Isaiah 66:1-2

66:1 This is what the Lord says:

“The heavens are my throne

and the earth is my footstool.

Where then is the house you will build for me?

Where is the place where I will rest?

66:2 My hand made them; ¹ 

that is how they came to be,” ²  says the Lord.

I show special favor ³  to the humble and contrite,

who respect what I have to say. ⁴ 

Isaiah 66:2

66:2 My hand made them; ⁵ 

that is how they came to be,” ⁶  says the Lord.

I show special favor ⁷  to the humble and contrite,

who respect what I have to say. ⁸ 

Isaiah 33:12-13

33:12 The nations will be burned to ashes; ⁹ 

like thorn bushes that have been cut down, they will be set on fire.

33:13 You who are far away, listen to what I have done!

You who are close by, recognize my strength!”

Isaiah 34:1

The Lord Will Judge Edom

34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen!

Pay attention, you people!

The earth and everything it contains must listen,

the world and everything that lives in it. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 34:18

34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;

he delivers ¹¹  those who are discouraged. ¹² 

Psalms 51:17

51:17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit ¹³  –

O God, a humble and repentant heart ¹⁴  you will not reject. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 138:6

138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,

and recognizes the proud from far away.

Ezekiel 9:4

9:4 The Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem ¹⁶  and put a mark ¹⁷  on the foreheads of the people who moan and groan over all the abominations practiced in it.”

Ezekiel 16:63

16:63 Then you will remember, be ashamed, and remain silent ¹⁸  when I make atonement for all you have done, ¹⁹  declares the sovereign Lord.’”

Matthew 5:3-4

5:3 “Blessed ²⁰  are the poor in spirit, ²¹  for the kingdom of heaven belongs ²²  to them.

5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ²³ 

James 4:6

4:6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” ²⁴ 

James 4:1

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ²⁵  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ²⁶  from your passions that battle inside you? ²⁷ 

James 5:5

5:5 You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ²⁸ 

[66:2]  ¹ tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.

[66:2]  ² tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”

[66:2]  ³ tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).

[66:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”

[66:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.

[66:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”

[66:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).

[66:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”

[33:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “will be a burning to lime.” See Amos 2:1.

[34:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the world and its offspring”; NASB “the world and all that springs from it.”

[34:18]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the Lord typically delivers the oppressed and needy.

[34:18]  ¹² tn Heb “the crushed in spirit.”

[51:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “a broken spirit.”

[51:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”

[51:17]  ¹⁵ tn Or “despise.”

[9:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem.”

[9:4]  ¹⁷ tn The word translated “mark” is in Hebrew the letter ת (tav). Outside this context the only other occurrence of the word is in Job 31:35. In ancient Hebrew script this letter was written like the letter X.

[16:63]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and your mouth will not be open any longer.”

[16:63]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “when I make atonement for you for all which you have done.”

[5:3]  ²⁰ sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.

[5:3]  ²¹ sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.

[5:3]  ²² sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.

[5:4]  ²³ sn The promise they will be comforted is the first of several “reversals” noted in these promises. The beatitudes and the reversals that accompany them serve in the sermon as an invitation to enter into God’s care, because one can know God cares for those who turn to him.

[4:6]  ²⁴ sn A quotation from Prov 3:34.

[4:1]  ²⁵ tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ²⁶ tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[5:5]  ²⁸ sn James’ point seems to be that instead of seeking deliverance from condemnation, they have defied God’s law (fattened your hearts) and made themselves more likely objects of his judgment (in a day of slaughter).