Discovery BoxPsalms 19:7-9
Context19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 1
The rules set down by the Lord 2 are reliable 3
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 4
19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair 5
and make one joyful. 6
The Lord’s commands 7 are pure 8
and give insight for life. 9
19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right 10
and endure forever. 11
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just. 12
Isaiah 8:20
Context8:20 Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. 13 Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. 14
Isaiah 41:21-23
Context41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.
“Produce your evidence,” 15 says Jacob’s king. 16
41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!
Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, 17
so we may examine them 18 and see how they were fulfilled. 19
Or decree for us some future events!
41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, 20
so we might know you are gods.
Yes, do something good or bad,
so we might be frightened and in awe. 21
Isaiah 41:26
Context41:26 Who decreed this from the beginning, so we could know?
Who announced it 22 ahead of time, so we could say, ‘He’s correct’?
Indeed, none of them decreed it!
Indeed, none of them announced it!
Indeed, no one heard you say anything!
Luke 16:29-31
Context16:29 But Abraham said, 23 ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to 24 them.’ 16:30 Then 25 the rich man 26 said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead 27 goes to them, they will repent.’ 16:31 He 28 replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to 29 Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” 30
John 5:39
Context5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly 31 because you think in them you possess eternal life, 32 and it is these same scriptures 33 that testify about me,
Acts 17:11
Context17:11 These Jews 34 were more open-minded 35 than those in Thessalonica, 36 for they eagerly 37 received 38 the message, examining 39 the scriptures carefully every day 40 to see if these things were so.
[19:7] 1 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] 2 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the
[19:7] 3 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
[19:7] 4 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.
[19:8] 5 tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.
[19:8] 6 tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.
[19:8] 7 tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.
[19:8] 8 tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.
[19:8] 9 tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.
[19:9] 10 tn Heb “the fear of the
[19:9] 11 tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”
[19:9] 12 sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.
[8:20] 13 tn Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you…, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. 16.
[8:20] 14 tn Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 230, n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).
[41:21] 15 tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.
[41:21] 16 sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.
[41:22] 17 tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”
[41:22] 18 tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”
[41:22] 19 tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”
[41:23] 20 tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”
[41:23] 21 tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).
[41:26] 22 tn The words “who announced it” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The interrogative particle and verb are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[16:29] 23 tn Grk “says.” This is one of the few times Luke uses the historical present.
[16:29] 24 tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” This recalls the many OT texts calling for a righteous heart to respond to people in need (Deut 14:28-29; Isa 3:14-15; Amos 2:6-8; Mic 2:1-2; Zech 7:9-10).
[16:30] 25 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[16:30] 26 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:30] 27 sn If someone from the dead goes to them. The irony and joy of the story is that what is denied the rich man’s brothers, a word of warning from beyond the grave, is given to the reader of the Gospel in this exchange.
[16:31] 28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[16:31] 29 tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” See the note on the phrase “respond to” in v. 29.
[16:31] 30 sn The concluding statement of the parable, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead, provides a hint that even Jesus’ resurrection will not help some to respond. The message of God should be good enough. Scripture is the sign to be heeded.
[5:39] 31 tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.
[5:39] 32 sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”
[5:39] 33 tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).
[17:11] 34 tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:11] 35 tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.
[17:11] 36 sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).
[17:11] 37 tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”
[17:11] 38 tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.
[17:11] 39 tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.
[17:11] 40 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.
