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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday January 29, 2024 (NIV)

Exodus 8-9

8 1 (7:26)[a] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Release my people in order that they may serve me! 2 But if you refuse to release them, then I am going to plague[b] all your territory with frogs.[c] 3 The Nile will swarm[d] with frogs, and they will come up and go into your house, in your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading troughs.[e] 4 Frogs[f] will come up against you, your people, and all your servants.”’”[g]

5 The Lord spoke to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Extend your hand with your staff[h] over the rivers, over the canals, and over the ponds, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs[i] came up and covered the land of Egypt.

7 The magicians did the same[j] with their secret arts and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt too.[k]

8 Then Pharaoh summoned[l] Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray[m] to the Lord that he may take the frogs away[n] from me and my people, and I will release[o] the people that they may sacrifice[p] to the Lord.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me[q]—when shall I pray for you, your servants, and your people, for the frogs to be removed[r] from you and your houses, so that[s] they will be left[t] only in the Nile?” 10 He said, “Tomorrow.” And Moses said,[u] “It will be[v] as you say,[w] so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs will depart from you, your houses, your servants, and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.”

12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried[x] to the Lord because of[y] the frogs that he had brought on[z] Pharaoh. 13 The Lord did as Moses asked[aa]—the frogs died[ab] in the houses, the villages, and the fields. 14 The Egyptians[ac] piled them in countless heaps,[ad] and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,[ae] he hardened[af] his heart and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.[ag]

Plague Three: Gnats

16 [ah] The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become[ai] gnats[aj] throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so; Aaron extended his hand with his staff, he struck the dust of the ground, and it became gnats on people[ak] and on animals. All the dust of the ground became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 When[al] the magicians attempted[am] to bring forth gnats by their secret arts, they could not. So there were gnats on people and on animals. 19 The magicians said[an] to Pharaoh, “It is the finger[ao] of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard,[ap] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

Plague Four: Flies

20 [aq] The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and position yourself before Pharaoh as he goes out to the water, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord has said, “Release my people that they may serve me! 21 If you do not release[ar] my people, then I am going to send[as] swarms of flies[at] on you and on your servants and on your people and in your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground they stand on.[au] 22 But on that day I will mark off[av] the land of Goshen, where my people are staying,[aw] so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of this land.[ax] 23 I will put a division[ay] between my people and your people. This sign will take place[az] tomorrow.”’” 24 The Lord did so; a[ba] thick[bb] swarm of flies came into[bc] Pharaoh’s house and into the houses[bd] of his servants, and throughout the whole land of Egypt the land was ruined[be] because of the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”[bf] 26 But Moses said, “That would not be the right thing to do,[bg] for the sacrifices we make[bh] to the Lord our God would be an abomination[bi] to the Egyptians.[bj] If we make sacrifices that are an abomination to the Egyptians right before their eyes,[bk] will they not stone us?[bl] 27 We must go[bm] on a three-day journey[bn] into the wilderness and sacrifice[bo] to the Lord our God, just as he is telling us.”[bp]

28 Pharaoh said, “I will release you[bq] so that you may sacrifice[br] to the Lord your God in the wilderness. Only you must not go very far.[bs] Do[bt] pray for me.”

29 Moses said, “I am going to go out[bu] from you and pray to the Lord, and the swarms of flies will go away from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only do not let Pharaoh deal falsely again[bv] by not releasing[bw] the people to sacrifice to the Lord.” 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, 31 and the Lord did as Moses asked[bx]—he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained! 32 But Pharaoh hardened[by] his heart this time also and did not release the people.

Plague Five: Disease

9 [bz] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has said, “Release my people that they may serve me! 2 For if you refuse to release them[ca] and continue holding them,[cb] 3 then the hand of the Lord will surely bring[cc] a very terrible plague[cd] on your livestock in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels,[ce] the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the Lord will distinguish[cf] between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing[cg] will die of all that the Israelites have.”’”[ch]

5 The Lord set[ci] an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this[cj] in the land.” 6 And the Lord did this[ck] on the next day;[cl] all[cm] the livestock of the Egyptians[cn] died, but of the Israelites’ livestock not one died. 7 Pharaoh sent representatives to investigate,[co] and indeed, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard,[cp] and he did not release the people.

Plague Six: Boils

8 [cq] Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot[cr] from a furnace, and have Moses throw it[cs] into the air while Pharaoh is watching.[ct] 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt and will cause boils to break out and fester[cu] on both people and animals in all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh, Moses threw it into the air, and it caused festering boils to break out on both people and animals.

11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened[cv] Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted to Moses.

Plague Seven: Hail

13 [cw] The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand[cx] before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has said: “Release my people so that they may serve me! 14 For this time I will send all my plagues[cy] on your very self[cz] and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out[da] my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed[db] from the earth. 16 But[dc] for this purpose I have caused you to stand:[dd] to show you[de] my strength, and so that my name may be declared[df] in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting[dg] yourself against my people by[dh] not releasing them. 18 I am going to cause very severe hail to rain down[di] about this time tomorrow, such hail as has never occurred[dj] in Egypt from the day it was founded[dk] until now. 19 So now, send instructions[dl] to gather[dm] your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person[dn] or animal caught[do] in the field and not brought into the house—the hail will come down on them, and they will die!”’”

20 Those[dp] of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the Lord’s message hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses, 21 but those[dq] who did not take[dr] the Lord’s message seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward the sky[ds] that there may be[dt] hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals,[du] and on everything that grows[dv] in the field in the land of Egypt.” 23 When Moses extended[dw] his staff toward the sky, the Lord[dx] sent thunder[dy] and hail, and fire fell to the earth;[dz] so the Lord caused hail to rain down on the land of Egypt. 24 Hail fell[ea] and fire mingled[eb] with the hail; the hail was so severe[ec] that there had not been any like it[ed] in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 The hail struck everything in the open fields, both[ee] people and animals, throughout all the land of Egypt. The hail struck everything that grows[ef] in the field, and it broke all the trees of the field to pieces. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.

27 So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time![eg] The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.[eh] 28 Pray to the Lord, for the mighty[ei] thunderings and hail are too much![ej] I will release you and you will stay no longer.”[ek]

29 Moses said to him, “When I leave the city[el] I will spread my hands to the Lord, the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord.[em] 30 But as for you[en] and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear[eo] the Lord God.”

31 (Now the[ep] flax and the barley were struck[eq] by the hail,[er] for the barley had ripened[es] and the flax[et] was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt[eu] were not struck, for they are later crops.)[ev]

33 So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain stopped pouring on the earth. 34 When Pharaoh saw[ew] that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again:[ex] both he and his servants hardened[ey] their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard,[ez] and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

Footnotes:

  1. Exodus 8:1 sn Beginning with 8:1, the verse numbers through 8:32 in English Bibles differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 8:1 ET = 7:26 HT, 8:2 ET = 7:27 HT, 8:3 ET = 7:28 HT, 8:4 ET = 7:29 HT, 8:5 ET = 8:1 HT, etc., through 8:32 ET = 8:28 HT. Thus in English Bibles chapter 8 has 32 verses, while in the Hebrew Bible it has 28 verses, with the four extra verses attached to chapter 7.
  2. Exodus 8:2 tn The construction here uses the deictic particle and the participle to convey the imminent future: “I am going to plague/about to plague.” The verb נָגַף (nagaf) means “to strike, to smite,” and its related noun means “a blow, a plague, pestilence” or the like. For Yahweh to say “I am about to plague you” could just as easily mean “I am about to strike you.” That is why these “plagues” can be described as “blows” received from God.
  3. Exodus 8:2 tn Heb “plague all your border with frogs.” The expression “all your border” is figurative for all the territory of Egypt and the people and things that are within the borders (also used in Exod 10:4, 14, 19; 13:7).sn This word for frogs is mentioned in the OT only in conjunction with this plague (here and Pss 78:45; 105:30). R. A. Cole (Exodus [TOTC], 91) suggests that this word “frogs” (צְפַרְדְּעִים, tsefardeʿim) may be an onomatopoeic word, something like “croakers”; it is of Egyptian origin and could be a Hebrew attempt to write the Arabic dofda.
  4. Exodus 8:3 sn The choice of this verb שָׁרַץ (sharats) recalls its use in the creation account (Gen 1:20). The water would be swarming with frogs in abundance. There is a hint here of this being a creative work of God as well.
  5. Exodus 8:3 sn This verse lists places the frogs will go. The first three are for Pharaoh personally—they are going to touch his private life. Then the text mentions the servants and the people. Mention of the ovens and kneading bowls (or troughs) of the people indicates that food would be contaminated and that it would be impossible even to eat a meal in peace.
  6. Exodus 8:4 tn Here again is the generic use of the article, designating the class—frogs.
  7. Exodus 8:4 sn The word order of the Hebrew text is important because it shows how the plague was pointedly directed at Pharaoh: “and against you, and against your people, and against all your servants frogs will go up.”
  8. Exodus 8:5 sn After the instructions for Pharaoh (7:25-8:4), the plague now is brought on by the staff in Aaron’s hand (8:5-7). This will lead to the confrontation (vv. 8-11) and the hardening (vv. 12-15).
  9. Exodus 8:6 tn The noun is singular, a collective. B. Jacob notes that this would be the more natural way to refer to the frogs (Exodus, 260).
  10. Exodus 8:7 tn Heb “thus, so.”
  11. Exodus 8:7 sn In these first two plagues the fact that the Egyptians could and did duplicate them is ironic. By duplicating the experience, they added to the misery of Egypt. One wonders why they did not use their skills to rid the land of the pests instead, and the implication of course is that they could not.
  12. Exodus 8:8 tn The verb קָרָא (qaraʾ) followed by the lamed (ל) preposition has the meaning “to summon.”
  13. Exodus 8:8 tn The verb הַעְתִּירוּ (haʿtiru) is the Hiphil imperative of the verb עָתַר (ʿatar). It means “to pray, supplicate,” or “make supplication”—always addressed to God. It is often translated “entreat” to reflect that it is a more urgent praying.
  14. Exodus 8:8 tn This form is the jussive with a sequential vav that provides the purpose of the prayer: pray…that he may turn away the frogs.sn This is the first time in the conflict that Pharaoh even acknowledged that Yahweh existed. Now he is asking for prayer to remove the frogs and is promising to release Israel. This result of the plague must have been an encouragement to Moses.
  15. Exodus 8:8 tn The form is the Piel cohortative וַאֲשַׁלְּחָה (vaʾashallekhah) with the vav (ו) continuing the sequence from the request and its purpose. The cohortative here stresses the resolve of the king: “and (then) I will release.”
  16. Exodus 8:8 tn Here also the imperfect tense with the vav (ו) shows the purpose of the release: “that they may sacrifice.”
  17. Exodus 8:9 tn The expression הִתְפָּאֵר עָלַי (hitpaʾer ʿalay) is problematic. The verb would be simply translated “honor yourself” or “deck yourself with honor.” It can be used in the bad sense of self-exaltation. But here it seems to mean “have the honor or advantage over me” in choosing when to remove the frogs. The LXX has “appoint for me.” Moses is doing more than extending a courtesy to Pharaoh; he is giving him the upper hand in choosing the time. But it is also a test, for if Pharaoh picked the time it would appear less likely that Moses was manipulating things. As U. Cassuto puts it, Moses is saying “my trust in God is so strong you may have the honor of choosing the time” (Exodus, 103).
  18. Exodus 8:9 tn Or “destroyed”; Heb “to cut off the frogs.”
  19. Exodus 8:9 tn The phrase “so that” is implied.
  20. Exodus 8:9 tn Or “survive, remain.”
  21. Exodus 8:10 tn Heb “And he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Exodus 8:10 tn “It will be” has been supplied.
  23. Exodus 8:10 tn Heb “according to your word” (so NASB).
  24. Exodus 8:12 tn The verb צָעַק (tsaʿaq) is used for prayers in which people cry out of trouble or from danger. U. Cassuto observes that Moses would have been in real danger if God had not answered this prayer (Exodus, 103).
  25. Exodus 8:12 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
  26. Exodus 8:12 tn The verb is an unusual choice if it were just to mean “brought on.” It is the verb שִׂים (sim, “place, put”). S. R. Driver thinks the thought is “appointed for Pharaoh” as a sign (Exodus, 64). The idea of the sign might be too much, but certainly the frogs were positioned for the instruction of the stubborn king.
  27. Exodus 8:13 tn Heb “according to the word of Moses” (so KJV, NASB). Just as Moses had told Pharaoh “according to your word” (v. 10), now the Lord does “according to the word” of Moses.
  28. Exodus 8:13 tn Heb “and the frogs died.”
  29. Exodus 8:14 tn Heb “and they piled them.” For clarity the translation supplies the referent “the Egyptians” as the ones who were piling the frogs.
  30. Exodus 8:14 tn The word “heaps” is repeated: חֳמָרִם הֳמָרִם (khomarim khomarim). The repetition serves to intensify the idea to the highest degree—“countless heaps” (see GKC 396 §123.e).
  31. Exodus 8:15 tn The word רְוָחָה (revakhah) means “respite, relief.” BDB 926 relates it to the verb רָוַח (ravakh, “to be wide, spacious”). There would be relief when there was freedom to move about.
  32. Exodus 8:15 tn וְהַכְבֵּד (vehakhbed) is a Hiphil infinitive absolute, functioning as a finite verb. The meaning of the word is “to make heavy,” and so stubborn, sluggish, indifferent. It summarizes his attitude and the outcome, that he refused to keep his promises.
  33. Exodus 8:15 sn The end of the plague revealed clearly God’s absolute control over Egypt’s life and deities—all at the power of the man who prayed to God. Yahweh had made life unpleasant for the people by sending the plague, but he was also the one who could remove it. The only recourse anyone has in such trouble is to pray to the sovereign Lord God. Everyone should know that there is no one like Yahweh.
  34. Exodus 8:16 sn The third plague is brief and unannounced. Moses and Aaron were simply to strike the dust so that it would become gnats. Not only was this plague unannounced, but also it was not duplicated by the Egyptians.
  35. Exodus 8:16 tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive, meaning “and it will be.” When הָיָה (hayah) is followed by the lamed (ל) proposition, it means “become.”
  36. Exodus 8:16 tn The noun is כִּנִּים (kinnim). The insect has been variously identified as lice, gnats, ticks, flies, fleas, or mosquitoes. “Lice” follows the reading in the Peshitta and Targum (and so Josephus, Ant. 2.14.3 [2.300]). Greek and Latin had “gnats.” By “gnats” many commentators mean “mosquitoes,” which in and around the water of Egypt were abundant (and the translators of the Greek text were familiar with Egypt). Whatever they were they came from the dust and were troublesome to people and animals.
  37. Exodus 8:17 tn Heb “man,” but in the generic sense of “humans” or “people” (also in v. 18).
  38. Exodus 8:18 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the main clause as a temporal clause.
  39. Exodus 8:18 tn Heb “and the magicians did so.”sn The report of what the magicians did (or as it turns out, tried to do) begins with the same words as the report about the actions of Moses and Aaron—“and they did so” (vv. 17 and 18). The magicians copy the actions of Moses and Aaron, leading readers to think momentarily that the magicians are again successful, but at the end of the verse comes the news that “they could not.” Compared with the first two plagues, this third plague has an important new feature, the failure of the magicians and their recognition of the source of the plague.
  40. Exodus 8:19 tn Heb “and the magicians said.”
  41. Exodus 8:19 tn The word “finger” is a bold anthropomorphism (a figure of speech in which God is described using human characteristics). sn The point of the magicians’ words is clear enough. They knew they were beaten and by whom. The reason for their choice of the word “finger” has occasioned many theories, none of which is entirely satisfying. At the least their statement highlights that the plague was accomplished by God with majestic ease and effortlessness. Perhaps the reason that they could not do this was that it involved producing life—from the dust of the ground, as in Genesis 2:7. The creative power of God confounded the magic of the Egyptians and brought on them a loathsome plague.
  42. Exodus 8:19 tn Heb “and the heart of Pharaoh became hard.” This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53). In context this represents the continuation of a prior condition.
  43. Exodus 8:20 sn The announcement of the fourth plague parallels that of the first plague. Now there will be flies, likely dogflies. Egypt has always suffered from flies, more so in the summer than in the winter. But the flies the plague describes involve something greater than any normal season for flies. The main point that can be stressed in this plague comes by tracing the development of the plagues in their sequence. Now, with the flies, it becomes clear that God can inflict suffering on some people and preserve others—a preview of the coming judgment that will punish Egypt but set Israel free. God is fully able to keep the dog-fly in the land of the Egyptians and save his people from these judgments.
  44. Exodus 8:21 tn The construction uses the predicator of nonexistence—אֵין (ʾen, “there is not”)—with a pronominal suffix prior to the Piel participle. The suffix becomes the subject of the clause. Heb “but if there is not you releasing.”
  45. Exodus 8:21 tn Here again is the futur instans use of the participle, now Qal with the meaning “send”: הִנְנִי מַשְׁלִיחַ (hineni mashliakh, “here I am sending”).
  46. Exodus 8:21 tn The word עָרֹב (ʿarov) means “a mix” or “swarm.” It seems that some irritating kind of flying insect is involved. Ps 78:45 says that the Egyptians were eaten or devoured by them. Various suggestions have been made over the years: (1) it could refer to beasts or reptiles; (2) the Greek took it as the dog-fly, a vicious blood-sucking gadfly, more common in the spring than in the fall; (3) the ordinary house fly, which is a symbol of Egypt in Isa 7:18 (Hebrew זְבוּב, zevuv); and (4) the beetle, which gnaws and bites plants, animals, and materials. The fly probably fits the details of this passage best; the plague would have greatly intensified a problem with flies that already existed.
  47. Exodus 8:21 tn Or perhaps “the land where they are” (cf. NRSV “the land where they live”).
  48. Exodus 8:22 tn Or “distinguish.” וְהִפְלֵיתִי (vehifleti) is the Hiphil perfect of פָּלָה (palah). The verb in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” God was going to keep the flies away from Goshen—he was setting that apart. The Greek text assumed that the word was from פָּלֵא (paleʾ), and translated it something like “I will marvelously glorify.”
  49. Exodus 8:22 tn The relative clause modifies the land of Goshen as the place “in which my people are dwelling.” But the normal word for “dwelling” is not used here. Instead, עֹמֵד (ʿomed) is used, which literally means “standing.” The land on which Israel stood was spared the flies and the hail.
  50. Exodus 8:22 tn Or “of the earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB).
  51. Exodus 8:23 tn The word in the text is פְדֻת (fedut, “redemption”). This would give the sense of making a distinction by redeeming Israel. The editors wish to read פְלֻת (felut) instead—“a separation, distinction” to match the verb in the preceding verse. For another view, see G. I. Davies, “The Hebrew Text of Exodus VIII 19 [English 23]: An Emendation,” VT 24 (1974): 489-92.
  52. Exodus 8:23 tn Heb “this sign will be tomorrow.”
  53. Exodus 8:24 tn Heb “and there came a….”
  54. Exodus 8:24 tn Heb “heavy,” or “severe.”
  55. Exodus 8:24 tn Here, and in the next phrase, the word “house” has to be taken as an adverbial accusative of termination.
  56. Exodus 8:24 tn The Hebrew text has the singular here.
  57. Exodus 8:24 tc Concerning the connection of “the land was ruined” with the preceding, S. R. Driver (Exodus, 68) suggests reading with the LXX, Smr, and Peshitta; this would call for adding a conjunction before the last clause to make it read, “into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt; and the land was….”tn The Hebrew word תִּשָּׁחֵת (tishakhet) is a strong word; it is the Niphal imperfect of שָׁחַת (shakhat) and is translated “ruined.” If the classification as imperfect stands, then it would have to be something like a progressive imperfect (the land was being ruined); otherwise, it may simply be a preterite without the vav (ו) consecutive. The verb describes utter devastation. This is the verb that is used in Gen 13:10 to describe how Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Swarms of flies would disrupt life, contaminate everything, and bring disease.
  58. Exodus 8:25 sn After the plague is inflicted on the land, then Pharaoh makes an appeal. So there is the familiar confrontation (vv. 25-29). Pharaoh’s words to Moses are an advancement on his previous words. Now he uses imperatives: “Go, sacrifice to your God.” But he restricts it to “in the [this] land.” This is a subtle attempt to keep them as a subjugated people and prevent their absolute allegiance to their God. This offered compromise would destroy the point of the exodus—to leave Egypt and find a new allegiance under the Lord.
  59. Exodus 8:26 tn The clause is a little unusual in its formation. The form נָכוֹן (nakhon) is the Niphal participle from כּוּן (kun), which usually means “firm, fixed, steadfast,” but here it has a rare meaning of “right, fitting, appropriate.” It functions in the sentence as the predicate adjective, because the infinitive לַעֲשׂוֹת (laʿasot) is the subject—“to do so is not right.”
  60. Exodus 8:26 tn This translation has been smoothed out to capture the sense. The text literally says, “for the abomination of Egypt we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God.” In other words, the animals that Israel would sacrifice were sacred to Egypt, and sacrificing them would have been abhorrent to the Egyptians.
  61. Exodus 8:26 tn An “abomination” is something that is off-limits, something that is taboo. It could be translated “detestable” or “loathsome.”
  62. Exodus 8:26 sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 109) says there are two ways to understand “the abomination of the Egyptians.” One is that the sacrifice of the sacred animals would appear an abominable thing in the eyes of the Egyptians, and the other is that the word “abomination” could be a derogatory term for idols—we sacrifice what is an Egyptian idol. So that is why he says if they did this the Egyptians would stone them.
  63. Exodus 8:26 tn Heb “if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians [or “of Egypt”] before their eyes.”
  64. Exodus 8:26 tn The interrogative clause has no particle to indicate it is a question, but it is connected with the conjunction to the preceding clause, and the meaning of these clauses indicates it is a question (GKC 473 §150.a).
  65. Exodus 8:27 tn The verb נֵלֵךְ (nelekh) is a Qal imperfect of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). Here it should be given the modal nuance of obligation: “we must go.”
  66. Exodus 8:27 tn This clause is placed first in the sentence to stress the distance required. דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) is an adverbial accusative specifying how far they must go. It is in construct, so “three days” modifies it. It is a “journey of three days,” or, “a three day journey.”
  67. Exodus 8:27 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive; it follows in the sequence: we must go…and then [must] sacrifice.”
  68. Exodus 8:27 tn The form is the imperfect tense. It could be future: “as he will tell us,” but it also could be the progressive imperfect if this is now what God is telling them to do: “as he is telling us.”
  69. Exodus 8:28 sn By changing from “the people” to “you” (plural) the speech of Pharaoh was becoming more personal.
  70. Exodus 8:28 tn This form, a perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive, is equivalent to the imperfect tense that precedes it. However, it must be subordinate to the preceding verb to express the purpose. He is not saying “I will release…and you will sacrifice,” but rather “I will release…that you may sacrifice” or even “to sacrifice.”
  71. Exodus 8:28 tn The construction is very emphatic. First, it uses a verbal hendiadys with a Hiphil imperfect and the Qal infinitive construct: לֹא־תַרְחִיקוּ לָלֶכֶת (loʾ tarkhiqu lalekhet, “you will not make far to go”), meaning “you will not go far.” But this prohibition is then emphasized with the additional infinitive absolute הַרְחֵק (harkheq)—“you will not in any way go too far.” The point is very strong to safeguard the concession.
  72. Exodus 8:28 tn “Do” has been supplied here to convey that this somewhat unexpected command is tacked onto Pharaoh’s instructions as his ultimate concern, which Moses seems to understand as such, since he speaks about it immediately (v. 29).
  73. Exodus 8:29 tn The deictic particle with the participle usually indicates the futur instans nuance: “I am about to…,” or “I am going to….” The clause could also be subordinated as a temporal clause.
  74. Exodus 8:29 tn The verb תָּלַל (talal) means “to mock, deceive, trifle with.” The construction in this verse forms a verbal hendiadys. The Hiphil jussive אַל־יֹסֵף (ʾal yosef, “let not [Pharaoh] add”) is joined with the Hiphil infinitive הָתֵל (hatel, “to deceive”). It means: “Let not Pharaoh deceive again.” Changing to the third person in this warning to Pharaoh is more decisive, more powerful.
  75. Exodus 8:29 tn The Piel infinitive construct after lamed (ל) and the negative functions epexegetically, explaining how Pharaoh would deal falsely—“by not releasing.”
  76. Exodus 8:31 tn Heb “according to the word of Moses” (so KJV, ASV).
  77. Exodus 8:32 tn This phrase translates the Hebrew word כָּבֵד (kaved); see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53.
  78. Exodus 9:1 sn This plague demonstrates that Yahweh has power over the livestock of Egypt. He is able to strike the animals with disease and death, thus delivering a blow to the economic as well as the religious life of the land. By the former plagues many of the Egyptian religious ceremonies would have been interrupted and objects of veneration defiled or destroyed. Now some of the important deities will be attacked. In Goshen, where the cattle are merely cattle, no disease hits, but in the rest of Egypt it is a different matter. Osiris, the savior, cannot even save the brute in which his own soul is supposed to reside. Apis and Mnevis, the ram of Ammon, the sheep of Sais, and the goat of Mendes, perish together. Hence, Moses reminds Israel afterward, “On their gods also Yahweh executed judgments” (Num 33:4). When Jethro heard of all these events, he said, “Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods” (Exod 18:11).
  79. Exodus 9:2 tn The object “them” is implied in the context.
  80. Exodus 9:2 tn עוֹד (ʿod), an adverb meaning “yet, still,” can be inflected with suffixes and used as a predicator of existence, with the nuance “to still be, yet be” (T. O. Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, 171-72, §137). Then, it is joined here with the Hiphil participle מַחֲזִיק (makhaziq) to form the sentence “you are still holding them.”
  81. Exodus 9:3 tn The form used here is הוֹיָה (hoyah), the Qal active participle, feminine singular, from the verb “to be.” This is the only place in the OT that this form occurs. Ogden shows that this form is appropriate with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) to stress impending divine action, and that it conforms to the pattern in these narratives where five times the participle is used in the threat to Pharaoh (7:17; 8:2; 9:3, 14; 10:4). See G. S. Ogden, “Notes on the Use of הויה in Exodus IX. 3, ” VT 17 (1967): 483-84.
  82. Exodus 9:3 tn The word דֶּבֶר (dever) is usually translated “pestilence” when it applies to diseases for humans. It is used only here and in Ps 78:50 for animals.
  83. Exodus 9:3 sn The older view that camels were not domesticated at this time (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 70; W. F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, 96; et. al.) has been corrected by more recently uncovered information (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 160-61).
  84. Exodus 9:4 tn The verb פָּלָה (palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also Exod 8:22 (18 HT); 11:7; 33:16.
  85. Exodus 9:4 tn There is a wordplay in this section. A pestilence—דֶּבֶר (dever)—will fall on Egypt’s cattle, but no thing—דָּבָר (davar)—belonging to Israel would die. It was perhaps for this reason that the verb was changed in v. 1 from “say” to “speak” (דִּבֶּר, dibber). See U. Cassuto, Exodus, 111.
  86. Exodus 9:4 tn The ל (lamed) preposition indicates possession: “all that was to the Israelites” means “all that the Israelites had.”
  87. Exodus 9:5 tn Heb “and Yahweh set.”
  88. Exodus 9:5 tn Heb “this thing.”
  89. Exodus 9:6 tn Heb “this thing.”
  90. Exodus 9:6 tn Heb “on the morrow.”
  91. Exodus 9:6 tn The word “all” clearly does not mean “all” in the exclusive sense, because subsequent plagues involve cattle. The word must denote such a large number that whatever was left was insignificant for the economy. It could also be taken to mean “all [kinds of] livestock died.”
  92. Exodus 9:6 tn Heb “of Egypt.” The place is put by metonymy for the inhabitants.
  93. Exodus 9:7 tn Heb “Pharaoh sent.” The phrase “representatives to investigate” is implied in the context.
  94. Exodus 9:7 tn Heb “and the heart of Pharaoh was hardened.” This phrase translates the Hebrew word כָּבֵד (kaved; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53). In context this represents the continuation of a prior condition.
  95. Exodus 9:8 sn This sixth plague, like the third, is unannounced. God instructs his servants to take handfuls of ashes from the Egyptians’ furnaces and sprinkle them heavenward in the sight of Pharaoh. These ashes would become little particles of dust that would cause boils on the Egyptians and their animals. Greta Hort, “The Plagues of Egypt,” ZAW 69 [1957]: 101-3, suggests it is skin anthrax (see W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:359). The lesson of this plague is that Yahweh has absolute control over the physical health of the people. Physical suffering consequent to sin comes to all regardless of their position and status. The Egyptians are helpless in the face of this, as now God begins to touch human life; greater judgments on human wickedness lie ahead.
  96. Exodus 9:8 tn This word פִּיחַ (piakh) is a hapax legomenon, meaning “soot”; it seems to be derived from the verb פּוּחַ (puakh, “to breathe, blow”). The “furnace” (כִּבְשָׁן, kivshan) was a special kiln for making pottery or bricks.
  97. Exodus 9:8 tn The verb זָרַק (zaraq) means “to throw vigorously, to toss.” If Moses tosses the soot into the air, it will symbolize that the disease is falling from heaven.
  98. Exodus 9:8 tn Heb “before the eyes of Pharaoh.”
  99. Exodus 9:9 tn The word שְׁחִין (shekhin) means “boils.” It may be connected to an Arabic cognate that means “to be hot.” The illness is associated with Job (Job 2:7-8) and Hezekiah (Isa 38:21); it has also been connected with other skin diseases described especially in the Law. The word connected with it is אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת (ʾavaʿbuʿot); this means “blisters, pustules” and is sometimes translated as “festering.” The etymology is debated, whether from a word meaning “to swell up” or “to overflow” (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:359).
  100. Exodus 9:12 tn This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq); see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53.
  101. Exodus 9:13 sn With the seventh plague there is more explanation of what God is doing to Pharaoh. This plague begins with an extended lesson (vv. 13-21). Rain was almost unknown in Egypt, and hail and lightning were harmless. The Egyptians were fascinated by all these, though, and looked on them as portentous. Herodotus describes how they studied such things and wrote them down (1.2.c.38). If ordinary rainstorms were ominous, what must fire and hail have been? The Egyptians had denominated fire Hephaistos, considering it to be a mighty deity (cf. Diodorus, 1.1.c.1). Porphry says that at the opening of the temple of Serapis the Egyptians worshiped with water and fire. If these connections were clearly understood, then these elements in the plague were thought to be deities that came down on their own people with death and destruction.
  102. Exodus 9:13 tn Or “take your stand.”
  103. Exodus 9:14 tn The expression “all my plagues” points to the rest of the plagues and anticipates the proper outcome. Another view is to take the expression to mean the full brunt of the attack on the Egyptian people.
  104. Exodus 9:14 tn Heb “to your heart.” The expression is unusual, but it may be an allusion to the hard heartedness of Pharaoh—his stubbornness and blindness (B. Jacob, Exodus, 274).
  105. Exodus 9:15 tn The verb is the Qal perfect שָׁלַחְתִּי (shalakhti), but a past tense, or completed action translation does not fit the context at all. Gesenius lists this reference as an example of the use of the perfect to express actions and facts, whose accomplishment is to be represented not as actual but only as possible. He offers this for Exod 9:15: “I had almost put forth” (GKC 313 §106.p). Also possible is “I should have stretched out my hand.” Others read the potential nuance instead, and render it as “I could have…” as in the present translation.
  106. Exodus 9:15 tn The verb כָּחַד (kakhad) means “to hide, efface,” and in the Niphal it has the idea of “be effaced, ruined, destroyed.” Here it will carry the nuance of the result of the preceding verbs: “I could have stretched out my hand…and struck you…and (as a result) you would have been destroyed.”
  107. Exodus 9:16 tn The first word is a very strong adversative, which, in general, can be translated “but, howbeit”; BDB 19 s.v. אוּלָם suggests for this passage “but in very deed.”
  108. Exodus 9:16 tn The form הֶעֱמַדְתִּיךָ (heʿemadtikha) is the Hiphil perfect of עָמַד (ʿamad). It would normally mean “I caused you to stand.” But that seems to have one or two different connotations. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 73) says that it means “maintain you alive.” The causative of this verb means “continue,” according to him. The LXX has the same basic sense—“you were preserved.” But Paul bypasses the Greek and writes “he raised you up” to show God’s absolute sovereignty over Pharaoh. Both renderings show God’s sovereign control over Pharaoh.
  109. Exodus 9:16 tn The Hiphil infinitive construct הַרְאֹתְךָ (harʾotekha) is the purpose of God’s making Pharaoh come to power in the first place. To make Pharaoh see is to cause him to understand, to experience God’s power.
  110. Exodus 9:16 tn Heb “in order to declare my name.” Since there is no expressed subject, this may be given a passive translation.
  111. Exodus 9:17 tn מִסְתּוֹלֵל (mistolel) is a Hitpael participle, from a root that means “raise up, obstruct.” So in the Hitpael it means to “raise oneself up,” “elevate oneself,” or “be an obstructionist.” See W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:363; U. Cassuto, Exodus, 116.
  112. Exodus 9:17 tn The infinitive construct with lamed here is epexegetical; it explains how Pharaoh has exalted himself—“by not releasing the people.”
  113. Exodus 9:18 tn הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר (hineni mamtir) is the futur instans construction, giving an imminent future translation: “Here—I am about to cause it to rain.”
  114. Exodus 9:18 tn Heb “which not was like it in Egypt.” The pronoun suffix serves as the resumptive pronoun for the relative particle: “which…like it” becomes “the like of which has not been.” The word “hail” is added in the translation to make clear the referent of the relative particle.
  115. Exodus 9:18 tn The form הִוָּסְדָה (hivvasedah) is perhaps a rare Niphal perfect and not an infinitive (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 117).
  116. Exodus 9:19 tn The object “instructions” is implied in the context.
  117. Exodus 9:19 tn הָעֵז (haʿez) is the Hiphil imperative from עוּז (ʿuz, “to bring into safety” or “to secure”). Although there is no vav (ו) linking the two imperatives, the second could be subordinated by virtue of the meanings. “Send to bring to safety.”
  118. Exodus 9:19 tn Heb “man, human.”
  119. Exodus 9:19 tn Heb “[who] may be found.” The verb can be the imperfect of possibility.
  120. Exodus 9:20 tn Heb “the one fearing.” The singular expression here and throughout vv. 20-21 refers to all who fit the description.
  121. Exodus 9:21 tn The Hebrew text again has the singular.
  122. Exodus 9:21 tn Heb “set his mind on” or “put his heart to.”
  123. Exodus 9:22 tn Or “the heavens” (also in the following verse). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.
  124. Exodus 9:22 tn The jussive with the conjunction (וִיהִי, vihi) coming after the imperative provides the purpose or result.
  125. Exodus 9:22 tn Heb “on man and on beast.”
  126. Exodus 9:22 tn The noun refers primarily to cultivated grains. But here it seems to be the general heading for anything that grows from the ground, all vegetation and plant life, as opposed to what grows on trees.
  127. Exodus 9:23 tn The preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the next clause in view of the emphasis put on the subject, Yahweh, by the disjunctive word order of that clause.
  128. Exodus 9:23 tn By starting the clause with the subject (an example of disjunctive word order) the text is certainly stressing that Yahweh alone did this.
  129. Exodus 9:23 tn The expression נָתַן קֹלֹת (natan qolot) literally means “gave voices” (also “voice”). This is a poetic expression for sending the thunder. Ps 29:3 talks about the “voice of Yahweh”—the God of glory thunders!
  130. Exodus 9:23 sn This clause has been variously interpreted. Lightning would ordinarily accompany thunder; in this case the mention of fire could indicate that the lightning was beyond normal and that it was striking in such a way as to start fires on the ground. It could also mean that fire went along the ground from the pounding hail.
  131. Exodus 9:24 tn The verb is the common preterite וַיְהִי (vayehi), which is normally translated “and there was” if it is translated at all. The verb הָיָה (hayah), however, can mean “be, become, befall, fall, fall out, happen.” Here it could be simply translated “there was hail,” but the active “hail fell” fits the point of the sequence better.
  132. Exodus 9:24 tn The form מִתְלַקַּחַת (mitlaqqakhat) is a Hitpael participle; the clause reads, “and fire taking hold of itself in the midst of the hail.” This probably refers to lightning flashing back and forth. See also Ezek 1:4. God created a great storm with flashing fire connected to it.
  133. Exodus 9:24 tn Heb “very heavy” or “very severe.” The subject “the hail” is implied.
  134. Exodus 9:24 tn A literal reading of the clause would be “which there was not like it in all the land of Egypt.” The relative pronoun must be joined to the resumptive pronoun: “which like it (like which) there had not been.”
  135. Exodus 9:25 tn The exact expression is “from man even to beast.” R. J. Williams lists this as an example of the inclusive use of the preposition מִן (min) to be rendered “both…and” (Hebrew Syntax, 57, §327).
  136. Exodus 9:25 tn Heb “all the cultivated grain of.”
  137. Exodus 9:27 sn Pharaoh now is struck by the judgment and acknowledges that he is at fault. But the context shows that this penitence was short-lived. What exactly he meant by this confession is uncertain. On the surface his words seem to represent a recognition that he was in the wrong and Yahweh right.
  138. Exodus 9:27 tn The word רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) can mean “ungodly, wicked, guilty, criminal.” Pharaoh here is saying that Yahweh is right, and the Egyptians are not—so they are at fault, guilty. S. R. Driver says the words are used in their forensic sense (in the right or wrong standing legally) and not in the ethical sense of morally right and wrong (Exodus, 75).
  139. Exodus 9:28 sn The text has Heb “the voices of God.” The divine epithet can be used to express the superlative (cf. Jonah 3:3).
  140. Exodus 9:28 tn The expression וְרַב מִהְיֹת (verav miheyot, “[the mighty thunder and hail] is much from being”) means essentially “more than enough.” This indicates that the storm was too much, or, as one might say, “It is enough.”
  141. Exodus 9:28 tn The last clause uses a verbal hendiadys: “you will not add to stand,” meaning “you will no longer stay.”
  142. Exodus 9:29 tn כְּצֵאתִי (ketseʾti) is the Qal infinitive construct of יָצָא (yatsaʾ); it functions here as the temporal clause before the statement about prayer.sn There has been a good deal of speculation about why Moses would leave the city before praying. Rashi said he did not want to pray where there were so many idols. It may also be as the midrash in Exodus Rabbah 12:5 says that most of the devastation of this plague had been outside in the fields, and that was where Moses wished to go.
  143. Exodus 9:29 sn This clause provides the purpose/result of Moses’ intention: he will pray to Yahweh and the storms will cease “that you might know….” It was not enough to pray and have the plague stop. Pharaoh must “know” that Yahweh is the sovereign Lord over the earth. Here was that purpose of knowing through experience. This clause provides the key for the exposition of this plague: God demonstrated his power over the forces of nature to show his sovereignty—the earth is Yahweh’s. He can destroy it. He can preserve it. If people sin by ignoring his word and not fearing him, he can bring judgment on them. If any fear Yahweh and obey his instructions, they will be spared. A positive way to express the expositional point of the chapter is to say that those who fear Yahweh and obey his word will escape the powerful destruction he has prepared for those who sinfully disregard his word.
  144. Exodus 9:30 tn The verse begins with the disjunctive vav to mark a strong contrastive clause to what was said before this.
  145. Exodus 9:30 tn The adverb טֶרֶם (terem, “before, not yet”) occurs with the imperfect tense to give the sense of the English present tense to the verb negated by it (GKC 314-15 §107.c). Moses is saying that he knew that Pharaoh did not really stand in awe of God, so as to grant Israel’s release, i.e., fear not in the religious sense but “be afraid of” God—fear “before” him (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 76).
  146. Exodus 9:31 tn A disjunctive vav introduces the two verses that provide parenthetical information to the reader. Gesenius notes that the boldness of such clauses is often indicated by the repetition of nouns at the beginning (see GKC 452 §141.d). Some have concluded that because they have been put here rather than back after v. 25 or 26, they form part of Moses’ speech to Pharaoh, explaining that the crops that were necessary for humans were spared, but those for other things were destroyed. This would also mean that Moses was saying there is more that God can destroy (see B. Jacob, Exodus, 279).
  147. Exodus 9:31 tn The unusual forms נֻכָּתָה (nukkatah) in v. 31 and נֻכּוּ (nukku) in v. 32 are probably to be taken as old Qal passives. There are no attested Piel uses of the root.
  148. Exodus 9:31 tn The words “by the hail” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied from context.
  149. Exodus 9:31 tn Heb “was in the ear” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “had headed.”
  150. Exodus 9:31 sn Flax was used for making linen, and the area around Tanis was ideal for producing flax. Barley was used for bread for the poor people, as well as beer and animal feed.
  151. Exodus 9:32 tn The word כֻּסֶּמֶת (kussemet) is translated “spelt”; the word occurs only here and in Isa 28:25 and Ezek 4:9. Spelt is a grain closely allied to wheat. Other suggestions have been brought forward from the study of Egyptian crops (see a brief summary in W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:363-64).
  152. Exodus 9:32 tn Heb “for they are late.”
  153. Exodus 9:34 tn The clause beginning with the preterite and vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the next, and main clause—that he hardened his heart again.
  154. Exodus 9:34 tn The construction is another verbal hendiadys: וַיֹּסֶף לַחֲטֹא (vayyosef lakhatoʾ), literally rendered “and he added to sin.” The infinitive construct becomes the main verb, and the Hiphil preterite becomes adverbial. The text is clearly interpreting as sin the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart and his refusal to release Israel. At the least this means that the plagues are his fault, but the expression probably means more than this—he was disobeying Yahweh God.
  155. Exodus 9:34 tn This phrase translates the Hebrew word כָּבֵד (kaved); see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53.
  156. Exodus 9:35 tn The verb about Pharaoh’s heart in v. 35 is וַיֶּחֱזַק (vayyekhezaq), a Qal preterite: “and it was hardened” or “strengthened to resist.” This forms the summary statement of this stage in the drama. The verb used in v. 34 to report Pharaoh’s response was וַיַּכְבֵּד (vayyakhbed), a Hiphil preterite: “and he hardened [his heart]” or made it stubborn. The use of two descriptions of Pharaoh’s heart in close succession, along with mention of his servants’ heart condition, underscores the growing extent of the problem.
New English Translation (NET)

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Matthew 19:13-30

Jesus and Little Children

13 Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray.[a] But the disciples scolded those who brought them.[b] 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”[c] 15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.[d]

The Rich Young Man

16 Now[e] someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”[f] 17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,[g] and love your neighbor as yourself.”[h] 20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed[i] all these laws.[j] What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money[k] to the poor, and you will have treasure[l] in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.[m]

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth,[n] it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! 24 Again I say,[o] it is easier for a camel[p] to go through the eye of a needle[q] than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 25 The[r] disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?”[s] 26 Jesus[t] looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans,[u] but for God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said[v] to him, “Look,[w] we have left everything to follow you![x] What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus[y] said to them, “I tell you the truth:[z] In the age when all things are renewed,[aa] when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging[ab] the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much[ac] and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 19:13 tn Grk “so that he would lay his hands on them and pray.”
  2. Matthew 19:13 tn Grk “the disciples scolded them.” In the translation the referent has been specified as “those who brought them,” since otherwise the statement could be understood to mean that the disciples scolded the children rather than their parents who brought them.
  3. Matthew 19:14 sn The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.
  4. Matthew 19:15 tn Grk “went from there.”
  5. Matthew 19:16 tn Grk “And behold one came.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  6. Matthew 19:16 sn Here the questioner asks how to gain eternal life. In several places Matthew uses “life” or “eternal life” in proximity with “the kingdom of heaven” or merely “the kingdom,” suggesting a close relationship between the two concepts (compare Matt 25:34 with v. 46; Matt 19:16, 17, 29 with vv. 23, 24). Matthew consistently portrays “eternal life” as something a person enters in the world to come, whereas the Gospel of John sees “eternal life” as beginning in the present and continuing into the future (cf. John 5:24).
  7. Matthew 19:19 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.
  8. Matthew 19:19 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
  9. Matthew 19:20 tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.
  10. Matthew 19:20 tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command—to give away all he had—revealed that internally he loved money more than God.
  11. Matthew 19:21 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  12. Matthew 19:21 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
  13. Matthew 19:22 tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, ktēma) is often used for land as a possession.
  14. Matthew 19:23 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  15. Matthew 19:24 tn Grk “I say to you.”
  16. Matthew 19:24 tc A few, mostly late, witnesses (579 1424 al arm Cyr) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamēlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.
  17. Matthew 19:24 sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle. (Although the story of a small gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” has been widely circulated and may go back as far as the middle ages, there is no evidence that such a gate ever existed.) Jesus was saying rhetorically that it is impossible for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom, unless God (v. 26) intervenes.
  18. Matthew 19:25 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  19. Matthew 19:25 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
  20. Matthew 19:26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  21. Matthew 19:26 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anthrōpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men, but for God all things are possible”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” in v. 28.
  22. Matthew 19:27 tn Grk “Then answering, Peter said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
  23. Matthew 19:27 sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice have been noticed.
  24. Matthew 19:27 tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
  25. Matthew 19:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  26. Matthew 19:28 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  27. Matthew 19:28 sn The Greek term translated the age when all things are renewed (παλιγγενεσία, palingenesia) is understood as a reference to the Messianic age, the time when all things are renewed and restored (cf. Rev 21:5).
  28. Matthew 19:28 sn The statement you…will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel looks at the future authority the Twelve will have when Jesus returns. They will share in Israel’s judgment.
  29. Matthew 19:29 sn Jesus reassures his disciples with a promise that (1) much benefit in this life (a hundred times as much) and (2) eternal life will be given.
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 24

Psalm 24[a]

A psalm of David.

24 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live in it.
2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established[b] it upon the ocean currents.[c]
3 Who is allowed to ascend[d] the mountain of the Lord?[e]
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
4 The one whose deeds are blameless
and whose motives are pure,[f]
who does not lie,[g]
or make promises with no intention of keeping them.[h]
5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord,[i]
and vindicated by the God who delivers them.[j]
6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,
Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him.[k] (Selah)
7 Look up,[l] you gates.
Rise up,[m] you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king[n] will enter.[o]
8 Who is this majestic king?[p]
The Lord who is strong and mighty.
The Lord who is mighty in battle.
9 Look up, you gates.
Rise up, you eternal doors.
Then the majestic king will enter.
10 Who is this majestic king?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies.[q]
He is the majestic king. (Selah)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 24:1 sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.
  2. Psalm 24:2 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
  3. Psalm 24:2 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
  4. Psalm 24:3 tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.
  5. Psalm 24:3 sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).
  6. Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “the innocent of hands and the pure of heart.” The “hands” allude to one’s actions, the “heart” to one’s thought life and motives.
  7. Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “who does not lift up for emptiness my life.” The first person pronoun on נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my life”) makes little sense here; many medieval Hebrew mss support the ancient versions in reading a third person pronoun “his.” The idiom “lift the life” here means to “long for” or “desire strongly.” In this context (note the reference to an oath in the following line) “emptiness” probably refers to speech (see Ps 12:2).
  8. Psalm 24:4 tn Heb “and does not swear an oath deceitfully.”
  9. Psalm 24:5 tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the Lord.” The singular subject is representative here, as v. 6 makes clear. The referent (godly people like the individual in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The imperfect verbal form is generalizing; such people are typically rewarded for their deeds.
  10. Psalm 24:5 tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”
  11. Psalm 24:6 tn Heb “this [is the] generation of the ones seeking him, the ones seeking your face, Jacob.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 27:8; 105:4).sn This verse presents a somewhat idealized view of Jacob’s descendants as devoted worshipers of the Lord.
  12. Psalm 24:7 tn Heb “lift up your heads.” The gates of the Lord’s dwelling place are here personified. The idiom “lift up the head” often means “be confident, bold” (see Judg 8:28; Job 10:15; Ps 83:2; Zech 1:21).
  13. Psalm 24:7 tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”
  14. Psalm 24:7 tn Or “king of glory.”
  15. Psalm 24:7 tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
  16. Psalm 24:8 sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.
  17. Psalm 24:10 tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts,” a title which here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle.
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 6:1-5

Admonitions and Warnings against Dangerous and Destructive Acts[a]

6 My child,[b] if you have made a pledge[c] for your neighbor,[d]
if[e] you have become a guarantor[f] for a stranger,[g]
2 if[h] you have been ensnared[i] by the words you have uttered,[j]
and have been caught by the words you have spoken,
3 then, my child, do this in order to deliver yourself,[k]
because you have fallen into your neighbor’s power:[l]
Go, humble yourself,[m]
and appeal firmly to[n] your neighbor.
4 Permit no sleep to your eyes[o]
or slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from a snare,[p]
and like a bird from the trap[q] of the fowler.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 6:1 sn The chapter advises release from foolish indebtedness (1-5), admonishes avoiding laziness (6-11), warns of the danger of poverty (9-11) and deviousness (12-15), lists conduct that the Lord hates (16-19), and warns about immorality (20-35).
  2. Proverbs 6:1 tn Heb “my son” (likewise in vv. 3, 20).
  3. Proverbs 6:1 sn It was fairly common for people to put up some kind of financial security for someone else, that is, to underwrite another’s debts. But the pledge in view here was foolish because the debtor was someone who was not well known (זָר, zar). The one who pledged security for this one was simply gullible.
  4. Proverbs 6:1 tn A neighbor (רֵעַ, reaʿ) does not mean a person who lives next door or on your block, but someone whom you are brought into contact with, or live or work with, because of life’s circumstances. Since this person is also called a stranger (זָר, zar) at the end of the verse, “neighbor” should be understood in the broadest sense of a social contact.
  5. Proverbs 6:1 tn The conjunction “if” does not appear in the Hebrew text. It applies from the previous line and is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
  6. Proverbs 6:1 tn Heb “struck your hands”; NIV “have struck hands in pledge”; NASB “have given a pledge.” The guarantee of a pledge was signaled by a handshake (e.g., 11:15; 17:18; 22:26).
  7. Proverbs 6:1 tn Heb “stranger.” The term זָר (zar, “stranger”) can refer to a stranger who is outside the family, a non-Israelite foreigner, or an unauthorized or prohibited person (like the strange/prohibited woman in Prov 2:16 and 5:3). The person is either not well known or off-limits and represents a high financial risk and/or an undesirable association.
  8. Proverbs 6:2 tn The term “if” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  9. Proverbs 6:2 tn The verb יָקַשׁ (yaqash) means “to lay a bait; to lure; to lay snares.” In the Niphal it means “to be caught by bait; to be ensnared”—here in a business entanglement.
  10. Proverbs 6:2 tn Heb “by the words of your mouth.” The same expression occurs at the end of the following line (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). Many English versions vary the wording slightly, presumably for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  11. Proverbs 6:3 tn The syntactical construction of imperative followed by an imperative with vav consecutive denotes purpose: “in order to be delivered.” The verb means “to deliver oneself, be delivered” in the Niphal. The image is one of being snatched or plucked quickly out of some danger or trouble, in the sense of a rescue, as in a “brand snatched [Hophal stem] from the fire” (Zech 3:2).
  12. Proverbs 6:3 tn Heb “have come into the hand of your neighbor” (so NASB; cf. KJV, ASV). The idiom using the “hand” means that the individual has come under the control or the power of someone else. This particular word for hand is used to play ironically on its first occurrence in v. 1.
  13. Proverbs 6:3 tn In the Hitpael the verb רָפַס (rafas) means “to stamp oneself down” or “to humble oneself” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV). BDB 952 s.v. Hithp suggests “become a suppliant.” G. R. Driver related it to the Akkadian cognate rapasu, “trample,” and interpreted as trampling oneself, swallowing pride, being unremitting in effort (“Some Hebrew Verbs, Nouns, and Pronouns,” JTS 30 [1929]: 374).
  14. Proverbs 6:3 tn Heb “be bold.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) means “to act stormily; to act boisterously; to act arrogantly.” The idea here is a strong one: storm against (beset, importune) your neighbor. The meaning is that he should be bold and not take no for an answer. Cf. NIV “press your plea”; TEV “beg him to release you.”
  15. Proverbs 6:4 tn Heb “do not give sleep to your eyes.” The point is to go to the neighbor and seek release from the agreement immediately (cf. NLT “Don’t rest until you do”).
  16. Proverbs 6:5 tn Heb “from the hand.” Most translations supply “of the hunter.” The word “hand” can signify power, control; so the meaning is that of a gazelle freeing itself from a snare or a trap that a hunter set.
  17. Proverbs 6:5 tc Heb “hand” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV). Some mss and versions have it as “trap,” which may very well represent an interpretation too.
New English Translation (NET)

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