Psalms 25:9

25:9 May he show ¹  the humble what is right! ² 

May he teach ³  the humble his way!

Psalms 149:4

149:4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;

he exalts the oppressed by delivering them. ⁴ 

Zephaniah 2:3

2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor, ⁵  all you humble people ⁶  of the land who have obeyed his commands! ⁷ 

Strive to do what is right! ⁸  Strive to be humble! ⁹ 

Maybe you will be protected ¹⁰  on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Matthew 5:5

5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:1

The Beatitudes

5:1 When ¹¹  he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. ¹²  After he sat down his disciples came to him.

Matthew 3:4

3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. ¹³ 

[25:9]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.

[25:9]  ² tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.

[25:9]  ³ tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).

[149:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “he honors the oppressed [with] deliverance.”

[2:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Or “poor.” The precise referent of this Hebrew term is unclear. The word may refer to the economically poor or to the spiritually humble.

[2:3]  ⁷ tn The present translation assumes the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here refers to God’s covenantal requirements and is a synonym for the Law. The word can mean “justice” and could refer more specifically to the principles of justice contained in the Law. In this case the phrase could be translated, “who have promoted the justice God demands.”

[2:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “Seek what is right.”

[2:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “Seek humility.”

[2:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”

[5:1]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[5:1]  ¹² tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").

[3:4]  ¹³ sn John’s lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God’s prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions, and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the “clean” foods.