Jude 1:10-18

1:10 But these men do not understand the things they slander, and they are being destroyed by the very things that, like irrational animals, they instinctively comprehend. ¹  1:11 Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, ²  and because of greed ³  have abandoned themselves ⁴  to ⁵  Balaam’s error; hence, ⁶  they will certainly perish ⁷  in Korah’s rebellion. 1:12 These men are ⁸  dangerous reefs ⁹  at your love feasts, ¹⁰  feasting without reverence, ¹¹  feeding only themselves. ¹²  They are ¹³  waterless ¹⁴  clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit ¹⁵  – twice dead, ¹⁶  uprooted; 1:13 wild sea waves, ¹⁷  spewing out the foam of ¹⁸  their shame; ¹⁹  wayward stars ²⁰  for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness ²¹  have been reserved.

1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, ²²  even prophesied of them, ²³  saying, “Look! The Lord is coming ²⁴  with thousands and thousands ²⁵  of his holy ones, 1:15 to execute judgment on ²⁶  all, and to convict every person ²⁷  of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds ²⁸  that they have committed, ²⁹  and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ³⁰  1:16 These people are grumblers and ³¹  fault-finders who go ³²  wherever their desires lead them, ³³  and they give bombastic speeches, ³⁴  enchanting folks ³⁵  for their own gain. ³⁶ 

Exhortation to the Faithful

1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions ³⁷  foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ³⁸  1:18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come ³⁹  scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” ⁴⁰ 

Ruth 4:10-13

4:10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife to raise up a descendant who will inherit his property ⁴¹  so the name of the deceased might not disappear ⁴²  from among his relatives and from his village. ⁴³  You are witnesses today.” 4:11 All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May ⁴⁴  you prosper ⁴⁵  in Ephrathah and become famous ⁴⁶  in Bethlehem. ⁴⁷  4:12 May your family ⁴⁸  become like the family of Perez ⁴⁹  – whom Tamar bore to Judah – through the descendants ⁵⁰  the Lord gives you by this young woman.”

A Grandson is Born to Naomi

4:13 So Boaz married Ruth and had sexual relations with her. ⁵¹  The Lord enabled her to conceive ⁵²  and she gave birth to a son.

Matthew 22:2-10

22:2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 22:3 He sent his slaves ⁵³  to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. 22:4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. ⁵⁴  My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ 22:5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 22:6 The ⁵⁵  rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 22:7 The ⁵⁶  king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death ⁵⁷  and set their city ⁵⁸  on fire. 22:8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 22:9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 22:10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Matthew 25:1-10

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five ⁵⁹  of the virgins ⁶⁰  were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When ⁶¹  the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra ⁶²  olive oil ⁶³  with them. 25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When ⁶⁴  the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ ⁶⁵  25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The ⁶⁶  foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. ⁶⁷  ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then ⁶⁸  the door was shut.

John 2:1-10

Turning Water into Wine

2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana ⁶⁹  in Galilee. ⁷⁰  Jesus’ mother ⁷¹  was there, 2:2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. ⁷²  2:3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” ⁷³  2:4 Jesus replied, ⁷⁴  “Woman, ⁷⁵  why are you saying this to me? ⁷⁶  My time ⁷⁷  has not yet come.” 2:5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” ⁷⁸ 

2:6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, ⁷⁹  each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁸⁰  2:7 Jesus told the servants, ⁸¹  “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. 2:8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” ⁸²  and they did. 2:9 When ⁸³  the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from ⁸⁴  (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he ⁸⁵  called the bridegroom 2:10 and said to him, “Everyone ⁸⁶  serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper ⁸⁷  wine when the guests ⁸⁸  are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!”

Revelation 19:9

19:9 Then ⁸⁹  the angel ⁹⁰  said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

[1:10]  ¹ tn Or “they should naturally comprehend.” The present tense in this context may have a conative force.

[1:11]  ² tn Or “they have gone the way of Cain.”

[1:11]  ³ tn Grk “for wages.”

[1:11]  ⁴ tn The verb ἐκχέω (ekcew) normally means “pour out.” Here, in the passive, it occasionally has a reflexive idea, as BDAG 312 s.v. 3. suggests (with extra-biblical examples).

[1:11]  ⁵ tn Or “in.”

[1:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “and.” See note on “perish” later in this verse.

[1:11]  ⁷ tn The three verbs in this verse are all aorist indicative (“have gone down,” “have abandoned,” “have perished”). Although the first and second could be considered constative or ingressive, the last is almost surely proleptic (referring to the certainty of their future judgment). Although it may seem odd that a proleptic aorist is so casually connected to other aorists with a different syntactical force, it is not unparalleled (cf. Rom 8:30).

[1:12]  ⁸ tn Grk “these are the men who are.”

[1:12]  ⁹ tn Though σπιλάδες (spilades) is frequently translated “blemishes” or “stains,” such is actually a translation of the Greek word σπίλοι (spiloi). The two words are quite similar, especially in their root or lexical forms (σπιλάς [spila"] and σπίλος [spilos] respectively). Some scholars have suggested that σπιλάδες in this context means the same thing as σπίλοι. But such could be the case only by a stretch of the imagination (see BDAG 938 s.v. σπιλάς for discussion). Others suggest that Jude’s spelling was in error (which also is doubtful). One reason for the tension is that in the parallel passage, 2 Pet 2:13, the term used is indeed σπίλος. And if either Jude used 2 Peter or 2 Peter used Jude, one would expect to see the same word. Jude, however, may have changed the wording for the sake of a subtle wordplay. The word σπιλάς was often used of a mere rock, though it normally was associated with a rock along the shore or one jutting out in the water. Thus, the false teachers would appear as “rocks” – as pillars in the community (cf. Matt 16:18; Gal 2:9), when in reality if a believer got too close to them his faith would get shipwrecked. Some suggest that σπιλάδες here means “hidden rocks.” Though this meaning is attested for the word, it is inappropriate in this context, since these false teachers are anything but hidden. They are dangerous because undiscerning folks get close to them, thinking they are rocks and pillars, when they are really dangerous reefs.

[1:12]  ¹⁰ tc Several witnesses (A C^vid 1243 1846 al), influenced by the parallel in 2 Pet 2:13, read ἀπάταις (apatai", “deceptions”) for ἀγάπαις (agapai", “love-feasts”) in v. 12. However, ἀγάπαις has much stronger and earlier support and should therefore be considered original.

[1:12]  ¹¹ tn Or “fearlessly.” The term in this context, however, is decidedly negative. The implication is that these false teachers ate the Lord’s Supper without regarding the sanctity of the meal. Cf. 1 Cor 11:17-22.

[1:12]  ¹² tn Grk “shepherding themselves.” The verb ποιμαίνω (poimainw) means “shepherd, nurture [the flock].” But these men, rather than tending to the flock of God, nurture only themselves. They thus fall under the condemnation Paul uttered when writing to the Corinthians: “For when it comes time to eat [the Lord’s Supper,] each one goes ahead with his own meal” (1 Cor 11:21). Above all, the love-feast was intended to be a shared meal in which all ate and all felt welcome.

[1:12]  ¹³ tn “They are” is not in Greek, but resumes the thought begun at the front of v. 12. There is no period before “They are.” English usage requires breaking this into more than one sentence.

[1:12]  ¹⁴ tn Cf. 2 Pet 2:17. Jude’s emphasis is slightly different (instead of waterless springs, they are waterless clouds).

[1:12]  ¹⁵ sn The imagery portraying the false teachers as autumn trees without fruit has to do with their lack of productivity. Recall the statement to the same effect by Jesus in Matt 7:16-20, in which false prophets will be known by their fruits. Like waterless clouds full of false hope, these trees do not yield any harvest even though it is expected.

[1:12]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “having died twice.”

[1:13]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “wild waves of the sea.”

[1:13]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “foaming, causing to foam.” The verb form is intensive and causative. BDAG 360 s.v. ἐπαφρίζω suggests the meaning “to cause to splash up like froth, cause to foam,” or, in this context, “waves casting up their own shameless deeds like (dirty) foam.”

[1:13]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “shames, shameful things.” It is uncertain whether shameful deeds or shameful words are in view. Either way, the picture has taken a decided turn: Though waterless clouds and fruitless trees may promise good things, but deliver nothing, wild sea-waves are portents of filth spewed forth from the belly of the sea.

[1:13]  ²⁰ sn The imagery of a star seems to fit the nautical theme that Jude is developing. Stars were of course the guides to sailors at night, just as teachers are responsible to lead the flock through a benighted world. But false teachers, as wayward stars, are not fixed and hence offer unreliable, even disastrous guidance. They are thus both the dangerous reefs on which the ships could be destroyed and the false guides, leading them into these rocks. There is a special irony that these lights will be snuffed out, reserved for the darkest depths of eternal darkness.

[1:13]  ²¹ tn Grk “utter darkness of darkness for eternity.” See note on the word “utter” in v. 6.

[1:14]  ²² tn Grk “the seventh from Adam.”

[1:14]  ²³ tn Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις (toutois) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).

[1:14]  ²⁴ tn Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.

[1:14]  ²⁵ tn Grk “ten thousands.” The word μυριάς (muria"), from which the English myriad is derived, means “ten thousand.” In the plural it means “ten thousands.” This would mean, minimally, 20,000 (a multiple of ten thousand). At the same time, the term was often used in apocalyptic literature to represent simply a rather large number, without any attempt to be specific.

[1:15]  ²⁶ tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).

[1:15]  ²⁷ tn Or “soul.”

[1:15]  ²⁸ tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.

[1:15]  ²⁹ tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebew) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.

[1:15]  ³⁰ sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.

[1:16]  ³¹ tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

[1:16]  ³² tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

[1:16]  ³³ tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

[1:16]  ³⁴ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

[1:16]  ³⁵ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

[1:16]  ³⁶ tn Or “to their own advantage.”

[1:17]  ³⁷ tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.

[1:17]  ³⁸ sn This verse parallels 2 Pet 3:2 both conceptually and in much of the verbiage. There is one important difference, however: In 2 Pet 3:2 the prophets and apostles speak; here, just the apostles speak. This makes good sense if Jude is using 2 Peter as his main source and is urging his readers to go back to the authoritative writings, both OT and now especially NT.

[1:18]  ³⁹ tn Grk “be.”

[1:18]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”

[4:10]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance” (NASB similar).

[4:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “be cut off” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “may not perish.”

[4:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and from the gate of his place” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “from the court of his birth place”; NIV “from the town records.”

[4:11]  ⁴⁴ tn Following the jussive, the imperative with prefixed vav indicates purpose or result.

[4:11]  ⁴⁵ tn The phrase וַעֲשֵׂה־חַיִל (va’aseh-khayil, literally, “do strength”) has been variously translated: (1) financial prosperity: “may you become rich” (TEV), “may you be a rich man” (CEV), “may you achieve wealth” (NASB), “may you prosper” (NKJV, NJPS); (2) social prominence: “may you become powerful” (NCV), “may you have standing” (NIV), “may you be great” (NLT), “may you do well” (NAB); (3) reproductive fertility: “may you produce children” (NRSV); and (4) social activity: “may you do a worthy deed” (REB).

[4:11]  ⁴⁶ tc Heb “and call a name.” This statement appears to be elliptical. Usually the person named and the name itself follow this expression. Perhaps וּקְרָא־שֵׁם (uqÿra’-shem) should be emended to וְיִקָּרֵא־שֵׁם (vÿyiqqare’-shem), “and your name will be called out,” that is, “perpetuated” (see Gen 48:16, cf. also Ruth 4:14b). The omission of the suffix with “name” could be explained as virtual haplography (note the letter bet [ב], which is similar to kaf [כ], at the beginning of the next word). The same explanation could account for the omission of the prefixed yod (י) on the verb “call” (yod [י] and vav [ו] are similar in appearance). Whether one reads the imperative (the form in the MT) or the jussive (the emended form), the construction indicates purpose or result following the earlier jussive “may he make.”

[4:11]  ⁴⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[4:12]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “your house” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[4:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the offspring whom the Lord gives to you from this young woman.”

[4:12]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “from the seed” (KJV, ASV both similar); NASB, NIV “through the offspring”; NRSV “through the children.”

[4:13]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went in to her.” Here the phrase “went in to her” (so NASB) is a euphemism for having sexual relations (cf. NCV); NLT “When he slept with her.”

[4:13]  ⁵² tn Heb “gave her conception” (so KJV); NRSV “made her conceive”; NLT “enabled her to become pregnant.”

[22:3]  ⁵³ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[22:4]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “Behold, I have prepared my dinner.” In some contexts, however, to translate ἄριστον (ariston) as “dinner” somewhat misses the point. L&N 23.22 here suggests, “See now, the feast I have prepared (for you is ready).”

[22:6]  ⁵⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[22:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[22:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers.” The verb ἀπώλεσεν (apwlesen) is causative, indicating that the king was the one behind the execution of the murderers. In English the causative idea is not expressed naturally here; either a purpose clause (“he sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death”) or a relative clause (“he sent his soldier who put those murderers to death”) is preferred.

[22:7]  ⁵⁸ tn The Greek text reads here πόλις (polis), which could be translated “town” or “city.” The prophetic reference is to the city of Jerusalem, so “city” is more appropriate here.

[25:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “Five of them.”

[25:3]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[25:3]  ⁶² tn The word “extra” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The point is that the five foolish virgins had only the oil in their lamps, but took along no extra supply from which to replenish them. This is clear from v. 8, where the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because they are running out of oil.

[25:3]  ⁶³ tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.

[25:5]  ⁶⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:6]  ⁶⁵ tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA²⁷ has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[25:8]  ⁶⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:9]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”

[25:10]  ⁶⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[2:1]  ⁶⁹ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:1]  ⁷⁰ sn Cana in Galilee was not a very well-known place. It is mentioned only here, in 4:46, and 21:2, and nowhere else in the NT. Josephus (Life 16 [86]) says he once had his quarters there. The probable location is present day Khirbet Cana, 8 mi (14 km) north of Nazareth, or Khirbet Kenna, 4 mi (7 km) northeast of Nazareth.

[2:1]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”

[2:2]  ⁷² sn There is no clue to the identity of the bride and groom, but in all probability either relatives or friends of Jesus’ family were involved, since Jesus’ mother and both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the celebration. The attitude of Mary in approaching Jesus and asking him to do something when the wine ran out also suggests that familial obligations were involved.

[2:3]  ⁷³ tn The word “left” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[2:4]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “and Jesus said to her.”

[2:4]  ⁷⁵ sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the “Son of Man.” This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is “given” to Mary as her “new” son.

[2:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “Woman, what to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).

[2:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “my hour” (referring to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and return to the Father).

[2:5]  ⁷⁸ tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[2:6]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “for the purification of the Jews.”

[2:6]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “holding two or three metretes” (about 75 to 115 liters). Each of the pots held 2 or 3 μετρηταί (metrhtai). A μετρητῆς (metrhths) was about 9 gallons (40 liters); thus each jar held 18-27 gallons (80-120 liters) and the total volume of liquid involved was 108-162 gallons (480-720 liters).

[2:7]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “them” (it is clear from the context that the servants are addressed).

[2:8]  ⁸² tn Or “the master of ceremonies.”

[2:9]  ⁸³ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[2:9]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “and he did not know where it came from.”

[2:9]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “the head steward”; here the repetition of the phrase is somewhat redundant in English and the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.

[2:10]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “every man” (in a generic sense).

[2:10]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “poorer.”

[2:10]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “when they”; the referent (the guests) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:9]  ⁸⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[19:9]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.