Genesis 26:4

26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ¹  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ² 

Genesis 28:14

28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ³  and you will spread out ⁴  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁵  using your name and that of your descendants. ⁶ 

Leviticus 26:40-42

26:40 However, when ⁷  they confess their iniquity and their ancestors’ iniquity which they committed by trespassing against me, ⁸  by which they also walked ⁹  in hostility against me ¹⁰  26:41 (and I myself will walk in hostility against them and bring them into the land of their enemies), and ¹¹  then their uncircumcised hearts become humbled and they make up for ¹²  their iniquity, 26:42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham, ¹³  and I will remember the land.

Deuteronomy 4:31

4:31 (for he ¹⁴  is a merciful God), he will not let you down ¹⁵  or destroy you, for he cannot ¹⁶  forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

The Basis of Israel’s Election

7:7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you – for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. 7:8 Rather it is because of his ¹⁷  love ¹⁸  for you and his faithfulness to the promise ¹⁹  he solemnly vowed ²⁰  to your ancestors ²¹  that the Lord brought you out with great power, ²²  redeeming ²³  you from the place of slavery, from the power ²⁴  of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 8:18

8:18 You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, ²⁵  even as he has to this day.

Deuteronomy 9:5

9:5 It is not because of your righteousness, or even your inner uprightness, ²⁶  that you have come here to possess their land. Instead, because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out ahead of you in order to confirm the promise he ²⁷  made on oath to your ancestors, ²⁸  to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 10:15

10:15 However, only to your ancestors did he ²⁹  show his loving favor, ³⁰  and he chose you, their descendants, ³¹  from all peoples – as is apparent today.

Psalms 105:8-11

105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,

the promise he made ³²  to a thousand generations –

105:9 the promise ³³  he made to Abraham,

the promise he made by oath to Isaac!

105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as a lasting promise, ³⁴ 

105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion of your inheritance.”

Jeremiah 31:3

31:3 In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them.

He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.

That is why I have continued to be faithful to you. ³⁵ 

Micah 7:20

7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob

and extend your loyal love to Abraham, ³⁶ 

which you promised on oath to our ancestors ³⁷ 

in ancient times. ³⁸ 

Luke 1:54

1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering ³⁹  his mercy, ⁴⁰ 

Luke 1:68-75

1:68 “Blessed ⁴¹  be the Lord God of Israel,

because he has come to help ⁴²  and has redeemed ⁴³  his people.

1:69 For ⁴⁴  he has raised up ⁴⁵  a horn of salvation ⁴⁶  for us in the house of his servant David, ⁴⁷ 

1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, ⁴⁸ 

1:71 that we should be saved ⁴⁹  from our enemies, ⁵⁰ 

and from the hand of all who hate us.

1:72 He has done this ⁵¹  to show mercy ⁵²  to our ancestors, ⁵³ 

and to remember his holy covenant ⁵⁴  –

1:73 the oath ⁵⁵  that he swore to our ancestor ⁵⁶  Abraham.

This oath grants ⁵⁷ 

1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our ⁵⁸  enemies,

may serve him without fear, ⁵⁹ 

1:75 in holiness and righteousness ⁶⁰  before him for as long as we live. ⁶¹ 

[26:4]  ¹ tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ² tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[28:14]  ³ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ⁴ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ⁵ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[26:40]  ⁷ tn Heb “And.” Many English versions take this to be a conditional clause (“if…”) though there is no conditional particle (see, e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV; but see the very different rendering in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 190). The temporal translation offered here (“when”) takes into account the particle אָז (’az, “then”), which occurs twice in v. 41. The obvious contextual contrast between vv. 39 and 40 is expressed by “however” in the translation.

[26:40]  ⁸ tn Heb “in their trespassing which they trespassed in me.” See the note on Lev 5:15, although the term is used in a more technical sense there in relation to the “guilt offering.”

[26:40]  ⁹ tn Heb “and also which they walked.”

[26:40]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “with me.”

[26:41]  ¹¹ tn Heb “or then,” although the LXX has “then” and the Syriac “and then.”

[26:41]  ¹² tn Heb “and then they make up for.” On the verb “make up for” see the note on v. 34 above.

[26:42]  ¹³ tn Heb “my covenant with Abraham I will remember.” The phrase “I will remember” has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:31]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 4:3.

[4:31]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “he will not drop you,” i.e., “will not abandon you” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[4:31]  ¹⁶ tn Or “will not.” The translation understands the imperfect verbal form to have an added nuance of capability here.

[7:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the Lord’s.” See note on “He” in 7:6.

[7:8]  ¹⁸ tn For the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “to love”) as a term of choice or election, see note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37.

[7:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “oath.” This is a reference to the promises of the so-called “Abrahamic Covenant” (cf. Gen 15:13-16).

[7:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “swore on oath.”

[7:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 12, 13).

[7:8]  ²² tn Heb “by a strong hand” (NAB similar); NLT “with such amazing power.”

[7:8]  ²³ sn Redeeming you from the place of slavery. The Hebrew verb translated “redeeming” (from the root פָּדָה, padah) has the idea of redemption by the payment of a ransom. The initial symbol of this was the Passover lamb, offered by Israel to the Lord as ransom in exchange for deliverance from bondage and death (Exod 12:1-14). Later, the firstborn sons of Israel, represented by the Levites, became the ransom (Num 3:11-13). These were all types of the redemption effected by the death of Christ who described his atoning work as “a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28; cf. 1 Pet 1:18).

[7:8]  ²⁴ tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NRSV), a metaphor for power or domination.

[8:18]  ²⁵ tc Smr and Lucian add “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” the standard way of rendering this almost stereotypical formula (cf. Deut 1:8; 6:10; 9:5, 27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The MT’s harder reading presumptively argues for its originality, however.

[9:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “uprightness of your heart” (so NASB, NRSV). The Hebrew word צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”), though essentially synonymous here with יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”), carries the idea of conformity to an objective standard. The term יֹשֶׁר has more to do with an inner, moral quality (cf. NAB, NIV “integrity”). Neither, however, was grounds for the Lord’s favor. As he states in both vv. 4-5, the main reason he allowed Israel to take this land was the sinfulness of the Canaanites who lived there (cf. Gen 15:16).

[9:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 9:3.

[9:5]  ²⁸ tn Heb “fathers.”

[10:15]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 10:4.

[10:15]  ³⁰ tn Heb “take delight to love.” Here again the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “love”), juxtaposed with בָחַר (bakhar, “choose”), is a term in covenant contexts that describes the Lord’s initiative in calling the patriarchal ancestors to be the founders of a people special to him (cf. the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37).

[10:15]  ³¹ tn The Hebrew text includes “after them,” but it is redundant in English style and has not been included in the translation.

[105:8]  ³² tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.

[105:9]  ³³ tn Heb “which.”

[105:10]  ³⁴ tn Or “eternal covenant.”

[31:3]  ³⁵ tn Or “The people of Israel who survived the onslaughts of Egypt and Amalek found favor in the wilderness as they journeyed to find rest. At that time long ago the Lord manifested himself to them. He said, ‘I have…That is why I have drawn you to myself through my unfailing kindness.’” For the basis for each of these translations see the translator’s note. There is debate whether the reference here is to God’s preservation of Israel during their wandering in the Sinai desert or his promise to protect and preserve them on their return through the Arabian desert on the way back from Assyria and Babylon (see e.g., Isa 42:14-16; 43:16-21; Jer 16:14-15; 23:7-8). The only finite verbs in vv. 2-3a before the introduction of the quote are perfects which can denote either a past act or a future act viewed as certain of fulfillment (the prophetic perfect; see GKC 312-13 §106.n and see examples in Jer 11:16; 13:17; 25:14; 28:4). The phrase at the beginning of v. 3 can either refer to temporal (cf. BDB 935 s.v. רָחוֹק 2.b and Isa 22:11) or spatial distance (cf. BDB 935 s.v. רָחוֹק 2.a[2] and Isa 5:29; 59:14). The verb in the final clause in v. 3 can refer to either the continuance of God’s love as in Ps 36:10 (cf. BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ Qal.5) or drawing someone to him in electing, caring love as in Hos 11:4 (cf. BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ Qal.1). The translation has opted for the prophetic reference to future deliverance because of the preceding context, the use of מֵרָחוֹק (merakhoq) to refer to the far off land of exile in Jer 30:10; 46:27; 51:50, and the reference to survivors from the sword being called on to remember the Lord in that far off land in 51:50.

[7:20]  ³⁶ tn More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.

[7:20]  ³⁷ tn Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.

[7:20]  ³⁸ tn Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”

[1:54]  ³⁹ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

[1:54]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

[1:68]  ⁴¹ sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).

[1:68]  ⁴² sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).

[1:68]  ⁴³ tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.”

[1:69]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

[1:69]  ⁴⁵ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

[1:69]  ⁴⁶ sn The horn of salvation is a figure that refers to the power of Messiah and his ability to protect, as the horn refers to what an animal uses to attack and defend (Ps 75:4-5, 10; 148:14; 2 Sam 22:3). Thus the meaning of the figure is “a powerful savior.”

[1:69]  ⁴⁷ sn In the house of his servant David is a reference to Messiah’s Davidic descent. Zechariah is more interested in Jesus than his own son John at this point.

[1:70]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “from the ages,” “from eternity.”

[1:71]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “from long ago, salvation.”

[1:71]  ⁵⁰ sn The theme of being saved from our enemies is like the release Jesus preached in Luke 4:18-19. Luke’s narrative shows that one of the enemies in view is Satan and his cohorts, with the grip they have on humanity.

[1:72]  ⁵¹ tn The words “He has done this” (referring to the raising up of the horn of salvation from David’s house) are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to allow a new sentence to be started in the translation. The Greek sentence is lengthy and complex at this point, while contemporary English uses much shorter sentences.

[1:72]  ⁵² sn Mercy refers to God’s loyal love (steadfast love) by which he completes his promises. See Luke 1:50.

[1:72]  ⁵³ tn Or “our forefathers”; Grk “our fathers.” This begins with the promise to Abraham (vv. 55, 73), and thus refers to many generations of ancestors.

[1:72]  ⁵⁴ sn The promises of God can be summarized as being found in the one promise (the oath that he swore) to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3).

[1:73]  ⁵⁵ tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

[1:73]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

[1:73]  ⁵⁷ tn Again for reasons of English style, the infinitival clause “to grant us” has been translated “This oath grants” and made the beginning of a new sentence in the translation.

[1:74]  ⁵⁸ tc Many important early mss (א B L W [0130] Ë^1,13 565 892 pc) lack “our,” while most (A C D [K] Θ Ψ 0177 33 Ï pc) supply it. Although the addition is most likely not authentic, “our” has been included in the translation due to English stylistic requirements.

[1:74]  ⁵⁹ tn This phrase in Greek is actually thrown forward to the front of the verse to give it emphasis.

[1:75]  ⁶⁰ sn The phrases that we…might serve him…in holiness and righteousness from Luke 1:74-75 well summarize a basic goal for a believer in the eyes of Luke. Salvation frees us up to serve God without fear through a life full of ethical integrity.

[1:75]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “all our days.”