Hebrews 6:8

6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; ¹  its fate is to be burned.

Proverbs 1:24-31

1:24 However, ²  because ³  I called but you refused to listen, ⁴ 

because ⁵  I stretched out my hand ⁶  but no one paid attention,

1:25 because ⁷  you neglected ⁸  all my advice,

and did not comply ⁹  with my rebuke,

1:26 so ¹⁰  I myself will laugh ¹¹  when disaster strikes you, ¹² 

I will mock when what you dread ¹³  comes,

1:27 when what you dread ¹⁴  comes like a whirlwind, ¹⁵ 

and disaster strikes you ¹⁶  like a devastating storm, ¹⁷ 

when distressing trouble ¹⁸  comes on you.

1:28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;

they will diligently seek ¹⁹  me, but they will not find me.

1:29 Because ²⁰  they hated moral knowledge, ²¹ 

and did not choose to fear the Lord, ²² 

1:30 they did not comply with my advice,

they spurned ²³  all my rebuke.

1:31 Therefore ²⁴  they will eat from the fruit ²⁵  of their way, ²⁶ 

and they will be stuffed full ²⁷  of their own counsel.

Jeremiah 6:30

6:30 They are regarded as ‘rejected silver’ ²⁸ 

because the Lord rejects them.”

Matthew 7:23

7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ ²⁹ 

Matthew 25:11-12

25:11 Later, ³⁰  the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ ³¹  25:12 But he replied, ³²  ‘I tell you the truth, ³³  I do not know you!’

Luke 13:24-27

13:24 “Exert every effort ³⁴  to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 13:25 Once ³⁵  the head of the house ³⁶  gets up ³⁷  and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, ³⁸  let us in!’ ³⁹  But he will answer you, ⁴⁰  ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ ⁴¹  13:26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ⁴²  13:27 But ⁴³  he will reply, ⁴⁴  ‘I don’t know where you come from! ⁴⁵  Go away from me, all you evildoers!’ ⁴⁶ 

[6:8]  ¹ tn Grk “near to a curse.”

[1:24]  ² tn The term “however” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the contrast between the offer in 1:23 and the accusation in 1:24-25. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ³ tn The particle יַעַן (ya’an, “because”) introduces a causal clause which forms part of an extended protasis; the apodosis is 1:26.

[1:24]  ⁴ tn The phrase “to listen” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ⁵ tn The term “because” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[1:24]  ⁶ sn This expression is a metonymy of adjunct; it is a gesture that goes with the appeal for some to approach.

[1:25]  ⁷ tn Heb “and.”

[1:25]  ⁸ tn The verb III פָּרַע means “to let go; to let alone” (BDB 828 s.v.). It can refer to unkempt hair of the head (Lev 10:6) or lack of moral restraint: “to let things run free” (Exod 32:25; Prov 28:19). Here it means “to avoid, neglect” the offer of wisdom (BDB 829 s.v. 2).

[1:25]  ⁹ tn The verbs are characteristic perfects or indefinite pasts. For the word “comply, consent,” see 1:20.

[1:26]  ¹⁰ tn The conclusion or apodosis is now introduced.

[1:26]  ¹¹ sn Laughing at the consequences of the fool’s rejection of wisdom does convey hardness against the fool; it reveals the folly of rejecting wisdom (e.g., Ps 2:4). It vindicates wisdom and the appropriateness of the disaster (D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 60).

[1:26]  ¹² tn Heb “at your disaster.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is either (1) a genitive of worth: “the disaster due you” or (2) an objective genitive: “disaster strikes you.” The term “disaster” (אֵיד, ’ed) often refers to final life-ending calamity (Prov 6:15; 24:22; BDB 15 s.v. 3). The preposition ב (bet) focuses upon time here.

[1:26]  ¹³ tn Heb “your dread” (so NASB); KJV “your fear”; NRSV “panic.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is a subjective genitive: “that which you dread.”

[1:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “your dread.” See note on 1:31.

[1:27]  ¹⁵ sn The term “whirlwind” (NAB, NIV, NRSV; cf. TEV, NLT “storm”) refers to a devastating storm and is related to the verb שׁוֹא (sho’, “to crash into ruins”; see BDB 996 s.v. שׁוֹאָה). Disaster will come swiftly and crush them like a devastating whirlwind.

[1:27]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “your disaster.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is an objective genitive: “disaster strikes you.”

[1:27]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “like a storm.” The noun סוּפָה (sufah, “storm”) is often used in similes to describe sudden devastation (Isa 5:28; Hos 8:7; Amos 1:14).

[1:27]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “distress and trouble.” The nouns “distress and trouble” mean almost the same thing so they may form a hendiadys. The two similar sounding terms צוּקָה (tsuqah) and צָרָה (tsarah) also form a wordplay (paronomasia) which also links them together.

[1:28]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “look to.” The verb שָׁחַר (shakhar, “to look”) is used figuratively of intensely looking (=seeking) for deliverance out of trouble (W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 366); cf. NLT “anxiously search for.” It is used elsewhere in parallelism with בָּקַשׁ (baqash, “to seek rescue”; Hos 5:15). It does not mean “to seek early” (cf. KJV) as is popularly taught due to etymological connections with the noun שַׁחַר (shakhar, “dawn”; so BDB 1007 s.v. שָׁחַר).

[1:29]  ²⁰ tn The causal particle תַּחַת כִּי (takhat ki, “for the reason that”) introduces a second accusation of sin and reason for punishment.

[1:29]  ²¹ tn Heb “knowledge.” The noun דָעַת (da’at, “knowledge”) refers to moral knowledge. See note on 1:7.

[1:29]  ²² tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The noun is an objective genitive; the Lord is to be the object of fear. See note on 1:7.

[1:30]  ²³ tn The verb “spurned” (נָאַץ, na’ats) is parallel to “comply, accede to, be willing” (e.g., 1:10). This is how the morally stubborn fool acts (e.g., 15:5).

[1:31]  ²⁴ tn The vav (ו) prefixed to the verb וְיֹאכְלוּ (vÿyo’khÿlu) functions in a consecutive logical sense: “therefore.”

[1:31]  ²⁵ sn The expression “eat the fruit of” is a figurative expression (hypocatastasis) that compares the consequences of sin to agricultural growth that culminates in produce. They will suffer the consequences of their sinful actions, that is, they will “reap” what they “sow.”

[1:31]  ²⁶ sn The words “way” (דֶּרֶךְ, derekh) and “counsel” (מוֹעֵצָה, mo’etsah) stand in strong contrast to the instruction of wisdom which gave counsel and rebuke to encourage a better way. They will bear the consequences of the course they follow and the advice they take (for that wrong advice, e.g., Ps 1:1).

[1:31]  ²⁷ tn Heb “to eat to one’s fill.” The verb שָׂבֵעַ (savea’) means (1) positive: “to eat one’s fill” so that one’s appetite is satisfied and (2) negative: “to eat in excess” as a glutton to the point of sickness and revulsion (BDB 959 s.v.). Fools will not only “eat” the fruit of their own way (v. 31a), they will be force-fed this revolting “menu” which will make them want to vomit (v. 31b) and eventually kill them (v. 32).

[6:30]  ²⁸ tn This translation is intended to reflect the wordplay in the Hebrew text where the same root word is repeated in the two lines.

[7:23]  ²⁹ tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”

[25:11]  ³⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:11]  ³¹ tn Grk “Open to us.”

[25:12]  ³² tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:12]  ³³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[13:24]  ³⁴ tn Or “Make every effort” (L&N 68.74; cf. NIV); “Do your best” (TEV); “Work hard” (NLT); Grk “Struggle.” The idea is to exert one’s maximum effort (cf. BDAG 17 s.v. ἀγωνίζομαι 2.b, “strain every nerve to enter”) because of the supreme importance of attaining entry into the kingdom of God.

[13:25]  ³⁵ tn The syntactical relationship between vv. 24-25 is disputed. The question turns on whether v. 25 is connected to v. 24 or not. A lack of a clear connective makes an independent idea more likely. However, one must then determine what the beginning of the sentence connects to. Though it makes for slightly awkward English, the translation has opted to connect it to “he will answer” so that this functions, in effect, as an apodosis. One could end the sentence after “us” and begin a new sentence with “He will answer” to make simpler sentences, although the connection between the two sentences is thereby less clear. The point of the passage, however, is clear. Once the door is shut, because one failed to come in through the narrow way, it is closed permanently. The moral: Do not be too late in deciding to respond.

[13:25]  ³⁶ tn Or “the master of the household.”

[13:25]  ³⁷ tn Or “rises,” or “stands up.”

[13:25]  ³⁸ tn Or “Sir.”

[13:25]  ³⁹ tn Grk “Open to us.”

[13:25]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “and answering, he will say to you.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “he will answer you.”

[13:25]  ⁴¹ sn For the imagery behind the statement “I do not know where you come from,” see Ps 138:6; Isa 63:16; Jer 1:5; Hos 5:3.

[13:26]  ⁴² sn This term refers to wide streets, and thus suggests the major streets of a city.

[13:27]  ⁴³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[13:27]  ⁴⁴ tc Most mss (Ì^75* A D L W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 Ï) have ἐρεῖ λέγω ὑμῖν (erei legw Jumin; “he will say, ‘I say to you’”) here, while some have only ἐρεῖ ὑμῖν (“he will say to you” in א 579 pc lat sa) or simply ἐρεῖ (“he will say” in 1195 pc). The variety of readings seems to have arisen from the somewhat unusual wording of the original, ἐρεῖ λέγων ὑμῖν (erei legwn Jumin; “he will say, saying to you” found in Ì^75c B 892 pc). Given the indicative λέγω, it is difficult to explain how the other readings would have arisen. But if the participle λέγων were original, the other readings can more easily be explained as arising from it. Although the external evidence is significantly stronger in support of the indicative reading, the internal evidence is on the side of the participle.

[13:27]  ⁴⁵ sn The issue is not familiarity (with Jesus’ teaching) or even shared activity (eating and drinking with him), but knowing Jesus. Those who do not know him, he will not know where they come from (i.e., will not acknowledge) at the judgment.

[13:27]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “all you workers of iniquity.” The phrase resembles Ps 6:8.