Proverbs 1:22

1:22 “How long will you simpletons ¹  love naiveté? ² 

How long ³  will mockers ⁴  delight ⁵  in mockery ⁶ 

and fools ⁷  hate knowledge?

Proverbs 9:4

9:4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”

she says ⁸  to those ⁹  who lack understanding. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 19:7

19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect

and preserves one’s life. ¹¹ 

The rules set down by the Lord ¹²  are reliable ¹³ 

and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. ¹⁴ 

Psalms 94:8

94:8 Take notice of this, ¹⁵  you ignorant people! ¹⁶ 

You fools, when will you ever understand?

Isaiah 42:13

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ¹⁷ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ¹⁸ 

Isaiah 55:1-3

The Lord Gives an Invitation

55:1 “Hey, ¹⁹  all who are thirsty, come to the water!

You who have no money, come!

Buy and eat!

Come! Buy wine and milk

without money and without cost! ²⁰ 

55:2 Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? ²¹ 

Why spend ²²  your hard-earned money ²³  on something that will not satisfy?

Listen carefully ²⁴  to me and eat what is nourishing! ²⁵ 

Enjoy fine food! ²⁶ 

55:3 Pay attention and come to me!

Listen, so you can live! ²⁷ 

Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to ²⁸  you,

just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. ²⁹ 

Acts 26:18

26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ³⁰  from darkness to light and from the power ³¹  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ³²  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 26:1

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ³³  said to Paul, “You have permission ³⁴  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ³⁵  and began his defense: ³⁶ 

Colossians 1:28

1:28 We proclaim him by instructing ³⁷  and teaching ³⁸  all people ³⁹  with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature ⁴⁰  in Christ.

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁴¹  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1:9-11

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁴²  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁴³  to fill ⁴⁴  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1:10 so that you may live ⁴⁵  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ⁴⁶  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of ⁴⁷  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

Revelation 3:17-18

3:17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, ⁴⁸  and need nothing,” but ⁴⁹  do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, ⁵⁰  poor, blind, and naked, 3:18 take my advice ⁵¹  and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me ⁵²  white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness ⁵³  will not be exposed, and buy eye salve ⁵⁴  to put on your eyes so you can see!

[1:22]  ¹ tn Wisdom addresses three types of people: simpletons (פְּתָיִם, pÿtayim), scoffers (לֵצִים, letsim) and fools (כְּסִילִים, kÿsilim). For the term “simpleton” see note on 1:4. Each of these three types of people is satisfied with the life being led and will not listen to reason. See J. A. Emerton, “A Note on the Hebrew Text of Proverbs 1:22-23,” JTS 19 (1968): 609-14.

[1:22]  ² tn Heb “simplicity” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “inanity.” The noun פֶּתִי (peti) means “simplicity; lack of wisdom” (BDB 834 s.v.; HALOT 989 s.v. II פֶּתִי). It is related to the term פְּתָיִם (pÿtayim) “simpletons” and so forms a striking wordplay. This lack of wisdom and moral simplicity is inherent in the character of the naive person.

[1:22]  ³ tn The second instance of “How long?” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it is supplied in the translation for smoothness and style.

[1:22]  ⁴ sn The term לֵצִים (leysim, “scoffers; mockers”) comes from the root לִיץ (lits, “to scorn; to mock; to speak indirectly” (BDB 539 s.v. לִיץ). They are cynical and defiant freethinkers who ridicule the righteous and all for which they stand (e.g., Ps 1:1).

[1:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “delight.” The verb (חָמַד, khamad) is often translated “to take pleasure; to delight” but frequently has the meaning of a selfish desire, a coveting of something. It is the term, for example, used for coveting in the Decalogue (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21) and for the covetous desire of Eve (Gen 3:6) and Achan (Josh 7:21). It is tempting to nuance it here as “illicit desire” for mockery.

[1:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “for themselves.” The ethical dative לָהֶם (lahem, “for themselves”) is normally untranslated. It is a rhetorical device emphasizing that they take delight in mockery for their own self-interests.

[1:22]  ⁷ sn The term “fool” (כְּסִיל, kÿsil) refers to the morally insensitive dullard (BDB 493 s.v.).

[9:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “lacking of heart she says to him.” The pronominal suffix is a resumptive pronoun, meaning, “she says to the lacking of heart.”

[9:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “him.”

[9:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “heart”; cf. NIV “to those who lack judgment.”

[19:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.

[19:7]  ¹² tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the Lord.” The noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law.

[19:7]  ¹³ tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.

[19:7]  ¹⁴ tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.

[94:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “understand.” The verb used in v. 7 is repeated here for rhetorical effect. The people referred to here claim God is ignorant of their actions, but the psalmist corrects their faulty viewpoint.

[94:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[you] brutish among the people.”

[42:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ¹⁸ tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[55:1]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments and is often prefixed to judgment oracles for rhetorical effect. But here it appears to be a simple interjection, designed to grab the audience’s attention. Perhaps there is a note of sorrow or pity. See BDB 223 s.v.

[55:1]  ²⁰ sn The statement is an oxymoron. Its ironic quality adds to its rhetorical impact. The statement reminds one of the norm (one must normally buy commodities) as it expresses the astounding offer. One might paraphrase the statement: “Come and take freely what you normally have to pay for.”

[55:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “for what is not food.”

[55:2]  ²² tn The interrogative particle and the verb “spend” are understood here by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[55:2]  ²³ tn Heb “your labor,” which stands by metonymy for that which one earns.

[55:2]  ²⁴ tn The infinitive absolute follows the imperative and lends emphasis to the exhortation.

[55:2]  ²⁵ tn Heb “good” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[55:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “Let your appetite delight in fine food.”

[55:3]  ²⁷ tn The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive following the imperative indicates purpose/result.

[55:3]  ²⁸ tn Or “an eternal covenant with.”

[55:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the reliable expressions of loyalty of David.” The syntactical relationship of חַסְדֵי (khasde, “expressions of loyalty”) to the preceding line is unclear. If the term is appositional to בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”), then the Lord here transfers the promises of the Davidic covenant to the entire nation. Another option is to take חַסְדֵי (khasde) as an adverbial accusative and to translate “according to the reliable covenantal promises.” In this case the new covenantal arrangement proposed here is viewed as an extension or perhaps fulfillment of the Davidic promises. A third option, the one reflected in the above translation, is to take the last line as comparative. In this case the new covenant being proposed is analogous to the Davidic covenant. Verses 4-5, which compare David’s international prominence to what Israel will experience, favors this view. In all three of these interpretations, “David” is an objective genitive; he is the recipient of covenantal promises. A fourth option would be to take David as a subjective genitive and understand the line as giving the basis for the preceding promise: “Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, because of David’s faithful acts of covenantal loyalty.”

[26:18]  ³⁰ sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.

[26:18]  ³¹ tn BDAG 352-53 s.v. ἐξουσία 2 states, “Also of Satan’s power Ac 26:18.” It is also possible to translate this “the domain of Satan” (cf. BDAG 353 s.v. 6)

[26:18]  ³² tn Or “and an inheritance.”

[26:1]  ³³ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:1]  ³⁴ tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

[26:1]  ³⁵ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

[26:1]  ³⁶ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

[1:28]  ³⁷ tn Or “admonishing,” or “warning.” BDAG 679 s.v. νουθετέω states, “to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct,, admonish, warn, instruct.” After the participle νουθετοῦντες (nouqetounte", “instructing”) the words πάντα ἄνθρωπον (panta anqrwpon, “all men”) occur in the Greek text, but since the same phrase appears again after διδάσκοντες (didaskontes) it was omitted in translation to avoid redundancy in English.

[1:28]  ³⁸ tn The two participles “instructing” (νουθετοῦντες, nouqetounte") and “teaching” (διδάσκοντες, didaskonte") are translated as participles of means (“by”) related to the finite verb “we proclaim” (καταγγέλλομεν, katangellomen).

[1:28]  ³⁹ tn Here ἄνθρωπον (anqrwpon) is twice translated as a generic (“people” and “person”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.

[1:28]  ⁴⁰ tn Since Paul’s focus is on the present experience of the Colossians, “mature” is a better translation of τέλειον (teleion) than “perfect,” since the latter implies a future, eschatological focus.

[1:1]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:9]  ⁴² tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ⁴³ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁴⁴ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[1:10]  ⁴⁵ tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”

[1:10]  ⁴⁶ tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”

[1:11]  ⁴⁷ tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.

[3:17]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “and have become rich.” The semantic domains of the two terms for wealth here, πλούσιος (plousios, adjective) and πλουτέω (ploutew, verb) overlap considerably, but are given slightly different English translations for stylistic reasons.

[3:17]  ⁴⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[3:17]  ⁵⁰ tn All the terms in this series are preceded by καί (kai) in the Greek text, but contemporary English generally uses connectives only between the last two items in such a series.

[3:18]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “I counsel you to buy.”

[3:18]  ⁵² tn Grk “rich, and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation, repeating the words “Buy from me” to make the connection clear for the English reader.

[3:18]  ⁵³ tn Grk “the shame of the nakedness of you,” which has been translated as an attributed genitive like καινότητι ζωῆς (kainothti zwh") in Rom 6:4 (ExSyn 89-90).

[3:18]  ⁵⁴ sn The city of Laodicea had a famous medical school and exported a powder (called a “Phrygian powder”) that was widely used as an eye salve. It was applied to the eyes in the form of a paste the consistency of dough (the Greek term for the salve here, κολλούριον, kollourion [Latin collyrium], is a diminutive form of the word for a long roll of bread).