Discovery BoxPsalms 41:1-4
ContextFor the music director; a psalm of David.
41:1 How blessed 2 is the one who treats the poor properly! 3
When trouble comes, 4 the Lord delivers him. 5
41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! 6
May he be blessed 7 in the land!
Do not turn him over 8 to his enemies! 9
41:3 The Lord supports 10 him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness. 11
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!
Psalms 112:4-6
Context112:4 In the darkness a light 13 shines for the godly,
for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. 14
112:5 It goes well for the one 15 who generously lends money,
and conducts his business honestly. 16
112:6 For he will never be upended;
others will always remember one who is just. 17
Nehemiah 9:17
Context9:17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. 18 But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. 19 You did not abandon them,
Isaiah 57:1-2
Contextbut no one cares. 21
Honest people disappear, 22
that the godly 25 disappear 26 because of 27 evil. 28
57:2 Those who live uprightly enter a place of peace;
they rest on their beds. 29
Isaiah 58:7-8
Context58:7 I want you 30 to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. 31
When you see someone naked, clothe him!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! 32
58:8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; 33
your restoration will quickly arrive; 34
your godly behavior 35 will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard. 36
Matthew 18:33-35
Context18:33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ 18:34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him 37 until he repaid all he owed. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your 38 brother 39 from your heart.”
Luke 6:35-38
Context6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. 40 Then 41 your reward will be great, and you will be sons 42 of the Most High, 43 because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. 44 6:36 Be merciful, 45 just as your Father is merciful.
6:37 “Do 46 not judge, 47 and you will not be judged; 48 do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, 49 and you will be forgiven. 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, 50 will be poured 51 into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” 52
[41:1] 1 sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).
[41:1] 2 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[41:1] 3 sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
[41:1] 4 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
[41:1] 5 tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the
[41:2] 6 tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.
[41:2] 7 tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (’ashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).
[41:2] 8 tn The negative particle אַל (’al) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (lo’), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.
[41:2] 9 tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
[41:3] 10 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
[41:3] 11 tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.
[41:4] 12 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
[112:4] 13 tn In this context “light” symbolizes divine blessing in its various forms (see v. 2), including material prosperity and stability.
[112:4] 14 tn Heb “merciful and compassionate and just.” The Hebrew text has three singular adjectives, which are probably substantival and in apposition to the “godly” (which is plural, however). By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the “godly.” Note how vv. 5-9, like vv. 1-2a, use the singular to describe the representative godly individual who typifies the whole group.
[112:5] 16 tn Heb “he sustains his matters with justice.”
[112:6] 17 tn Heb “for an eternal memorial a just [one] will be.”
[9:17] 18 tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew
[9:17] 19 tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (vÿkhesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT.
[57:1] 20 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man”; TEV “Good people.”
[57:1] 21 tn Or perhaps, “understands.” Heb “and there is no man who sets [it] upon [his] heart.”
[57:1] 22 tn Heb “Men of loyalty are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 23 tn The Hebrew term בְּאֵין (bÿ’en) often has the nuance “when there is no.” See Prov 8:24; 11;14; 14:4; 15:22; 26:20; 29:18.
[57:1] 24 tn Or “realizes”; Heb “understands” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[57:1] 25 tn Or “righteous” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the just man.”
[57:1] 26 tn Heb “are taken away.” The Niphal of אָסַף (’asaf) here means “to die.”
[57:1] 27 tn The term מִפְּנֵי (mippÿne, “from the face of”) often has a causal nuance. It also appears with the Niphal of אָסַף (’asaph, “gather”) in 2 Chr 12:5: אֲשֶׁר־נֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלַם מִפְּנֵי שִׁישָׁק (’asher-ne’esphu ’el-yÿrushalam mippÿney shishaq, “who had gathered at Jerusalem because of [i.e., due to fear of] Shishak”).
[57:1] 28 tn The translation assumes that this verse, in proverbial fashion, laments society’s apathy over the persecution of the godly. The second half of the verse observes that such apathy results in more widespread oppression. Since the next verse pictures the godly being taken to a place of rest, some interpret the second half of v. 1 in a more positive vein. According to proponents of this view, God removes the godly so that they might be spared suffering and calamity, a fact which the general populace fails to realize.
[57:2] 29 tn Heb “he enters peace, they rest on their beds, the one who walks straight ahead of himself.” The tomb is here viewed in a fairly positive way as a place where the dead are at peace and sleep undisturbed.
[58:7] 30 tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”
[58:7] 31 tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.
[58:7] 32 tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”
[58:8] 33 tn Heb “will burst out like the dawn.”
[58:8] 34 tn Heb “prosper”; KJV “spring forth speedily.”
[58:8] 35 tn Or “righteousness.” Their godly behavior will be on display for all to see.
[58:8] 36 sn The nation will experience God’s protective presence.
[18:34] 37 tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.
[18:35] 38 tn Grk “his.” The pronoun has been translated to follow English idiom (the last pronoun of the verse [“from your heart”] is second person plural in the original).
[18:35] 39 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.
[6:35] 41 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the outcome or result. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.
[6:35] 42 sn The character of these actions reflects the grace and kindness of God, bearing witness to a “line of descent” or relationship of the individual to God (sons of the Most High). There is to be a unique kind of ethic at work with disciples. Jesus refers specifically to sons here because in the ancient world sons had special privileges which were rarely accorded to daughters. However, Jesus is most likely addressing both men and women in this context, so women too would receive these same privileges.
[6:35] 43 sn That is, “sons of God.”
[6:35] 44 tn Or “to the ungrateful and immoral.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[6:36] 45 sn Merciful is a characteristic of God often noted in the OT: Exod 34:6; Deut 4:31; Joel 2:31; Jonah 4:2; 2 Sam 24:14. This remark also echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: “you must be holy as I am holy.”
[6:37] 46 tn Grk “And do.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[6:37] 47 sn As the Gospel makes clear, with the statement do not judge Jesus had in mind making a judgment that caused one to cut oneself off from someone so that they ceased to be reached out to (5:27-32; 15:1-32). Jesus himself did make judgments about where people stand (11:37-54), but not in such a way that he ceased to continue to offer them God’s grace.
[6:37] 48 sn The point of the statement do not judge, and you will not be judged is that the standards one applies to others God applies back. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.
[6:37] 49 sn On forgive see Luke 11:4; 1 Pet 3:7.
[6:38] 50 sn The background to the image pressed down, shaken together, running over is pouring out grain for measure in the marketplace. One often poured the grain into a container, shook it to level out the grain and then poured in some more. Those who are generous have generosity running over for them.
[6:38] 51 tn Grk “they will give”; that is, “pour.” The third person plural has been replaced by the passive in the translation.
[6:38] 52 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured back to you.”
