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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday November 22, 2021 (NIV)

Ezekiel 44:1-45:12

The Closed Gate

44 Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary that faces east, but it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me: “This gate will be shut; it will not be opened, and no one will enter by it. For the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it will remain shut. 3 Only the prince may sit in it to eat a sacrificial meal[a] before the Lord; he will enter by way of the porch of the gate and will go out by the same way.”

4 Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. As I watched, I noticed[b] the glory of the Lord filling the Lord’s temple, and I threw myself face down. 5 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, pay attention,[c] watch closely, and listen carefully to[d] everything I tell you concerning all the statutes of the Lord’s house and all its laws. Pay attention to the entrances[e] to the temple with all the exits of the sanctuary. 6 Say to the rebellious,[f] to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of all your abominable practices, O house of Israel! 7 When you bring foreigners, those uncircumcised in heart and in flesh, into my sanctuary, you desecrate[g] it—even my house—when you offer my food, the fat and the blood. You[h] have broken my covenant by all your abominable practices. 8 You have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have assigned foreigners[i] to keep charge of my sanctuary for you. 9 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner who is uncircumcised in heart and flesh among all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel will enter into my sanctuary.[j]

10 “‘But the Levites who went far from me, straying off from me after their idols when Israel went astray, will be responsible for[k] their sin. 11 Yet they will be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple, and serving the temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for the people, and they will stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they used to minister to them before their idols and became a sinful obstacle[l] to the house of Israel, consequently I have made a vow[m] concerning them, declares the Sovereign Lord, that they will be responsible for[n] their sin. 13 They will not come near me to serve me as priest, nor will they come near any of my holy things, the things that are most sacred. They will bear the shame of the abominable deeds they have committed. 14 Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, all its service, and all that will be done in it.

The Levitical Priests

15 “‘But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok[o] who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, will approach me to minister to me; they will stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 They will enter my sanctuary and approach my table to minister to me; they will keep my charge.

17 “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they must wear linen garments; they must not have any wool on them when they minister in the inner gates of the court and in the temple. 18 Linen turbans will be on their heads and linen undergarments will be around their waists; they must not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 When they go out to the outer court to the people, they must remove the garments they were ministering in and place them in the holy chambers; they must put on other garments so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.[p]

20 “‘They must not shave their heads[q] nor let their hair grow long;[r] they must only trim their heads. 21 No priest may drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 They must not marry a widow or a divorcee, but they may marry a virgin from the house of Israel[s] or a widow who is a priest’s widow. 23 Moreover, they will teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the ceremonially unclean and the clean.[t]

24 “‘In a controversy they will act as judges;[u] they will judge according to my ordinances. They will keep my laws and my statutes regarding all my appointed festivals and will observe[v] my Sabbaths.

25 “‘They must not come near a dead person or they will be defiled;[w] however, for father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or unmarried sister, they may defile themselves. 26 After a priest[x] has become ceremonially clean, they[y] must count off a period of seven days for him. 27 On the day he enters the sanctuary into the inner court to serve in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering, declares the Sovereign Lord.

28 “‘This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance, and you must give them no property in Israel; I am their property.[z] 29 They may eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel will be theirs. 30 The first of all the firstfruits and all contributions of any kind[aa] will be for the priests; you will also give to the priest the first portion of your dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house. 31 The priests will not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or was torn to pieces by a wild animal.[ab]

The Lord’s Portion of the Land

45 “‘When you allot the land as an inheritance, you will offer an allotment[ac] to the Lord, a holy portion from the land; the length will be 8¼ miles[ad] and the width 3⅓ miles.[ae] This entire area will be holy.[af] 2 Of this area a square 875 feet[ag] by 875 feet will be designated for the sanctuary, with 87½ feet[ah] set aside for its open space round about. 3 From this measured area you will measure a length of 8¼ miles[ai] and a width of 3⅓ miles;[aj] in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It will be a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary who approach the Lord to minister to him. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary.[ak] 5 An area 8¼ miles[al] in length and 3⅓ miles[am] in width will be for the Levites, who minister at the temple, as the place for the cities[an] in which they will live.

6 “‘Alongside the portion set apart as the holy allotment, you will allot for the city an area 1⅔ miles[ao] wide and 8¼ miles[ap] long; it will be for the whole house of Israel.

7 “‘For the prince there will be land on both sides of the holy allotment and the allotted city, on the west side and on the east side; it will be comparable in length to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border 8 of the land. This will be his property in Israel. My princes will no longer oppress my people, but the land will be allotted to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

9 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Put away violence and destruction and do what is just and right. Put an end to your evictions of my people,[aq] declares the Sovereign Lord. 10 You must use just balances,[ar] a just dry measure (an ephah),[as] and a just liquid measure (a bath).[at] 11 The dry and liquid measures will be the same: The bath will contain a tenth of a homer,[au] and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure. 12 The shekel will be twenty gerahs. Sixty shekels[av] will be a mina for you.

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 44:3 tn Heb “to eat bread.”
  2. Ezekiel 44:4 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  3. Ezekiel 44:5 tn Heb “set your heart” (so also in the latter part of the verse).
  4. Ezekiel 44:5 tn Heb “Set your mind, look with your eyes, and with your ears hear.”
  5. Ezekiel 44:5 tc The Syriac, Vulgate, and Targum read the plural. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:618.
  6. Ezekiel 44:6 tc The LXX reads “house of rebellion.”
  7. Ezekiel 44:7 tn Heb “to desecrate.”
  8. Ezekiel 44:7 tc The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions read “you.” The Masoretic text reads “they.”
  9. Ezekiel 44:8 tc Instead of an energic ו (nun), the text may have read a third masculine plural suffix ם (mem), “them,” which was confused with ן (nun) in the old script. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:621. tn This word is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied from the context.
  10. Ezekiel 44:9 sn Tobiah, an Ammonite (Neh 13:8), was dismissed from the temple.
  11. Ezekiel 44:10 tn Heb “will bear.”
  12. Ezekiel 44:12 tn Heb “a stumbling block of iniquity.” This is a unique phrase of the prophet Ezekiel (cf. also Ezek 7:19; 14:3, 4, 7; 18:30).
  13. Ezekiel 44:12 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  14. Ezekiel 44:12 tn Heb “will bear.”
  15. Ezekiel 44:15 sn Zadok was a descendant of Aaron through Eleazar (1 Chr 6:50-53) who served as a priest during David’s reign (2 Sam 8:17).
  16. Ezekiel 44:19 sn For a similar concept of transmitting holiness, see Exod 19:12-14; Lev 10:1-2; 2 Sam 6:7. Comparable laws concerning the priest are found in Lev 10 and 21.
  17. Ezekiel 44:20 sn The shaving of the head was associated with mourning (Ezek 7:18).
  18. Ezekiel 44:20 sn Letting the hair grow was associated with taking a vow (Num 6:5; Acts 21:23-26).
  19. Ezekiel 44:22 tn Heb “from the offspring of the house of Israel.”
  20. Ezekiel 44:23 sn This task was a fundamental role of the priest (Lev 10:10).
  21. Ezekiel 44:24 sn For a historical illustration of the priest carrying out this function, see 2 Chr 19:9-11.
  22. Ezekiel 44:24 tn Heb “sanctify, set apart.”
  23. Ezekiel 44:25 sn This law was part of the legal code for priests (Lev 21:1-3).
  24. Ezekiel 44:26 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the priest) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  25. Ezekiel 44:26 tc One medieval Hebrew ms, the LXX, and the Syriac, along with Lev 15:13, 28, read the verb as singular.
  26. Ezekiel 44:28 sn See Num 18:20; Deut 10:9; 18:2; Josh 13:33; 18:7.
  27. Ezekiel 44:30 tn Heb has in addition “from your contributions,” a repetition unnecessary in English.
  28. Ezekiel 44:31 tn The words “by a wild animal” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation as a clarification of the circumstances.sn For this law, see Lev 7:24 and 17:15.
  29. Ezekiel 45:1 tn Heb “a contribution.”
  30. Ezekiel 45:1 tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers). The measuring units here are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard miles (one mile = 5,280 feet), with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes.
  31. Ezekiel 45:1 tc The LXX reads “20,000 cubits.”tn Heb “10,000 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
  32. Ezekiel 45:1 tn Heb “holy it is in all its territory round about.”
  33. Ezekiel 45:2 tn Heb “500 cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters); the phrase occurs twice in this verse.
  34. Ezekiel 45:2 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  35. Ezekiel 45:3 tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
  36. Ezekiel 45:3 tn Heb “10,000 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
  37. Ezekiel 45:4 tc The LXX apparently understood “open land” instead of “sanctuary.”
  38. Ezekiel 45:5 tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
  39. Ezekiel 45:5 tn Heb “10,000 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
  40. Ezekiel 45:5 tc The translation follows the LXX here. The MT reads “twenty.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:246.
  41. Ezekiel 45:6 tn Heb “5,000 cubits” (i.e., 2.625 kilometers).
  42. Ezekiel 45:6 tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
  43. Ezekiel 45:9 sn Evictions of the less fortunate by the powerful are described in 1 Kgs 21:1-16; Jer 22:1-5, 13-17; Ezek 22:25.
  44. Ezekiel 45:10 sn Previous legislation regarding this practice may be found in Lev 19:35-36; Deut 25:13-16; Mic 6:10-12.
  45. Ezekiel 45:10 tn Heb “ephah,” which was 1/2 bushel.
  46. Ezekiel 45:10 tn Heb “bath,” a liquid measure, was 5 1/2 gallons.
  47. Ezekiel 45:11 sn The homer was about 5 bushels as a dry measure and 55 gallons as a liquid measure.
  48. Ezekiel 45:12 tn Heb “twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels.”
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

1 Peter 1:1-12

Salutation

1 From Peter,[a] an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those temporarily residing[b] abroad[c] (in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia,[d] and Bithynia) who are chosen[e] 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling[f] with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure![g]

New Birth to Joy and Holiness

3 Blessed be[h] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 that is,[i] into[j] an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 This brings you great joy,[k] although you may have to suffer[l] for a short time in various trials. 7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith,[m] which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away[n]—and will bring praise[o] and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.[p] 8 You[q] have not seen him, but you love him. You[r] do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice[s] with an indescribable and glorious[t] joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation,[u] the prophets[v] who predicted the grace that would come to you[w] searched and investigated carefully. 11 They probed[x] into what person or time[y] the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ[z] and his subsequent glory.[aa] 12 They were shown[ab] that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things angels long to catch a glimpse of.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “Peter.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
  2. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Or “to those living as resident foreigners,” “to the exiles.” This term is used metaphorically of Christians who live in this world as foreigners, since their homeland is heaven.
  3. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles. But here it is probably metaphorical, used of Gentile Christians spread out as God’s people in the midst of a godless world.
  4. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
  5. 1 Peter 1:1 tn Or “to the chosen sojourners…” On this reading the phrases in v. 2 describe their entire existence as sojourners, etc., not just their election.
  6. 1 Peter 1:2 sn For obedience and for sprinkling indicates the purpose of their choice or election by God.
  7. 1 Peter 1:2 tn Grk “be multiplied to you.”
  8. 1 Peter 1:3 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (eulogētos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. Two factors of the author’s style come into play. At this point the author is describing the reality of believers’ salvation and will soon explain believers’ necessary response; this is in emulation of Pauline style which generally follows the same logical order (although the author here discusses the reality in a much more compressed fashion). On the other hand, when imitating the Pauline greeting, which is normally verbless, the author inserts the optative (see v. 2 above). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the fact that the author in the immediate context has used the optative when imitating a Pauline stylized statement would argue for the optative here. The translation uses the term “blessed” in the sense “worthy of praise” as this is in keeping with the traditional translation of berakah psalms. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3.
  9. 1 Peter 1:4 tn The phrase “that is” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the imperishable inheritance is in apposition to the living hope of v. 3.
  10. 1 Peter 1:4 tn Grk “into,” continuing the description of v. 3 without an “and.”
  11. 1 Peter 1:6 tn Grk “in which you exult.”
  12. 1 Peter 1:6 tc ‡ The oldest and best witnesses lack the verb (א* B, along with 1448 1611 syh), but most mss (P72 א2 A C P Ψ 048 33 1739 M) have ἐστίν here (estin, “[if] it is [necessary]”). The verb looks to be an explanatory gloss. But if no verb is present, this opens up the time frame in the author’s mind even more, since the conditional particle for both the first class condition and the fourth class condition is εἰ (ei). That may well be what was on the author’s mind, as evidenced by some of his other allusions to suffering in this little letter (3:14, 17). NA27 has the verb in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity, while NA28 omits the brackets altogether.tn Grk “Though now, for a little while if necessary, you may have to suffer.”
  13. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Or “genuineness,” the result of testing. On the other hand it may denote the process of testing: “that the proving of your faith…may bring praise.”sn The author is not asserting that the quality of the readers’ faith is in doubt and will be proven by future trials. He declares their faith to be a present reality in v. 5 and 9, so in context v. 8 affirms that their faith is indeed genuine.
  14. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Grk “which is passing away but is tested by fire,” describing gold in a lesser-to-greater comparison with faith’s proven character.
  15. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Grk “that the testing of your faith…may be found unto praise,” showing the result of the trials mentioned in v. 6.
  16. 1 Peter 1:7 tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 13).
  17. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “whom not having seen, you love.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  18. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “in whom not now seeing…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  19. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “in whom not now seeing but believing, you exult.” The participles have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  20. 1 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “glorified.”
  21. 1 Peter 1:10 tn Grk “about which salvation.”
  22. 1 Peter 1:10 sn Prophets refers to the OT prophets.
  23. 1 Peter 1:10 tn Grk “who prophesied about the grace that is to/for you.”
  24. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Grk “probing.” The participle continues the sentence from v. 10 but has been translated as an indicative for English style.
  25. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Or “time or circumstances,” focusing not on the person but on the timing and circumstances of the fulfillment.sn The OT prophets wondered about the person and the surrounding circumstances (time) through which God would fulfill his promised salvation.
  26. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Grk “the sufferings unto Christ,” i.e., sufferings directed toward him, what he was destined to suffer.
  27. 1 Peter 1:11 tn Grk “the glories after these things.”
  28. 1 Peter 1:12 tn Grk “to whom [pl.] it was revealed.”
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Psalm 119:17-32

ג (Gimel)

17 Be kind to your servant.
Then I will live[a] and keep[b] your instructions.[c]
18 Open[d] my eyes so I can truly see[e]
the marvelous things in your law.
19 I am a resident foreigner in this land.[f]
Do not hide your commands from me.
20 I desperately long to know[g]
your regulations at all times.
21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed.[h]
22 Spare me[i] shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
23 Though rulers plot and slander me,[j]
your servant meditates on your statutes.
24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance.[k]

ד (Dalet)

25 I collapse in the dirt.[l]
Revive me with your word.[m]
26 I told you about my ways[n] and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes.
27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean.[o]
Then I can meditate[p] on your marvelous teachings.[q]
28 I collapse[r] from grief.
Sustain me by your word.[s]
29 Remove me from the path of deceit.[t]
Graciously give me[u] your law.
30 I choose the path of faithfulness;
I am committed to[v] your regulations.
31 I hold fast[w] to your rules.
O Lord, do not let me be ashamed.
32 I run along the path of your commands,
for you enable me to do so.[x]

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 119:17 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
  2. Psalm 119:17 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.
  3. Psalm 119:17 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions read the plural here.
  4. Psalm 119:18 tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).
  5. Psalm 119:18 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
  6. Psalm 119:19 sn Heb This metaphor probably derives from Lev 25:23, which uses the terms גֵּר (ger, “resident foreigner”) and תּוֹשָׁב; (toshav, “resident/temporary settler”). Lev 25:23 emphasizes that Israel would be a guest on God’s land. They were attached to the Lord’s household; they did not own the land. Cf. also Ps 39:12 and Gen 23:4.
  7. Psalm 119:20 tn Heb “my soul languishes for longing for.”
  8. Psalm 119:21 tn Heb “accursed.” The traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text takes “accursed” with the previous line (“arrogant, accursed ones”), but it is preferable to take it with the second line as the predicate of the statement.
  9. Psalm 119:22 tn Heb “roll away from upon me.” Some derive the imperatival form גַּל (gal) from גָּלָה (galah, “uncover,” as in v. 18), but here the form is from גָּלַל (galal, “roll”; see Josh 5:9, where חֶרְפָּה [kherpah, “shame; reproach”] also appears as object of the verb). Some, following the lead of a Dead Sea scroll (11QPsa), emend the form to גֹּל (gol).
  10. Psalm 119:23 tn Heb “though rulers sit, about me they talk together.” (For another example of the Niphal of דָּבַר (davar) used with a suffixed form of the preposition ב (bet), see Ezek 33:30.)
  11. Psalm 119:24 tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.
  12. Psalm 119:25 tn Heb “my soul clings to the dirt.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
  13. Psalm 119:25 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”
  14. Psalm 119:26 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
  15. Psalm 119:27 tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”
  16. Psalm 119:27 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
  17. Psalm 119:27 tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).
  18. Psalm 119:28 tn Some translate “my soul weeps,” taking the verb דָלַף (dalaf) from a root meaning “to drip; to drop” (BDB 196 s.v. דֶּלַף). On the basis of cognate evidence from Arabic and Akkadian, HALOT 223 s.v. II דלף proposes a homonymic root here, meaning “be sleepless.” Following L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 127, 135) the translation assumes that the verb is cognate with Ugaritic dlp, “to collapse; to crumple” in CTA 2 iv. 17, 26. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 44, 144.
  19. Psalm 119:28 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”
  20. Psalm 119:29 tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.
  21. Psalm 119:29 tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)
  22. Psalm 119:30 tn BDB 1000-1001 s.v. I שָׁוָה derives the verb from the first homonym listed, meaning “to agree with; to be like; to resemble.” It here means (in the Piel stem) “to be accounted suitable,” which in turn would mean by metonymy “to accept; to be committed to.” Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to place; to set,” but in this case an elliptical prepositional phrase must be understood, “I place your regulations [before me]” (see Ps 16:8).
  23. Psalm 119:31 tn Or “cling to.”
  24. Psalm 119:32 tn Heb “for you make wide my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and understanding. The Lord gives the psalmist the desire and moral understanding that are foundational to the willing obedience depicted metaphorically in the preceding line. In Isa 60:5 the expression “your heart will be wide” means “your heart will swell with pride,” but here the nuance appears to be different.
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 28:8-10

8 The one who increases his wealth by increasing interest[a]
gathers it for someone who is gracious[b] to the needy.
9 The one who turns away his ear[c] from hearing the law,
even his prayer[d] is an abomination.[e]
10 The one who leads the upright astray in an evil way
will himself fall into his own pit,[f]
but the blameless will inherit what is good.[g]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 28:8 tn Heb “by interest and increase” (so ASV; NASB “by interest and usury”; NAB “by interest and overcharge.” The two words seem to be synonyms; they probably form a nominal hendiadys, meaning “by increasing [exorbitant] interest.” The law prohibited making a commission or charging interest (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:20; Ps 15:5). If the poor needed help, the rich were to help them—but not charge them interest.
  2. Proverbs 28:8 tn The term חוֹנֵן (khonen, “someone who shows favor”) is the active participle. sn The verse is saying that in God’s justice wealth amassed unjustly will eventually go to the poor. God will take the wealth away from them and give it to people who will distribute it better to the poor.
  3. Proverbs 28:9 sn The expression “turn away the ear from hearing” uses a metonymy to mean that this individual will not listen—it indicates a deliberate refusal to follow the instruction of the law.
  4. Proverbs 28:9 sn It is hard to imagine how someone who willfully refuses to obey the law of God would pray according to the will of God. Such a person is more apt to pray for some physical thing or make demands on God. (Of course a prayer of repentance would be an exception and would not be an abomination to the Lord.)
  5. Proverbs 28:9 sn C. H. Toy says, “If a man, on his part, is deaf to instruction, then God, on his part, is deaf to prayer” (Proverbs [ICC], 499). And W. McKane observes that one who fails to attend to God’s law is a wicked person, even if he is a man of prayer (Proverbs [OTL], 623).
  6. Proverbs 28:10 sn The image of falling into a pit (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis, involving implied comparison) is meant to say that the evil to which he guides people will ultimately destroy him.
  7. Proverbs 28:10 sn This proverb is teaching that those who corrupt others will be destroyed, usually by their own devices, but those who manage to avoid being corrupted will be rewarded. According to this proverb the righteous can be led astray (e.g., 26:27).
New English Translation (NET)

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