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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The classic M'Cheyne plan--read the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms or Gospels every day.

Duration: 365 days

2 Chronicles 9

Solomon Entertains a Queen

9 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon,^[a] she came to challenge^[b] him^[c] with difficult questions.^[d] She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp,^[e] bringing with her camels carrying spices,^[f] a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. ²Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.^[g] ³When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s wisdom, the palace^[h] he had built, ⁴the food in his banquet hall,^[i] his servants and attendants^[j] in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the Lord’s temple,^[k] she was amazed.^[l] ⁵She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight^[m] was true! ⁶I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story!^[n] Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me. ⁷Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy!^[o] ⁸May the Lord your God be praised because he favored^[p] you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf.^[q] Because of your God’s love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them,^[r] he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions.”^[s] ⁹She gave the king 120 talents^[t] of gold and a very large quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched.^[u] ¹⁰(Huram’s^[v] servants, aided by Solomon’s servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as^[w] fine^[x] timber and precious gems. ¹¹With the timber the king made steps^[y] for the Lord’s temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments^[z] for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah before that.^[aa]) ¹²King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him.^[ab] Then she left and returned^[ac] to her homeland with her attendants.

Solomon’s Wealth

¹³Solomon received 666 talents^[ad] of gold per year,^[ae] ¹⁴besides what he collected from the merchants^[af] and traders. All the Arabian kings and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. ¹⁵King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures^[ag] of hammered gold were used for each shield. ¹⁶He also made 300 small shields of hammered gold; 300 measures^[ah] of gold were used for each of those shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest.^[ai]

¹⁷The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁸There were six steps leading up to the throne, and a gold footstool was attached to the throne.^[aj] The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side.^[ak] ¹⁹There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.^[al]

²⁰All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time.^[am] ²¹The king had a fleet of large merchant ships^[an] manned by Huram’s men^[ao] that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet^[ap] came into port with cargoes of^[aq] gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.^[ar]

²²King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.^[as] ²³All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.^[at] ²⁴Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules.^[au]

²⁵Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses^[av] and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and also with him in Jerusalem.^[aw] ²⁶He ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River^[ax] to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. ²⁷The king made silver as plentiful^[ay] in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was^[az] as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the foothills.^[ba] ²⁸Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands.

Solomon’s Reign Ends

²⁹The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded^[bb] in the Annals of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Vision of Iddo the Seer pertaining to Jeroboam son of Nebat. ³⁰Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years. ³¹Then Solomon passed away^[bc] and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Heb “the report about Solomon.”
2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Or “test.”
2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Heb “Solomon.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.
2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Or “riddles.”
2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue or to the great wealth she brought with her.
2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Or “balsam oil.”
2 Chronicles 9:2 tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”
2 Chronicles 9:3 tn Heb “house.”
2 Chronicles 9:4 tn Heb “the food on his table.”
2 Chronicles 9:4 tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”
2 Chronicles 9:4 tc The Hebrew text has here, “and his upper room [by] which he was going up to the house of the Lord.” But עֲלִיָּתוֹ (ʿaliyyato, “his upper room”) should be emended to עֹלָתוֹ, (ʿolato, “his burnt sacrifice[s]”). See the parallel account in 1 Kgs 10:5.
2 Chronicles 9:4 tn Or “it took her breath away”; Heb “there was no breath still in her.”
2 Chronicles 9:5 tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”
2 Chronicles 9:6 tn Heb “the half was not told to me.”
2 Chronicles 9:7 tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”
2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Or “delighted in.”
2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Heb “as king for the Lord your God.”
2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Heb “to make him stand permanently.”
2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”
2 Chronicles 9:9 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold was 8,076 lbs. (3,672 kg).
2 Chronicles 9:9 tn Heb “there has not been like those spices which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
2 Chronicles 9:10 tn Heb “Huram’s” (also in v. 21). Some medieval Hebrew mss, along with the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate spell the name “Hiram,” agreeing with 1 Chr 14:1. “Huram” is a variant spelling referring to the same individual.
2 Chronicles 9:10 tn Heb “who brought gold from Ophir, brought.”
2 Chronicles 9:10 tn Heb “algum.”
2 Chronicles 9:11 tn Heb “tracks.” The parallel text in 1 Kgs 10:12 has a different term whose meaning is uncertain: “supports,” perhaps “banisters” or “parapets.”
2 Chronicles 9:11 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
2 Chronicles 9:11 tn Heb “there was not seen like these formerly in the land of Judah.”
2 Chronicles 9:12 tn Heb “besides what she brought to the king.”
2 Chronicles 9:12 tn Heb “turned and went.”
2 Chronicles 9:13 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold Solomon received annually was 44,822 lbs. (20,380 kg).
2 Chronicles 9:13 tn Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.”
2 Chronicles 9:14 tn Heb “traveling men.”
2 Chronicles 9:15 tn The Hebrew text has simply “600,” with no unit of measure given.
2 Chronicles 9:16 tn The Hebrew text has simply “300,” with no unit of measure given.
2 Chronicles 9:16 sn This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest. See 1 Kgs 7:2.
2 Chronicles 9:18 tc The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:19 has instead “and the back of it was rounded on top.”
2 Chronicles 9:18 tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”
2 Chronicles 9:19 tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for any kingdom.”
2 Chronicles 9:20 tn Heb “there was no silver regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.”
2 Chronicles 9:21 tn Heb “for ships belonging to the king were going [to] Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 9:21 tn Heb “servants.”
2 Chronicles 9:21 tn Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].”
2 Chronicles 9:21 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish came carrying.”
2 Chronicles 9:21 tn The meaning of this word is unclear; some suggest it refers to “baboons.” NEB has “monkeys,” NASB, NRSV “peacocks,” and NIV “baboons.”
2 Chronicles 9:22 tn Heb “King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and wisdom.”
2 Chronicles 9:23 tn Heb “and all the kings of the earth were seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had placed in his heart.”
2 Chronicles 9:24 tn Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.”
2 Chronicles 9:25 tc The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:26 reads “fourteen hundred chariots.”
2 Chronicles 9:25 tn Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 9:26 tn Heb “the River.” In biblical Hebrew the Euphrates River was typically referred to simply as “the River.”
2 Chronicles 9:27 tn The words “as plentiful” are supplied for clarification.
2 Chronicles 9:27 tn Heb “he made cedar.”
2 Chronicles 9:27 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, sh^ephelah) are the region between the Judean hill country and the Mediterranean coastal plain.
2 Chronicles 9:29 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Solomon, the former and the latter, are they not written?”
2 Chronicles 9:31 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

Jude

Salutation

¹From Jude,^[a] a slave^[b] of Jesus Christ and brother of James,^[c] to those who are called, wrapped in the love of^[d] God the Father and kept for^[e] Jesus Christ. ²May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you!^[f]

Condemnation of the False Teachers

³Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you^[g] about our common salvation, I now feel compelled^[h] instead to write to encourage^[i] you to contend earnestly^[j] for the faith^[k] that was once for all^[l] entrusted to the saints.^[m] ⁴For certain men^[n] have secretly slipped in among you^[o]—men who long ago^[p] were marked out^[q] for the condemnation I am about to describe^[r]—ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil^[s] and who deny our only Master^[t] and Lord,^[u] Jesus Christ.

⁵Now I desire to remind you (even though you have been fully informed of these facts^[v] once for all^[w]) that Jesus,^[x] having saved the^[y] people out of the land of Egypt, later^[z] destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶You also know that^[aa] the angels who did not keep within their proper domain^[ab] but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept^[ac] in eternal chains^[ad] in utter^[ae] darkness, locked up^[af] for the judgment of the great Day. ⁷So also^[ag] Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns,^[ah] since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire^[ai] in a way similar to^[aj] these angels,^[ak] are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

⁸Yet these men,^[al] as a result of their dreams,^[am] defile the flesh, reject authority,^[an] and insult^[ao] the glorious ones.^[ap] ⁹But even^[aq] when Michael the archangel^[ar] was arguing with the devil and debating with him^[as] concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰But these men do not understand the things they slander, and they are being destroyed by the very things that, like irrational animals, they instinctively comprehend.^[at] ¹¹Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path,^[au] and because of greed^[av] have abandoned themselves^[aw] to^[ax] Balaam’s error; hence,^[ay] they will certainly perish^[az] in Korah’s rebellion. ¹²These men are^[ba] dangerous reefs^[bb] at your love feasts,^[bc] feasting without reverence,^[bd] feeding only themselves.^[be] They are^[bf] waterless^[bg] clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit^[bh]—twice dead,^[bi] uprooted; ¹³wild sea waves,^[bj] spewing out the foam of^[bk] their shame;^[bl] wayward stars^[bm] for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness^[bn] have been reserved.

¹⁴Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam,^[bo] even prophesied of them,^[bp] saying, “Look! The Lord is coming^[bq] with thousands and thousands^[br] of his holy ones, ¹⁵to execute judgment on^[bs] all, and to convict every person^[bt] of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds^[bu] that they have committed,^[bv] and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”^[bw] ¹⁶These people are grumblers and^[bx] fault-finders who go^[by] wherever their desires lead them,^[bz] and they give bombastic speeches,^[ca] enchanting folks^[cb] for their own gain.^[cc]

Exhortation to the Faithful

¹⁷But you, dear friends—recall the predictions^[cd] foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.^[ce] ¹⁸For they said to you, “At the end of time^[cf] there will come^[cg] scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.”^[ch] ¹⁹These people are divisive,^[ci] worldly,^[cj] devoid of the Spirit.^[ck] ²⁰But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit,^[cl] ²¹maintain^[cm] yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating^[cn] the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life.^[co] ²²And have mercy on those who waver; ²³save^[cp] others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy^[cq] on others, coupled with a fear of God,^[cr] hating even the clothes stained^[cs] by the flesh.^[ct]

Final Blessing

²⁴Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling,^[cu] and to cause you to stand, rejoicing,^[cv] without blemish^[cw] before his glorious presence,^[cx] ²⁵to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.

Footnotes

Jude 1:1 tn Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
Jude 1:1 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households. sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
Jude 1:1 sn Although Jude was half-brother of Jesus, he humbly associates himself with James, his full brother. By first calling himself a slave of Jesus Christ, it is evident that he wants no one to place stock in his physical connections. At the same time, he must identify himself further: Since Jude was a common name in the 1st century (two of Jesus’ disciples were so named, including his betrayer), more information was needed, that is to say, brother of James.
Jude 1:1 tn Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν (en) before πατρί (patri) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”
Jude 1:1 tn Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω (tēreō) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 3:10; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.
Jude 1:2 tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”
Jude 1:3 tn Grk “while being quite diligent to write to you,” or “while making all haste to write to you.” Two issues are at stake: (1) whether σπουδή (spoudē) here means diligence, eagerness, or haste; (2) whether ποιούμενος γράφειν (poioumenos graphein) is to be taken conatively (“I was about to write”) or progressively (“I was writing”). Without knowing more of the background, it is difficult to tell which option is to be preferred.
Jude 1:3 tn Grk “I had the necessity.” The term ἀνάγκη (anankē, “necessity”) often connotes urgency or distress. In this context, Jude is indicating that the more comprehensive treatment about the faith shared between himself and his readers was not nearly as urgent as the letter he found it now necessary to write.
Jude 1:3 tn Grk “encouraging.” Παρακαλῶν (parakalōn) is most likely a telic participle. In keeping with other participles of purpose, it is present tense and occurs after the main verb.
Jude 1:3 tn The verb ἐπαγωνίζομαι (epagōnizomai) is an intensive form of ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnizomai). As such, the notion of struggling, fighting, contending, etc. is heightened.
Jude 1:3 tn Τῇ πίστει (tē pistei) here is taken as a dative of advantage (“on behalf of the faith”).sn The term “faith” has a variety of meanings in the NT. Here, the faith refers to the doctrinal content embraced by believers rather than the act of believing (see BDAG 820 s.v. 3). Rather than discuss the points of agreement that Jude would have with these believers, because of the urgency of the present situation he must assume that these believers were well grounded and press on to encourage them to fight for this common belief.
Jude 1:3 sn The adverb once for all (ἅπαξ, hapax) seems to indicate that the doctrinal convictions of the early church had been substantially codified. That is to say, Jude could appeal to written documents of the Christian faith in his arguments with the false teachers. Most likely, these documents were the letters of Paul and perhaps one or more gospels. First and Second Peter may also have been among the documents Jude has in mind (see also the note on the phrase entrusted to the saints in this verse).
Jude 1:3 sn I now feel compelled instead…saints. Apparently news of some crisis has reached Jude, prompting him to write a different letter than what he had originally planned. A plausible scenario (assuming authenticity of 2 Peter or at least that there are authentic Petrine snippets in it) is that after Peter’s death, Jude intended to write to the same Gentile readers that Peter had written to (essentially, Paul’s churches). Jude starts by affirming that the gospel the Gentiles had received from Paul was the same as the one the Jewish Christians had received from the other apostles (our common salvation). But in the midst of writing this letter, Jude felt that the present crisis deserved another, shorter piece. The crisis, as the letter reveals, is that the false teachers whom Peter prophesied have now infiltrated the church. The letter of Jude is thus an ad hoc letter, intended to confirm the truth of Peter’s letter and encourage the saints to ground their faith in the written documents of the nascent church, rather than listen to the twisted gospel of the false teachers. In large measure, the letter of Jude illustrates the necessity of clinging to the authority of scripture as opposed to those who claim to be prophets.
Jude 1:4 tn Grk “people.” However, if Jude is indeed arguing that Peter’s prophecy about false teachers has come true, these are most likely men in the original historical and cultural setting. See discussion of this point in the note on the phrase “these men” in 2 Pet 2:12.
Jude 1:4 tn “Among you” is not in the Greek text, but is obviously implied.sn The infiltration referred to by the phrase slipped in among you was predicted by Peter (2 Pet 2:1), Paul (e.g., Acts 20:29-30), and OT prophets.
Jude 1:4 tn Or “in the past.” The adverb πάλαι (palai) can refer to either, though the meaning “long ago” is more common.
Jude 1:4 tn Grk “written about.”
Jude 1:4 tn Grk “for this condemnation.” τοῦτο (touto) is almost surely a kataphoric demonstrative pronoun, pointing to what follows in vv. 5-18. Otherwise, the condemnation is only implied (in v. 3b) or is merely a statement of their sinfulness (“ungodly” in v. 4b), not a judgment of it.
Jude 1:4 tn Grk “debauchery.” This is the same word Peter uses to predict what the false teachers will be like (2 Pet 2:2, 7, 18).sn Turned the grace of our God into a license for evil. One of the implications that the gospel in the apostolic period was truly a gospel of grace was the fact that the enemies of the gospel could pervert it into license. If it were a gospel of works, no such abuse could be imagined. Along these lines, note Rom 6:1—“Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?” This question could not have even been asked had the gospel been one of works. But grace is easily misunderstood by those who would abuse it.
Jude 1:4 tc Most later witnesses (P^vid Ψ 5 88 1175 1611 1735 2492 M sy) have θεόν (theon, “God”) after δεσπότην (despotēn, “master”), which appears to be a motivated reading in that it explicitly links “Master” to “God” in keeping with the normal NT pattern (see Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Tim 2:21; Rev 6:10). In patristic Greek, δεσπότης (despotēs) was used especially of God (cf. BDAG 220 s.v. 1.b.). The earlier and better witnesses (P^72,78 א A B C 0251 33 81 323 436 442 1241 1243 1739 2344 al co) lack θεόν; the shorter reading is thus preferred on both internal and external grounds.sn The Greek term for Master (δεσπότης, despotēs) is the same term the author of 2 Peter used (2 Pet 2:1) to describe his Lord when he prophesied about these false teachers. Since δεσπότης is used only ten times in the NT, the verbal connection between these two books at this juncture is striking. This is especially so since both Peter and Jude speak of these false teachers as denying the Master (both using the same verb). The basic difference is that Peter is looking to the future, while Jude is arguing that these false teachers are here now.
Jude 1:4 tn The terms “Master and Lord” both refer to the same person. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. For more discussion see ExSyn 270-78. See also Titus 2:13 and 2 Pet 1:1
Jude 1:5 tn Grk “knowing all things.” The subject of the participle “knowing” (εἰδότας, eidotas) is an implied ὑμᾶς (humas), though several ancient witnesses actually add it. The πάντα (panta) takes on an adverbial force in this context (“fully”), intensifying how acquainted the readers are with the following points.sn That Jude comments on his audience’s prior knowledge of what he is about to tell them (you have been fully informed of these facts) may imply that they were familiar with 2 Peter. In 2 Pet 2:4ff., the same illustrations from the OT are drawn. See the note on the following phrase once for all.
Jude 1:5 tc The textual history of Jude 5 is quite complex for two separate but overlapping problems. There are different ways to group these. The NA²⁸ apparatus, for example, lists 13 variants for “(…once for all) that Jesus, having saved the people.” The tc notes will treat the clause separately from its subject. Here the clause will be treated; in the next tc note the subject will be. Some translations take ἅπαξ (hapax) with the following clause (thus, “[Jesus,] having saved the people once for all”). Such a translation presupposes that ἅπαξ is a part of the ὅτι (hoti) clause. The reading of NA²⁷, πάντα ὅτι [ὁ] κύριος ἅπαξ (panta hoti [ho] kurios hapax), suggests this interpretation (though with “the Lord” instead of “Jesus”). ἅπαξ is found before λαόν (laon) as part of the ὅτι clause in א C* Ψ 88 442 630 1241 1243 1505 1611 1739^txt 1846 1881 2492 co. But the particle is found before the ὅτι clause in most witnesses, including several significant ones (P⁷² A B C² 5 33 81 307 436 623 642 1175 1735 [1739^v.l.] 2344 M vg). What seems best able to explain the various placements of the adverb is that scribes were uncomfortable with ἅπαξ referring to the readers’ knowledge, feeling it was more appropriate to the theological significance of “saved” (σώσας, sōsas). The NA²⁸ text now has the adverb before the ὅτι-clause, just as the Greek text behind the NET translation does.sn In this translation, Jude is stressing that the readers have been informed once for all of the OT illustrations he is about to mention. Where would they get this information? Most likely from having read 2 Peter. Earlier Jude used the same adverb to indicate that these believers had a written record of the faith. This seems to be his implication here, too. Thus, for the second time Jude is appealing to the written documents of the early church as authoritative as opposed to the messages of the false teachers. As the 1st century began to draw to a close, the early church found itself increasingly dependent on the letters and gospels of the apostles and their associates. Once those apostles died, false apostles and false teachers sprang up, like wolves in sheep’s clothing (cf. Acts 20:29-30). To combat this, some of the latest books of the NT stressed the authority of what had been written (so Hebrews, Jude, Ephesians, 1 John). Although these writers anticipated the return of the Lord, they also braced their audiences for a delay of the parousia (the second coming of Christ) by suggesting that when they were gone the NT documents should guide them.
Jude 1:5 tc The reading ᾿Ιησοῦς (Iēsous, “Jesus”) is deemed too hard by several scholars, since it involves the notion of Jesus acting in the early history of the nation Israel (the NA²⁷ has “the Lord” instead of “Jesus”). However, not only does this reading enjoy the strongest support from a variety of early witnesses (e.g., A B 33 81 88 322 424^c 665 915 1241 (1735: “the Lord Jesus”) 1739 1881 2298 2344 vg co eth Or^1739mg Cyr Hier Bede), but the plethora of variants demonstrate that scribes were uncomfortable with it, for they seemed to exchange κύριος (kurios, “Lord”) or θεός (theos, “God”) for ᾿Ιησοῦς (though P⁷² has the intriguing reading θεὸς Χριστός [theos Christos, “God Christ”] for ᾿Ιησοῦς). As difficult as the reading ᾿Ιησοῦς is, in light of v. 4 and in light of the progress of revelation (Jude being one of the last books in the NT to be composed), it is wholly appropriate. The NA²⁸ text now also reads Ιησοῦς. For defense of this reading, see Philipp Bartholomä, “Did Jesus Save the People out of Egypt: A Re-examination of a Textual Problem in Jude 5, ” NovT 50 (2008): 143-58.sn The construction our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ in v. 4 follows Granville Sharp’s rule (see note on Lord). The construction strongly implies the deity of Christ. This is followed by a statement that Jesus was involved in the salvation (and later judgment) of the Hebrews. He is thus to be identified with the Lord God, Yahweh. Verse 5, then, simply fleshes out what is implicit in v. 4.
Jude 1:5 tn Or perhaps “a,” though this is less likely.
Jude 1:5 tn Grk “the second time.”
Jude 1:6 tn Grk “and.” Verse 6 is a continuation of the same sentence begun in v. 5. Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Jude 1:6 tn Grk “who did not keep their own domain.”sn The idea is that certain angels acted improperly, going outside the bounds prescribed by God (their proper domain).
Jude 1:6 sn There is an interesting play on words used in this verse. Because the angels did not keep their proper place, Jesus has kept them chained up in another place. The same verb keep is used in v. 1 to describe believers’ status before God and Christ.
Jude 1:6 sn In 2 Pet 2:4 a less common word for chains is used.
Jude 1:6 tn The word ζόφος (zophos, “utter, deepest darkness”) is used only five times in the NT: two in 2 Peter, two in Jude, and one in Hebrews. Jude 6 parallels 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 13 parallels 2 Pet 2:17.
Jude 1:6 tn The words “locked up” are not in Greek, but are expressed in English as a resumptive point after the double prepositional phrase (“in eternal chains in utter darkness”).
Jude 1:7 tn Grk “as.”
Jude 1:7 tn Grk “the towns [or cities] surrounding them.”
Jude 1:7 tn Grk “strange flesh.” This phrase has been variously interpreted. It could refer to flesh of another species (such as angels lusting after human flesh). This would aptly describe the sin of the angels, but not easily explain the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. It could refer to the homosexual practices of the Sodomites, but a difficulty arises from the use of ἕτερος (heteros; “strange,” “other”). When this is to be distinguished from ἄλλος (allos, “another”) it suggests “another of a different kind.” If so, would that properly describe homosexual behavior? In response, the language could easily be compact: “pursued flesh other than what was normally pursued.” However, would this find an analogy in the lust of angels (such would imply that angels normally had sexual relations of some sort, but cf. Matt 22:30)? Another alternative is that the focus of the parallel is on the activity of the surrounding cities and the activity of the angels. This is especially plausible since the participles ἐκπορνεύσασαι (ekporneusasai, “having indulged in sexual immorality”) and ἀπελθοῦσαι (apelthousai, “having pursued”) have concord with “cities” (πόλεις, poleis), a feminine plural noun, rather than with Sodom and Gomorrah (both masculine nouns). If so, then their sin would not necessarily have to be homosexuality. However, most likely the feminine participles are used because of constructio ad sensum (construction according to sense). That is, since both Sodom and Gomorrah are cities, the feminine is used to imply that all the cities are involved. The connection with angels thus seems to be somewhat loose: Both angels and Sodom and Gomorrah indulged in heinous sexual immorality. Thus, whether the false teachers indulge in homosexual activity is not the point; mere sexual immorality is enough to condemn them.
Jude 1:7 tn Or “in the same way as.”
Jude 1:7 tn “Angels” is not in the Greek text, but the masculine demonstrative pronoun most likely refers back to the angels of v. 6.
Jude 1:8 tn The reference is now to the false teachers.
Jude 1:8 tn Grk “dreaming.” The participle ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι (enupniazomenoi, “dreaming”) is adverbial to the pronoun οὗτοι (houtoi, “these”), though the particular relationship is not clear. It could mean, “while dreaming,” “by dreaming,” or “because of dreaming.” This translation has adopted the last option as Jude’s meaning, partially for syntactical reasons (the causal participle usually precedes the main verb) and partially for contextual reasons (these false teachers must derive their authority from some source, and the dreams provide the most obvious base). The participle ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι was sometimes used of apocalyptic visions, both of true and false prophets. This seems to be the meaning here.
Jude 1:8 tn Most likely, the authority of the Lord is in view. This verse, then, echoes the indictment of v. 4: “they deny our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Jude 1:8 tn The construction with the three verbs (“defile, “reject,” and “insult”) involves the particles μέν, δέ, δέ (men, de, de). A more literal (and pedantic) translation would be: “on the one hand, they defile the flesh, on the other hand, they reject authority, and on another hand, they insult the glorious ones.”
Jude 1:8 sn The glorious ones refers to angelic beings rather than mere human beings, just as in 2 Pet 2:10 (on which this passage apparently depends). Whether the angelic beings are good or evil, however, is difficult to tell (hence, the translation is left ambiguous). However, both in 2 Pet 2:11 and here, in Jude 9, the wicked angels seem to be in view (for not even Michael insults them).
Jude 1:9 tn The word “even” is not in Greek; it is implied by the height of the contrast.
Jude 1:9 sn According to Jewish intertestamental literature (such as 1 En. 20), Michael was one of seven archangels.
Jude 1:9 tn The sentence structure is a bit different in Greek. Literally it reads: “But Michael the archangel, when arguing with the devil and disputing.”
Jude 1:10 tn Or “they should naturally comprehend.” The present tense in this context may have a conative force. sn They instinctively comprehend. Like irrational animals, these false teachers do grasp one thing—the instinctive behavior of animals in heat. R. Bauckham (Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 63) notes that “Though they claim to be guided by special spiritual insight gained in heavenly revelations, they are in fact following the sexual instincts which they share with the animals.” Jude’s focus is somewhat different from Peter’s: Peter argued that, like irrational animals who are born to be caught and killed, these men will be destroyed when destroying others (2 Pet 2:12). Jude, however, does not mention the destruction of animals, just that these false teachers will be destroyed for mimicking them.
Jude 1:11 tn Or “they have gone the way of Cain.”
Jude 1:11 tn Grk “for wages.”
Jude 1:11 tn The verb ἐκχέω (ekcheō) normally means “pour out.” Here, in the passive, it occasionally has a reflexive idea, as BDAG 312 s.v. 3. suggests (with extra-biblical examples).
Jude 1:11 tn Or “in.”
Jude 1:11 tn Grk “and.” See note on “perish” later in this verse.
Jude 1:11 tn The three verbs in this verse are all aorist indicative (“have gone down,” “have abandoned,” “have perished”). Although the first and second could be considered constative or ingressive, the last is almost surely proleptic (referring to the certainty of their future judgment). Although it may seem odd that a proleptic aorist is so casually connected to other aorists with a different syntactical force, it is not unparalleled (cf. Rom 8:30).
Jude 1:12 tn Grk “these are the men who are.”
Jude 1:12 tn Though σπιλάδες (spilades) is frequently translated “blemishes” or “stains,” such is actually a translation of the Greek word σπίλοι (spiloi). The two words are quite similar, especially in their root or lexical forms (σπιλάς [spilas] and σπίλος [spilos] respectively). Some scholars have suggested that σπιλάδες in this context means the same thing as σπίλοι. But such could be the case only by a stretch of the imagination (see BDAG 938 s.v. σπιλάς for discussion). Others suggest that Jude’s spelling was in error (which also is doubtful). One reason for the tension is that in the parallel passage, 2 Pet 2:13, the term used is indeed σπίλος. And if either Jude used 2 Peter or 2 Peter used Jude, one would expect to see the same word. Jude, however, may have changed the wording for the sake of a subtle wordplay. The word σπιλάς was often used of a mere rock, though it normally was associated with a rock along the shore or one jutting out in the water. Thus, the false teachers would appear as “rocks”—as pillars in the community (cf. Matt 16:18; Gal 2:9), when in reality if a believer got too close to them his faith would get shipwrecked. Some suggest that σπιλάδες here means “hidden rocks.” Though this meaning is attested for the word, it is inappropriate in this context, since these false teachers are anything but hidden. They are dangerous because undiscerning folks get close to them, thinking they are rocks and pillars, when they are really dangerous reefs.
Jude 1:12 tc Several witnesses (A C^vid 88 1243 1846 2492 al), influenced by the parallel in 2 Pet 2:13, read ἀπάταις (apatais, “deceptions”) for ἀγάπαις (agapais, “love-feasts”) in v. 12. However, ἀγάπαις has much stronger and earlier support and makes much better sense in the context; it should therefore be considered authentic.sn The danger of the false teachers at the love feasts would be especially pernicious, for the love feasts of the early church involved the Lord’s Supper, worship, and instruction.
Jude 1:12 tn Or “fearlessly.” The term in this context, however, is decidedly negative. The implication is that these false teachers ate the Lord’s Supper without regarding the sanctity of the meal. Cf. 1 Cor 11:17-22.
Jude 1:12 tn Grk “shepherding themselves.” The verb ποιμαίνω (poimainō) means “shepherd, nurture [the flock].” But these men, rather than tending to the flock of God, nurture only themselves. They thus fall under the condemnation Paul uttered when writing to the Corinthians: “For when it comes time to eat [the Lord’s Supper,] each one goes ahead with his own meal” (1 Cor 11:21). Above all, the love-feast was intended to be a shared meal in which all ate and all felt welcome.
Jude 1:12 tn “They are” is not in Greek, but resumes the thought begun at the front of v. 12. There is no period before “They are.” English usage requires breaking this into more than one sentence.
Jude 1:12 tn Cf. 2 Pet 2:17. Jude’s emphasis is slightly different (instead of waterless springs, they are waterless clouds).
Jude 1:12 sn The imagery portraying the false teachers as autumn trees without fruit has to do with their lack of productivity. Recall the statement to the same effect by Jesus in Matt 7:16-20, in which false prophets will be known by their fruits. Like waterless clouds full of false hope, these trees do not yield any harvest even though it is expected.
Jude 1:12 tn Grk “having died twice.”sn Twice dead probably has no relevance to the tree metaphor, but has great applicability to these false teachers. As in Rev 20:6, those who die twice are those who die physically and spiritually. The aphorism is true: “born once, die twice; born twice, die once” (cf. Rev 20:5; John 3, 11).
Jude 1:13 tn Grk “wild waves of the sea.”
Jude 1:13 tn Grk “foaming, causing to foam.” The verb form is intensive and causative. BDAG 360 s.v. ἐπαφρίζω suggests the meaning “to cause to splash up like froth, cause to foam,” or, in this context, “waves casting up their own shameless deeds like (dirty) foam.”
Jude 1:13 tn Grk “shames, shameful things.” It is uncertain whether shameful deeds or shameful words are in view. Either way, the picture has taken a decided turn: Though waterless clouds and fruitless trees may promise good things, but deliver nothing, wild sea-waves are portents of filth spewed forth from the belly of the sea.
Jude 1:13 sn The imagery of a star seems to fit the nautical theme that Jude is developing. Stars were of course the guides to sailors at night, just as teachers are responsible to lead the flock through a benighted world. But false teachers, as wayward stars, are not fixed and hence offer unreliable, even disastrous guidance. They are thus both the dangerous reefs on which the ships could be destroyed and the false guides, leading them into these rocks. There is a special irony that these lights will be snuffed out, reserved for the darkest depths of eternal darkness.
Jude 1:13 tn Grk “utter darkness of darkness for eternity.” See note on the word “utter” in v. 6.
Jude 1:14 tn Grk “the seventh from Adam.”sn The genealogical count is inclusive, counting Adam as the first, for Enoch is really the sixth in descent from Adam (Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch). In this way, the picture of perfection/completion was retained (for the number seven is often used for perfection or completion in the Bible) starting with Adam and concluding with Enoch.
Jude 1:14 tn Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις (toutois) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).
Jude 1:14 tn Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.
Jude 1:14 tn Grk “ten thousands.” The word μυριάς (murias), from which the English myriad is derived, means “ten thousand.” In the plural it means “ten thousands.” This would mean, minimally, 20,000 (a multiple of ten thousand). At the same time, the term was often used in apocalyptic literature to represent simply a rather large number, without any attempt to be specific.
Jude 1:15 tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).
Jude 1:15 tn Or “soul.”
Jude 1:15 tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.
Jude 1:15 tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebeō) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.
Jude 1:15 sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.
Jude 1:16 tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.
Jude 1:16 tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.
Jude 1:16 tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”
Jude 1:16 tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”sn They give bombastic speeches. The idiom of opening one’s mouth in the NT often implied a public oration from a teacher or one in authority. Cf. Matt 5:2; Luke 4:22; Acts 1:16; 3:18; 10:34; Eph 6:19; Rev 13:5-6.
Jude 1:16 sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.
Jude 1:16 tn Or “to their own advantage.”
Jude 1:17 tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.
Jude 1:17 sn This verse parallels 2 Pet 3:2 both conceptually and in much of the verbiage. There is one important difference, however: In 2 Pet 3:2 the prophets and apostles speak; here, just the apostles speak. This makes good sense if Jude is using 2 Peter as his main source and is urging his readers to go back to the authoritative writings, both OT and now especially NT.
Jude 1:18 tc The ὅτι (hoti) before ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου χρόνου (ep eschatou chronou, “at the end of time”), found in the NA²⁷ text, can either be translated as “that” or left untranslated as a marker of direct discourse. The NA²⁸ has dropped the ὅτι, though with a diamond preceding it in the apparatus indicating a toss-up on the initial wording. Without the conjunction, direct discourse is surely meant, and with it it is just as likely as indirect discourse. The translation above makes no decision on the presence or absence of the conjunction, but renders either variant as direct discourse.
Jude 1:18 tn Grk “be.”
Jude 1:18 tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”sn Jude cites 2 Pet 3:3, changing a few of the words among other things, cleaning up the syntax, conforming it to Hellenistic style.
Jude 1:19 tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”
Jude 1:19 tn Or “natural,” that is, living on the level of instincts, not on a spiritual level (the same word occurs in 1 Cor 2:14 as a description of nonbelievers).
Jude 1:19 tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”sn The phrase devoid of the Spirit may well indicate Jude’s and Peter’s assessment of the spiritual status of the false teachers. Those who do not have the Spirit are clearly not saved.
Jude 1:20 tn The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.
Jude 1:21 tn Or “keep.”
Jude 1:21 tn Or “waiting for.”
Jude 1:21 tn Grk “unto eternal life.”
Jude 1:23 tn Grk “and save.”
Jude 1:23 tn Grk “and have mercy.”
Jude 1:23 tn Grk “with fear.” But as this contrasts with ἀφόβως (aphobōs) in v. 12 (without reverence), the posture of the false teachers, it most likely refers to reverence for God.sn Joining a fear of God to mercy is an important balance when involved in disciplinary action. On the one hand, being merciful without fear can turn to unwarranted sympathy for the individual, absolving him of personal responsibility, but fearing God without showing mercy can turn into personal judgment and condemnation.
Jude 1:23 sn The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning.
Jude 1:23 tn Grk “hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical.
Jude 1:24 tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “free from falling” is the adjectival complement.
Jude 1:24 tn Grk “with rejoicing.” The prepositional clause is placed after “his glorious presence” in Greek, but most likely goes with “cause you to stand.”
Jude 1:24 tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “without blemish” is the adjectival complement.
Jude 1:24 tn Or “in the presence of his glory,” “before his glory.”

Zephaniah 1

Introduction

1 This is the Lord’s message that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah during the time of^[a] Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:

The Lord’s Day of Judgment is Approaching

²“I will destroy^[b] everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
³“I will destroy people and animals;
I will destroy the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea.
(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.)^[c]
I will remove^[d] humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
⁴“I will attack^[e] Judah
and all who live in Jerusalem.
I will remove^[f] from this place every trace of Baal worship,^[g]
as well as the very memory^[h] of the pagan priests.^[i]
⁵I will remove^[j] those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops,^[k]
those who swear allegiance to the Lord^[l] while taking oaths in the name of^[m] their ‘king,’^[n]
⁶and those who turn their backs on^[o] the Lord
and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.”^[p]
⁷Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,^[q]
for the Lord’s day of judgment^[r] is almost here.^[s]
The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal;^[t]
he has ritually purified^[u] his guests.
⁸“On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal,
I will punish the princes^[v] and the king’s sons,
and all who wear foreign styles of clothing.^[w]
⁹On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold,^[x]
who fill the house of their master^[y] with wealth taken by violence and deceit.^[z]
¹⁰On that day,” says the Lord,
“a loud cry will go up^[aa] from the Fish Gate,^[ab]
wailing from the city’s newer district,^[ac]
and a loud crash^[ad] from the hills.
¹¹Wail, you who live in the market district,^[ae]
for all the merchants^[af] will disappear^[ag]
and those who count money^[ah] will be removed.^[ai]
¹²At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin,^[aj]
those who think to themselves,^[ak]
‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’^[al]
¹³Their wealth will be stolen
and their houses ruined!
They will not live in the houses they have built,
nor will they drink the wine from the vineyards they have planted.
¹⁴The Lord’s great day of judgment^[am] is almost here;
it is approaching very rapidly!
There will be a bitter sound on the Lord’s day of judgment;
at that time warriors will cry out in battle.^[an]
¹⁵That day will be a day of God’s anger,^[ao]
a day of distress and hardship,
a day of devastation and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and dark skies,
¹⁶a day of trumpet blasts^[ap] and battle cries.^[aq]
Judgment will fall on^[ar] the fortified cities and the high corner towers.
¹⁷I will bring distress on the people^[as]
and they will stumble^[at] like blind men,
for they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dirt;
their flesh^[au] will be scattered^[av] like manure.
¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
The whole earth^[aw] will be consumed by his fiery wrath.^[ax]
Indeed,^[ay] he will bring terrifying destruction^[az] on all who live on the earth.”^[ba]

Footnotes

Zephaniah 1:1 tn Heb “in the days of.”
Zephaniah 1:2 tc The consonantal text repeats אסף אסף with the vowels for the Qal infinitive absolute of אָסַף (ʾasaf, “gather up, retract”) followed by a Hiphil first person jussive form of סוּף (suf, “come to an end”). A similar combination appears in Jer 8:13, but it is textually disputed based on the LXX. Here a literal translation might be, “Withdrawing, I will bring to an end.” While this English rendering may sound reasonable, this is very unusual Hebrew grammar and the small number of similar cases are textually disputed. Some prefer to emend the text so that the infinitive and finite form of the verb are from the same root and same stem. Some render as “I will certainly sweep away” (NIV, ESV, Holman), probably assuming a Hiphil of אָסַף, though this root does not otherwise occur in the Hiphil, and if it did, it should mean “I will remove” (NASB). HALOT includes a Qal stem gloss “to destroy” (HALOT 74 qal 4), but this meaning is applied only to this example and one other textually disputed reference, that is, the dictionary’s gloss is merely accommodating this problem and is not evidence. Read as Hiphil forms of סוּף, the text would mean “I will certainly bring to an end,” which is conceptually similar to destroying. For a discussion of proposals see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, 169.
Zephaniah 1:3 tn Heb “And the stumbling blocks [or, “ruins”] with the evil”; or “the things that make the evil stumble.” The line does not appear in the original form of the LXX; it may be a later scribal addition. The present translation assumes the “stumbling blocks” are idolatrous images of the aforementioned animals, birds, and fish. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, and Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB), 73-74.
Zephaniah 1:3 tn Heb “cut off.”
Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “I will stretch out my hand against,” is an idiom for hostile action.
Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “cut off.”
Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “the remnant of Baal.”
Zephaniah 1:4 tn Heb “name.” Here the “name” is figurative for the memory of those who bear it.
Zephaniah 1:4 tc Heb “of the pagan priests with the priests.” The first word (כְּמָרִים, k^emarim) refers to idolatrous priests in its two other appearances in the OT (2 Kgs 23:5, Hos 10:5), while the second word (כֹּהֲנִים, kohanim) is the normal term for “priest” and is used of both legitimate and illegitimate priests in the OT. It is likely that the second term, which is omitted in the LXX, is a later scribal addition to the Hebrew text, defining the extremely rare word that precedes (see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [OTL], 167-68; cf. also NEB, NRSV). Some argue that both words are original; among the modern English versions that include both are NASB and NIV. Possibly the first word refers to outright pagan priests, while the second has in view once-legitimate priests of the Lord who had drifted into idolatrous practices. Another option is found in Adele Berlin, who translates, “the idolatrous priests among the priests,” understanding the second word as giving the general category of which the idolatrous priests are a part (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 75).
Zephaniah 1:5 tn The words “I will remove” are repeated from v. 4b for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 4b-6 contain a long list of objects for the verb “I will remove” in v. 4b. In the present translation a new sentence was begun at the beginning of v. 5 in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
Zephaniah 1:5 tn Heb “those who worship on their roofs the host of heaven.” The “host of heaven” included the sun, moon, planets, and stars, all of which were deified in the ancient Near East.
Zephaniah 1:5 tc The MT reads, “those who worship, those who swear allegiance to the Lord.” The original form of the LXX omits the phrase “those who worship”; it may have been accidentally repeated from the preceding line. J. J. M. Roberts prefers to delete as secondary the phrase “those who swear allegiance” (J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [OTL], 168).
Zephaniah 1:5 tn Heb “those who swear by.”
Zephaniah 1:5 tn The referent of “their king” is unclear. It may refer sarcastically to a pagan god (perhaps Baal) worshiped by the people. Some English versions (cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV) prefer to emend the text to “Milcom,” the name of an Ammonite god (following some LXX mss, Syriac, and Vulgate) or “Molech,” a god to whom the Israelites offered their children (cf. NIV, NLT). For a discussion of the options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 75-77.
Zephaniah 1:6 tn Heb “turn back from [following] after.”
Zephaniah 1:6 tn Heb “who do not seek the Lord and do not inquire of him.” The present translation assumes the first verb refers to praying for divine help and the second to seeking his revealed will through an oracle. Note the usage of the two verbs in 2 Chr 20:3-4.
Zephaniah 1:7 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.”
Zephaniah 1:7 tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”sn The origin of the concept of “the day of the Lord” is uncertain. It may have originated in the ancient Near Eastern idea of the sovereign’s day of conquest, where a king would boast that he had concluded an entire military campaign in a single day (see D. Stuart, “The Sovereign’s Day of Conquest,” BASOR 221 [1976]: 159-64). In the OT the expression is applied to several acts of divine judgment, some historical and others still future (see A. J. Everson, “The Days of Yahweh,” JBL 93 [1974]: 329-37). In the OT the phrase first appears in Amos (assuming that Amos predates Joel and Obadiah), where it seems to refer to a belief on the part of the northern kingdom that God would intervene on Israel’s behalf and judge the nation’s enemies. Amos affirms that the Lord’s day of judgment is indeed approaching, but he declares that it will be a day of disaster, not deliverance, for Israel. Here in Zephaniah, the “day of the Lord” includes God’s coming judgment of Judah, as well as a more universal outpouring of divine anger.
Zephaniah 1:7 tn Or “near.”
Zephaniah 1:7 tn Heb “a sacrifice.” This same word also occurs in the following verse.sn Because a sacrificial meal presupposes the slaughter of animals, it is used here as a metaphor of the bloody judgment to come.
Zephaniah 1:7 tn Or “consecrated” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
Zephaniah 1:8 tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”
Zephaniah 1:8 sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.
Zephaniah 1:9 sn The point of the statement all who hop over the threshold is unclear. A ritual or superstition associated with the Philistine god Dagon may be in view (see 1 Sam 5:5).
Zephaniah 1:9 tn The referent of “their master” is unclear. The king or a pagan god may be in view.
Zephaniah 1:9 tn Heb “who fill…with violence and deceit.” The expression “violence and deceit” refers metonymically to the wealth taken by oppressive measures.
Zephaniah 1:10 tn The words “will go up” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Zephaniah 1:10 sn The Fish Gate was located on Jerusalem’s north side (cf. 2 Chr 33:14; Neh 3:3; 12:39).
Zephaniah 1:10 tn Heb “from the second area.” This may refer to an area northwest of the temple where the rich lived (see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah [AB 25A], 86; cf. NASB, NRSV “the Second Quarter”; NIV “the New Quarter”).
Zephaniah 1:10 tn Heb “great breaking.”
Zephaniah 1:11 tn Heb “in the Mortar.” The Hebrew term מַכְתֵּשׁ (makhtesh, “mortar”) is apparently here the name of a low-lying area where economic activity took place.
Zephaniah 1:11 tn Or perhaps “Canaanites.” Cf. BDB 489 s.v. I and II כְּנַעֲנִי. Translators have rendered the term either as “the merchant people” (KJV, NKJV), “the traders” (NRSV), “merchants” (NEB, NIV), or, alternatively, “the people of Canaan” (NASB).
Zephaniah 1:11 tn Or “be destroyed.”
Zephaniah 1:11 tn Heb “weigh out silver.”
Zephaniah 1:11 tn Heb “be cut off.” In the Hebrew text of v. 11b the perfect verbal forms emphasize the certainty of the judgment, speaking of it as if it were already accomplished.
Zephaniah 1:12 tn Heb “who thicken on their sediment.” The imagery comes from wine making, where the wine, if allowed to remain on the sediment too long, will thicken into syrup. The image suggests that the people described here were complacent in their sinful behavior and interpreted the delay in judgment as divine apathy.
Zephaniah 1:12 tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”
Zephaniah 1:12 tn Heb “The Lord does not do good nor does he do evil.”
Zephaniah 1:14 tn Heb “The great day of the Lord.” The words “of judgment” are supplied in the translation here and later in this verse for clarity. See the note on the expression “day of judgment” in v. 7.
Zephaniah 1:14 tn Heb “the sound of the day of the Lord, bitter [is] one crying out there, a warrior.” The present translation does four things: (1) It takes מַר (mar, “bitter”) with what precedes (contrary to the accentuation of the MT). (2) It understands the participle צָרַח (tsarakh, “cry out in battle”) as verbal with “warrior” as its subject. (3) It takes שָׁם (sham, “there”) in a temporal sense, meaning “then, at that time.” (4) It understands “warrior” as collective.
Zephaniah 1:15 tn Heb “a day of wrath.” The word “God’s” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
Zephaniah 1:16 tn Heb “a ram’s horn.” By metonymy the Hebrew text mentions the trumpet (“ram’s horn”) in place of the sound it produces (“trumpet blasts”).
Zephaniah 1:16 sn This description of the day of the Lord consists of an initial reference to anger, followed by four pairs of synonyms. The joining of synonyms in this way emphasizes the degree of the characteristic being described. The first two pairs focus on the distress and ruin that judgment will bring; the second two pairs picture this day of judgment as being very dark (darkness) and exceedingly overcast (gloom). The description concludes with the pairing of two familiar battle sounds, the blast on the ram’s horn (trumpet blasts) and the war cries of the warriors (battle cries).
Zephaniah 1:16 tn Heb “against.” The words “judgment will fall” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Zephaniah 1:17 tn “The people” refers to mankind in general (see vv. 2-3) or more specifically to the residents of Judah (see vv. 4-13).
Zephaniah 1:17 tn Heb “walk.”
Zephaniah 1:17 tn Some take the referent of “flesh” to be more specific here; cf. NEB (“bowels”), NAB (“brains”), NIV (“entrails”).
Zephaniah 1:17 tn The words “will be scattered” are supplied in the translation for clarity based on the parallelism with “will be poured out” in the previous line.
Zephaniah 1:18 tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.
Zephaniah 1:18 tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”
Zephaniah 1:18 tn Or “for.”
Zephaniah 1:18 tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”
Zephaniah 1:18 tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).

Luke 23

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

23 Then^[a] the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus^[b] before Pilate.^[c] ²They^[d] began to accuse^[e] him, saying, “We found this man subverting^[f] our nation, forbidding^[g] us to pay the tribute tax^[h] to Caesar^[i] and claiming that he himself is Christ,^[j] a king.” ³So^[k] Pilate asked Jesus,^[l] “Are you the king^[m] of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.”^[n] ⁴Then^[o] Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation^[p] against this man.” ⁵But they persisted^[q] in saying, “He incites^[r] the people by teaching throughout all Judea. It started in Galilee and ended up here!”^[s]

Jesus Brought Before Herod

⁶Now when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷When^[t] he learned that he was from Herod’s jurisdiction,^[u] he sent him over to Herod,^[v] who also happened to be in Jerusalem^[w] at that time. ⁸When^[x] Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform^[y] some miraculous sign.^[z] ⁹So^[aa] Herod^[ab] questioned him at considerable length; Jesus^[ac] gave him no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the experts in the law^[ad] were there, vehemently accusing him.^[ae] ¹¹Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then,^[af] dressing him in elegant clothes,^[ag] Herod^[ah] sent him back to Pilate. ¹²That very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other,^[ai] for prior to this they had been enemies.^[aj]

Jesus Brought Before the Crowd

¹³Then^[ak] Pilate called together the chief priests, the^[al] leaders, and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading^[am] the people. When I examined him before you, I^[an] did not find this man guilty^[ao] of anything you accused him of doing. ¹⁵Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing^[ap] deserving death.^[aq] ¹⁶I will therefore have him flogged^[ar] and release him.”^[as]

¹⁸But they all shouted out together,^[at] “Take this man^[au] away! Release Barabbas for us!” ¹⁹(This^[av] was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection^[aw] started in the city, and for murder.)^[ax] ²⁰Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted^[ay] to release Jesus. ²¹But they kept on shouting,^[az] “Crucify, crucify^[ba] him!” ²²A third time he said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I have found him guilty^[bb] of no crime deserving death.^[bc] I will therefore flog^[bd] him and release him.” ²³But they were insistent,^[be] demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified. And their shouts prevailed. ²⁴So^[bf] Pilate^[bg] decided^[bh] that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He released the man they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder. But he handed Jesus over^[bi] to their will.^[bj]

The Crucifixion

²⁶As^[bk] they led him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene,^[bl] who was coming in from the country.^[bm] They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.^[bn] ²⁷A great number of the people followed him, among them women^[bo] who were mourning^[bp] and wailing for him. ²⁸But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem,^[bq] do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves^[br] and for your children. ²⁹For this is certain:^[bs] The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’^[bt] ³⁰Then they will begin to say to the mountains,^[bu] ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’^[bv] ³¹For if such things are done^[bw] when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^[bx]

³²Two other criminals^[by] were also led away to be executed with him. ³³So^[bz] when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,”^[ca] they crucified^[cb] him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴[But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”]^[cc] Then^[cd] they threw dice^[ce] to divide his clothes.^[cf] ³⁵The people also stood there watching, but the leaders ridiculed^[cg] him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save^[ch] himself if^[ci] he is the Christ^[cj] of God, his chosen one!” ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,^[ck] ³⁷and saying, “If^[cl] you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸There was also an inscription^[cm] over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”

³⁹One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t^[cn] you the Christ?^[co] Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying,^[cp] “Don’t^[cq] you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?^[cr] ⁴¹And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing^[cs] wrong.” ⁴²Then^[ct] he said, “Jesus, remember me^[cu] when you come in^[cv] your kingdom.” ⁴³And Jesus^[cw] said to him, “I tell you the truth,^[cx] today^[cy] you will be with me in paradise.”^[cz]

⁴⁴It was now^[da] about noon,^[db] and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,^[dc] ⁴⁵because the sun’s light failed.^[dd] The temple curtain^[de] was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”^[df] And after he said this he breathed his last.

⁴⁷Now when the centurion^[dg] saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!”^[dh] ⁴⁸And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.^[di] ⁴⁹And all those who knew Jesus^[dj] stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee saw^[dk] these things.

Jesus’ Burial

⁵⁰Now^[dl] there was a man named Joseph who was a member of the council,^[dm] a good and righteous man. ⁵¹(He^[dn] had not consented^[do] to their plan and action.) He^[dp] was from the Judean town^[dq] of Arimathea, and was looking forward to^[dr] the kingdom of God.^[ds] ⁵²He went to Pilate and asked for the body^[dt] of Jesus. ⁵³Then^[du] he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth,^[dv] and placed it^[dw] in a tomb cut out of the rock,^[dx] where no one had yet been buried.^[dy] ⁵⁴It was the day of preparation^[dz] and the Sabbath was beginning.^[ea] ⁵⁵The^[eb] women who had accompanied Jesus^[ec] from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶Then^[ed] they returned and prepared aromatic spices^[ee] and perfumes.^[ef]

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.^[eg]

Footnotes

Luke 23:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 23:1 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 23:1 sn Pilate was the Roman prefect (procurator) in charge of collecting taxes and keeping the peace. His immediate superior was the Roman governor (proconsul) of Syria, although the exact nature of this administrative relationship is unknown. Pilate’s relations with the Jews had been rocky (v. 12). Here he is especially sensitive to them.
Luke 23:2 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Luke 23:2 sn They began to accuse him. There were three charges: (1) disturbing Jewish peace; (2) fomenting rebellion through advocating not paying taxes (a lie—20:20-26); and (3) claiming to be a political threat to Rome, by claiming to be a king, an allusion to Jesus’ messianic claims. The second and third charges were a direct challenge to Roman authority. Pilate would be forced to do something about them.
Luke 23:2 tn On the use of the term διαστρέφω (diastrephō) here, see L&N 31.71 and 88.264.sn Subverting our nation was a summary charge, as Jesus “subverted” the nation by making false claims of a political nature, as the next two detailed charges show.
Luke 23:2 tn Grk “and forbidding.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated to suggest to the English reader that this and the following charge are specifics, while the previous charge was a summary one. See the note on the word “misleading” earlier in this verse.
Luke 23:2 tn This was a “poll tax.” L&N 57.182 states this was “a payment made by the people of one nation to another, with the implication that this is a symbol of submission and dependence—‘tribute tax.’”
Luke 23:2 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
Luke 23:2 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:11.
Luke 23:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the charges brought in the previous verse.
Luke 23:3 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 23:3 sn “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate was interested only in the third charge, because of its political implications of sedition against Rome.
Luke 23:3 sn The reply “You say so” is somewhat enigmatic, like Jesus’ earlier reply to the Jewish leadership in 22:70.
Luke 23:4 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 23:4 tn Grk “find no cause.” sn Pilate’s statement “I find no reason for an accusation” is the first of several remarks in Luke 23 that Jesus is innocent or of efforts to release him (vv. 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 22).
Luke 23:5 tn Or “were adamant.” For “persisted in saying,” see L&N 68.71.
Luke 23:5 sn He incites the people. The Jewish leadership claimed that Jesus was a political threat and had to be stopped. By reiterating this charge of stirring up rebellion, they pressured Pilate to act, or be accused of overlooking political threats to Rome.
Luke 23:5 tn Grk “beginning from Galilee until here.”
Luke 23:7 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 23:7 sn Learning that Jesus was from Galilee and therefore part of Herod’s jurisdiction, Pilate decided to rid himself of the problem by sending him to Herod.
Luke 23:7 sn Herod was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. See the note on Herod in 3:1.
Luke 23:7 sn Herod would probably have come to Jerusalem for the feast, although his father was only half Jewish (Josephus, Ant. 14.15.2 [14.403]). Josephus does mention Herod’s presence in Jerusalem during a feast (Ant. 18.5.3 [18.122]).
Luke 23:8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Luke 23:8 tn Grk “to see some sign performed by him.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style.
Luke 23:8 sn Herod, hoping to see him perform some miraculous sign, seems to have treated Jesus as a curiosity (cf. 9:7-9).
Luke 23:9 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the previous statements in the narrative about Herod’s desire to see Jesus.
Luke 23:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 23:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 23:10 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
Luke 23:10 sn Luke portrays the Jewish leadership as driving events toward the cross by vehemently accusing Jesus.
Luke 23:11 tn This is a continuation of the previous Greek sentence, but because of its length and complexity, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying “then” to indicate the sequence of events.
Luke 23:11 sn This mockery involved putting elegant royal clothes on Jesus, either white or purple (the colors of royalty). This was no doubt a mockery of Jesus’ claim to be a king.
Luke 23:11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 23:12 sn Herod and Pilate became friends with each other. It may be that Pilate’s change of heart was related to the death of his superior, Sejanus, who had a reputation for being anti-Jewish. To please his superior, Pilate may have ruled the Jews with insensitivity. Concerning Sejanus, see Philo, Embassy 24 (160-61) and Flaccus 1 (1).
Luke 23:12 tn Grk “at enmity with each other.”
Luke 23:13 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 23:13 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
Luke 23:14 tn This term also appears in v. 2.
Luke 23:14 tn Grk “behold, I” A transitional use of ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here.
Luke 23:14 tn Grk “nothing did I find in this man by way of cause.” The reference to “nothing” is emphatic.
Luke 23:15 sn With the statement “he has done nothing,” Pilate makes another claim that Jesus is innocent of any crime worthy of death.
Luke 23:15 tn Grk “nothing deserving death has been done by him.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style.
Luke 23:16 tn Or “scourged” (BDAG 749 s.v. παιδεύω 2.b.γ). This refers to a whipping Pilate ordered in an attempt to convince Jesus not to disturb the peace. It has been translated “flogged” to distinguish it from the more severe verberatio.
Luke 23:16 tc Many of the best mss, as well as some others (P⁷⁵ A B K L T 070 1241 sa), lack 23:17 “(Now he was obligated to release one individual for them at the feast.)” This verse appears to be a parenthetical note explaining the custom of releasing someone on amnesty at the feast. It appears in two different locations with variations in wording, which makes it look like a scribal addition. It is included in א (D following v. 19) W Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 M lat. The verse appears to be an explanatory gloss taken from Matt 27:15 and Mark 15:6, not original in Luke. The present translation follows NA²⁸ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
Luke 23:18 tn Grk “together, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.
Luke 23:18 tn Grk “this one.” The reference to Jesus as “this man” is pejorative in this context.
Luke 23:19 tn Grk “who” (a continuation of the previous sentence).
Luke 23:19 sn Ironically, what Jesus was alleged to have done, started an insurrection, this man really did.
Luke 23:19 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
Luke 23:20 sn The account pictures a battle of wills—the people versus Pilate. Pilate is consistently portrayed in Luke’s account as wanting to release Jesus because he believed him to be innocent.
Luke 23:21 tn Grk “shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.
Luke 23:21 tn This double present imperative is emphatic.sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it “a cruel and disgusting penalty” (Against Verres 2.5.63-66 §§163-70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.
Luke 23:22 tn Grk “no cause of death I found in him.”
Luke 23:22 sn The refrain of innocence comes once again. Pilate tried to bring some sense of justice, believing Jesus had committed no crime deserving death.
Luke 23:22 tn Or “scourge” (BDAG 749 s.v. παιδεύω 2.b.γ). See the note on “flogged” in v. 16.
Luke 23:23 tn Though a different Greek term is used here (BDAG 373 s.v. ἐπίκειμαι), this remark is like 23:5.
Luke 23:24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the crowd’s cries prevailing.
Luke 23:24 sn Finally Pilate gave in. He decided crucifying one Galilean teacher was better than facing a riot. Justice lost out in the process, because he did not follow his own verdict.
Luke 23:24 tn Although some translations render ἐπέκρινεν (epekrinen) here as “passed sentence” or “gave his verdict,” the point in context is not that Pilate sentenced Jesus to death here, but that finally, although convinced of Jesus’ innocence, he gave in to the crowd’s incessant demand to crucify an innocent man.
Luke 23:25 tn Or “delivered up.”
Luke 23:25 sn He handed Jesus over to their will. Here is where Luke places the major blame for Jesus’ death. It lies with the Jewish nation, especially the leadership, though in Acts 4:24-27 he will bring in the opposition of Herod, Pilate, and all people.
Luke 23:26 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 23:26 sn Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help. Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon. Mark 15:21 names him as father of two people apparently known to Mark’s audience.
Luke 23:26 tn Or perhaps, “was coming in from his field” outside the city (BDAG 15-16 s.v. ἀγρός 1).
Luke 23:26 tn Grk “they placed the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.”
Luke 23:27 sn The background of these women is disputed. Are they “official” mourners of Jesus’ death, appointed by custom to mourn death? If so, the mourning here would be more pro forma. However, the text seems to treat the mourning as sincere, so their tears and lamenting would have been genuine.
Luke 23:27 tn Or “who were beating their breasts,” implying a ritualized form of mourning employed in Jewish funerals. See the note on the term “women” earlier in this verse.
Luke 23:28 sn The title Daughters of Jerusalem portrays these women mourning as representatives of the nation.
Luke 23:28 sn Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves. Judgment now comes on the nation (see Luke 19:41-44) for this judgment of Jesus. Ironically, they mourn the wrong person—they should be mourning for themselves.
Luke 23:29 tn Grk “For behold.”
Luke 23:29 tn Grk “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have not nursed!”sn Normally barrenness is a sign of judgment, because birth would be seen as a sign of blessing. The reversal of imagery indicates that something was badly wrong.
Luke 23:30 sn The figure of crying out to the mountains ‘Fall on us!’ (appealing to creation itself to hide them from God’s wrath), means that a time will come when people will feel they are better off dead (Hos 10:8).
Luke 23:30 sn An allusion to Hos 10:8 (cf. Rev 6:16).
Luke 23:31 tn Grk “if they do such things.” The plural subject here is indefinite, so the active voice has been translated as a passive (see ExSyn 402).
Luke 23:31 sn The figure of the green wood and the dry has been variously understood. Most likely the picture compares the judgment on Jesus as the green (living) wood to the worse judgment that will surely come for the dry (dead) wood of the nation.
Luke 23:32 tc The text reads either “two other criminals” or “others, two criminals.” The first reading (found in P⁷⁵ א B) could be read as describing Jesus as a criminal, while the second (found in A C D L W Θ Ψ 070 0250 ƒ^1,13 33 M) looks like an attempt to prevent this identification. The first reading, more difficult to explain from the other, is likely autographic.sn Jesus is numbered among the criminals (see Isa 53:12 and Luke 22:37).
Luke 23:33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the preceding material.
Luke 23:33 sn The place that is called ‘The Skull’ (known as Golgotha in Aramaic, cf. John 19:17) is north and just outside of Jerusalem. The hill on which it is located protruded much like a skull, giving the place its name. The Latin word for Greek κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria, from which the English word “Calvary” derives (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
Luke 23:33 sn See the note on crucify in 23:21.
Luke 23:34 tc Many significant mss (P⁷⁵ א¹ B D* W Θ 070 579 1241 sy^s sa) lack v. 34a. It is included in א*^,2 (A) C D² L Ψ 0250 ƒ^1,(13) 33 M lat sy^c,p,h. It also fits a major Lukan theme of forgiving the enemies (6:27-36), and it has a parallel in Stephen’s response in Acts 7:60. The lack of parallels in the other Gospels argues also for inclusion here. On the other hand, the fact of the parallel in Acts 7:60 may well have prompted early scribes to insert the saying in Luke’s Gospel alone. Further, there is the great difficulty of explaining why early and diverse witnesses lack the saying. A decision is difficult, but even those who regard the verse as inauthentic literarily often consider it to be authentic historically. For this reason it has been placed in single brackets in the translation.
Luke 23:34 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 23:34 tn Grk “cast lots” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent “threw dice” was chosen here because of its association with gambling.
Luke 23:34 sn An allusion to Ps 22:18, which identifies Jesus as the suffering innocent one.
Luke 23:35 tn A figurative extension of the literal meaning “to turn one’s nose up at someone”; here “ridicule, sneer at, show contempt for” (L&N 33.409).
Luke 23:35 sn The irony in the statement Let him save himself is that salvation did come, but later, not while on the cross.
Luke 23:35 tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.
Luke 23:35 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:11.
Luke 23:36 sn Sour wine was cheap wine, called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion, who had some on hand, now used it to taunt Jesus further.
Luke 23:37 tn This is also a first class condition in the Greek text.
Luke 23:38 sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.
Luke 23:39 tc Most mss (A C³ W Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 33 M lat) read εἰ σὺ εἶ (ei su ei, “If you are”) here, while οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ (ouchi su ei, “Are you not”) is found in overall better and earlier witnesses (P⁷⁵ א B C* L 070 1241 it). The “if” clause reading creates a parallel with the earlier taunts (vv. 35, 37), and thus is most likely a motivated reading. sn The question in Greek expects a positive reply and is also phrased with irony.
Luke 23:39 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:11.
Luke 23:40 tn Grk “But answering, the other rebuking him, said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
Luke 23:40 tn The particle used here (οὐδέ, oude), which expects a positive reply, makes this a rebuke—“You should fear God and not speak!”
Luke 23:40 tn The words “of condemnation” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
Luke 23:41 sn This man has done nothing wrong is yet another declaration that Jesus was innocent of any crime.
Luke 23:42 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 23:42 sn Jesus, remember me is a statement of faith from the cross, as Jesus saves another even while he himself is dying. This man’s faith had shown itself when he rebuked the other thief. He hoped to be with Jesus sometime in the future in the kingdom.
Luke 23:42 tc ‡ The alternate readings of some mss make the reference to Jesus’ coming clearer. “Into your kingdom”—with εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν (eis tēn basileian), read by P⁷⁵ B L—is a reference to his entering into God’s presence at the right hand. “In your kingdom”—with ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ (en tē basileia), read by א A C*^,2 W Θ Ψ 070 ƒ^1,13 33 M lat sy—looks at his return. It could be argued that the reading with εἰς is more in keeping with Luke’s theology elsewhere, but the contrast with Jesus’ reply, “Today,” slightly favors the reading “in your kingdom.” Codex Bezae (D), in place of this short interchange between the criminal and Jesus, reads “Then he turned to the Lord and said to him, ‘Remember me in the day of your coming.’ Then the Lord said in reply to [him], ‘Take courage; today you will be with me in paradise.’” This reading emphasizes the future aspect of the coming of Christ; it has virtually no support in any other mss.
Luke 23:43 tn Grk “he.”
Luke 23:43 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Luke 23:43 sn Jesus gives more than the criminal asked for, because the blessing will come today, not in the future. He will be among the righteous. See the note on today in 2:11.
Luke 23:43 sn In the NT, paradise is mentioned three times. Here it refers to the abode of the righteous dead. In Rev 2:7 it refers to the restoration of Edenic paradise predicted in Isa 51:3 and Ezek 36:35. In 2 Cor 12:4 it probably refers to the “third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2) as the place where God dwells.
Luke 23:44 tn Grk “And it was.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Luke 23:44 tn Grk “the sixth hour.”
Luke 23:44 tn Grk “until the ninth hour.”
Luke 23:45 tc The wording “the sun’s light failed” is a translation of τοῦ ἡλίου ἐκλιπόντος/ ἐκλείποντος (tou hēliou eklipontos/ ekleipontos), a reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (among them P⁷⁵ א B C*^vid L 070 579 2542) as well as several ancient versions. The majority of mss (A C³ [D] W Θ Ψ ƒ^1,13 M lat sy) have the flatter, less dramatic term, “the sun was darkened” (ἐσκοτίσθη, eskotisthe), a reading that avoids the problem of implying an eclipse (see sn below). This alternative thus looks secondary because it is a more common word and less likely to be misunderstood as referring to a solar eclipse. That it appears in later witnesses rather than the earliest ones adds confirmatory testimony to its inauthentic character.sn This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15. Some students of the NT see in Luke’s statement the sun’s light failed (eklipontos) an obvious blunder in his otherwise meticulous historical accuracy. The reason for claiming such an error on the author’s part is due to an understanding of the verb as indicating a solar eclipse when such would be an astronomical impossibility during a full moon. There are generally two ways to resolve this difficulty: (a) adopt a different reading (“the sun was darkened”) that smoothes over the problem (discussed in the tc problem above), or (b) understand the verb eklipontos in a general way (such as “the sun’s light failed”) rather than as a technical term, “the sun was eclipsed.” The problem with the first solution is that it is too convenient, for the Christian scribes who, over the centuries, copied Luke’s Gospel would have thought the same thing. That is, they too would have sensed a problem in the wording and felt that some earlier scribe had incorrectly written down what Luke penned. The fact that the reading “was darkened” shows up in the later and generally inferior witnesses does not bolster one’s confidence that this is the right solution. But second solution, if taken to its logical conclusion, proves too much for it would nullify the argument against the first solution: If the term did not refer to an eclipse, then why would scribes feel compelled to change it to a more general term? The solution to the problem is that ekleipo did in fact sometimes refer to an eclipse, but it did not always do so. (BDAG 306 s.v. ἐκλείπω notes that the verb is used in Hellenistic Greek “Of the sun cease to shine.” In MM it is argued that “it seems more than doubtful that in Lk 23⁴⁵ any reference is intended to an eclipse. To find such a reference is to involve the Evangelist in a needless blunder, as an eclipse is impossible at full moon, and to run counter to his general usage of the verb = ‘fail’…” [p. 195]. They enlist Luke 16:9; 22:32; and Heb 1:12 for the general meaning “fail,” and further cite several contemporaneous examples from papyri of this meaning [195-96]) Thus, the very fact that the verb can refer to an eclipse would be a sufficient basis for later scribes altering the text out of pious motives; conversely, the very fact that the verb does not always refer to an eclipse and, in fact, does not normally do so, is enough of a basis to exonerate Luke of wholly uncharacteristic carelessness.
Luke 23:45 tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.
Luke 23:46 sn A quotation from Ps 31:5. It is a psalm of trust. The righteous, innocent sufferer trusts in God. Luke does not have the cry of pain from Ps 22:1 (cf. Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), but notes Jesus’ trust instead.
Luke 23:47 sn See the note on the word centurion in 7:2.
Luke 23:47 tn Or “righteous.” It is hard to know whether “innocent” or “righteous” is intended, as the Greek term used can mean either, and both make good sense in this context. Luke has been emphasizing Jesus as innocent, so that is slightly more likely here. Of course, one idea entails the other. sn Here is a fourth figure who said that Jesus was innocent in this chapter (Pilate, Herod, a criminal, and now a centurion).
Luke 23:48 sn Some apparently regretted what had taken place. Beating their breasts was a sign of lamentation.
Luke 23:49 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 23:49 tn Technically the participle ὁρῶσαι (horōsai) modifies only γυναῖκες (gunaikes) since both are feminine plural nominative, although many modern translations refer this as well to the group of those who knew Jesus mentioned in the first part of the verse. These events had a wide array of witnesses.
Luke 23:50 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
Luke 23:50 tn Grk “a councillor” (as a member of the Sanhedrin, see L&N 11.85). This indicates that some individuals among the leaders did respond to Jesus.
Luke 23:51 tn Grk “This one.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.
Luke 23:51 tc Several mss (א C D L Δ Ψ 070 ƒ^1,13 [579] 892 1424 2542 al) read the present participle συγκατατιθέμενος (sunkatatithemenos) instead of the perfect participle συγκατατεθειμένος (sunkatatetheimenos). The present participle could be taken to mean that Joseph had decided that the execution was now a mistake. The perfect means that he did not agree with it from the start. The perfect participle, however, has better support externally (P⁷⁵ A B W Θ 33 M), and is thus the preferred reading.sn The parenthetical note at the beginning of v. 51 indicates that Joseph of Arimathea had not consented to the action of the Sanhedrin in condemning Jesus to death. Since Mark 14:64 indicates that all the council members condemned Jesus as deserving death, it is likely that Joseph was not present at the trial.
Luke 23:51 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.
Luke 23:51 tn Or “Judean city”; Grk “from Arimathea, a city of the Jews.” Here the expression “of the Jews” (᾿Ιουδαίων, Ioudaiōn) is used in an adjectival sense to specify a location (cf. BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.c) and so has been translated “Judean.”
Luke 23:51 tn Or “waiting for.”sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, this remark that he was looking forward to the kingdom of God and his actions regarding Jesus’ burial suggest otherwise.
Luke 23:51 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
Luke 23:52 sn Joseph went to Pilate and asked for the body because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial. This was indeed a bold move on the part of Joseph of Arimathea, for it clearly and openly identified him with a man who had just been condemned and executed, namely, Jesus. His faith is exemplary, especially for someone who was a member of the council that handed Jesus over for crucifixion (cf. Mark 15:43).
Luke 23:53 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 23:53 tn The term σινδών (sindōn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.
Luke 23:53 tn In the Greek text this pronoun (αὐτόν, auton) is masculine, while the previous one (αὐτό, auto) is neuter, referring to the body.
Luke 23:53 tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.26).
Luke 23:53 tc Codex Bezae (D), with some support from 070, one Itala ms, and the Sahidic version, adds the words, “And after he [Jesus] was laid [in the tomb], he [Joseph of Arimathea] put a stone over the tomb which scarcely twenty men could roll.” Although this addition is certainly not part of the original text of Luke, it does show how interested the early scribes were in the details of the burial and may even reflect a very primitive tradition. Matt 27:60 and Mark 15:46 record the positioning of a large stone at the door of the tomb.tn Or “laid to rest.”
Luke 23:54 sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.
Luke 23:54 tn Normally, “dawning,” but as the Jewish Sabbath begins at 6 p.m., “beginning” is more appropriate.
Luke 23:55 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Luke 23:55 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 23:56 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 23:56 tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these preparations were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition. The women planned to return and anoint the body. But that would have to wait until after the Sabbath.
Luke 23:56 tn Or “ointments.” This was another type of perfumed oil.
Luke 23:56 sn According to the commandment. These women are portrayed as pious, faithful to the law in observing the Sabbath.

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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Solomon Entertains a Queen

Solomon’s Wealth

Solomon’s Reign Ends

Footnotes

Salutation

Condemnation of the False Teachers

Exhortation to the Faithful

Final Blessing

Footnotes

Introduction

The Lord’s Day of Judgment is Approaching

Footnotes

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

Jesus Brought Before Herod

Jesus Brought Before the Crowd

The Crucifixion

Jesus’ Burial

Footnotes