Discovery BoxJames 1:11
Context1:11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. 1 So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.
James 2:6
Context2:6 But you have dishonored the poor! 2 Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts?
Deuteronomy 8:12-14
Context8:12 When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses, 8:13 when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything, 8:14 be sure 3 you do not feel self-important and forget the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery,
Deuteronomy 32:15
Context32:15 But Jeshurun 4 became fat and kicked,
you 5 got fat, thick, and stuffed!
Then he deserted the God who made him,
and treated the Rock who saved him with contempt.
Nehemiah 9:25-26
Context9:25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses full of all sorts of good things – wells previously dug, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate until they were full 6 and grew fat. They enjoyed to the full your great goodness.
9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. 7 They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.
Job 20:15-29
Context20:15 The wealth that he consumed 8 he vomits up,
God will make him throw it out 9 of his stomach.
20:16 He sucks the poison 10 of serpents; 11
the fangs 12 of a viper 13 kill him.
20:17 He will not look on the streams, 14
the rivers, which are the torrents 15
of honey and butter. 16
20:18 He gives back the ill-gotten gain 17
without assimilating it; 18
he will not enjoy the wealth from his commerce. 19
20:19 For he has oppressed the poor and abandoned them; 20
he has seized a house which he did not build. 21
20:20 For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite; 22
he does not let anything he desires 23 escape. 24
20:21 “Nothing is left for him to devour; 25
that is why his prosperity does not last. 26
20:22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, 27
distress 28 overtakes him.
the full force of misery will come upon him. 29
20:23 “While he is 30 filling his belly,
God 31 sends his burning anger 32 against him,
and rains down his blows upon him. 33
20:24 If he flees from an iron weapon,
then an arrow 34 from a bronze bow pierces him.
20:25 When he pulls it out 35 and it comes out of his back,
the gleaming point 36 out of his liver,
terrors come over him.
20:26 Total darkness waits to receive his treasures; 37
a fire which has not been kindled 38
will consume him
and devour what is left in his tent.
20:27 The heavens reveal his iniquity;
the earth rises up against him.
20:28 A flood will carry off his house,
rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.
20:29 Such is the lot God allots the wicked,
and the heritage of his appointment 39 from God.”
Psalms 17:14
Context17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 40
from the murderers of this world! 41
They enjoy prosperity; 42
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 43
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 44
Psalms 49:6-20
Context49:6 They trust 45 in their wealth
and boast 46 in their great riches.
49:7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; 47
he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price 48
49:8 (the ransom price for a human life 49 is too high,
and people go to their final destiny), 50
49:9 so that he might continue to live 51 forever
and not experience death. 52
49:10 Surely 53 one sees 54 that even wise people die; 55
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away 56
and leave their wealth to others. 57
49:11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,
their eternal dwelling place. 58
They name their lands after themselves, 59
49:12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last, 60
they are like animals 61 that perish. 62
49:13 This is the destiny of fools, 63
and of those who approve of their philosophy. 64 (Selah)
49:14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep, 65
with death as their shepherd. 66
The godly will rule 67 over them when the day of vindication dawns; 68
Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. 69
49:15 But 70 God will rescue 71 my life 72 from the power 73 of Sheol;
certainly 74 he will pull me to safety. 75 (Selah)
49:16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich 76
and his wealth multiplies! 77
49:17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies;
his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. 78
49:18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:
“May men praise you, for you have done well!”
49:19 But he will join his ancestors; 79
they will never again see the light of day. 80
49:20 Wealthy people do not understand; 81
they are like animals 82 that perish. 83
Psalms 73:3-9
Context73:3 For I envied those who are proud,
as I observed 84 the prosperity 85 of the wicked.
73:4 For they suffer no pain; 86
their bodies 87 are strong and well-fed. 88
73:5 They are immune to the trouble common to men;
they do not suffer as other men do. 89
73:6 Arrogance is their necklace, 90
and violence their clothing. 91
73:7 Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; 92
their thoughts are sinful. 93
73:8 They mock 94 and say evil things; 95
they proudly threaten violence. 96
73:9 They speak as if they rule in heaven,
and lay claim to the earth. 97
Psalms 73:18-20
Context73:18 Surely 98 you put them in slippery places;
you bring them down 99 to ruin.
73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!
Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! 100
73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. 101
O Lord, when you awake 102 you will despise them. 103
Proverbs 11:4
Context11:4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, 104
but righteousness delivers from mortal danger. 105
Proverbs 11:28
Context11:28 The one who trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous 106 will flourish like a green leaf. 107
Ecclesiastes 5:13-14
Context5:13 Here is 108 a misfortune 109 on earth 110 that I have seen:
Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.
5:14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; 111
although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. 112
Jeremiah 9:23
Context“Wise people should not boast that they are wise.
Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. 114
Rich people should not boast that they are rich. 115
Micah 6:12
Context6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; 116
her inhabitants lie, 117
their tongues speak deceptive words. 118
Zephaniah 1:18
Context1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
The whole earth 119 will be consumed by his fiery wrath. 120
Indeed, 121 he will bring terrifying destruction 122 on all who live on the earth.” 123
Matthew 19:23-24
Context19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, 124 it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! 19:24 Again I say, 125 it is easier for a camel 126 to go through the eye of a needle 127 than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Luke 6:24
Context6:24 “But woe 128 to you who are rich, for you have received 129 your comfort 130 already.
Luke 12:16-21
Context12:16 He then 131 told them a parable: 132 “The land of a certain rich man produced 133 an abundant crop, 12:17 so 134 he thought to himself, 135 ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 136 12:18 Then 137 he said, ‘I 138 will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 12:19 And I will say to myself, 139 “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 12:20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life 140 will be demanded back from 141 you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 142 12:21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, 143 but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 16:19-25
Context16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple 144 and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously 145 every day. 16:20 But at his gate lay 146 a poor man named Lazarus 147 whose body was covered with sores, 148 16:21 who longed to eat 149 what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs 150 came and licked 151 his sores.
16:22 “Now 152 the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. 153 The 154 rich man also died and was buried. 155 16:23 And in hell, 156 as he was in torment, 157 he looked up 158 and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 159 16:24 So 160 he called out, 161 ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus 162 to dip the tip of his finger 163 in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish 164 in this fire.’ 165 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, 166 remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 167
Luke 16:1
Context16:1 Jesus 168 also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations 169 that his manager 170 was wasting 171 his assets.
Luke 6:9-10
Context6:9 Then 172 Jesus said to them, “I ask you, 173 is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?” 6:10 After 174 looking around 175 at them all, he said to the man, 176 “Stretch out your hand.” The man 177 did so, and his hand was restored. 178
Revelation 6:15-17
Context6:15 Then 179 the kings of the earth, the 180 very important people, the generals, 181 the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave 182 and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 6:16 They 183 said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 184 6:17 because the great day of their 185 wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” 186
[1:11] 1 tn Or “perishes,” “is destroyed.”
[2:6] 2 tn This is singular: “the poor person,” perhaps referring to the hypothetical one described in vv. 2-3.
[8:14] 3 tn The words “be sure” are not in the Hebrew text; vv. 12-14 are part of the previous sentence. For stylistic reasons a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 in the translation and the words “be sure” repeated from v. 11 to indicate the connection.
[32:15] 4 tn To make the continuity of the referent clear, some English versions substitute “Jacob” here (NAB, NRSV) while others replace “Jeshurun” with “Israel” (NCV, CEV, NLT) or “the Lord’s people” (TEV).
[32:15] 5 tc The LXX reads the third person masculine singular (“he”) for the MT second person masculine singular (“you”), but such alterations are unnecessary in Hebrew poetic texts where subjects fluctuate frequently and without warning.
[9:25] 6 tn Heb “they ate and were sated.” This expression is a hendiadys. The first verb retains its full verbal sense, while the second functions adverbially: “they ate and were filled” = “they ate until they were full.”
[9:26] 7 tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”
[20:15] 9 tn The choice of words is excellent. The verb יָרַשׁ (yarash) means either “to inherit” or “to disinherit; to dispossess.” The context makes the figure clear that God is administering the emetic to make the wicked throw up the wealth (thus, “God will make him throw it out…”); but since wealth is the subject there is a disinheritance meant here.
[20:16] 10 tn The word is a homonym for the word for “head,” which has led to some confusion in the early versions.
[20:16] 11 sn To take the possessions of another person is hereby compared to sucking poison from a serpent – it will kill eventually.
[20:16] 13 tn Some have thought this verse is a gloss on v. 14 and should be deleted. But the word for “viper” (אֶפְעֶה, ’ef’eh) is a rare word, occurring only here and in Isa 30:6 and 59:5. It is unlikely that a rarer word would be used in a gloss. But the point is similar to v. 14 – the wealth that was greedily sucked in by the wicked proves to be their undoing. Either this is totally irrelevant to Job’s case, a general discussion, or the man is raising questions about how Job got his wealth.
[20:17] 14 tn The word פְּלַגּוֹת (pÿlaggot) simply means “streams” or “channels.” Because the word is used elsewhere for “streams of oil” (cf. 29:6), and that makes a good parallelism here, some supply “oil” (cf. NAB, NLT). But the second colon of the verse is probably in apposition to the first. The verb “see” followed by the preposition bet, “to look on; to look over,” means “to enjoy as a possession,” an activity of the victor.
[20:17] 15 tn The construct nouns here have caused a certain amount of revision. It says “rivers of, torrents of.” The first has been emended by Klostermann to יִצְהָר (yitshar, “oil”) and connected to the first colon. Older editors argued for a נָהָר (nahar) that meant “oil” but that was not convincing. On the other hand, there is support for having more than one construct together serving as apposition (see GKC 422 §130.e). If the word “streams” in the last colon is a construct, that would mean three of them; but that one need not be construct. The reading would be “He will not see the streams, [that is] the rivers [which are] the torrents of honey and butter.” It is unusual, but workable.
[20:17] 16 sn This word is often translated “curds.” It is curdled milk, possibly a type of butter.
[20:18] 17 tn The idea is the fruit of his evil work. The word יָגָע (yaga’) occurs only here; it must mean ill-gotten gains. The verb is in 10:3.
[20:18] 18 tn Heb “and he does not swallow.” In the context this means “consume” for his own pleasure and prosperity. The verbal clause is here taken adverbially.
[20:18] 19 sn The expression is “according to the wealth of his exchange.” This means he cannot enjoy whatever he gained in his business deals. Some
[20:19] 20 tc The verb indicates that after he oppressed the poor he abandoned them to their fate. But there have been several attempts to improve on the text. Several have repointed the text to get a word parallel to “house.” Ehrlich came up with עֹזֵב (’ozev, “mud hut”), Kissane had “hovel” (similar to Neh 3:8). M. Dahood did the same (“The Root ’zb II in Job,” JBL 78 [1959]: 306-7). J. Reider came up with עֶזֶב (’ezev, the “leavings”), what the rich were to leave for the poor (“Contributions to the Scriptural text,” HUCA 24 [1952/53]: 103-6). But an additional root עָזַב (’azav) is questionable. And while the text as it stands is general and not very striking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Dhorme reverses the letters to gain בְּעֹז (bÿ’oz, “with force [or violence]”).
[20:19] 21 tn The last clause says, “and he did not build it.” This can be understood in an adverbial sense, supplying the relative pronoun to the translation.
[20:20] 22 tn Heb “belly,” which represents his cravings, his desires and appetites. The “satisfaction” is actually the word for “quiet; peace; calmness; ease.” He was driven by greedy desires, or he felt and displayed an insatiable greed.
[20:20] 23 tn The verb is the passive participle of the verb חָמַד (khamad) which is one of the words for “covet; desire.” This person is controlled by his desires; there is no escape. He is a slave.
[20:20] 24 tn The verb is difficult to translate in this line. It basically means “to cause to escape; to rescue.” Some translate this verb as “it is impossible to escape”; this may work, but is uncertain. Others translate the verb in the sense of saving something else: N. Sarna says, “Of his most cherished possessions he shall save nothing” (“The Interchange of the Preposition bet and min in Biblical Hebrew,” JBL 78 [1959]: 315-16). The RSV has “he will save nothing in which he delights”; NIV has “he cannot save himself by his treasure.”
[20:21] 25 tn Heb “for his eating,” which is frequently rendered “for his gluttony.” It refers, of course, to all the desires he has to take things from other people.
[20:21] 26 sn The point throughout is that insatiable greed and ruthless plundering to satisfy it will be recompensed with utter and complete loss.
[20:22] 27 tn The word שָׂפַק (safaq) occurs only here; it means “sufficiency; wealth; abundance (see D. W. Thomas, “The Text of Jesaia 2:6 and the Word sapaq,” ZAW 75 [1963]: 88-90).
[20:22] 28 tn Heb “there is straightness for him.” The root צָרַר (tsarar) means “to be narrowed in straits, to be in a bind.” The word here would have the idea of pressure, stress, trouble. One could say he is in a bind.
[20:22] 29 tn Heb “every hand of trouble comes to him.” The pointing of עָמֵל (’amel) indicates it would refer to one who brings trouble; LXX and Latin read an abstract noun עָמָל (’amal, “trouble”) here.
[20:23] 30 tn D. J. A. Clines observes that to do justice to the three jussives in the verse, one would have to translate “May it be, to fill his belly to the full, that God should send…and rain” (Job [WBC], 477). The jussive form of the verb at the beginning of the verse could also simply introduce a protasis of a conditional clause (see GKC 323 §109.h, i). This would mean, “if he [God] is about to fill his [the wicked’s] belly to the full, he will send….” The NIV reads “when he has filled his belly.” These fit better, because the context is talking about the wicked in his evil pursuit being cut down.
[20:23] 31 tn “God” is understood as the subject of the judgment.
[20:23] 32 tn Heb “the anger of his wrath.”
[20:23] 33 tn Heb “rain down upon him, on his flesh.” Dhorme changes עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon him”) to “his arrows”; he translates the line as “he rains his arrows upon his flesh.” The word בִּלְחוּמוֹ (bilkhumo,“his flesh”) has been given a wide variety of translations: “as his food,” “on his flesh,” “upon him, his anger,” or “missiles or weapons of war.”
[20:24] 34 tn Heb “a bronze bow pierces him.” The words “an arrow from” are implied and are supplied in the translation; cf. “pulls it out” in the following verse.
[20:25] 35 tn The MT has “he draws out [or as a passive, “it is drawn out/forth”] and comes [or goes] out of his back.” For the first verb שָׁלַף (shalaf, “pull, draw”), many commentators follow the LXX and use שֶׁלַח (shelakh, “a spear”). It then reads “and a shaft comes out of his back,” a sword flash comes out of his liver.” But the verse could also be a continuation of the preceding.
[20:25] 36 tn Possibly a reference to lightnings.
[20:26] 37 tn Heb “all darkness is hidden for his laid up things.” “All darkness” refers to the misfortunes and afflictions that await. The verb “hidden” means “is destined for.”
[20:26] 38 tn Heb “not blown upon,” i.e., not kindled by man. But G. R. Driver reads “unquenched” (“Hebrew notes on the ‘Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach’,” JBL 53 [1934]: 289).
[20:29] 39 tn For the word אִמְרוֹ (’imro) some propose reading “his appointment,” and the others, “his word.” Driver shows that “the heritage of his appointment” means “his appointed heritage” (see GKC 440 §135.n).
[17:14] 40 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand,
[17:14] 41 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
[17:14] 42 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
[17:14] 43 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”
[17:14] 44 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
[49:6] 45 tn Heb “the ones who trust.” The substantival participle stands in apposition to “those who deceive me” (v. 5).
[49:6] 46 tn The imperfect verbal form emphasizes their characteristic behavior.
[49:7] 47 tn Heb “a brother, he surely does not ransom, a man.” The sequence אִישׁ...אָח (’akh...’ish, “a brother…a man”) is problematic, for the usual combination is אָח...אָח (“a brother…a brother”) or אִישׁ...אִישׁ (“a man…a man”). When אִישׁ and אָח are combined, the usual order is אָח...אִישׁ (“a man…a brother”), with “brother” having a third masculine singular suffix, “his brother.” This suggests that “brother” is the object of the verb and “man” the subject. (1) Perhaps the altered word order and absence of the suffix can be explained by the text’s poetic character, for ellipsis is a feature of Hebrew poetic style. (2) Another option, supported by a few medieval Hebrew
[49:7] 48 tn Heb “he cannot pay to God his ransom price.” Num 35:31 may supply the legal background for the metaphorical language used here. The psalmist pictures God as having a claim on the soul of the individual. When God comes to claim the life that ultimately belongs to him, he demands a ransom price that is beyond the capability of anyone to pay. The psalmist’s point is that God has ultimate authority over life and death; all the money in the world cannot buy anyone a single day of life beyond what God has decreed.
[49:8] 49 tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.
[49:8] 50 tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.
[49:9] 51 tn The jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is taken as indicating purpose/result in relation to the statement made in v. 8. (On this use of the jussive after an imperfect, see GKC 322 §109.f.) In this case v. 8 is understood as a parenthetical comment.
[49:9] 52 tn Heb “see the Pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 55:24; 103:4).
[49:10] 53 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).
[49:10] 54 tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).
[49:10] 55 tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.
[49:10] 56 tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).
[49:10] 57 sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.
[49:11] 58 tc Heb “their inward part [is] their houses [are] permanent, their dwelling places for a generation and a generation.” If one follows the MT, then קֶרֶב (qerev, “inward part”) must refer to the seat of these people’s thoughts (for other examples of this use of the term, see BDB 899 s.v., though BDB prefers an emendation in this passage). In this case all three lines of v. 11 expose these people’s arrogant assumption that they will last forever, which then stands in sharp contrast to reality as summarized in v. 12. In this case one might translate the first two lines, “they think that their houses are permanent and that their dwelling places will last forever” (cf. NASB). Following the lead of several ancient versions, the present translation assumes an emendation of קִרְבָּם (qirbam, “their inward part”) to קְבָרִים (qÿvarim, “graves”). This assumes that the letters bet (ב) and resh (ר) were accidentally transposed in the MT. In this case the first two lines support the point made in v. 10, while the third line of v. 11 stands in contrast to v. 12. The phrase בֵּית עוֹלָם (bet ’olam, “permanent house”) is used of a tomb in Eccl 12:5 (as well as in Phoenician tomb inscriptions, see DNWSI 1:160 for a list of texts) and מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling place”) refers to a tomb in Isa 22:16. Cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV.
[49:11] 59 sn Naming their lands after themselves is a claim of possession.
[49:12] 60 tn Heb “but mankind in honor does not remain.” The construction vav (ו) + noun at the beginning of the verse can be taken as contrastive in relation to what precedes. The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some scholars emend יָלִין (yalin, “remains”) to יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 20.
[49:12] 62 tn The verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease; destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (“be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [דָּמָה, “be silent,” and דָּמָה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense in v. 20, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.
[49:13] 63 tn Heb “this [is] their way, [there is] folly [belonging] to them.” The Hebrew term translated “this” could refer (1) back to the preceding verse[s] or (2) ahead to the subsequent statements. The translation assumes the latter, since v. 12 appears to be a refrain that concludes the psalm’s first major section and marks a structural boundary. (A similar refrain [see v. 20] concludes the second half of the psalm.) The noun דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) often refers to one’s lifestyle, but, if it relates to what follows, then here it likely refers metonymically to one’s destiny (the natural outcome of one’s lifestyle [cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “fate”]). (See the discussion in K. Koch, TDOT 3:285.) If one prefers the more common nuance (“lifestyle”), then the term would look back to the self-confident attitude described in the earlier verses.
[49:13] 64 tn Heb “and after them, in their mouth they take delight.” The meaning of the MT is not entirely clear. “After them” is understood here as substantival, “those who come after them” or “those who follow them.” “Their mouth” is taken as a metonymy for the arrogant attitude verbalized by the rich. In the expression “take delight in,” the preposition -ב (bet) introduces the object/cause of one’s delight (see Pss 147:10; 149:4). So the idea here is that those who come after/follow the rich find the philosophy of life they verbalize and promote to be attractive and desirable.
[49:14] 65 tn Heb “like sheep to Sheol they are appointed.” The verb form שַׁתּוּ (shatu) is apparently derived from שָׁתַת (shatat), which appears to be a variant of the more common שִׁית (shiyt, “to place; to set”; BDB 1060 s.v. שָׁתַת and GKC 183 §67.ee). Some scholars emend the text to שָׁחוּ (shakhu; from the verbal root שׁוּח [shukh, “sink down”]) and read “they descend.” The present translation assumes an emendation to שָׁטוּ (shatu; from the verbal root שׁוּט [shut, “go; wander”]), “they travel, wander.” (The letter tet [ט] and tav [ת] sound similar; a scribe transcribing from dictation could easily confuse them.) The perfect verbal form is used in a rhetorical manner to speak of their destiny as if it were already realized (the so-called perfect of certitude or prophetic perfect).
[49:14] 66 tn Heb “death will shepherd them,” that is, death itself (personified here as a shepherd) will lead them like a flock of helpless, unsuspecting sheep to Sheol, the underworld, the land of the dead.
[49:14] 67 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the perfect verbal form in v. 14a. The psalmist speaks of this coming event as if it were already accomplished.
[49:14] 68 tn Heb “will rule over them in the morning.” “Morning” here is a metaphor for a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 59:16; 90:14; 143:8; Isa 17:14). In this context the psalmist confidently anticipates a day of vindication when the
[49:14] 69 tn Heb “their form [will become an object] for the consuming of Sheol, from a lofty residence, to him.” The meaning of this syntactically difficult text is uncertain. The translation assumes that צוּר (tsur, “form”; this is the Qere [marginal] reading; the Kethib has צִירָם [tsiram, “their image”]) refers to their physical form or bodies. “Sheol” is taken as the subject of “consume” (on the implied “become” before the infinitive “to consume” see GKC 349 §114.k). The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “lofty residence” is understood as privative, “away from; so as not.” The preposition -ל (lamed) is possessive, while the third person pronominal suffix is understood as a representative singular.
[49:15] 72 tn Or “me.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[49:15] 75 tn Heb “he will take me.” To improve the poetic balance of the verse, some move the words “from the power of Sheol” to the following line. The verse would then read: “But God will rescue my life; / from the power of Sheol he will certainly deliver me” (cf. NEB).
[49:16] 76 sn When a man becomes rich. Why would people fear such a development? The acquisition of wealth makes individuals powerful and enables them to oppress others (see vv. 5-6).
[49:16] 77 tn Heb “when the glory of his house grows great.”
[49:17] 78 tn Heb “his glory will not go down after him.”
[49:19] 79 tn Verses 18-19a are one long sentence in the Hebrew text, which reads: “Though he blesses his soul in his life, [saying], ‘And let them praise you, for you do well for yourself,’ it [that is, his soul] will go to the generation of his fathers.” This has been divided into two sentences in the translation for clarity, in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
[49:19] 80 tn Heb “light.” The words “of day” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[49:20] 81 tn Heb “mankind in honor does not understand.” The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some emend יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) to יָלִין (yalin, “remains”), but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 12.
[49:20] 83 tn The Hebrew verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease, destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [I דָּמַה, “be silent,” and II דָּמַה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense here, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.
[73:3] 84 tn The imperfect verbal form here depicts the action as continuing in a past time frame.
[73:3] 85 tn Heb “peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).
[73:4] 86 tn In Isa 58:6, the only other occurrence of this word in the OT, the term refers to “bonds” or “ropes.” In Ps 73:4 it is used metaphorically of pain and suffering that restricts one’s enjoyment of life.
[73:4] 88 tc Or “fat.” The MT of v. 4 reads as follows: “for there are no pains at their death, and fat [is] their body.” Since a reference to the death of the wicked seems incongruous in the immediate context (note v. 5) and premature in the argument of the psalm (see vv. 18-20, 27), some prefer to emend the text by redividing it. The term לְמוֹתָם (lÿmotam,“at their death”) is changed to לָמוֹ תָּם (lamo tam, “[there are no pains] to them, strong [and fat are their bodies]”). The term תָּם (tam, “complete; sound”) is used of physical beauty in Song 5:2; 6:9. This emendation is the basis for the present translation. However, in defense of the MT (the traditional Hebrew text), one may point to an Aramaic inscription from Nerab which views a painful death as a curse and a nonpainful death in one’s old age as a sign of divine favor. See ANET 661.
[73:5] 89 tn Heb “in the trouble of man they are not, and with mankind they are not afflicted.”
[73:6] 90 sn Arrogance is their necklace. The metaphor suggests that their arrogance is something the wicked “wear” proudly. It draws attention to them, just as a beautiful necklace does to its owner.
[73:6] 91 tn Heb “a garment of violence covers them.” The metaphor suggests that violence is habitual for the wicked. They “wear” it like clothing; when one looks at them, violence is what one sees.
[73:7] 92 tc The MT reads “it goes out from fatness their eye,” which might be paraphrased, “their eye protrudes [or “bulges”] because of fatness.” This in turn might refer to their greed; their eyes “bug out” when they see rich food or produce (the noun חֵלֶב [khelev, “fatness”] sometimes refers to such food or produce). However, when used with the verb יָצָא (yatsa’, “go out”) the preposition מִן (“from”) more naturally indicates source. For this reason it is preferable to emend עֵינֵמוֹ (’enemo, “their eye”) to עֲוֹנָמוֹ, (’avonamo, “their sin”) and read, “and their sin proceeds forth from fatness,” that is, their prosperity gives rise to their sinful attitudes. If one follows this textual reading, another interpretive option is to take חֵלֶב (“fatness”) in the sense of “unreceptive, insensitive” (see its use in Ps 17:10). In this case, the sin of the wicked proceeds forth from their spiritual insensitivity.
[73:7] 93 tn Heb “the thoughts of [their] heart [i.e., mind] cross over” (i.e., violate God’s moral boundary, see Ps 17:3).
[73:8] 94 tn The verb מוּק (muq, “mock”) occurs only here in the OT.
[73:8] 95 tn Heb “and speak with evil.”
[73:8] 96 tn Heb “oppression from an elevated place they speak.” The traditional accentuation of the MT places “oppression” with the preceding line. In this case, one might translate, “they mock and speak with evil [of] oppression, from an elevated place [i.e., “proudly”] they speak.” By placing “oppression” with what follows, one achieves better poetic balance in the parallelism.
[73:9] 97 tn Heb “they set in heaven their mouth, and their tongue walks through the earth.” The meaning of the text is uncertain. Perhaps the idea is that they lay claim to heaven (i.e., speak as if they were ruling in heaven) and move through the earth declaring their superiority and exerting their influence. Some take the preposition -בְּ (bet) the first line as adversative and translate, “they set their mouth against heaven,” that is, they defy God.
[73:18] 98 tn The use of the Hebrew term אַךְ (’akh, “surely”) here literarily counteracts its use in v. 13. The repetition draws attention to the contrast between the two statements, the first of which expresses the psalmist’s earlier despair and the second his newly discovered confidence.
[73:18] 99 tn Heb “cause them to fall.”
[73:19] 100 tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”
[73:20] 101 tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.
[73:20] 102 sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.
[73:20] 103 tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.
[11:4] 104 sn The “day of wrath” refers to divine punishment in this life (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 67; e.g., also Job 21:30; Ezek 7:19; Zeph 1:18). Righteousness and not wealth is more valuable in anticipating judgment.
[11:4] 105 tn Heb “from death.”
[11:28] 106 sn The implication from the parallelism is that the righteous do not trust in their own riches, but in the
[11:28] 107 tn Heb “leafage” or “leaf” (cf. KJV “as a branch”); TEV “leaves of summer”; NLT “leaves in spring.” The simile of a leaf is a figure of prosperity and fertility throughout the ancient Near East.
[5:13] 108 tn Heb “there is.” The term יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is”) is often used in aphorisms to assert the existence of a particular situation that occurs sometimes. It may indicate that the situation is not the rule but that it does occur on occasion, and may be nuanced “sometimes” (e.g., Prov 11:24; 13:7, 23; 14:12; 16:25; 18:24; 20:15; Eccl 2:21; 4:8; 5:12; 6:1; 7:15 [2x]; 8:14 [3x]).
[5:13] 109 tn The noun רָעָה (ra’ah, “evil”) probably means “misfortune” (HALOT 1263 s.v. רָעָה 4) or “injustice, wrong” (HALOT 1262 s.v. רָעָה 2.b). The phrase רָעָה רַבָּה (ra’ah rabbah) connotes “grave injustice” or “great misfortune” (Eccl 2:17; 5:12, 15; 6:1; 10:5).
[5:13] 110 tn Heb “under the sun.”
[5:14] 111 tn Or “through a bad business deal.” The basic meaning of עִנְיַן (’inyan) is “business; affair” (HALOT 857 s.v. עִנְיָן) or “occupation; task” (BDB 775 s.v. עִנְיָן). The term is used in a specific sense in reference to business activity (Eccl 8:16), as well as in a more general sense in reference to events that occur on earth (Eccl 1:13; 4:8). BDB suggests that the phrase עִנְיַן רָע (’inyan ra’) in 5:13 refers to a bad business deal (BDB 775 s.v. עִנְיָן); however, HALOT suggests that it means “bad luck” (HALOT 857 s.v. עִנְיָן). The English versions reflect the same two approaches: (1) bad luck: “some misfortune” (NAB, NIV) and (2) a bad business deal: “a bad investment” (NASB), “a bad venture” (RSV, NRSV, MLB), “some unlucky venture” (Moffatt, NJPS), “an unlucky venture” (NEB), “an evil adventure” (ASV).
[5:14] 112 tn Heb “there is nothing in his hand.”
[9:23] 113 sn It is not always clear why verses were placed in their present position in the editorial process of collecting Jeremiah’s sermons and the words the
[9:23] 114 tn Or “Strong people should not brag that they are strong.”
[9:23] 115 tn Heb “…in their wisdom…in their power…in their riches.”
[6:12] 116 tn Heb “because her rich are full of violence.”
[6:12] 117 tn Heb “speak lies.”
[6:12] 118 tn Heb “and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth.”
[1:18] 119 tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.
[1:18] 120 tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”
[1:18] 122 tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”
[1:18] 123 tn It is not certain where the
[19:23] 124 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[19:24] 125 tn Grk “I say to you.”
[19:24] 126 tc A few late witnesses (579 1424 pc) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamhlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.
[19:24] 127 sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle. (The gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” was built during the middle ages and was not in existence in Jesus’ day.) Jesus was saying rhetorically that it is impossible for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom, unless God (v. 26) intervenes.
[6:24] 128 sn Jesus promises condemnation (woe) to those who are callous of others, looking only to their own comforts. On Luke and the rich see 1:53; 12:16; 14:12; 16:1, 21-22; 18:23; 19:2; 21:1. These woes are unique to Luke.
[6:24] 129 sn Ironically the language of reward shows that what the rich have received is all they will get. This result looks at a current situation, just as the start of the beatitudes did. The rest of the conclusions to the woes look to the future at the time of judgment.
[6:24] 130 tn Grk “your consolation.”
[12:16] 131 tn Grk “And he.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.
[12:16] 132 tn Grk “a parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:16] 133 tn Or “yielded a plentiful harvest.”
[12:17] 134 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this is a result of the preceding statement.
[12:17] 135 tn Grk “to himself, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:17] 136 sn I have nowhere to store my crops. The thinking here is prudent in terms of recognizing the problem. The issue in the parable will be the rich man’s solution, particularly the arrogance reflected in v. 19.
[12:18] 137 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[12:18] 138 sn Note how often the first person pronoun is present in these verses. The farmer is totally self absorbed.
[12:19] 139 tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.
[12:20] 140 tn Grk “your soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.
[12:20] 141 tn Or “required back.” This term, ἀπαιτέω (apaitew), has an economic feel to it and is often used of a debt being called in for repayment (BDAG 96 s.v. 1).
[12:20] 142 tn Grk “the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The words “for yourself” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[12:21] 143 sn It is selfishness that is rebuked here, in the accumulation of riches for himself. Recall the emphasis on the first person pronouns throughout the parable.
[16:19] 144 sn Purple describes a fine, expensive dye used on luxurious clothing, and by metonymy, refers to clothing colored with that dye. It pictures someone of great wealth.
[16:19] 145 tn Or “celebrated with ostentation” (L&N 88.255), that is, with showing off. Here was the original conspicuous consumer.
[16:20] 146 tn The passive verb ἐβέβλητο (ebeblhto) does not indicate how Lazarus got there. Cf. BDAG 163 s.v. βάλλω 1.b, “he lay before the door”; Josephus, Ant. 9.10.2 (9.209).
[16:20] 147 sn This is the one time in all the gospels that a figure in a parable is mentioned by name. It will become important later in the account.
[16:20] 148 tn Or “was covered with ulcers.” The words “whose body” are implied in the context (L&N 23.180).
[16:21] 149 tn Grk “to eat his fill,” but this phrase has been simplified as “to eat” for stylistic reasons.
[16:21] 150 tn The term κύνες (kunes) refers to “wild” dogs (either “street” dogs or watchdogs), not house pets (L&N 4.34).
[16:21] 151 sn When the dogs came and licked his sores it meant that he was unclean. See the negative image of Rev 22:15 that draws on this picture.
[16:22] 152 tn Grk “Now it happened that the.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[16:22] 153 tn Grk “to Abraham’s bosom.” The phrase “carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” describes being gathered to the fathers and is a way to refer to heaven (Gen 15:15; 47:30; Deut 31:16).
[16:22] 154 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[16:22] 155 sn The shorter description suggests a different fate, which is confirmed in the following verses.
[16:23] 156 sn The Greek term Hades stands for the Hebrew concept of Sheol. It is what is called hell today. This is where the dead were gathered (Ps 16:10; 86:13). In the NT Hades has an additional negative force of awaiting judgment (Rev 20:13).
[16:23] 157 sn Hades is a place of torment, especially as one knows that he is separated from God.
[16:23] 158 tn Grk “he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).
[16:23] 159 tn Grk “in his bosom,” the same phrase used in 16:22. This idiom refers to heaven and/or participation in the eschatological banquet. An appropriate modern equivalent is “at Abraham’s side.”
[16:24] 160 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous actions in the narrative.
[16:24] 161 tn Grk “calling out he said”; this is redundant in contemporary English style and has been simplified to “he called out.”
[16:24] 162 sn The rich man had not helped Lazarus before, when he lay outside his gate (v. 2), but he knew him well enough to know his name. This is why the use of the name Lazarus in the parable is significant. (The rich man’s name, on the other hand, is not mentioned, because it is not significant for the point of the story.)
[16:24] 163 sn The dipping of the tip of his finger in water is evocative of thirst. The thirsty are in need of God’s presence (Ps 42:1-2; Isa 5:13). The imagery suggests the rich man is now separated from the presence of God.
[16:24] 164 tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92).
[16:24] 165 sn Fire in this context is OT imagery; see Isa 66:24.
[16:25] 166 tn The Greek term here is τέκνον (teknon), which could be understood as a term of endearment.
[16:25] 167 tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92). Here is the reversal Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:20-26.
[16:1] 168 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:1] 169 tn These are not formal legal charges, but reports from friends, acquaintances, etc.; Grk “A certain man was rich who had a manager, and this one was reported to him as wasting his property.”
[16:1] 170 sn His manager was the steward in charge of managing the house. He could have been a slave trained for the role.
[16:1] 171 tn Or “squandering.” This verb is graphic; it means to scatter (L&N 57.151).
[6:9] 172 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[6:9] 173 sn With the use of the plural pronoun (“you”), Jesus addressed not just the leaders but the crowd with his question to challenge what the leadership was doing. There is irony as well. As Jesus sought to restore on the Sabbath (but improperly according to the leaders’ complaints) the leaders were seeking to destroy, which surely is wrong. The implied critique recalls the OT: Isa 1:1-17; 58:6-14.
[6:10] 174 tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[6:10] 175 tn The aorist participle περιβλεψάμενος (peribleyameno") has been translated as antecedent (prior) to the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as contemporaneous (“Looking around… he said”).
[6:10] 176 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man with the withered hand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:10] 177 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:10] 178 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
[6:15] 179 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[6:15] 180 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated; nor is it translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[6:15] 181 tn Grk “chiliarchs.” A chiliarch was normally a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).
[6:15] 182 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
[6:16] 183 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[6:16] 184 tn It is difficult to say where this quotation ends. The translation ends it after “withstand it” at the end of v. 17, but it is possible that it should end here, after “Lamb” at the end of v. 16. If it ends after “Lamb,” v. 17 is a parenthetical explanation by the author.
[6:17] 185 tc Most
[6:17] 186 tn The translation “to withstand (it)” for ἵστημι (Jisthmi) is based on the imagery of holding one’s ground in a military campaign or an attack (BDAG 482 s.v. B.4).
