◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 41 52; Ps. 44; Gen. 37:1–11; 1 Cor. 1:1–19; Mark 1:1–13 (New English Translation)

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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

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Psalm 41

Psalm 41^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

41 How blessed^[b] is the one who treats the poor properly.^[c]
When trouble comes,^[d] may^[e] the Lord deliver him.^[f]
²May the Lord protect him and save his life.^[g]
May he be blessed^[h] in the land.
Do not turn him over^[i] to his enemies.^[j]
³The Lord supports^[k] him on his sickbed;
you have healed him from his illness.^[l]
⁴As for me, I said:^[m]
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you.
⁵My enemies ask this cruel question about me,^[n]
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’^[o]
⁶When someone comes to visit,^[p] he pretends to be friendly;^[q]
he thinks of ways to defame me,^[r]
and when he leaves he slanders me.^[s]
⁷All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another;^[t]
they plan ways to harm me.
⁸They say,^[u]
‘An awful disease^[v] overwhelms him,^[w]
and now that he is bedridden he will never recover.’^[x]
⁹Even my close friend^[y] whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.^[z]
¹⁰As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!”^[aa]
¹¹By this^[ab] I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does^[ac] not triumph^[ad] over me.
¹²As for me, you uphold^[ae] me because of my integrity;^[af]
you allow^[ag] me permanent access to your presence.^[ah]
¹³The Lord God of Israel deserves praise^[ai]
in the future and forevermore.^[aj]
We agree! We agree!^[ak]

Footnotes

Psalm 41:1 sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19; 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).
Psalm 41:1 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
Psalm 41:1 sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
Psalm 41:1 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
Psalm 41:1 tn The prefixed verb יְמַלְּטֵהוּ (y^emall^etehu) has the form of the pronominal suffix typical of the jussive not the imperfect (יְמַלְּטֶנּוּ, y^emall^etennu). The jussive form continues throughout the next verse. The principle that begins v. 1 is the basis for the petition in vv. 1b-2. Verse 3 transitions to a statement of confidence and testimony.
Psalm 41:1 tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor.
Psalm 41:2 tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because of the form of the pronominal suffix (-ehu rather than -ennu) and because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse.
Psalm 41:2 tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (ʾashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).
Psalm 41:2 tn The negative particle אַל (ʾal) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (loʾ), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood. However, none of the examples offered in GKC for this use of the jussive are compelling.
Psalm 41:2 tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
Psalm 41:3 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
Psalm 41:3 tn Heb “all his bed you have changed in his illness.” The perfect verb may indicate a testimony of what God has done in the past as part of the statement of confidence.
Psalm 41:4 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
Psalm 41:5 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
Psalm 41:5 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “to see.”
Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
Psalm 41:7 tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
Psalm 41:8 tn The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).
Psalm 41:8 tn Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.
Psalm 41:8 tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.
Psalm 41:8 tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
Psalm 41:9 tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
Psalm 41:9 tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
Psalm 41:10 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.
Psalm 41:11 sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.
Psalm 41:11 tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
Psalm 41:11 tn Heb “shout.”
Psalm 41:12 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
Psalm 41:12 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
Psalm 41:12 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).
Psalm 41:12 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
Psalm 41:13 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
Psalm 41:13 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.
Psalm 41:13 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [ʾamen v^eʾamen], i.e., “amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.

Psalm 52

Psalm 52^[a]

For the music director, a well-written song^[b] by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.”^[c]

52 Why do you boast about your evil plans,^[d] O powerful man?
God’s loyal love protects me all day long.^[e]
²Your tongue carries out your destructive plans;^[f]
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.^[g]
³You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth.^[h] (Selah)
⁴You love to use all the words that destroy,^[i]
and the tongue that deceives.
⁵Yet^[j] God will make you a permanent heap of ruins.^[k]
He will scoop you up^[l] and remove you from your home;^[m]
he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
⁶When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying:^[n]
⁷“Look, here is the man who would not make^[o] God his protector.
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to destroy others.”^[p]
⁸But I^[q] am like a flourishing^[r] olive tree in the house of God;
I continually^[s] trust in God’s loyal love.
⁹I will continually^[t] thank you when^[u] you execute judgment;^[v]
I will rely on^[w] you,^[x] for your loyal followers know you are good.^[y]

Footnotes

Psalm 52:1 sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.
Psalm 52:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
Psalm 52:1 tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7), informed Saul of David’s whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).
Psalm 52:1 tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
Psalm 52:1 tn Heb “the loyal love of God [is] all the day.” In this context, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point seems to be that the psalmist is protected by God’s loyal love at all times.
Psalm 52:2 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
Psalm 52:2 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (ʿasah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
Psalm 52:3 tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
Psalm 52:4 tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (balaʿ) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see BDB 118 s.v. בָּלַע). HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע proposes a homonym here, meaning “confusion.” This would fit the immediate context nicely and provide a close parallel to the following line, which refers to deceptive words.
Psalm 52:5 tn The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.
Psalm 52:5 tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”
Psalm 52:5 tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
Psalm 52:5 tn Heb “from [your] tent.”
Psalm 52:6 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
Psalm 52:7 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”
Psalm 52:7 tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ʿazaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayyaʿaz), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ʿoshro, “his wealth”).
Psalm 52:8 tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5-7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.
Psalm 52:8 tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
Psalm 52:8 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
Psalm 52:9 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
Psalm 52:9 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 52:9 tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.
Psalm 52:9 tn Or “wait on.”
Psalm 52:9 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
Psalm 52:9 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”

Psalm 44

Psalm 44^[a]

For the music director, by the Korahites; a well-written song.^[b]

44 O God, we have clearly heard;^[c]
our ancestors^[d] have told us
what you did^[e] in their days,
in ancient times.^[f]
²You, by your power,^[g] defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land;^[h]
you crushed^[i] the people living there^[j] and enabled our ancestors to occupy it.^[k]
³For they did not conquer^[l] the land by their swords,
and they did not prevail by their strength,^[m]
but rather by your power,^[n] strength,^[o] and good favor,^[p]
for you were partial to^[q] them.
⁴You are my^[r] king, O God.
Decree^[s] Jacob’s^[t] deliverance.
⁵By your power^[u] we will drive back^[v] our enemies;
by your strength^[w] we will trample down^[x] our foes.^[y]
⁶For I do not trust in my bow,
and I do not prevail by my sword.
⁷For you deliver^[z] us from our enemies;
you humiliate^[aa] those who hate us.
⁸In God we boast all day long,
and we will continually give thanks to your name. (Selah)
⁹But^[ab] you rejected and embarrassed us.
You did not go into battle with our armies.^[ac]
¹⁰You made us retreat^[ad] from the enemy.
Those who hate us take whatever they want from us.^[ae]
¹¹You handed us^[af] over like sheep to be eaten;
you scattered us among the nations.
¹²You sold^[ag] your people for a pittance;^[ah]
you did not ask a high price for them.^[ai]
¹³You made us^[aj] an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.^[ak]
¹⁴You made us^[al] an object of ridicule^[am] among the nations;
foreigners treat us with contempt.^[an]
¹⁵All day long I feel humiliated^[ao]
and am overwhelmed with shame,^[ap]
¹⁶before the vindictive enemy
who ridicules and insults me.^[aq]
¹⁷All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you^[ar]
or violated your covenant with us.^[as]
¹⁸We have not been unfaithful,^[at]
nor have we disobeyed your commands.^[au]
¹⁹Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs;^[av]
you have covered us with darkness.^[aw]
²⁰If we had rejected our God,^[ax]
and spread out our hands in prayer to another god,^[ay]
²¹would not God discover it,
for he knows^[az] a person’s secret thoughts?^[ba]
²²Yet because of you^[bb] we are killed all day long;
we are treated like^[bc] sheep at the slaughtering block.^[bd]
²³Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Wake up!^[be] Do not reject us forever.
²⁴Why do you look the other way,^[bf]
and ignore^[bg] the way we are oppressed and mistreated?^[bh]
²⁵For we lie in the dirt,
with our bellies pressed to the ground.^[bi]
²⁶Rise up and help us.
Rescue us^[bj] because of your loyal love.

Footnotes

Psalm 44:1 sn Psalm 44. The speakers in this psalm (the worshiping community within the nation Israel) were disappointed with God. The psalm begins on a positive note, praising God for leading Israel to past military victories. Verses 1-8 appear to be a song of confidence and petition which the people recited prior to battle. But suddenly the mood changes as the nation laments a recent defeat. The stark contrast between the present and the past only heightens the nation’s confusion. Israel trusted in God for victory, but the Lord rejected them and allowed them to be humiliated in battle. If Israel had been unfaithful to God, their defeat would make sense, but the nation was loyal to the Lord. Comparing the Lord to a careless shepherd, the nation urges God to wake up and to extend his compassion to his suffering people.
Psalm 44:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.
Psalm 44:1 tn Heb “with our ears we have heard.”
Psalm 44:1 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 2; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “fathers” or “ancestors” depending on the context.
Psalm 44:1 tn Heb “the work you worked.”
Psalm 44:1 tn Heb “in the days of old.” This refers specifically to the days of Joshua, during Israel’s conquest of the land, as vv. 2-3 indicate.
Psalm 44:2 tn Heb “you, your hand.”
Psalm 44:2 tn Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.
Psalm 44:2 tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (raʿaʿ, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. NEB “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).
Psalm 44:2 tn Or “peoples.”
Psalm 44:2 tn Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.
Psalm 44:3 tn Or “take possession of.”
Psalm 44:3 tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.
Psalm 44:3 tn Heb “your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Pss 17:7; 20:6; 21:8).
Psalm 44:3 tn Heb “your arm.”
Psalm 44:3 tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
Psalm 44:3 tn Or “favorable toward.”
Psalm 44:4 sn The speaker changes here to an individual, perhaps the worship leader or the king. The oscillation between singular (vv. 4, 6) and plural (vv. 1-3, 5, 7-8) in vv. 1-8 may reflect an antiphonal ceremony.
Psalm 44:4 tc The LXX assumes a participle here (מְצַוֶּה [m^etsavveh], “the one who commands/decrees”) which would stand in apposition to “my God.” It is possible that the MT, which has the imperative (צַוֵּה, tsavveh) form, has suffered haplography of the letter mem (ם). Note that the preceding word (אֱלֹהִים, ʾelohim) ends in mem. Another option is that the MT is divided in the wrong place; perhaps one could move the final mem from אֱלֹהִים to the beginning of the next word and read מְצַוֶּה אֱלֹהָי (ʾelohay m^etsavveh, “[You are my king,] my God, the one who decrees”).tn Or “command.” This may be the Israelites’ petition prior to the battle. See the introductory note to the psalm.
Psalm 44:4 tn That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.
Psalm 44:5 tn Heb “by you.”
Psalm 44:5 tn Heb “gore” (like an ox). If this portion of the psalm contains the song of confidence/petition the Israelites recited prior to battle, then the imperfects here and in the next line may express their expectation of victory. Another option is that the imperfects function in an emphatic generalizing manner. In this case one might translate, “you [always] drive back…you [always] trample down.”sn The Hebrew verb translated “drive back” is literally “gore”; the imagery is that of a powerful wild ox that “gores” its enemies and tramples them underfoot.
Psalm 44:5 tn Heb “in your name.” The Lord’s “name” refers here to his revealed character or personal presence. Specifically in this context his ability to deliver, protect, and energize for battle is in view (see Ps 54:1).
Psalm 44:5 sn The image of the powerful wild ox continues; see the note on the phrase “drive back” in the preceding line.
Psalm 44:5 tn Heb “those who rise up [against] us.”
Psalm 44:7 tn Or “have delivered,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
Psalm 44:7 tn Or “have humiliated,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
Psalm 44:9 tn The particle אַף (ʾaf, “but”) is used here as a strong adversative contrasting the following statement with what precedes.
Psalm 44:9 tn Heb “you did not go out with our armies.” The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
Psalm 44:10 tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”
Psalm 44:10 tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).
Psalm 44:11 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
Psalm 44:12 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
Psalm 44:12 tn Heb “for what is not wealth.”
Psalm 44:12 tn Heb “you did not multiply their purchase prices.”
Psalm 44:13 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
Psalm 44:13 tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.”
Psalm 44:14 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
Psalm 44:14 tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”
Psalm 44:14 tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).
Psalm 44:15 tn Heb “all the day my humiliation [is] in front of me.”
Psalm 44:15 tn Heb “and the shame of my face covers me.”
Psalm 44:16 tn Heb “from the voice of one who ridicules and insults, from the face of an enemy and an avenger.” See Ps 8:2.
Psalm 44:17 tn Heb “we have not forgotten you.” To “forget” God refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see v. 20, as well as Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 9:17).Thus the translation “we have not rejected you” has been used.
Psalm 44:17 tn Heb “and we did not deal falsely with your covenant.”
Psalm 44:18 tn Heb “our heart did not turn backward.” Cf. Ps 78:57.
Psalm 44:18 tn Heb “and our steps did [not] turn aside from your path.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line). God’s “path” refers to his commands, i.e., the moral pathway he has prescribed for the psalmist. See Pss 17:5; 25:4.
Psalm 44:19 tn Heb “yet you have battered us in a place of jackals.”
Psalm 44:19 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (מָוֶת + צֵל [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness” (cf. NIV, NRSV). An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 44:19 darkness symbolizes defeat and humiliation.
Psalm 44:20 tn Heb “If we had forgotten the name of our God.” To “forget the name” here refers to rejecting the Lord’s authority (see Jer 23:27) and abandoning him as an object of prayer and worship (see the next line).
Psalm 44:20 tn Heb “and spread out your hands to another god.” Spreading out the hands was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29; Ezra 9:15; Job 11:13; Isa 1:15). In its most fundamental sense זָר (zar, “another; foreign; strange”) refers to something that is outside one’s circle, often making association with it inappropriate. A “strange” god is an alien deity, an “outside god” (see L. A. Snijders, TDOT 4:54-55).
Psalm 44:21 tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.
Psalm 44:21 tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.
Psalm 44:22 tn The statement “because of you” (1) may simply indicate that God is the cause of the Israelites’ defeat (see vv. 9-14, where the nation’s situation is attributed directly to God’s activity, and cf. NEB, NRSV), or (2) it may suggest they suffer because of their allegiance to God (see Ps 69:7 and Jer 15:15). In this case one should translate, “for your sake” (cf. NASB, NIV). The citation of this verse in Rom 8:36 follows the LXX (Ps 43:23 LXX), where the Greek term ἕνεκεν (heneken; LXX ἕνεκα) may likewise mean “because of” or “for the sake of” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἕνεκα 1).
Psalm 44:22 tn Or “regarded as.”
Psalm 44:22 tn Heb “like sheep of slaughtering,” that is, sheep destined for slaughter.
Psalm 44:23 sn Wake up! See Ps 35:23.
Psalm 44:24 tn Heb “Why do you hide your face?” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
Psalm 44:24 tn Or “forget.”
Psalm 44:24 tn Heb “our oppression and our affliction.”
Psalm 44:25 tn Heb “for our being/life sinks down to the dirt, our belly clings to the earth.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
Psalm 44:26 tn Or “redeem us.” See Pss 25:22; 26:11; 69:18; 119:134.

Genesis 37:1-11

Joseph’s Dreams

37 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,^[a] in the land of Canaan.^[b]

²This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son,^[c] was taking care of^[d] the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster^[e] working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives.^[f] Joseph brought back a bad report about them^[g] to their father.

³Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons^[h] because he was a son born to him late in life,^[i] and he made a special^[j] tunic for him. ⁴When Joseph’s^[k] brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them,^[l] they hated Joseph^[m] and were not able to speak to him kindly.^[n]

⁵Joseph^[o] had a dream,^[p] and when he told his brothers about it^[q] they hated him even more.^[r] ⁶He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:^[s] ⁷There we were,^[t] binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down^[u] to it!” ⁸Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?”^[v] They hated him even more^[w] because of his dream and because of what he said.^[x]

⁹Then he had another dream,^[y] and told it to his brothers. “Look,”^[z] he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” ¹⁰When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had?^[aa] Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?”^[ab] ¹¹His brothers were jealous^[ac] of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.^[ad]

Footnotes

Genesis 37:1 tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”
Genesis 37:1 sn The next section begins with the heading This is the account of Jacob in Gen 37:2, so this verse actually forms part of the preceding section as a concluding contrast with Esau and his people. In contrast to all the settled and expanded population of Esau, Jacob was still moving about in the land without a permanent residence and without kings. Even if the Edomite king list was added later (as the reference to kings in Israel suggests), its placement here in contrast to Jacob and his descendants is important. Certainly the text deals with Esau before dealing with Jacob—that is the pattern. But the detail is so great in chap. 36 that the contrast cannot be missed.
Genesis 37:2 tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”
Genesis 37:2 tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”
Genesis 37:2 tn Or perhaps “a helper.” The significance of this statement is unclear. It may mean “now the lad was with,” or it may suggest Joseph was like a servant to them.
Genesis 37:2 tn Heb “and he [was] a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father.”
Genesis 37:2 tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.sn Some interpreters portray Joseph as a tattletale for bringing back a bad report about them [i.e., his brothers], but the entire Joseph story has some of the characteristics of wisdom literature. Joseph is presented in a good light—not because he was perfect, but because the narrative is showing how wisdom rules. In light of that, this section portrays Joseph as faithful to his father in little things, even though unpopular—and so he will eventually be given authority over greater things.
Genesis 37:3 tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.sn The statement Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons brings forward a motif that played an important role in the family of Isaac—parental favoritism. Jacob surely knew what that had done to him and his brother Esau, and to his own family. But now he showers affection on Rachel’s son Joseph.
Genesis 37:3 tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”
Genesis 37:3 tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.
Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”
Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”
Genesis 37:5 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 37:5 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
Genesis 37:5 sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.
Genesis 37:5 tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.
Genesis 37:6 tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”
Genesis 37:7 tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (v^ehinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”
Genesis 37:7 tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.
Genesis 37:8 tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”
Genesis 37:8 tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.
Genesis 37:8 sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness—they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.
Genesis 37:9 tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”
Genesis 37:9 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.
Genesis 37:10 sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.
Genesis 37:10 tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”
Genesis 37:11 sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.
Genesis 37:11 tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.

1 Corinthians 1:1-19

Salutation

1 From Paul,^[a] called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus^[b] by the will of God, and Sosthenes, our brother, ²to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.^[c] ³Grace and peace to you^[d] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanksgiving

⁴I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus. ⁵For you were made rich^[e] in every way in him, in all your speech and in every kind of knowledge^[f]— ⁶just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed among you— ⁷so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation^[g] of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸He^[h] will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

¹⁰I urge you, brothers and sisters,^[i] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree together,^[j] to end your divisions,^[k] and to be united by the same mind and purpose.^[l] ¹¹For members of Chloe’s household have made it clear to me, my brothers and sisters,^[m] that there are quarrels^[n] among you. ¹²Now I mean this, that^[o] each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,”^[p] or “I am with Christ.” ¹³Is Christ divided? Paul wasn’t crucified for you, was he?^[q] Or were you in fact baptized in the name of Paul?^[r] ¹⁴I thank God^[s] that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name! ¹⁶(I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Otherwise, I do not remember whether I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.^[t]

The Message of the Cross

¹⁸For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.”^[u]

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 1:1 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
1 Corinthians 1:1 tc Many significant mss, as well as several others (א A Ψ 1739 1881 M sy), have a reversed order of these words and read “Jesus Christ” rather than “Christ Jesus” (P⁴⁶ B D F G 33 it). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred both because it has somewhat better attestation and because it is slightly more difficult and thus more likely the earlier reading (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus.” As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. Thus, on both external and internal grounds, “Christ Jesus” is the preferred reading here.
1 Corinthians 1:2 tn Grk “theirs and ours.”
1 Corinthians 1:3 tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”
1 Corinthians 1:5 sn Made rich refers to how God richly blessed the Corinthians with an abundance of spiritual gifts (cf. v. 7).
1 Corinthians 1:5 sn Speech and knowledge refer to the spiritual gifts God had blessed them with (as v. 7 confirms). Paul will discuss certain abuses of their gifts in chapters 12-14, but he thanks God for their giftedness.
1 Corinthians 1:7 sn The revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ refers to the Lord’s return, when he will be revealed (cf. the reference to the day of our Lord Jesus Christ in v. 8).
1 Corinthians 1:8 tn Grk “who,” referring to Christ. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
1 Corinthians 1:10 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
1 Corinthians 1:10 tn Grk “that you all say the same thing.”
1 Corinthians 1:10 tn Grk “that there be no divisions among you.”
1 Corinthians 1:10 tn Grk “that you be united in/by the same mind and in/by the same purpose.”
1 Corinthians 1:11 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.
1 Corinthians 1:11 tn Or “rivalries, disputes.”
1 Corinthians 1:12 tn Or “And I say this because.”
1 Corinthians 1:12 sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211). Both the Aramaic name “Cephas” and the Greek name “Peter” are related to words in each language which mean “rock.”
1 Corinthians 1:13 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “was he?”).
1 Corinthians 1:13 tn This third question marks a peak in which Paul’s incredulity at the Corinthians’ attitude is in focus. The words “in fact” have been supplied in the translation to make this rhetorical juncture clear.
1 Corinthians 1:14 tc The oldest and most significant witnesses to this text, as well as a few others (א* B 6 1739 sa^ms bo^pt), lack the words τῷ θεῷ (tō theō, “God”), while the rest have them. An accidental omission could well account for the shorter reading, especially since θεῷ would have been written as a nomen sacrum (eucaristwtwqMw). However, one might expect to see, in some mss at least, a dropping of the article but not the divine name. Internally, the Pauline introductory thanksgivings elsewhere always include τῷ θεῷ after εὐχαριστῶ (eucharistō, “I thank”; cf. Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4; Phil 1:3; Phlm 4; in the plural, note Col 1:3; 1 Thess 1:2). However, both the fact that this is already used in 1 Cor 1:4 (thus perhaps motivating scribes to add it ten verses later), and that in later portions of his letters Paul does not consistently use the collocation of εὐχαριστῶ with τῷ θεῷ (Rom 16:4; 1 Cor 10:30), might give one pause. Still, nowhere else in the corpus Paulinum do we see a sentence begin with εὐχαριστῶ without an accompanying τῷ θεῷ. A decision is difficult, but on balance it is probably best to retain the words.
1 Corinthians 1:17 tn Grk “would not be emptied.”
1 Corinthians 1:19 sn A quotation from Isa 29:14.

Mark 1:1-13

The Ministry of John the Baptist

1 The beginning of the gospel^[a] of Jesus Christ,^[b] the Son of God.^[c] ²As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,^[d]

“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way,^[e]
³the voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make^[f] his paths straight.’”^[g]

⁴In the wilderness^[h] John the baptizer^[i] began preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^[j] ⁵People^[k] from the whole Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem were going out to him, and he was baptizing them^[l] in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. ⁶John wore a garment made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.^[m] ⁷He proclaimed,^[n] “One more powerful than I am is coming after me; I am not worthy^[o] to bend down and untie the strap^[p] of his sandals. ⁸I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

⁹Now^[q] in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.^[r] ¹⁰And just as Jesus^[s] was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens^[t] splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.^[u] ¹¹And a voice came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son;^[v] in you I take great delight.”^[w] ¹²The Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness.^[x] ¹³He was in the wilderness forty days,^[y] enduring temptations from Satan. He^[z] was with wild animals, and angels were ministering to his needs.^[aa]

Footnotes

Mark 1:1 sn By the time Mark wrote, the word gospel had become a technical term referring to the preaching about Jesus Christ and God’s saving power accomplished through him for all who believe (cf. Rom 1:16).
Mark 1:1 tn The genitive in the phrase τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (tou euangeliou Iēsou Christou, “the gospel of Jesus Christ”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which Jesus brings [or proclaims]”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about Jesus Christ”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which Jesus proclaims is in fact the gospel about himself.
Mark 1:1 tc א* Θ 28 l2211 sa^ms Or lack υἱοῦ θεοῦ (huiou theou, “Son of God”), and both Irenaeus and Epiphanius additionally lack ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστου while virtually all the rest of the witnesses have the words (א B D L W Γ latt sy co Ir^lat; A Δ ƒ^1,13 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M also have τοῦ [tou] before θεοῦ), so the evidence seems to argue for the authenticity of “Son of God.” Most likely, the words were omitted by accident in some witnesses, since the last four words of v. 1, in majuscule script, would have looked like this: iu_c_r_u_u_u_q_u_. With all the successive upsilons an accidental deletion is likely. Further, the inclusion of υἱοῦ θεοῦ here finds its complement in 15:39, where the centurion claims that Jesus was υἱὸς θεοῦ (huios theou, “son of God”). Even though א is in general one of the best NT mss, the scribes of this codex were often quite sloppy. When an accidental omission is possible, its voice is significantly diminished. א’s testimony thus is not quite as preeminent in this situation. There are several other instances in which it breaks up chains of genitives ending in ου (cf., e.g., Acts 28:31; Col 2:2; Heb 12:2; Rev 12:14; 15:7; 22:1), showing that there is a significantly higher possibility of accidental scribal omission in a case like this. This christological inclusio parallels both Matthew (“Immanuel…God with us” in 1:23/“I am with you” in 28:20) and John (“the Word was God” in 1:1/“My Lord and my God” in 20:28), probably reflecting nascent christological development and articulation.sn The first verse of Mark’s Gospel appears to function as a title: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is not certain, however, whether Mark intended it to refer to the entire Gospel, to the ministry of John the Baptist, or through the use of the term beginning (ἀρχή, archē) to allude to Genesis 1:1 (in the Greek Bible, LXX). If the statement as a whole is an allusion to Genesis 1:1, then Mark is saying that with the “good news” of the coming of Christ, God is commencing a “new beginning.” But an intriguing possibility is that Mark is signaling that the whole treatise is just the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ. This would fit well with an intentional open-ended conclusion at 16:8 in which the author leaves the readers to continue the story of the evangel in their own lives. See tc note at 16:8.
Mark 1:2 tc Grk “in Isaiah the prophet.” Instead of “in Isaiah the prophet” the majority of mss read “in the prophets” (A W Γ ƒ¹³ 28 579 1424 M Ir^lat). Except for Irenaeus (2nd century), the earliest evidence for this is from the 5th (or possibly late 4th) century (Washingtonianus and Alexandrinus). The difficulty of Irenaeus is that he wrote in Greek but has been preserved largely in Latin. His Greek remains have “in Isaiah the prophet.” Only the later Latin translation has “in the prophets” (yet in one of the three citations of Mark 1:2 Irenaeus’s Latin has “in Isaiah the prophet”). The KJV reading is thus in harmony with the majority of late mss. On the other hand, the witnesses for “in Isaiah the prophet” (either with the article before Isaiah or not) are early and geographically widespread: א B D L Δ Θ ƒ¹ 33 565 700 892 1241 al sy^p co Ir Or Epiph. This evidence runs deep into the 2nd century, is widespread, and is found in the most significant Alexandrian, Western, and so-called Caesarean witnesses. The “Isaiah” reading has a better external pedigree in almost every way. It has the support of the earliest and best witnesses from most of the text-forms. Moreover it is most likely the harder reading, since the quotation in the first part of the verse appears to be from Exod 23:20 and Mal 3:1, with the quotation from Isa 40:3 coming in the next verse. Although the reading of the later mss seems motivated by a desire to resolve this difficulty, Robinson has made a good case for “in the prophets” as the original wording (Maurice Robinson, “Two Passages in Mark: A Critical Test for the Byzantine-Priority Hypothesis,” Faith & Mission 13.2 [1996]: 68-80). Part of his argument is that א Θ ƒ¹ 33 erroneously have “Isaiah” in Matt 13:35, and these same mss read “Isaiah the prophet” in Mark 1:2. Consequently, he suggests that their testimony in the Marcan text should be discounted. This may be true but it ignores the rest of the witnesses for the “Isaiah” reading here. All things considered, “Isaiah the prophet” has better credentials for authenticity in Mark 1:2.
Mark 1:2 sn The opening lines of the quotation are from Exod 23:20; Mal 3:1. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.
Mark 1:3 sn This call to “make his paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.
Mark 1:3 sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.
Mark 1:4 tn Or “desert.”
Mark 1:4 tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptistēs, “[the] Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark prefers the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (ho baptizōn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (only twice does he use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).
Mark 1:4 sn A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was a call for preparation for the arrival of the Lord’s salvation. To participate in this baptism was a recognition of the need for God’s forgiveness with a sense that one needed to live differently as a response to it.
Mark 1:5 tn Grk “And the whole Judean countryside.” Mark uses the Greek conjunction καί (kai) at numerous places in his Gospel to begin sentences and paragraphs. This practice is due to Semitic influence and reflects in many cases the use of the Hebrew ו (vav) which is used in OT narrative, much as it is here, to carry the narrative along. Because in contemporary English style it is not acceptable to begin every sentence with “and,” καί was often left untranslated or rendered as “now,” “so,” “then,” or “but” depending on the context. When left untranslated it has not been noted. When given an alternative translation, this is usually indicated by a note.
Mark 1:5 tn Grk “they were being baptized by him.” The passive construction has been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.
Mark 1:6 sn John’s lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God’s prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the “clean” foods.
Mark 1:7 tn Grk “proclaimed, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Mark 1:7 tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”sn The humility of John is evident in the statement I am not worthy. This was considered one of the least worthy tasks of a slave, and John did not consider himself worthy to do even that for the one to come, despite the fact he himself was a prophet.
Mark 1:7 tn The term refers to the leather strap or thong used to bind a sandal. This is often viewed as a collective singular and translated as a plural, “the straps of his sandals,” but it may be more emphatic to retain the singular here.
Mark 1:9 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Mark 1:9 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
Mark 1:10 tn Grk “and immediately coming up out of the water, he saw.” The present participle has been translated temporally, with the subject (Jesus) specified for clarity.
Mark 1:10 tn Or “sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The same word is used in v. 11.
Mark 1:10 sn The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.
Mark 1:11 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agapētos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
Mark 1:11 tn Or “with you I am well pleased.”sn The allusions in the remarks of the text recall Ps 2:7a; Isa 42:1 and either Isa 41:8 or, less likely, Gen 22:12, 16. God is marking out Jesus as his chosen one (the meaning of “[in you I take] great delight”), but it may well be that this was a private experience that only Jesus and John saw and heard (cf. John 1:32-33).
Mark 1:12 sn The Judean Wilderness (or Judean Desert) is a geographical feature extending from the mountains of Judea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. It is a relatively small desert, covering only about 600 square miles (roughly 1,500 square km). The Judean Wilderness is characterized by breathtaking panoramas: mountains, cliffs, chalk hills, and plateaus are interrupted by riverbeds and canyons, some of which are up to 1,500 feet (500 m) deep. Some of the rivers are seasonal streams and some have water all year round. The tall cliffs on the eastern edge of the desert reach a height of 1,000 feet (300 m) above the shore of the Dead Sea. The Judean Wilderness is close to Jerusalem and sparsely populated with few settlements around its edges. It is known for its rugged and desolate landscape, which has provided a refuge and hiding place for rebels and zealots throughout history, as well as solitude for monks and hermits.
Mark 1:13 sn The forty days may allude to the experience of Moses (Exod 34:28), Elijah (1 Kgs 19:8, 15), or David and Goliath (1 Sam 17:16).
Mark 1:13 tn Grk “And he.”
Mark 1:13 tn Grk “were serving him,” “were ministering to him.”

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 41[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 52[a]

For the music director, a well-written song[b] by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.”[c]

Footnotes

Psalm 44[a]

For the music director, by the Korahites; a well-written song.[b]

Footnotes

Joseph’s Dreams

Footnotes

Salutation

Thanksgiving

Divisions in the Church

The Message of the Cross

Footnotes

The Ministry of John the Baptist

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Footnotes

Psalm 41^[a]

Psalm 52^[a]

For the music director, a well-written song^[b] by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.”^[c]

Psalm 44^[a]

For the music director, by the Korahites; a well-written song.^[b]