Proverbs 15:9

15:9 The Lord abhors ¹  the way of the wicked,

but he loves those ²  who pursue ³  righteousness.

Isaiah 51:1

There is Hope for the Future

51:1 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness, ⁴ 

who seek the Lord!

Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,

at the quarry ⁵  from which you were dug! ⁶ 

Hosea 6:3

6:3 So let us acknowledge him! ⁷ 

Let us seek ⁸  to acknowledge ⁹  the Lord!

He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn,

as certainly as the winter rain comes,

as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”

Matthew 5:6

5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger ¹⁰  and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Romans 14:19

14:19 So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.

Philippians 3:12

Keep Going Forward

3:12 Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. ¹¹ 

Philippians 3:1

True and False Righteousness

3:1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, ¹²  rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Philippians 1:21

1:21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Philippians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul ¹³  and Timothy, slaves ¹⁴  of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, ¹⁵  with the overseers ¹⁶  and deacons.

Philippians 1:11

1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:2

1:2 Grace and peace to you ¹⁷  from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Philippians 2:22

2:22 But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.

Hebrews 12:14

Do Not Reject God’s Warning

12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, ¹⁸  for without it no one will see the Lord.

[15:9]  ¹ tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”

[15:9]  ² tn Heb “the one who” (so NRSV).

[15:9]  ³ sn God hates the way of the wicked, that is, their lifestyle and things they do. God loves those who pursue righteousness, the Piel verb signifying a persistent pursuit. W. G. Plaut says, “He who loves God will be moved to an active, persistent, and even dangerous search for justice” (Proverbs, 170).

[51:1]  ⁴ tn Or “righteousness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “justice”; NLT “hope for deliverance.”

[51:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “the excavation of the hole.”

[51:1]  ⁶ sn The “rock” and “quarry” refer here to Abraham and Sarah, the progenitors of the nation.

[6:3]  ⁷ tn The object (“him”) is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “let us pursue in order to know.” The Hebrew term רָדַף (radaf, “to pursue”) is used figuratively: “to aim to secure” (BDB 923 s.v. רָדַף 2). It describes the pursuit of a moral goal: “Do not pervert justice…nor accept a bribe…pursue [רָדַף] justice” (Deut 16:20); “those who pursue [רָדַף] righteousness and who seek [בָּקַשׁ, baqash] the Lord” (Isa 51:1); “He who pursues [רָדַף] righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor” (Prov 21:20); “Seek [בָּקַשׁ] peace and pursue [רָדַף] it” (Ps 34:15); “they slander me when I pursue [רָדַף] good” (Ps 38:21).

[6:3]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew infinitive construct with לְ (lamed) denotes purpose: “to know” (לָדַעַת, lada’at).

[5:6]  ¹⁰ sn Those who hunger are people like the poor Jesus has already mentioned. The term has OT roots both in conjunction with the poor (Isa 32:6-7; 58:6-7, 9-10; Ezek 18:7, 16) or by itself (Ps 37:16-19; 107:9).

[3:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” The passive has been translated as active in keeping with contemporary English style.

[3:1]  ¹² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “servants” or “bondservants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ¹⁵ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[1:1]  ¹⁶ sn The overseers (or “church leaders,” L&N 53.71) is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in Titus 1:6-7 and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between Titus 1:6-7 and 1 Tim 3:1-7.

[1:2]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”

[12:14]  ¹⁸ sn The references to peace and holiness show the close connection between this paragraph and the previous one. The pathway toward “holiness” and the need for it is cited in Heb 12:10 and 14. More importantly Prov 4:26-27 sets up the transition from one paragraph to the next: It urges people to stay on godly paths (Prov 4:26, quoted here in v. 13) and promises that God will lead them in peace if they do so (Prov 4:27 [LXX], quoted in v. 14).