Ecclesiastes 8:11

8:11 When ¹  a sentence ²  is not executed ³  at once against a crime, ⁴ 

the human heart ⁵  is encouraged to do evil. ⁶ 

Isaiah 10:8-11

10:8 Indeed, ⁷  he says:

“Are not my officials all kings?

10:9 Is not Calneh like Carchemish?

Hamath like Arpad?

Samaria like Damascus? ⁸ 

10:10 I overpowered kingdoms ruled by idols, ⁹ 

whose carved images were more impressive than Jerusalem’s ¹⁰  or Samaria’s.

10:11 As I have done to Samaria and its idols,

so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols.” ¹¹ 

Isaiah 56:12

56:12 Each one says, ¹² 

‘Come on, I’ll get some wine!

Let’s guzzle some beer!

Tomorrow will be just like today!

We’ll have everything we want!’ ¹³ 

Luke 12:16-20

12:16 He then ¹⁴  told them a parable: ¹⁵  “The land of a certain rich man produced ¹⁶  an abundant crop, 12:17 so ¹⁷  he thought to himself, ¹⁸  ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁹  12:18 Then ²⁰  he said, ‘I ²¹  will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 12:19 And I will say to myself, ²²  “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 12:20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life ²³  will be demanded back from ²⁴  you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ ²⁵ 

Luke 12:45

12:45 But if ²⁶  that ²⁷  slave should say to himself, ²⁸  ‘My master is delayed ²⁹  in returning,’ and he begins to beat ³⁰  the other ³¹  slaves, both men and women, ³²  and to eat, drink, and get drunk,

Luke 12:1

Fear God, Not People

12:1 Meanwhile, ³³  when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus ³⁴  began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against ³⁵  the yeast of the Pharisees, ³⁶  which is hypocrisy. ³⁷ 

Luke 5:3

5:3 He got into ³⁸  one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then ³⁹  Jesus ⁴⁰  sat down ⁴¹  and taught the crowds from the boat.

[8:11]  ¹ tn The particle אֲשֶׁר (’asher) is used as a conjunction in a conditional/temporal clause to introduce the protasis (“when” or “if”), and עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken) introduces the apodosis (“then”); cf. BDB 83 s.v. אֲשֶׁר 8.d.

[8:11]  ² tn The noun פִתְגָם (fitgam, “decision; announcement; edict; decree”) is a loanword from Persian patigama (HALOT 984 s.v. פִּתְגָם; BDB 834 s.v. פִּתְגָם). The Hebrew noun occurs twice in the OT (Eccl 8:11; Esth 1:20), twice in the Apocrypha (Sir 5:11; 8:9), and five times in Qumran (11QtgJob 9:2; 29:4; 30:1; 34:3; 1QapGen 22:27). The English versions consistently nuance this as a judicial sentence against a crime: “sentence” (KJV, NEB, NAB, ASV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, MLB, YLT), “sentence for a crime” (NIV), “sentence imposed” (NJPS), “sentence on a crime” (Moffatt).

[8:11]  ³ tn Heb “is not done.” The verb עָשַׂה (’asah, “to do”) refers to a judicial sentence being carried out (HALOT 892 s.v. 2). The Niphal can denote “be executed; be carried out” of a sentence (Eccl 8:11) or royal decree (Esth 9:1; BDB 795 s.v. 1.a). Similarly, the Qal can denote “to execute” vengeance (Judg 11:36) or judgment (1 Sam 28:18; Isa 48:14; Ezek 25:11; 28:26; Ps 149:7, 9; BDB 794 s.v.).

[8:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “the evil.”

[8:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “the heart of the sons of man.” The singular noun לֵב (lev, “heart”) is used collectively. The term לֵב is often used figuratively (metonymy) in reference to inclinations and determinations of the will (BDB 525 s.v. 4), moral character (BDB 525 s.v. 6), and as a synecdoche for the man himself (BDB 525 s.v. 7).

[8:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “is full to do evil.” The verb מָלֵא (male’, “to fill”) is used figuratively (metonymy): the lack of swift judicial punishment only emboldens the wicked to commit more crimes without fear of retribution. Most English versions translate the term literally: “are filled” (NIV, MLB, YLT), “is fully set” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV). However, several versions nuance it figuratively: “emboldened” (ASV, NJPS) and “boldly” (NEB). Moffatt renders the line, “Because sentence on a crime is not executed at once, the mind of man is prone to evil practices.”

[10:8]  ⁷ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[10:9]  ⁸ sn Calneh … Carchemish … Hamath … Arpad … Samaria … Damascus. The city states listed here were conquered by the Assyrians between 740-717 b.c. The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one can stand before Assyria’s might. On the geographical, rather than chronological arrangement of the cities, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:264, n. 4.

[10:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “Just as my hand found the kingdoms of the idol[s].” The comparison is expanded in v. 11a (note “as”) and completed in v. 11b (note “so”).

[10:10]  ¹⁰ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:11]  ¹¹ tn The statement is constructed as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text: “Is it not [true that] just as I have done to Samaria and its idols, so I will do to Jerusalem and its idols?”

[56:12]  ¹² tn The words “each one says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[56:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “great, [in] abundance, very much,” i.e., “very great indeed.” See HALOT 452 s.v. יֶתֶר.

[12:16]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “And he.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.

[12:16]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “a parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:16]  ¹⁶ tn Or “yielded a plentiful harvest.”

[12:17]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this is a result of the preceding statement.

[12:17]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “to himself, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:17]  ¹⁹ sn I have nowhere to store my crops. The thinking here is prudent in terms of recognizing the problem. The issue in the parable will be the rich man’s solution, particularly the arrogance reflected in v. 19.

[12:18]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[12:18]  ²¹ sn Note how often the first person pronoun is present in these verses. The farmer is totally self absorbed.

[12:19]  ²² tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.

[12:20]  ²³ tn Grk “your soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.

[12:20]  ²⁴ tn Or “required back.” This term, ἀπαιτέω (apaitew), has an economic feel to it and is often used of a debt being called in for repayment (BDAG 96 s.v. 1).

[12:20]  ²⁵ tn Grk “the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The words “for yourself” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:45]  ²⁶ tn In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).

[12:45]  ²⁷ tn The term “that” (ἐκεῖνος, ekeino") is used as a catchword to list out, in the form of a number of hypothetical circumstances, what the possible responses of “that” servant could be. He could be faithful (vv. 43-44) or totally unfaithful (vv. 45-46). He does not complete his master’s will with knowledge (v. 47) or from ignorance (v 48). These differences are indicated by the different levels of punishment in vv. 46-48.

[12:45]  ²⁸ tn Grk “should say in his heart.”

[12:45]  ²⁹ tn Or “is taking a long time.”

[12:45]  ³⁰ sn The slave’s action in beginning to beat the other slaves was not only a failure to carry out what was commanded but involved doing the exact reverse.

[12:45]  ³¹ tn The word “other” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[12:45]  ³² tn Grk “the menservants and the maidservants.” The term here, used in both masculine and feminine grammatical forms, is παῖς (pais), which can refer to a slave, but also to a slave who is a personal servant, and thus regarded kindly (L&N 87.77).

[12:1]  ³³ tn The phrase ἐν οἷς (en Jois) can be translated “meanwhile.”

[12:1]  ³⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:1]  ³⁵ tn According to L&N 27.59, “to pay attention to, to keep on the lookout for, to be alert for, to be on your guard against.” This is another Lukan present imperative calling for constant vigilance.

[12:1]  ³⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[12:1]  ³⁷ sn The pursuit of popularity can lead to hypocrisy, if one is not careful.

[5:3]  ³⁸ tn Grk “Getting into”; the participle ἐμβάς (embas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[5:3]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[5:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “sitting down”; the participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.