Numbers 32:17-22

32:17 but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness ¹  and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against ²  the inhabitants of the land. 32:18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance. 32:19 For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River ³  and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

32:20 Then Moses replied, ⁴  “If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, 32:21 and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence 32:22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord’s sight.

Galatians 5:13

Practice Love

5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; ⁵  only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, ⁶  but through love serve one another. ⁷ 

Galatians 6:2

6:2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Philippians 1:21-26

1:21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 1:22 Now if I am to go on living in the body, ⁸  this will mean productive work ⁹  for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: ¹⁰  1:23 I feel torn between the two, ¹¹  because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, 1:24 but it is more vital for your sake that I remain ¹²  in the body. ¹³  1:25 And since I am sure of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for the sake of your progress ¹⁴  and joy in the faith, ¹⁵  1:26 so that what you can be proud of may increase ¹⁶  because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you. ¹⁷ 

Philippians 2:4

2:4 Each of you should be concerned ¹⁸  not only ¹⁹  about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. ²⁰ 

[32:17]  ¹ tn The MT has חֻשִׁים (khushim); the verbal root is חוּשׁ (khush, “to make haste” or “hurry”). But in light of the Greek and Latin Vulgate the Hebrew should probably be emended to חֲמֻשִׁים (hamushim), a qal passive participle meaning “in battle array.” See further BDB 301 s.v. I חוּשׁ, BDB 332 s.v. חֲמֻשִׁים; HALOT 300 s.v. I חושׁ, חישׁ; HALOT 331 s.v. I חמשׁ.

[32:17]  ² tn Heb “from before.”

[32:19]  ³ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[32:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “said to them.”

[5:13]  ⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[5:13]  ⁶ tn Grk “as an opportunity for the flesh”; BDAG 915 s.v. σάρξ 2.c.α states: “In Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as σ. or flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likew. present, and no good thing can live in the σάρξ…Gal 5:13, 24;…Opp. τὸ πνεῦμα…Gal 3:3; 5:16, 17ab; 6:8ab.”

[5:13]  ⁷ tn It is possible that the verb δουλεύετε (douleuete) should be translated “serve one another in a humble manner” here, referring to the way in which slaves serve their masters (see L&N 35.27).

[1:22]  ⁸ tn Grk “flesh.”

[1:22]  ⁹ tn Grk “fruit of work”; the genitive ἔργου (ergou) is taken as an attributed genitive in which the head noun, καρπός (karpos), functions attributively (cf. ExSyn 89-91).

[1:22]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “what I shall prefer.” The Greek verb αἱρέω (Jairew) could also mean “choose,” but in this context such a translation is problematic for it suggests that Paul could perhaps choose suicide (cf. L&N 30.86).

[1:23]  ¹¹ tn Grk “I am hard-pressed between the two.” Cf. L&N 30.18.

[1:24]  ¹² tn Grk “But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.”

[1:24]  ¹³ tn Grk “the flesh.”

[1:25]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “for your progress.”

[1:25]  ¹⁵ sn Paul’s confidence in his release from prison (I know that I will remain and continue with all of you) implies that this Roman imprisonment did not end in his death. Hence, there is the likelihood that he experienced a second Roman imprisonment later on (since the belief of the early church was that Paul died under Nero in Rome). If so, then the pastoral letters (1-2 Tim, Titus) could well fit into a life of Paul that goes beyond any descriptions in the book of Acts (which ends with Paul’s first Roman imprisonment). Some have argued that the pastorals cannot be genuine because they cannot fit into the history of Acts. But this view presupposes that Paul’s first Roman imprisonment was also his last.

[1:26]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “your boasting may overflow in Christ Jesus because of me,” or possibly, “your boasting in me may overflow in Christ Jesus.” BDAG 536 s.v. καύχημα 1 translates the phrase τὸ καύχημα ὑμῶν (to kauchma jJumwn) in Phil 1:26 as “what you can be proud of.”

[1:26]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “through my coming again to you.”

[2:4]  ¹⁸ tn On the meaning “be concerned about” for σκοπέω (skopew), see L&N 27.36.

[2:4]  ¹⁹ tn The word “only” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the ἀλλὰ καί (alla kai) in the second clause (“but…as well”). The bulk of the Western text dropped the καί, motivated most likely by ascetic concerns.

[2:4]  ²⁰ tc The bulk of the Western text (D*^,c F G K it) dropped καί (kai) here, most likely due to ascetic concerns. Strong external attestation for its inclusion from excellent witnesses as well as the majority (Ì⁴⁶ א A B C D² 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï) also marks it as original.