Ezekiel 47:13

Boundaries for the Land

47:13 This is what the sovereign Lord says: “Here ¹  are the borders ²  you will observe as you allot the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Joseph will have two portions.) ³ 

Ezekiel 48:19

48:19 The workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it.

Ezekiel 48:31

48:31 the gates of the city ⁴  will be named for the tribes of Israel; there will be three gates to the north: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi.

Zechariah 9:1

The Coming of the True King

9:1 An oracle of the word of the Lord concerning the land of Hadrach, ⁵  with its focus on Damascus: ⁶ 

The eyes of all humanity, ⁷  especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord,

Matthew 19:28

19:28 Jesus ⁸  said to them, “I tell you the truth: ⁹  In the age when all things are renewed, ¹⁰  when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging ¹¹  the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:30

22:30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit ¹²  on thrones judging ¹³  the twelve tribes of Israel.

Acts 26:7

26:7 a promise ¹⁴  that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God ¹⁵  night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, ¹⁶  Your Majesty! ¹⁷ 

James 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From James, ¹⁸  a slave ¹⁹  of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. ²⁰  Greetings!

[47:13]  ¹ tc This translation follows the reading זֶה (zeh) instead of גֵּה (geh), a nonexistent word, as supported by the LXX.

[47:13]  ² tn Or “territory”; see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:715.

[47:13]  ³ tc The grammar is awkward, though the presence of these words is supported by the versions. L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 2:274) suggests that it is an explanatory gloss.

[48:31]  ⁴ sn See Rev 21:12-14.

[9:1]  ⁵ sn The land of Hadrach was a northern region stretching from Aleppo in the north to Damascus in the south (cf. NLT “Aram”).

[9:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “Damascus its resting place.” The 3rd person masculine singular suffix on “resting place” (מְנֻחָתוֹ, mÿnukhato), however, precludes “land” or even “Hadrach,” both of which are feminine, from being the antecedent. Most likely “word” (masculine) is the antecedent, i.e., the “word of the Lord” is finding its resting place, that is, its focus in or on Damascus.

[9:1]  ⁷ tc Though without manuscript and version support, many scholars suggest emendation here to clarify what, to them, is an unintelligible reading. Thus some propose עָדֵי אָרָם (’ade ’aram, “cities of Aram”; cf. NAB, NRSV) for עֵין אָדָם (’en ’adam, “eye of man”) or אֲדָמָה (’adamah, “ground”) for אָדָם (’adam, “man”), “(surface of) the earth.” It seems best, however, to see “eye” as collective and to understand the passage as saying that the attention of the whole earth will be upon the Lord (cf. NIV, NLT).

[19:28]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[19:28]  ⁹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[19:28]  ¹⁰ sn The Greek term translated the age when all things are renewed (παλιγγενεσία, palingenesia) is understood as a reference to the Messianic age, the time when all things are renewed and restored (cf. Rev 21:5).

[19:28]  ¹¹ sn The statement you…will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel looks at the future authority the Twelve will have when Jesus returns. They will share in Israel’s judgment.

[22:30]  ¹² tn This verb is future indicative, and thus not subordinate to “grant” (διατίθεμαι, diatiqemai) as part of the result clause beginning with ἵνα ἔσθητε ({ina esqhte) at the beginning of v. 30. It is better understood as a predictive future.

[22:30]  ¹³ sn The statement you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel looks at the future authority the Twelve will have when Jesus returns. They will share in Israel’s judgment.

[26:7]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “to which [promise] our twelve tribes…” The antecedent of the relative pronoun (the promise in v. 6) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:7]  ¹⁵ tn Or “earnestly worship.” The object of this service, God, is omitted but implied: BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω states, “Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7.” Although clear from the context in Greek, “God” must be supplied as the recipient of the service for the modern English reader.

[26:7]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “I am being accused by the Jews.” The passive construction was simplified by converting it to an active one in the translation.

[26:7]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “O King!”

[1:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ¹⁹ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ²⁰ tn Grk “to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles.