James 5:1-7

Warning to the Rich

5:1 Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud ¹  over the miseries that are coming on you. 5:2 Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. 5:3 Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! ²  5:4 Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5:5 You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ³  5:6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you. ⁴ 

Patience in Suffering

5:7 So be patient, brothers and sisters, ⁵  until the Lord’s return. ⁶  Think of how the farmer waits ⁷  for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient ⁸  for it until it receives the early and late rains.

Job 21:24-30

21:24 his body ⁹  well nourished, ¹⁰ 

and the marrow of his bones moist. ¹¹ 

21:25 And another man ¹²  dies in bitterness of soul, ¹³ 

never having tasted ¹⁴  anything good.

21:26 Together they lie down in the dust,

and worms cover over them both.

Futile Words, Deceptive Answers

21:27 “Yes, I know what you are thinking, ¹⁵ 

the schemes ¹⁶  by which you would wrong me. ¹⁷ 

21:28 For you say,

‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, ¹⁸ 

and where are the tents in which the wicked lived?’ ¹⁹ 

21:29 Have you never questioned those who travel the roads?

Do you not recognize their accounts ²⁰  –

21:30 that the evil man is spared

from the day of his misfortune,

that he is delivered ²¹ 

from the day of God’s wrath?

Psalms 37:35-36

37:35 I have seen ruthless evil men ²² 

growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. ²³ 

37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! ²⁴ 

I looked for them, but they could not be found.

Psalms 49:6-14

49:6 They trust ²⁵  in their wealth

and boast ²⁶  in their great riches.

49:7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; ²⁷ 

he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price ²⁸ 

49:8 (the ransom price for a human life ²⁹  is too high,

and people go to their final destiny), ³⁰ 

49:9 so that he might continue to live ³¹  forever

and not experience death. ³² 

49:10 Surely ³³  one sees ³⁴  that even wise people die; ³⁵ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ³⁶ 

and leave their wealth to others. ³⁷ 

49:11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,

their eternal dwelling place. ³⁸ 

They name their lands after themselves, ³⁹ 

49:12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last, ⁴⁰ 

they are like animals ⁴¹  that perish. ⁴² 

49:13 This is the destiny of fools, ⁴³ 

and of those who approve of their philosophy. ⁴⁴  (Selah)

49:14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep, ⁴⁵ 

with death as their shepherd. ⁴⁶ 

The godly will rule ⁴⁷  over them when the day of vindication dawns; ⁴⁸ 

Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. ⁴⁹ 

Psalms 73:18-20

73:18 Surely ⁵⁰  you put them in slippery places;

you bring them down ⁵¹  to ruin.

73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!

Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! ⁵² 

73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. ⁵³ 

O Lord, when you awake ⁵⁴  you will despise them. ⁵⁵ 

Ecclesiastes 5:15

5:15 Just as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked will he return as he came,

and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil.

Isaiah 28:1

The Lord Will Judge Samaria

28:1 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, ⁵⁶ 

the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, ⁵⁷ 

situated ⁵⁸  at the head of a rich valley,

the crown of those overcome with wine. ⁵⁹ 

Isaiah 28:4

28:4 The withering flower, its beautiful splendor,

situated at the head of a rich valley,

will be like an early fig before harvest –

as soon as someone notices it,

he grabs it and swallows it. ⁶⁰ 

Isaiah 40:7-8

40:7 The grass dries up,

the flowers wither,

when the wind sent by the Lord ⁶¹  blows on them.

Surely humanity ⁶²  is like grass.

40:8 The grass dries up,

the flowers wither,

but the decree of our God is forever reliable.” ⁶³ 

Luke 12:16-21

12:16 He then ⁶⁴  told them a parable: ⁶⁵  “The land of a certain rich man produced ⁶⁶  an abundant crop, 12:17 so ⁶⁷  he thought to himself, ⁶⁸  ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ⁶⁹  12:18 Then ⁷⁰  he said, ‘I ⁷¹  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, ⁷²  “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 ⁷³  will be demanded back from ⁷⁴  you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ ⁷⁵  12:21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, ⁷⁶  but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 16:19-25

The Rich Man and Lazarus

16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple ⁷⁷  and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously ⁷⁸  every day. 16:20 But at his gate lay ⁷⁹  a poor man named Lazarus ⁸⁰  whose body was covered with sores, ⁸¹  16:21 who longed to eat ⁸²  what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs ⁸³  came and licked ⁸⁴  his sores.

16:22 “Now ⁸⁵  the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. ⁸⁶  The ⁸⁷  rich man also died and was buried. ⁸⁸  16:23 And in hell, ⁸⁹  as he was in torment, ⁹⁰  he looked up ⁹¹  and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. ⁹²  16:24 So ⁹³  he called out, ⁹⁴  ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus ⁹⁵  to dip the tip of his finger ⁹⁶  in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish ⁹⁷  in this fire.’ ⁹⁸  16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, ⁹⁹  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. ¹⁰⁰ 

Luke 16:1

The Parable of the Clever Steward

16:1 Jesus ¹⁰¹  also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations ¹⁰²  that his manager ¹⁰³  was wasting ¹⁰⁴  his assets.

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ¹⁰⁵  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ¹⁰⁶  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1:4

1:4 since ¹⁰⁷  we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

Colossians 1:4

1:4 since ¹⁰⁸  we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

[5:1]  ¹ tn Or “wail”; Grk “crying aloud.”

[5:3]  ² tn Or “hoarded up treasure for the last days”; Grk “in the last days.”

[5:5]  ³ 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).

[5:6]  ⁴ tn Literally a series of verbs without connectives, “you have condemned, you have murdered…he does not resist.”

[5:7]  ⁵ tn Grk “brothers”; this phrase occurs again three times in the paragraph. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[5:7]  ⁶ tn Or “advent”; or “coming” (also in v. 8).

[5:7]  ⁷ tn Grk “Behold! The farmer waits.”

[5:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “being patient.”

[21:24]  ⁹ tn The verb עָטַן (’atan) has the precise meaning of “press olives.” But because here it says “full of milk,” the derived meaning for the noun has been made to mean “breasts” or “pails” (although in later Hebrew this word occurs – but with olives, not with milk). Dhorme takes it to refer to “his sides,” and repoints the word for “milk” (חָלָב, khalav) to get “fat” (חֶלֶב, khelev) – “his sides are full of fat,” a rendering followed by NASB. However, this weakens the parallelism.

[21:24]  ¹⁰ tn This interpretation, adopted by several commentaries and modern translations (cf. NAB, NIV), is a general rendering to capture the sense of the line.

[21:24]  ¹¹ tn The verb שָׁקָה (shaqah) means “to water” and here “to be watered thoroughly.” The picture in the line is that of health and vigor.

[21:25]  ¹² tn The expression “this (v. 23)…and this” (v. 25) means “one…the other.”

[21:25]  ¹³ tn The text literally has “and this [man] dies in soul of bitterness.” Some simply reverse it and translate “in the bitterness of soul.” The genitive “bitterness” may be an attribute adjective, “with a bitter soul.”

[21:25]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “eaten what is good.” It means he died without having enjoyed the good life.

[21:27]  ¹⁵ tn The word is “your thoughts.” The word for “thoughts” (from חָצַב [khatsav, “to think; to reckon; to plan”]) has more to do with their intent than their general thoughts. He knows that when they talked about the fate of the wicked they really were talking about him.

[21:27]  ¹⁶ tn For the meaning of this word, and its root זָמַם (zamam), see Job 17:11. It usually means the “plans” or “schemes” that are concocted against someone.

[21:27]  ¹⁷ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 321) distinguishes the verb חָמַס (khamas) from the noun for “violence.” He proposes a meaning of “think, imagine”: “and the ideas you imagined about me.”

[21:28]  ¹⁸ sn The question implies the answer will be “vanished” or “gone.”

[21:28]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “And where is the tent, the dwellings of the wicked.” The word “dwellings of the wicked” is in apposition to “tent.” A relative pronoun must be supplied in the translation.

[21:29]  ²⁰ tc The LXX reads, “Ask those who go by the way, and do not disown their signs.”

[21:30]  ²¹ tn The verb means “to be led forth.” To be “led forth in the day of trouble” means to be delivered.

[37:35]  ²² tn The Hebrew uses the representative singular again here.

[37:35]  ²³ tn Heb “being exposed [?] like a native, luxuriant.” The Hebrew form מִתְעָרֶה (mit’areh) appears to be a Hitpael participle from עָרָה (’arah, “be exposed”), but this makes no sense in this context. Perhaps the form is a dialectal variant of מִתְעָלָה (“giving oneself an air of importance”; see Jer 51:3), from עָלָה (’alah, “go up”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 296). The noun אֶזְרָח (’ezrakh, “native, full citizen”) refers elsewhere to people, but here, where it is collocated with “luxuriant, green,” it probably refers to a tree growing in native soil.

[37:36]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).

[49:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the ones who trust.” The substantival participle stands in apposition to “those who deceive me” (v. 5).

[49:6]  ²⁶ tn The imperfect verbal form emphasizes their characteristic behavior.

[49:7]  ²⁷ 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 mss, is to emend “brother” to the similar sounding אַךְ (’akh, “surely; but”) which occurs in v. 15 before the verb פָּדָה (padah, “ransom”). If this reading is accepted the Qal imperfect יִפְדֶּה (yifddeh, “he can [not] ransom”) would need to be emended to a Niphal (passive) form, יִפָּדֶה (yifadeh, “he can[not] be ransomed”) unless one understands the subject of the Qal verb to be indefinite (“one cannot redeem a man”). (A Niphal imperfect can be collocated with a Qal infinitive absolute. See GKC 344-45 §113.w.) No matter how one decides the textual issues, the imperfect in this case is modal, indicating potential, and the infinitive absolute emphasizes the statement.

[49:7]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ 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]  ³² 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]  ³³ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[49:11]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ sn Naming their lands after themselves is a claim of possession.

[49:12]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ tn Or “cattle.”

[49:12]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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 Lord will deliver the oppressed from the rich (see v. 15) and send the oppressors to Sheol.

[49:14]  ⁴⁹ 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.

[73:18]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “cause them to fall.”

[73:19]  ⁵² tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”

[73:20]  ⁵³ tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.

[73:20]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ 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.

[28:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Woe [to] the crown [or “wreath”] of the splendor [or “pride”] of the drunkards of Ephraim.” The “crown” is Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom (Ephraim). Priests and prophets are included among these drunkards in v. 7.

[28:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “the beauty of his splendor.” In the translation the masculine pronoun (“his”) has been replaced by “its” because the referent (the “crown”) is the city of Samaria.

[28:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “which [is].”

[28:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “ones overcome with wine.” The words “the crown of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The syntactical relationship of the final phrase to what precedes is uncertain. הֲלוּמֵי יָיִן (halume yayin, “ones overcome with wine”) seems to correspond to שִׁכֹּרֵי אֶפְרַיִם (shikkore ’efrayim, “drunkards of Ephraim”) in line 1. The translation assumes that the phrase “the splendid crown” is to be understood in the final line as well.

[28:4]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “which the one seeing sees, while still it is in his hand he swallows it.”

[40:7]  ⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text has רוּחַ יְהוָה (ruakh yehvah), which in this context probably does not refer to the Lord’s personal Spirit. The phrase is better translated “the breath of the Lord,” or “the wind of [i.e., sent by] the Lord.” The Lord’s sovereign control over nature, including the hot desert winds that dry up vegetation, is in view here (cf. Ps 147:18; Isa 59:19).

[40:7]  ⁶² tn Heb “the people” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[40:8]  ⁶³ tn Heb “but the word of our God stands forever.” In this context the divine “word” specifically refers to his decreed promise assuring Jerusalem that her suffering is over and his glorious return imminent (vv. 1-5).

[12:16]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “And he.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.

[12:16]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “a parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:16]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “yielded a plentiful harvest.”

[12:17]  ⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this is a result of the preceding statement.

[12:17]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “to himself, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:17]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[12:18]  ⁷¹ sn Note how often the first person pronoun is present in these verses. The farmer is totally self absorbed.

[12:19]  ⁷² tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.

[12:20]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ 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]  ⁷⁶ 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]  ⁷⁷ 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]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “celebrated with ostentation” (L&N 88.255), that is, with showing off. Here was the original conspicuous consumer.

[16:20]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ 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]  ⁸¹ tn Or “was covered with ulcers.” The words “whose body” are implied in the context (L&N 23.180).

[16:21]  ⁸² tn Grk “to eat his fill,” but this phrase has been simplified as “to eat” for stylistic reasons.

[16:21]  ⁸³ tn The term κύνες (kunes) refers to “wild” dogs (either “street” dogs or watchdogs), not house pets (L&N 4.34).

[16:21]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[16:22]  ⁸⁸ sn The shorter description suggests a different fate, which is confirmed in the following verses.

[16:23]  ⁸⁹ 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]  ⁹⁰ sn Hades is a place of torment, especially as one knows that he is separated from God.

[16:23]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).

[16:23]  ⁹² 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]  ⁹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous actions in the narrative.

[16:24]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “calling out he said”; this is redundant in contemporary English style and has been simplified to “he called out.”

[16:24]  ⁹⁵ 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]  ⁹⁶ 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]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92).

[16:24]  ⁹⁸ sn Fire in this context is OT imagery; see Isa 66:24.

[16:25]  ⁹⁹ tn The Greek term here is τέκνον (teknon), which could be understood as a term of endearment.

[16:25]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92). Here is the reversal Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:20-26.

[16:1]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:1]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ sn His manager was the steward in charge of managing the house. He could have been a slave trained for the role.

[16:1]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “squandering.” This verb is graphic; it means to scatter (L&N 57.151).

[1:1]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:4]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).

[1:4]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).