Matthew 23:9

23:9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

Matthew 23:2

23:2 “The ¹  experts in the law ²  and the Pharisees ³  sit on Moses’ seat.

Matthew 20:6

20:6 And about five o’clock that afternoon ⁴  he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’

Psalms 115:3

115:3 Our God is in heaven!

He does whatever he pleases! ⁵ 

Isaiah 57:15

57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,

the one who rules ⁶  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ⁷ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ⁸ 

Isaiah 66:1

66:1 This is what the Lord says:

“The heavens are my throne

and the earth is my footstool.

Where then is the house you will build for me?

Where is the place where I will rest?

[23:2]  ¹ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[23:2]  ² tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:2]  ³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[20:6]  ⁴ tn Grk “about the eleventh hour.”

[115:3]  ⁵ sn He does whatever he pleases. Such sovereignty is characteristic of kings (see Eccl 8:3).

[57:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.

[57:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.

[57:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”