Genesis 6:2

6:2 the sons of God ¹  saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose.

Genesis 6:1

God’s Grief over Humankind’s Wickedness

6:1 When humankind ²  began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born ³  to them, ⁴ 

Genesis 25:1

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ⁵  another ⁶  wife, named Keturah.

Genesis 30:16-17

30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep ⁷  with me because I have paid for your services ⁸  with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations ⁹  with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention ¹⁰  to Leah; she became pregnant ¹¹  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ¹² 

Isaiah 22:12-14

22:12 At that time the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning,

for shaved heads and sackcloth. ¹³ 

22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! ¹⁴ 

You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,

eat meat and drink wine.

Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” ¹⁵ 

22:14 The Lord who commands armies told me this: ¹⁶  “Certainly this sin will not be forgiven as long as you live,” ¹⁷  says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.

Ezekiel 16:49-50

16:49 “‘See here – this was the iniquity ¹⁸  of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help ¹⁹  the poor and needy. 16:50 They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them.

Amos 6:3-6

6:3 You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, ²⁰ 

but you establish a reign of violence. ²¹ 

6:4 They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, ²² 

and sprawl out on their couches.

They eat lambs from the flock,

and calves from the middle of the pen.

6:5 They sing ²³  to the tune of ²⁴  stringed instruments; ²⁵ 

like David they invent ²⁶  musical instruments.

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ²⁷ 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ²⁸ 

Yet they are not concerned over ²⁹  the ruin ³⁰  of Joseph.

Luke 12:19

12:19 And I will say to myself, ³¹  “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’

Luke 12:45

12:45 But if ³²  that ³³  slave should say to himself, ³⁴  ‘My master is delayed ³⁵  in returning,’ and he begins to beat ³⁶  the other ³⁷  slaves, both men and women, ³⁸  and to eat, drink, and get drunk,

Luke 14:18-20

14:18 But one after another they all ³⁹  began to make excuses. ⁴⁰  The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, ⁴¹  and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ ⁴²  14:19 Another ⁴³  said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, ⁴⁴  and I am going out ⁴⁵  to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another ⁴⁶  said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ ⁴⁷ 

Luke 17:26-28

17:26 Just ⁴⁸  as it was ⁴⁹  in the days of Noah, ⁵⁰  so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 17:27 People ⁵¹  were eating, ⁵²  they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage – right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then ⁵³  the flood came and destroyed them all. ⁵⁴  17:28 Likewise, just as it was ⁵⁵  in the days of Lot, people ⁵⁶  were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building;

Luke 21:34

Be Ready!

21:34 “But be on your guard ⁵⁷  so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap. ⁵⁸ 

Romans 13:13-14

13:13 Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. 13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. ⁵⁹ 

Romans 13:1

Submission to Civil Government

13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, ⁶⁰  and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.

Colossians 1:29

1:29 Toward this goal ⁶¹  I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully ⁶²  works in me.

[6:2]  ¹ sn The Hebrew phrase translated “sons of God” (בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, bÿne-ha’elohim) occurs only here (Gen 6:2, 4) and in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. There are three major interpretations of the phrase here. (1) In the Book of Job the phrase clearly refers to angelic beings. In Gen 6 the “sons of God” are distinct from “humankind,” suggesting they were not human. This is consistent with the use of the phrase in Job. Since the passage speaks of these beings cohabiting with women, they must have taken physical form or possessed the bodies of men. An early Jewish tradition preserved in 1 En. 6-7 elaborates on this angelic revolt and even names the ringleaders. (2) Not all scholars accept the angelic interpretation of the “sons of God,” however. Some argue that the “sons of God” were members of Seth’s line, traced back to God through Adam in Gen 5, while the “daughters of humankind” were descendants of Cain. But, as noted above, the text distinguishes the “sons of God” from humankind (which would include the Sethites as well as the Cainites) and suggests that the “daughters of humankind” are human women in general, not just Cainites. (3) Others identify the “sons of God” as powerful tyrants, perhaps demon-possessed, who viewed themselves as divine and, following the example of Lamech (see Gen 4:19), practiced polygamy. But usage of the phrase “sons of God” in Job militates against this view. For literature on the subject see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:135.

[6:1]  ² tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun. Here the article indicates the generic use of the word אָדָם (’adam): “humankind.”

[6:1]  ³ tn This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial to the initial temporal clause. It could be rendered, “with daughters being born to them.” For another example of such a disjunctive clause following the construction וַיְהִיכִּי (vayÿhiki, “and it came to pass when”), see 2 Sam 7:1.

[6:1]  ⁴ tn The pronominal suffix is third masculine plural, indicating that the antecedent “humankind” is collective.

[25:1]  ⁵ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[30:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.

[30:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.

[30:16]  ⁹ tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.

[30:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “listened to.”

[30:17]  ¹¹ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).

[30:17]  ¹² tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[22:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.” See the note at 15:2.

[22:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “happiness and joy.”

[22:13]  ¹⁵ tn The prophet here quotes what the fatalistic people are saying. The introductory “you say” is supplied in the translation for clarification; the concluding verb “we die” makes it clear the people are speaking. The six verbs translated as imperatives are actually infinitives absolute, functioning here as finite verbs.

[22:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “it was revealed in my ears [by?] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”

[22:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Certainly this sin will not be atoned for until you die.” This does not imply that their death will bring atonement; rather it emphasizes that their sin is unpardonable. The statement has the form of an oath.

[16:49]  ¹⁸ tn Or “guilt.”

[16:49]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “strengthen the hand of.”

[6:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “those who push away a day of disaster.”

[6:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “you bring near a seat of violence.” The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שֶׁבֶת (shevet, “seat, sitting”) is unclear in this context. The translation assumes that it refers to a throne from which violence (in the person of the oppressive leaders) reigns. Another option is that the expression refers not to the leaders’ oppressive rule, but to the coming judgment when violence will overtake the nation in the person of enemy invaders.

[6:4]  ²² tn Heb “beds of ivory.”

[6:5]  ²³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּרַט (parat), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. Some translate “strum,” “pluck,” or “improvise.”

[6:5]  ²⁴ tn Heb “upon the mouth of,” that is, “according to.”

[6:5]  ²⁵ sn The stringed instruments mentioned here are probably harps (cf. NIV, NRSV) or lutes (cf. NEB).

[6:5]  ²⁶ tn The meaning of the Hebrew phrase חָשְׁבוּ לָהֶם (khoshvu lahem) is uncertain. Various options include: (1) “they think their musical instruments are like David’s”; (2) “they consider themselves musicians like David”; (3) “they esteem musical instruments highly like David”; (4) “they improvise [new songs] for themselves [on] instruments like David”; (5) “they invent musical instruments like David.” However, the most commonly accepted interpretation is that given in the translation (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 206-7).

[6:6]  ²⁷ sn Perhaps some religious rite is in view, or the size of the bowls is emphasized (i.e., bowls as large as sacrificial bowls).

[6:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ²⁹ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ³⁰ sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.

[12:19]  ³¹ tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.

[12:45]  ³² 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]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ tn Grk “should say in his heart.”

[12:45]  ³⁵ tn Or “is taking a long time.”

[12:45]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ tn The word “other” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[12:45]  ³⁸ 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).

[14:18]  ³⁹ tn Or “all unanimously” (BDAG 107 s.v. ἀπό 6). "One after another" is suggested by L&N 61.2.

[14:18]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ sn I have bought a field. An examination of newly bought land was a common practice. It was this person’s priority.

[14:18]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[14:19]  ⁴⁴ sn Five yoke of oxen. This was a wealthy man, because the normal farmer had one or two yoke of oxen.

[14:19]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[14:20]  ⁴⁷ 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.

[17:26]  ⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:26]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “as it happened.”

[17:26]  ⁵⁰ sn Like the days of Noah, the time of the flood in Gen 6:5-8:22, the judgment will come as a surprise as people live their day to day lives.

[17:27]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “They.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.

[17:27]  ⁵² tn These verbs (“eating… drinking… marrying… being given in marriage”) are all progressive imperfects, describing action in progress at that time.

[17:27]  ⁵³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[17:27]  ⁵⁴ sn Like that flood came and destroyed them all, the coming judgment associated with the Son of Man will condemn many.

[17:28]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “as it happened.”

[17:28]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “they.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.

[21:34]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “watch out for yourselves.”

[21:34]  ⁵⁸ sn Or like a thief, see Luke 12:39-40. The metaphor of a trap is a vivid one. Most modern English translations traditionally place the words “like a trap” at the end of v. 34, completing the metaphor. In the Greek text (and in the NRSV and REB) the words “like a trap” are placed at the beginning of v. 35. This does not affect the meaning.

[13:14]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “make no provision for the flesh unto desires.”

[13:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “by God.”

[1:29]  ⁶¹ tn The Greek phrase εἴς ὅ (eis Jo, “toward which”) implies “movement toward a goal” and has been rendered by the English phrase “Toward this goal.”

[1:29]  ⁶² tn The prepositional phrase ἐν δυνάμει (en dunamei) seems to be functioning adverbially, related to the participle, and has therefore been translated “powerfully.”