Kejadian 6:5

6:5 But the Lord saw ¹  that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination ²  of the thoughts ³  of their minds ⁴  was only evil ⁵  all the time. ⁶ 

Ayub 14:4

14:4 Who can make ⁷  a clean thing come from an unclean? ⁸ 

No one!

Ayub 15:14-16

15:14 What is man that he should be pure,

or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

15:15 If God places no trust in his holy ones, ⁹ 

if even the heavens ¹⁰  are not pure in his eyes,

15:16 how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt, ¹¹ 

who drinks in evil like water! ¹² 

Mazmur 51:5

51:5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,

a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. ¹³ 

Mazmur 58:3

58:3 The wicked turn aside from birth; ¹⁴ 

liars go astray as soon as they are born. ¹⁵ 

Amsal 20:9

20:9 Who can say, ¹⁶  “I have kept my heart clean; ¹⁷ 

I am pure ¹⁸  from my sin”?

Pengkhotbah 7:20

7:20 For ¹⁹  there is not one truly ²⁰  righteous person on the earth

who continually does good and never sins.

Yesaya 47:12

47:12 Persist ²¹  in trusting ²²  your amulets

and your many incantations,

which you have faithfully recited ²³  since your youth!

Maybe you will be successful ²⁴  –

maybe you will scare away disaster. ²⁵ 

Yesaya 47:15

47:15 They will disappoint you, ²⁶ 

those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth. ²⁷ 

Each strays off in his own direction, ²⁸ 

leaving no one to rescue you.”

Yesaya 48:8

48:8 You did not hear,

you do not know,

you were not told beforehand. ²⁹ 

For I know that you are very deceitful; ³⁰ 

you were labeled ³¹  a rebel from birth.

Yesaya 53:6

53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;

each of us had strayed off on his own path,

but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. ³² 

Yeremia 8:6

8:6 I have listened to them very carefully, ³³ 

but they do not speak honestly.

None of them regrets the evil he has done.

None of them says, “I have done wrong!” ³⁴ 

All of them persist in their own wayward course ³⁵ 

like a horse charging recklessly into battle.

Yeremia 17:9

17:9 The human mind is more deceitful than anything else.

It is incurably bad. ³⁶  Who can understand it?

Yeremia 18:12

18:12 But they just keep saying, ‘We do not care what you say! ³⁷  We will do whatever we want to do! We will continue to behave wickedly and stubbornly!’” ³⁸ 

Matius 15:19

15:19 For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Yohanes 3:6

3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, ³⁹  and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Roma 1:21

1:21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts ⁴⁰  were darkened.

Roma 3:23

3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Roma 8:7-8

8:7 because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Efesus 2:1-3

New Life Individually

2:1 And although you were ⁴¹  dead ⁴²  in your transgressions and sins, 2:2 in which ⁴³  you formerly lived ⁴⁴  according to this world’s present path, ⁴⁵  according to the ruler of the kingdom ⁴⁶  of the air, the ruler of ⁴⁷  the spirit ⁴⁸  that is now energizing ⁴⁹  the sons of disobedience, ⁵⁰  2:3 among whom ⁵¹  all of us ⁵²  also ⁵³  formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath ⁵⁴  even as the rest… ⁵⁵ 

Yakobus 1:14-15

1:14 But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. 1:15 Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.

Yakobus 4:1-2

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ⁵⁶  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ⁵⁷  from your passions that battle inside you? ⁵⁸  4:2 You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask;

Yakobus 4:1

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ⁵⁹  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ⁶⁰  from your passions that battle inside you? ⁶¹ 

Yohanes 5:19

5:19 So Jesus answered them, ⁶²  “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁶³  the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, ⁶⁴  but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father ⁶⁵  does, the Son does likewise. ⁶⁶ 

[6:5]  ¹ sn The Hebrew verb translated “saw” (רָאָה, ra’ah), used here of God’s evaluation of humankind’s evil deeds, contrasts with God’s evaluation of creative work in Gen 1, when he observed that everything was good.

[6:5]  ² tn The noun יֵצֶר (yetser) is related to the verb יָצָר (yatsar, “to form, to fashion [with a design]”). Here it refers to human plans or intentions (see Gen 8:21; 1 Chr 28:9; 29:18). People had taken their God-given capacities and used them to devise evil. The word יֵצֶר (yetser) became a significant theological term in Rabbinic literature for what might be called the sin nature – the evil inclination (see also R. E. Murphy, “Yeser in the Qumran Literature,” Bib 39 [1958]: 334-44).

[6:5]  ³ tn The related verb הָשָׁב (hashav) means “to think, to devise, to reckon.” The noun (here) refers to thoughts or considerations.

[6:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “his heart” (referring to collective “humankind”). The Hebrew term לֵב (lev, “heart”) frequently refers to the seat of one’s thoughts (see BDB 524 s.v. לֵב). In contemporary English this is typically referred to as the “mind.”

[6:5]  ⁵ sn Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil. There is hardly a stronger statement of the wickedness of the human race than this. Here is the result of falling into the “knowledge of good and evil”: Evil becomes dominant, and the good is ruined by the evil.

[6:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “all the day.”

[6:5]  sn The author of Genesis goes out of his way to emphasize the depth of human evil at this time. Note the expressions “every inclination,” “only evil,” and “all the time.”

[14:4]  ⁷ tn The expression is מִי־יִתֵּן (mi-yitten, “who will give”; see GKC 477 §151.b). Some commentators (H. H. Rowley and A. B. Davidson) wish to take this as the optative formula: “O that a clean might come out of an unclean!” But that does not fit the verse very well, and still requires the addition of a verb. The exclamation here simply implies something impossible – man is unable to attain purity.

[14:4]  ⁸ sn The point being made is that the entire human race is contaminated by sin, and therefore cannot produce something pure. In this context, since man is born of woman, it is saying that the woman and the man who is brought forth from her are impure. See Ps 51:5; Isa 6:5; and Gen 6:5.

[15:15]  ⁹ tn Eliphaz here reiterates the point made in Job 4:18.

[15:15]  ¹⁰ sn The question here is whether the reference is to material “heavens” (as in Exod 24:10 and Job 25:5), or to heavenly beings. The latter seems preferable in this context.

[15:16]  ¹¹ tn The two descriptions here used are “abominable,” meaning “disgusting” (a Niphal participle with the value of a Latin participle [see GKC 356-57 §116.e]), and “corrupt” (a Niphal participle which occurs only in Pss 14:3 and 53:4), always in a moral sense. On the significance of the first description, see P. Humbert, “Le substantif toáe„ba„ et le verbe táb dans l’Ancien Testament,” ZAW 72 [1960]: 217ff.). On the second word, G. R. Driver suggests from Arabic, “debauched with luxury, corrupt” (“Some Hebrew Words,” JTS 29 [1927/28]: 390-96).

[15:16]  ¹² sn Man commits evil with the same ease and facility as he drinks in water – freely and in large quantities.

[51:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “Look, in wrongdoing I was brought forth, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The prefixed verbal form in the second line is probably a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive), stating a simple historical fact. The psalmist is not suggesting that he was conceived through an inappropriate sexual relationship (although the verse has sometimes been understood to mean that, or even that all sexual relationships are sinful). The psalmist’s point is that he has been a sinner from the very moment his personal existence began. By going back beyond the time of birth to the moment of conception, the psalmist makes his point more emphatically in the second line than in the first.

[58:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “from the womb.”

[58:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “speakers of a lie go astray from the womb.”

[20:9]  ¹⁶ sn The verse is a rhetorical question; it is affirming that no one can say this because no one is pure and free of sin.

[20:9]  ¹⁷ tn The verb form זִכִּיתִי (zikkiti) is the Piel perfect of זָכָה (zakhah, “to be clear; to be clean; to be pure”). The verb has the idea of “be clear, justified, acquitted.” In this stem it is causative: “I have made my heart clean” (so NRSV) or “kept my heart pure” (so NIV). This would be claiming that all decisions and motives were faultless.

[20:9]  ¹⁸ sn The Hebrew verb translated “I am pure” (טָהֵר, taher) is a Levitical term. To claim this purity would be to claim that moral and cultic perfection had been attained and therefore one was acceptable to God in the present condition. Of course, no one can claim this; even if one thought it true, it is impossible to know all that is in the heart as God knows it.

[7:20]  ¹⁹ tn The introductory particle כִּי (ki) is rendered variously: “for” (KJV); “indeed” (NASB); not translated (NIV); “for” (NJPS). The particle functions in an explanatory sense, explaining the need for wisdom in v. 19. Righteousness alone cannot always protect a person from calamity (7:15-16); therefore, something additional, such as wisdom, is needed. The need for wisdom as protection from calamity is particularly evident in the light of the fact that no one is truly righteous (7:19-20).

[7:20]  ²⁰ tn The term “truly” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Qoheleth does not deny the existence of some people who are relatively righteous.

[47:12]  ²¹ tn Heb “stand” (so KJV, ASV); NASB, NRSV “Stand fast.”

[47:12]  ²² tn The word “trusting” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See v. 9.

[47:12]  ²³ tn Heb “in that which you have toiled.”

[47:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “maybe you will be able to profit.”

[47:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “maybe you will cause to tremble.” The object “disaster” is supplied in the translation for clarification. See the note at v. 9.

[47:15]  ²⁶ tn Heb “So they will be to you”; NIV “That is all they can do for you.”

[47:15]  ²⁷ tn Heb “that for which you toiled, your traders from your youth.” The omen readers and star gazers are likened to merchants with whom Babylon has had an ongoing economic relationship.

[47:15]  ²⁸ tn Heb “each to his own side, they err.”

[48:8]  ²⁹ tn Heb “beforehand your ear did not open.”

[48:8]  ³⁰ tn Heb “deceiving, you deceive.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[48:8]  ³¹ tn Or “called” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[53:6]  ³² tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.

[8:6]  ³³ tn Heb “I have paid attention and I have listened.” This is another case of two concepts being joined by “and” where one expresses the main idea and the other acts as an adverbial or adjectival modifier (a figure called hendiadys).

[8:6]  ³⁴ tn Heb “What have I done?” The addition of the word “wrong” is implicit in the context and is supplied in the translation for clarity. The rhetorical question does not function as a denial of wrongdoing, but rather as contrite shock at one’s own wrongdoing. It is translated as a declaration for the sake of clarity.

[8:6]  ³⁵ tn Heb “each one of them turns aside into their own running course.”

[8:6]  sn The wordplay begun in v. 4 is continued here. The word translated “turns aside” in the literal translation and “wayward” in the translation is from the same root as “go the wrong way,” “turn around,” “turn away from me,” “apostasy,” “turn back to me.” What God hoped for were confessions of repentance and change of behavior; what he got was denial of wrongdoing and continued turning away from him.

[17:9]  ³⁶ tn Or “incurably deceitful”; Heb “It is incurable.” For the word “deceitful” compare the usage of the verb in Gen 27:36 and a related noun in 2 Kgs 10:19. For the adjective “incurable” compare the usage in Jer 15:18. It is most commonly used with reference to wounds or of pain. In Jer 17:16 it is used metaphorically for a “woeful day” (i.e., day of irreparable devastation).

[17:9]  sn The background for this verse is Deut 29:18-19 (29:17-18 HT) and Deut 30:17.

[18:12]  ³⁷ tn Heb “It is useless!” See the same expression in a similar context in Jer 2:25.

[18:12]  ³⁸ tn Heb “We will follow our own plans and do each one according to the stubbornness of his own wicked heart.”

[18:12]  sn This has been the consistent pattern of their behavior. See 7:24; 9:13; 13:10; 16:12.

[3:6]  ³⁹ sn What is born of the flesh is flesh, i.e., what is born of physical heritage is physical. (It is interesting to compare this terminology with that of the dialogue in John 4, especially 4:23, 24.) For John the “flesh” (σάρξ, sarx) emphasizes merely the weakness and mortality of the creature – a neutral term, not necessarily sinful as in Paul. This is confirmed by the reference in John 1:14 to the Logos becoming “flesh.” The author avoids associating sinfulness with the incarnate Christ.

[1:21]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “heart.”

[2:1]  ⁴¹ tn The adverbial participle “being” (ὄντας, ontas) is taken concessively.

[2:1]  ⁴² sn Chapter 2 starts off with a participle, although you were dead, that is left dangling. The syntax in Greek for vv. 1-3 constitutes one incomplete sentence, though it seems to have been done intentionally. The dangling participle leaves the readers in suspense while they wait for the solution (in v. 4) to their spiritual dilemma.

[2:2]  ⁴³ sn The relative pronoun which is feminine as is sins, indicating that sins is the antecedent.

[2:2]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “walked.”

[2:2]  sn The Greek verb translated lived (περιπατέω, peripatew) in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.

[2:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Or possibly “Aeon.”

[2:2]  sn The word translated present path is the same as that which has been translated [this] age in 1:21 (αἰών, aiwn).

[2:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “domain, [place of] authority.”

[2:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “of” (but see the note on the word “spirit” later in this verse).

[2:2]  ⁴⁸ sn The ruler of the kingdom of the air is also the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience. Although several translations regard the ruler to be the same as the spirit, this is unlikely since the cases in Greek are different (ruler is accusative and spirit is genitive). To get around this, some have suggested that the genitive for spirit is a genitive of apposition. However, the semantics of the genitive of apposition are against such an interpretation (cf. ExSyn 100).

[2:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “working in.”

[2:2]  ⁵⁰ sn Sons of disobedience is a Semitic idiom that means “people characterized by disobedience.” However, it also contains a subtle allusion to vv. 4-10: Some of those sons of disobedience have become sons of God.

[2:3]  ⁵¹ sn Among whom. The relative pronoun phrase that begins v. 3 is identical, except for gender, to the one that begins v. 2 (ἐν αἵς [en Jais], ἐν οἵς [en Jois]). By the structure, the author is building an argument for our hopeless condition: We lived in sin and we lived among sinful people. Our doom looked to be sealed as well in v. 2: Both the external environment (kingdom of the air) and our internal motivation and attitude (the spirit that is now energizing) were under the devil’s thumb (cf. 2 Cor 4:4).

[2:3]  ⁵² tn Grk “we all.”

[2:3]  ⁵³ tn Or “even.”

[2:3]  ⁵⁴ sn Children of wrath is a Semitic idiom which may mean either “people characterized by wrath” or “people destined for wrath.”

[2:3]  ⁵⁵ sn Eph 2:1-3. The translation of vv. 1-3 is very literal, even to the point of retaining the awkward syntax of the original. See note on the word dead in 2:1.

[4:1]  ⁵⁶ tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[4:1]  ⁵⁹ tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[5:19]  ⁶² tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[5:19]  ⁶³ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:19]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “nothing from himself.”

[5:19]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “that one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:19]  ⁶⁶ sn What works does the Son do likewise? The same that the Father does – and the same that the rabbis recognized as legitimate works of God on the Sabbath (see note on working in v. 17). (1) Jesus grants life (just as the Father grants life) on the Sabbath. But as the Father gives physical life on the Sabbath, so the Son grants spiritual life (John 5:21; note the “greater things” mentioned in v. 20). (2) Jesus judges (determines the destiny of people) on the Sabbath, just as the Father judges those who die on the Sabbath, because the Father has granted authority to the Son to judge (John 5:22-23). But this is not all. Not only has this power been granted to Jesus in the present; it will be his in the future as well. In v. 28 there is a reference not to spiritually dead (only) but also physically dead. At their resurrection they respond to the Son as well.