Job 31:24

31:24 “If I have put my confidence in gold

or said to pure gold,

‘You are my security!’

Psalms 39:6

39:6 Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. ¹ 

Surely they accumulate worthless wealth

without knowing who will eventually haul it away.” ² 

Psalms 62:10

62:10 Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! ³ 

Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! ⁴ 

If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! ⁵ 

Proverbs 11:4

11:4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, ⁶ 

but righteousness delivers from mortal danger. ⁷ 

Proverbs 16:16

16:16 How much better it is to acquire ⁸  wisdom than gold;

to acquire understanding is more desirable ⁹  than silver.

Proverbs 23:5

23:5 When you gaze upon riches, ¹⁰  they are gone,

for they surely make wings for themselves,

and fly off into the sky like an eagle! ¹¹ 

Ecclesiastes 2:26

2:26 For to the one who pleases him, ¹²  God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,

but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing ¹³  wealth ¹⁴  –

only to give ¹⁵  it ¹⁶  to the one who pleases God.

This ¹⁷  task of the wicked ¹⁸  is futile – like chasing the wind!

Ecclesiastes 5:10-14

Covetousness

5:10 The one who loves money ¹⁹  will never be satisfied with money, ²⁰ 

he who loves wealth ²¹  will never be satisfied ²²  with his ²³  income.

This also is futile.

5:11 When someone’s ²⁴  prosperity ²⁵  increases, those who consume it also increase;

so what does its owner ²⁶  gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? ²⁷ 

5:12 The sleep of the laborer is pleasant – whether he eats little or much –

but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

Materialism Thwarts Enjoyment of Life

5:13 Here is ²⁸  a misfortune ²⁹  on earth ³⁰  that I have seen:

Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.

5:14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; ³¹ 

although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. ³² 

Zephaniah 1:18

1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them

in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

The whole earth ³³  will be consumed by his fiery wrath. ³⁴ 

Indeed, ³⁵  he will bring terrifying destruction ³⁶  on all who live on the earth.” ³⁷ 

Luke 12:21

12:21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, ³⁸  but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 18:24

18:24 When Jesus noticed this, ³⁹  he said, “How hard ⁴⁰  it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ⁴¹ 

Luke 18:1

Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

18:1 Then ⁴²  Jesus ⁴³  told them a parable to show them they should always ⁴⁴  pray and not lose heart. ⁴⁵ 

Luke 6:8-10

6:8 But ⁴⁶  he knew ⁴⁷  their thoughts, ⁴⁸  and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and stand here.” ⁴⁹  So ⁵⁰  he rose and stood there. 6:9 Then ⁵¹  Jesus said to them, “I ask you, ⁵²  is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?” 6:10 After ⁵³  looking around ⁵⁴  at them all, he said to the man, ⁵⁵  “Stretch out your hand.” The man ⁵⁶  did so, and his hand was restored. ⁵⁷ 

Luke 6:17

The Sermon on the Plain

6:17 Then ⁵⁸  he came down with them and stood on a level place. ⁵⁹  And a large number ⁶⁰  of his disciples had gathered ⁶¹  along with ⁶²  a vast multitude from all over Judea, from ⁶³  Jerusalem, ⁶⁴  and from the seacoast of Tyre ⁶⁵  and Sidon. ⁶⁶  They came to hear him and to be healed ⁶⁷  of their diseases,

Hebrews 13:5

13:5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” ⁶⁸ 

James 5:1-3

Warning to the Rich

5:1 Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud ⁶⁹  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! ⁷⁰ 

James 5:1

Warning to the Rich

5:1 Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud ⁷¹  over the miseries that are coming on you.

James 2:15-16

2:15 If a brother or sister ⁷²  is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, ⁷³  what good is it?

[39:6]  ¹ tn Heb “surely, as an image man walks about.” The preposition prefixed to “image” indicates identity here.

[39:6]  ² tc Heb “Surely [in] vain they strive, he accumulates and does not know who gathers them.” The MT as it stands is syntactically awkward. The verb forms switch from singular (“walks about”) to plural (“they strive”) and then back to singular (“accumulates and does not know”), even though the subject (generic “man”) remains the same. Furthermore there is no object for the verb “accumulates” and no plural antecedent for the plural pronoun (“them”) attached to “gathers.” These problems can be removed if one emends the text from הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן (hevel yehemaun, “[in] vain they strive”) to הֶבְלֵי הָמוֹן (hevley hamon, “vain things of wealth”). This assumes a misdivision in the MT and a virtual dittography of vav (ו) between the mem and nun of המון. The present translation follows this emendation.

[62:10]  ³ tn Heb “do not trust in oppression.” Here “oppression” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by oppressive measures, as the final line of the verse indicates.

[62:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “and in robbery do not place vain hope.” Here “robbery” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by theft, as the next line of the verse indicates.

[62:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “[as for] wealth, when it bears fruit, do not set [your] heart [on it].”

[11:4]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “from death.”

[16:16]  ⁸ tn The form קְנֹה (qÿnoh) is an infinitive; the Greek version apparently took it as a participle, and the Latin as an imperative – both working with an unpointed קנה, the letter ה (he) being unexpected in the form if it is an infinitive construct (the parallel clause has קְנוֹת [qÿnot] for the infinitive, but the ancient versions also translate that as either a participle or an imperative).

[16:16]  ⁹ tn The form is a Niphal participle, masculine singular. If it is modifying “understanding” it should be a feminine form. If it is to be translated, it would have to be rendered “and to acquire understanding is to be chosen more than silver” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). Many commentaries consider it superfluous. NIV and NCV simply have “to choose understanding rather than silver!”

[23:5]  ¹⁰ tc The Kethib is הֲתָעוּף (hata’uf), “do your eyes fly [light] on it?” The Qere is the Hiphil, הֲתָעִיף (hata’if) “do you cause your eyes to fly on it?” But the line is difficult. The question may be indirect: If you cast your eyes on it, it is gone – when you think you are close, it slips away.

[23:5]  ¹¹ sn This seventh saying warns people not to expend all their energy trying to get rich because riches are fleeting (cf. Instruction of Amememope, chap. 7, 9:10-11 which says, “they have made themselves wings like geese and have flown away to heaven”). In the ancient world the symbol of birds flying away signified fleeting wealth.

[2:26]  ¹² tn Heb “for to a man who is good before him.”

[2:26]  ¹³ sn The phrase the task of amassing wealth (Heb “the task of gathering and heaping up”) implicitly compares the work of the farmer reaping his crops and storing them up in a barn, to the work of the laborer amassing wealth as the fruit of his labor. However, rather than his storehouse being safe for the future, the sinner is deprived of it.

[2:26]  ¹⁴ tn The word “wealth” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:26]  ¹⁵ sn The three-fold repetition of the Hebrew word translated “give” in the first part of this verse creates irony: God “gives” the righteous the ability to prosper and to find enjoyment in his work; but to the wicked He “gives” the task of “giving” his wealth to the righteous.

[2:26]  ¹⁶ tn The word “it” (an implied direct object) does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:26]  ¹⁷ tn The antecedent of the demonstrative pronoun זֶה (zeh, “this”) is debated: (1) Some refer it to the enjoyment which Qoheleth had just commended in 2:24-26. However, this is inconsistent with the enjoyment theme found elsewhere in the book. It also ignores the fact that 2:24-26 states that such enjoyment is a good gift from God. (2) Others refer it to the term “toil” (עָמָל, ’amal) which is repeated throughout 2:18-26. However, Qoheleth affirmed that if one is righteous, he can find enjoyment in his toil, even though so much of it is ultimately futile. (3) Therefore, it seems best to refer it to the grievous “task” (עִנְיָן, ’inyan) God has given to the sinner in 2:26b. Consistent with the meaning of הֶבֶל (hevel, “futile; profitless; fruitless”), 2:26b emphasizes that the “task” of the sinner is profitless: he labors hard to amass wealth, only to see the fruit of his labor given away to someone else. The righteous man’s enjoyment of his work and the fruit of his labor under the blessing of God (2:24-26a) is not included in this.

[2:26]  ¹⁸ tn The phrase “task of the wicked” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “silver.” The Hebrew term כֶּסֶף (kesef, “silver”) refers to “money” (HALOT 490–91 s.v. כֶּסֶף 3). It is a synecdoche of specific (i.e., silver) for the general (i.e., money); see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 625-29.

[5:10]  ²⁰ sn The Hebrew term “silver” (translated “money”) is repeated twice in this line for rhetorical emphasis.

[5:10]  ²¹ tn The term הָמוֹן (hamon, “abundance; wealth”) has a wide range of meanings: (1) agitation; (2) turmoil; (3) noise; (4) pomp; (5) multitude; crowd = noisy crowd; and (6) abundance; wealth (HALOT 250 s.v. הָמוֹן 1–6). Here, it refers to abundant wealth (related to “pomp”); cf. HALOT 250 s.v. הָמוֹן 6, that is, lavish abundant wealth (Ezek 29:19; 30:4; 1 Chr 29:16).

[5:10]  ²² tn The phrase “will never be satisfied” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Note the previous line.

[5:10]  ²³ tn The word “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:11]  ²⁴ tn The word “someone’s” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:11]  ²⁵ tn The term טוֹבָה (tovah, “good”) connotes “prosperity” (Deut 23:7; Job 9:25; 21:25; Ps 106:5; Lam 3:17; Eccl 4:8; 5:10, 17; 6:3, 6; 7:14; 9:18; Neh 2:10; Sir 6:11; 41:13); cf. HALOT 372 s.v. טוֹבָה 2. The related term טוֹב (tov, “good”) connotes “prosperity” as well (Prov 11:10; Job 20:21; 21:16); cf. HALOT 372 s.v. טוֹבָה 1.b. Here, it refers to the possessions and wealth a person acquires as the fruit of his labors. This nuance is well reflected in several English versions: “The more a man gains, the more there are to spend it” (Moffatt); “When riches multiply, so do those who live off them” (NEB); “As his substance increase, so do those who consume it” (NJPS); and “Where there are great riches, there are also many to devour them” (NAB). The line does not describe the economic law of “supply and demand,” as some versions seem to imply, e.g., “As goods increase, so do those who consume them” (NIV); “When goods increase, those who eat them increase” (NRSV); cf. also KJV, ASV, RSV, MLB, NASB.

[5:11]  ²⁶ tn The form is plural in the Hebrew text, but the plural is one of intensification; it is used here to emphasize the owner’s authority over his wealth. See GKC 399 §124.i. See v 13 as well.

[5:11]  ²⁷ tn The rhetorical question is an example of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “There is no ultimate advantage!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 947-48).

[5:13]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[5:14]  ³¹ 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]  ³² tn Heb “there is nothing in his hand.”

[1:18]  ³³ tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.

[1:18]  ³⁴ tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”

[1:18]  ³⁵ tn Or “for.”

[1:18]  ³⁶ tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”

[1:18]  ³⁷ tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).

[12:21]  ³⁸ 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.

[18:24]  ³⁹ tc ‡ The phrase περίλυπον γενόμενον (perilupon genomenon, “[When Jesus saw him] becoming sad”) is found in the majority of mss (A [D] W Θ Ψ 078 ˹³ 33^vid Ï latt sy), and it is not unknown in Lukan style to repeat a word or phrase in adjacent passages (TCGNT 143). However, the phrase is lacking in some significant mss (א B L ˹ 579 1241 2542 co). The shorter reading is nevertheless difficult to explain if it is not original: It is possible that these witnesses omitted this phrase out of perceived redundancy from the preceding verse, although intentional omissions, especially by several and varied witnesses, are generally unlikely. NA²⁷ places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[18:24]  ⁴⁰ sn For the rich it is hard for wealth not to be the point of focus, as the contrast in vv. 28-30 will show, and for rich people to trust God. Wealth was not an automatic sign of blessing as far as Jesus was concerned.

[18:24]  ⁴¹ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[18:1]  ⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[18:1]  ⁴³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “should pray at all times” (L&N 67.88).

[18:1]  ⁴⁵ sn This is one of the few parables that comes with an explanation at the start: …they should always pray and not lose heart. It is part of Luke’s goal in encouraging Theophilus (1:4).

[6:8]  ⁴⁶ tn Here the conjunction δέ (de) has been translated as contrastive.

[6:8]  ⁴⁷ sn The statement that Jesus knew their thoughts adds a prophetic note to his response; see Luke 5:22.

[6:8]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “their reasonings.” The implication is that Jesus knew his opponents’ plans and motives, so the translation “thoughts” was used here.

[6:8]  ⁴⁹ sn Most likely synagogues were arranged with benches along the walls and open space in the center for seating on the floor.

[6:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the man’s action was a result of Jesus’ order.

[6:9]  ⁵¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[6:9]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:10]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man with the withered hand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:10]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:10]  ⁵⁷ 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.

[6:17]  ⁵⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[6:17]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “on a plateau.” This could refer to a message given in a flat locale or in a flat locale in the midst of a more mountainous region (Jer 21:13; Isa 13:2). It is quite possible that this sermon is a summary version of the better known Sermon on the Mount from Matt 5-7.

[6:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “large crowd.”

[6:17]  ⁶¹ tn There is no verb in Greek at this point, but since “a large crowd” (see preceding tn) is in the nominative case, one needs to be supplied.

[6:17]  ⁶² tn Grk “and.”

[6:17]  ⁶³ tn Grk “and from,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[6:17]  ⁶⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:17]  ⁶⁵ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[6:17]  ⁶⁶ sn These last two locations, Tyre and Sidon, represented an expansion outside of traditional Jewish territory. Jesus’ reputation continued to expand into new regions.

[6:17]  ⁶⁷ sn To hear him and to be healed. Jesus had a two-level ministry: The word and then wondrous acts of service that showed his message of God’s care were real.

[13:5]  ⁶⁸ sn A quotation from Deut 31:6, 8.

[5:1]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “wail”; Grk “crying aloud.”

[5:3]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “hoarded up treasure for the last days”; Grk “in the last days.”

[5:1]  ⁷¹ tn Or “wail”; Grk “crying aloud.”

[2:15]  ⁷² tn It is important to note that the words ἀδελφός (adelfos) and ἀδελφή (adelfh) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on “someone” in 2:2.

[2:16]  ⁷³ tn Grk “what is necessary for the body.”