Keluaran 23:1

Justice

23:1 ¹ “You must not give ²  a false report. ³  Do not make common cause ⁴  with the wicked ⁵  to be a malicious ⁶  witness.

Imamat 19:15

Justice, Love, and Propriety

19:15 “‘You ⁷  must not deal unjustly in judgment: ⁸  you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. ⁹  You must judge your fellow citizen fairly. ¹⁰ 

Imamat 19:35-36

19:35 You must not do injustice in the regulation of measures, whether of length, weight, or volume. ¹¹  19:36 You must have honest balances, ¹²  honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. ¹³  I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt.

Ulangan 25:13-16

25:13 You must not have in your bag different stone weights, ¹⁴  a heavy and a light one. ¹⁵  25:14 You must not have in your house different measuring containers, ¹⁶  a large and a small one. 25:15 You must have an accurate and correct ¹⁷  stone weight and an accurate and correct measuring container, so that your life may be extended in the land the Lord your God is about to give you. 25:16 For anyone who acts dishonestly in these ways is abhorrent ¹⁸  to the Lord your God.

Amsal 11:1

11:1 The Lord abhors ¹⁹  dishonest scales, ²⁰ 

but an accurate weight ²¹  is his delight.

Amsal 22:8

22:8 The one who sows ²²  iniquity will reap trouble,

and the rod of his fury ²³  will end.

Yesaya 10:1-2

10:1 Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead, ²⁴ 

those who are always instituting unfair regulations, ²⁵ 

10:2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment,

and to deprive ²⁶  the oppressed among my people of justice,

so they can steal what widows own,

and loot what belongs to orphans. ²⁷ 

Yesaya 55:7

55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle ²⁸ 

and sinful people their plans. ²⁹ 

They should return ³⁰  to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, ³¹ 

and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. ³² 

Zakharia 5:3

5:3 The speaker went on to say, “This is a curse ³³  traveling across the whole earth. For example, according to the curse whoever steals ³⁴  will be removed from the community; or on the other hand (according to the curse) whoever swears falsely will suffer the same fate.”

Kisah Para Rasul 24:25

24:25 While Paul ³⁵  was discussing ³⁶  righteousness, self-control, ³⁷  and the coming judgment, Felix ³⁸  became ³⁹  frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, ⁴⁰  I will send for you.”

Roma 1:18

The Condemnation of the Unrighteous

1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people ⁴¹  who suppress the truth by their ⁴²  unrighteousness, ⁴³ 

Roma 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁴⁴  a slave ⁴⁵  of Christ Jesus, ⁴⁶  called to be an apostle, ⁴⁷  set apart for the gospel of God. ⁴⁸ 

Titus 1:9

1:9 He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, ⁴⁹  so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching ⁵⁰  and correct those who speak against it.

[23:1]  ¹ sn People who claim to worship and serve the righteous judge of the universe must preserve equity and justice in their dealings with others. These verses teach that God’s people must be honest witnesses (1-3); God’s people must be righteous even with enemies (4-5); and God’s people must be fair in dispensing justice (6-9).

[23:1]  ² tn Heb “take up, lift, carry” (נָשָׂא, nasa’). This verb was also used in the prohibition against taking “the name of Yahweh in vain.” Sometimes the object of this verb is physical, as in Jonah 1:12 and 15. Used in this prohibition involving speech, it covers both originating and repeating a lie.

[23:1]  ³ tn Or “a groundless report” (see Exod 20:7 for the word שָׁוְא, shav’).

[23:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “do not put your hand” (cf. KJV, ASV); NASB “join your hand.”

[23:1]  ⁵ tn The word “wicked” (רָשָׁע, rasha’) refers to the guilty criminal, the person who is doing something wrong. In the religious setting it describes the person who is not a member of the covenant and may be involved in all kinds of sin, even though there is the appearance of moral and spiritual stability.

[23:1]  ⁶ tn The word חָמָס (khamas) often means “violence” in the sense of social injustices done to other people, usually the poor and needy. A “malicious” witness would do great harm to others. See J. W. McKay, “Exodus 23:1-43, 6-8: A Decalogue for Administration of Justice in the City Gate,” VT 21 (1971): 311-25.

[19:15]  ⁷ tc Smr has the singular rather than the plural “you” of the MT, which brings this verb form into line with the ones surrounding it.

[19:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “You shall not do injustice in judgment” (NASB similar); cf. NIV “do not pervert justice.”

[19:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “You shall not lift up faces of poor [people] and you shall not honor faces of great.”

[19:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “In righteousness you shall judge your fellow citizen.”

[19:35]  ¹¹ tn That is, liquid capacity (HALOT 640 s.v. מְשׂוּרָה). Cf. ASV, NIV, NRSV, TEV “quantity”; NAB, NASB “capacity.”

[19:36]  ¹² tn Heb “balances of righteousness,” and so throughout this sentence.

[19:36]  ¹³ sn An ephah is a dry measure which measures about four gallons, or perhaps one third of a bushel, while a hin is a liquid measure of about 3.6 liters (= approximately 1 quart).

[25:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a stone and a stone.” The repetition of the singular noun here expresses diversity, as the following phrase indicates. See IBHS 116 §7.2.3c.

[25:13]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “a large and a small,” but since the issue is the weight, “a heavy and a light one” conveys the idea better in English.

[25:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “an ephah and an ephah.” An ephah refers to a unit of dry measure roughly equivalent to five U.S. gallons (just under 20 liters). On the repetition of the term to indicate diversity, see IBHS 116 §7.2.3c.

[25:15]  ¹⁷ tn Or “just”; Heb “righteous.”

[25:16]  ¹⁸ tn The Hebrew term translated here “abhorrent” (תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah) speaks of attitudes and/or behaviors so vile as to be reprehensible to a holy God. See note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.

[11:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the Lord”) is a subjective genitive.

[11:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “scales of deception.” The genitive is attributive: “deceptive scales.” This refers to dishonesty in the market where silver was weighed in the scales. God condemns dishonest business practices (Deut 25:13-16; Lev 10:35-36), as did the ancient Near East (ANET 388, 423).

[11:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “a perfect stone.” Stones were used for measuring amounts of silver on the scales; here the stone that pleases the Lord is whole, complete, perfect (from שָׁלֵם, shalem). It was one that would give an honest, accurate measurement.

[22:8]  ²² sn The verse is making an implied comparison (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis) between sowing and sinning. One who sins is like one who sows, for there will be a “harvest” or a return on the sin – trouble.

[22:8]  ²³ tc There is a variant reading in the LXX; instead of “the rod of his wrath” it reads “the punishment of his deeds.” C. H. Toy wishes to emend שֵׁבֶט (shevet) to שֶׁבֶר (shever), “the produce of his work” (Proverbs [ICC], 416). But the Hebrew text is not obscure, and שֶׁבֶר does not exactly mean “produce.” The expression “rod of his wrath” may not follow the imagery of 8a very closely, but it is nonetheless understandable. The “rod” is a symbol of power; “wrath” is a metonymy of cause indicating what wrath will do, and an objective genitive. The expression signifies that in reaping trouble for his sins this person will no longer be able to unleash his fury on others. The LXX adds: “A man who is cheerful and a giver God blesses” (e.g., 2 Cor 9:7).

[10:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who decree evil decrees.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.

[10:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “[to] the writers who write out harm.” The participle and verb are in the Piel, suggesting repetitive action.

[10:2]  ²⁶ tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”

[10:2]  ²⁷ tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”

[10:2]  sn On the socio-economic background of vv. 1-2, see the note at 1:23.

[55:7]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ³⁰ tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”

[55:7]  ³¹ tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.

[55:7]  ³² sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.

[5:3]  ³³ tn The Hebrew word translated “curse” (אָלָה, ’alah) alludes to the covenant sanctions that attend the violation of God’s covenant with Israel (cf. Deut 29:12, 14, 20-21).

[5:3]  ³⁴ sn Stealing and swearing falsely (mentioned later in this verse) are sins against mankind and God respectively and are thus violations of the two major parts of the Ten Commandments. These two stipulations (commandments 8 and 3) represent the whole law.

[24:25]  ³⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ³⁶ tn Or “speaking about.”

[24:25]  ³⁷ tn Grk “and self-control.” This 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.

[24:25]  sn The topic of self-control was appropriate in view of the personal history of both Felix and Drusilla (see the note on “Drusilla” in the previous verse), and might well account for Felix’s anxiety.

[24:25]  ³⁸ sn See the note on Felix in 23:26.

[24:25]  ³⁹ tn Grk “becoming.” The participle γενόμενος (genomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[24:25]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “when I find time.” BDAG 639 s.v. μεταλαμβάνω 2 has “καιρὸν μ. have an opportunity = find time…Ac 24:25.”

[1:18]  ⁴¹ tn The genitive ἀνθρώπων could be taken as an attributed genitive, in which case the phase should be translated “against all ungodly and unrighteous people” (cf. “the truth of God” in v. 25 which is also probably an attributed genitive). C. E. B. Cranfield takes the section 1:18-32 to refer to all people (not just Gentiles), while 2:1-3:20 points out that the Jew is no exception (Romans [ICC], 1:104-6; 1:137-38).

[1:18]  ⁴² tn “Their” is implied in the Greek, but is supplied because of English style.

[1:18]  ⁴³ tn Or “by means of unrighteousness.” Grk “in (by) unrighteousness.”

[1:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Traditionally, “servant.” 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.). The most accurate 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.

[1:1]  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 someone who was Jewish 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.”

[1:1]  ⁴⁶ tc Many important mss, as well as several others (̲⁶ א A G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï), have a reversed order of these words and read “Jesus Christ” rather than “Christ Jesus” (̹⁰ B 81 pc). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred as slightly more difficult and thus more likely the original (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus,” especially in certain letters such as Romans, Galatians, and Philippians. As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. A decision is difficult, but “Christ Jesus” is slightly preferred.

[1:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “a called apostle.”

[1:1]  ⁴⁸ tn The genitive in the phrase εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ (euangelion qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as (1) a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or (2) an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. However, in view of God’s action in v. 2 concerning this gospel, a subjective genitive notion (“the gospel which God brings”) is slightly preferred.

[1:9]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “the faithful message in accordance with the teaching” (referring to apostolic teaching).

[1:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “the healthy teaching” (referring to what was just mentioned).