paid particular attention to such things as word-grouping and pronunciation so as to be sure that the listeners had every opportunity to understand the message that was being read. Yet another view is found in the Talmud, which understands translation of the Hebrew text into Aramaic to be what is in view here. The following explanation of Neh 8:8 is found in b. Megillah 3a: “‘And they read in the book, in the law of God’: this indicates the [Hebrew] text; ‘with an interpretation’: this indicates the targum; ‘and they gave the sense’: this indicates the verse stops; ‘and caused them to understand the reading’: this indicates the accentuation, or, according to another version, the Masoretic notes.” However, this ancient rabbinic view that the origins of the Targum are found in Neh 8:8 is debatable. It is not clear that the practice of paraphrasing the Hebrew biblical text into Aramaic in order to accommodate the needs of those Jews who were not at home in the Hebrew language developed this early. The translation of מְפֹרָשׁ adopted above (i.e., “explaining it”) understands the word to have in mind an explanatory function (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT) rather than one of translation.

[8:8]  ²⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:9]  ²⁸ tc The unexpected reference to Nehemiah here has led some scholars to suspect that the phrase “Nehemiah the governor” is a later addition to the text and not original.

[8:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”

[8:9]  ³⁰ tn Heb “the people.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.

[8:13]  ³¹ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

[8:13]  ³² tn Heb “were gathered to”; NAB, NIV “gathered around”; NRSV “came together to.”

[8:14]  ³³ tn Heb “by the hand of.”

[8:15]  ³⁴ tn Heb “a voice.”

[8:15]  ³⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:18]  ³⁶ tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:18]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the last day.”

[8:18]  ³⁸ tn Heb “on the eighth day an assembly.” The words “they held” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:18]  ³⁹ tn Heb “according to the judgment.”

[44:23]  ⁴⁰ sn This task was a fundamental role of the priest (Lev 10:10).

[44:24]  ⁴¹ sn For a historical illustration of the priest carrying out this function, see 2 Chr 19:9-11.

[44:24]  ⁴² tn Heb “sanctify, set apart.”

[4:6]  ⁴³ tn Heb “they have destroyed” or “my people are destroyed” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[4:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “Because you reject knowledge”; NLT “because they don’t know me.”

[4:6]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “have forgotten”; NAB, NIV “have ignored.”

[4:6]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “forget” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “forget to bless.”

[2:6]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “True teaching was in his mouth”; cf. NASB, NRSV “True instruction (doctrine NAB) was in his mouth.”

[2:7]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “from his mouth” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:8]  ⁴⁹ tn The definite article embedded within בַּתּוֹרָה (battorah) may suggest that the Torah is in mind and not just “ordinary” priestly instruction, though it might refer to the instruction previously mentioned (v. 7).

[2:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “the Levitical covenant.”

[23:2]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[23:2]  ⁵² tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:2]  ⁵³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[23:3]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”

[21:15]  ⁵⁵ tc The majority of mss (A C² Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy) read “Simon, the son of Jonah” here and in vv. 16 and 17, but these are perhaps assimilations to Matt 16:17. The reading “Simon, son of John” is better attested, being found in א¹ (א* only has “Simon” without mention of his father) B C* D L W lat co.

[21:15]  ⁵⁶ tn To whom (or what) does “these” (τούτων, toutwn) refer? Three possibilities are suggested: (1) τούτων should be understood as neuter, “these things,” referring to the boats, nets, and fishing gear nearby. In light of Peter’s statement in 21:3, “I am going fishing,” some have understood Peter to have renounced his commission in light of his denials of Jesus. Jesus, as he restores Peter and forgives him for his denials, is asking Peter if he really loves his previous vocation more than he loves Jesus. Three things may be said in evaluation of this view: (a) it is not at all necessary to understand Peter’s statement in 21:3 as a renouncement of his discipleship, as this view of the meaning of τούτων would imply; (b) it would probably be more likely that the verb would be repeated in such a construction (see 7:31 for an example where the verb is repeated); and (c) as R. E. Brown has observed (John [AB], 2:1103) by Johannine standards the choice being offered to Peter between material things and the risen Jesus would seem rather ridiculous, especially after the disciples had realized whom it was they were dealing with (the Lord, see v. 12). (2) τούτων refers to the other disciples, meaning “Do you love me more than you love these other disciples?” The same objection mentioned as (c) under (1) would apply here: Could the author, in light of the realization of who Jesus is which has come to the disciples after the resurrection, and which he has just mentioned in 21:12, seriously present Peter as being offered a choice between the other disciples and the risen Jesus? This leaves option (3), that τούτων refers to the other disciples, meaning “Do you love me more than these other disciples do?” It seems likely that there is some irony here: Peter had boasted in 13:37, “I will lay down my life for you,” and the synoptics present Peter as boasting even more explicitly of his loyalty to Jesus (“Even if they all fall away, I will not,” Matt 26:33; Mark 14:29). Thus the semantic force of what Jesus asks Peter here amounts to something like “Now, after you have denied me three times, as I told you you would, can you still affirm that you love me more than these other disciples do?” The addition of the auxiliary verb “do” in the translation is used to suggest to the English reader the third interpretation, which is the preferred one.

[21:15]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “He said to him.”

[21:15]  ⁵⁸ tn Is there a significant difference in meaning between the two words for love used in the passage, ἀγαπάω and φιλέω (agapaw and filew)? Aside from Origen, who saw a distinction in the meaning of the two words, most of the Greek Fathers like Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria, saw no real difference of meaning. Neither did Augustine nor the translators of the Itala (Old Latin). This was also the view of the Reformation Greek scholars Erasmus and Grotius. The suggestion that a distinction in meaning should be seen comes primarily from a number of British scholars of the 19th century, especially Trench, Westcott, and Plummer. It has been picked up by others such as Spicq, Lenski, and Hendriksen. But most modern scholars decline to see a real difference in the meaning of the two words in this context, among them Bernard, Moffatt, Bonsirven, Bultmann, Barrett, Brown, Morris, Haenchen, and Beasley-Murray. There are three significant reasons for seeing no real difference in the meaning of ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in these verses: (1) the author has a habit of introducing slight stylistic variations in repeated material without any significant difference in meaning (compare, for example, 3:3 with 3:5, and 7:34 with 13:33). An examination of the uses of ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in the Fourth Gospel seems to indicate a general interchangeability between the two. Both terms are used of God’s love for man (3:16, 16:27); of the Father’s love for the Son (3:35, 5:20); of Jesus’ love for men (11:5, 11:3); of the love of men for men (13:34, 15:19); and of the love of men for Jesus (8:42, 16:27). (2) If (as seems probable) the original conversation took place in Aramaic (or possibly Hebrew), there would not have been any difference expressed because both Aramaic and Hebrew have only one basic word for love. In the LXX both ἀγαπάω and φιλέω are used to translate the same Hebrew word for love, although ἀγαπάω is more frequent. It is significant that in the Syriac version of the NT only one verb is used to translate vv. 15-17 (Syriac is very similar linguistically to Palestinian Aramaic). (3) Peter’s answers to the questions asked with ἀγαπάω are ‘yes’ even though he answers using the verb φιλέω. If he is being asked to love Jesus on a higher or more spiritual level his answers give no indication of this, and one would be forced to say (in order to maintain a consistent distinction between the two verbs) that Jesus finally concedes defeat and accepts only the lower form of love which is all that Peter is capable of offering. Thus it seems best to regard the interchange between ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in these verses as a minor stylistic variation of the author, consistent with his use of minor variations in repeated material elsewhere, and not indicative of any real difference in meaning. Thus no attempt has been made to distinguish between the two Greek words in the translation.

[21:15]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:16]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “said again.” The word “again” (when used in connection with the phrase “a second time”) is redundant and has not been translated.

[21:16]  ⁶² tn Grk “He said to him.”

[21:16]  ⁶³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.