Yeremia 1:1-19
Konteks1:1 The following is a record of what Jeremiah son of Hilkiah prophesied. 1 He was one of the priests who lived at Anathoth in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. 1:2 The Lord 2 began to speak to him 3 in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon ruled over Judah. 1:3 The Lord also spoke to him when Jehoiakim son of Josiah ruled over Judah, and he continued to speak to him until the fifth month of the eleventh year 4 that Zedekiah son of Josiah ruled over Judah. That was when the people of Jerusalem 5 were taken into exile. 6
1:4 The Lord said to me,
1:5 “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb 7 I chose you. 8
Before you were born I set you apart.
I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
1:6 I answered, “Oh, Lord God, 9 I really 10 do not know how to speak well enough for that, 11 for I am too young.” 12 1:7 The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go 13 to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 1:8 Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you, 14 for I will be with you to protect 15 you,” says the Lord. 1:9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me. 16 1:10 Know for certain that 17 I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be 18 uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.” 19
1:11 Later the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I answered, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 1:12 Then the Lord said, “You have observed correctly. This means 20 I am watching to make sure my threats are carried out.” 21
1:13 The Lord again asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a pot of boiling water; it is tipped toward us from the north.” 22 1:14 Then the Lord said, “This means 23 destruction will break out from the north on all who live in the land. 1:15 For I will soon summon all the peoples of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord. “They will come and their kings will set up their thrones 24 near the entrances of the gates of Jerusalem. 25 They will attack all the walls surrounding it, and all the towns in Judah. 26 1:16 In this way 27 I will pass sentence 28 on the people of Jerusalem and Judah 29 because of all their wickedness. For they rejected me and offered sacrifices to other gods, worshiping what they made with their own hands.” 30
1:17 “But you, Jeremiah, 31 get yourself ready! 32 Go and tell these people everything I instruct you to say. Do not be terrified of them, or I will give you good reason to be terrified of them. 33 1:18 I, the Lord, 34 hereby promise to make you 35 as strong as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up against all who live in 36 the land, including the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and all the people of the land. 1:19 They will attack you but they will not be able to overcome you, for I will be with you to rescue you,” says the Lord.
Hakim-hakim 8:1-35
Konteks8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us 37 when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 8:2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes 38 are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! 39 8:3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” 40 When he said this, they calmed down. 41
8:4 Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. 42 8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give 43 some loaves of bread to the men 44 who are following me, 45 because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 8:6 The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give 46 bread to your army?” 47 8:7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help, 48 after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh 49 your skin 50 with 51 desert thorns and briers.” 8:8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. 52 The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. 53 8:9 He also threatened 54 the men of Penuel, warning, 55 “When I return victoriously, 56 I will tear down this tower.”
8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed. 57 8:11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads 58 east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. 59 8:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon 60 chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised 61 their entire army.
8:13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass 62 of Heres. 8:14 He captured a young man from Succoth 63 and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all. 64 8:15 He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have! 65 Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’” 66 8:16 He seized the leaders 67 of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. 68 8:17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.
8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me 69 the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” 70 8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, 71 as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 8:20 He ordered Jether his firstborn son, “Come on! 72 Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, 73 because he was still young. 8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, 74 “Come on, 75 you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” 76 So Gideon killed 77 Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.
8:22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us – you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.” 78 8:23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 8:24 Gideon continued, 79 “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” 80 (The Midianites 81 had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 8:25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.” 82 So they 83 spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 8:26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. 84 This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, 85 purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. 86 8:27 Gideon used all this to make 87 an ephod, 88 which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites 89 prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it 90 there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. 91 The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. 92 8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. 93 8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. 94 8:31 His concubine, 95 who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 96 8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very 97 old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith 98 their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true 99 to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat 100 the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.
1 Timotius 5:1-25
Konteks5:1 Do not address an older man harshly 101 but appeal to him as a father. Speak to younger men as brothers, 102 5:2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters – with complete purity.
5:3 Honor 103 widows who are truly in need. 104 5:4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty 105 toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. 106 For this is what pleases God. 107 5:5 But the widow who is truly in need, and completely on her own, 108 has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day. 5:6 But the one who lives for pleasure is dead even 109 while she lives. 5:7 Reinforce 110 these commands, 111 so that they will be beyond reproach. 5:8 But if someone does not provide for his own, 112 especially his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
5:9 No widow should be put on the list 113 unless 114 she is at least sixty years old, was the wife of one husband, 115 5:10 and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, 116 practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress – as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works. 117 5:11 But do not accept younger widows on the list, 118 because their passions may lead them away from Christ 119 and they will desire to marry, 5:12 and so incur judgment for breaking their former pledge. 120 5:13 And besides that, going around 121 from house to house they learn to be lazy, 122 and they are not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not. 123 5:14 So I want younger women to marry, raise children, and manage a household, in order to give the adversary no opportunity to vilify us. 124 5:15 For some have already wandered away to follow Satan. 125 5:16 If a believing woman 126 has widows in her family, 127 let her help them. The church should not be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are truly in need. 128
5:17 Elders who provide effective leadership 129 must be counted worthy 130 of double honor, 131 especially those who work hard in speaking 132 and teaching. 5:18 For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” 133 and, “The worker deserves his pay.” 134 5:19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 135 5:20 Those guilty of sin 136 must be rebuked 137 before all, 138 as a warning to the rest. 139 5:21 Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind. 140 5:22 Do not lay hands on anyone 141 hastily and so identify with the sins of others. 142 Keep yourself pure. 5:23 (Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine for your digestion 143 and your frequent illnesses.) 144 5:24 The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later. 145 5:25 Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.
[1:1] 1 tn Or “This is a record of what Jeremiah prophesied and did”; Heb “The words [or affairs] of Jeremiah.” The phrase could refer to either the messages of Jeremiah recorded in the book or to both his messages and the biographical (and autobiographical) narratives recorded about him in the book. Since the phrase is intended to serve as the title or superscription for the whole book and recurs again in 51:64 at the end of the book before the final appendix, it might refer to the latter. The expression “The words of [someone]” is a standard introductory formula (Deut 29:1[28:69]; 2 Sam 23:1; Amos 1:1; Eccl 1:1; Neh 1:1).
[1:2] 2 sn The translation reflects the ancient Jewish tradition of substituting the word for “Lord” for the proper name for Israel’s God which is now generally agreed to have been Yahweh. Jewish scribes wrote the consonants
[1:2] 3 tn Heb “to whom the word of the
[1:3] 4 sn This would have been August, 586
[1:3] 5 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:3] 6 tn Heb “and it [the word of the
[1:5] 7 tn Heb “the womb.” The words “your mother’s” are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[1:5] 8 tn Heb “I knew you.” The parallelism here with “set you apart” and “appointed you” make clear that Jeremiah is speaking of his foreordination to be a prophet. For this same nuance of the Hebrew verb see Gen 18:19; Amos 3:2.
[1:6] sn The translation follows the ancient Jewish tradition of substituting the Hebrew word for “God” for the proper name Yahweh in this compound name. See the study note on v. 2 for the substitution of “Lord” in a similar kind of situation.
[1:6] 10 tn Heb “Behold, I do not know how to speak.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, commonly rendered “behold”) often introduces a speech and calls special attention to a specific word or the statement as a whole (see IBHS 675-78 §40.2.1).
[1:6] 11 tn The words “well enough for that” are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarity. Jeremiah is not claiming an absolute inability to speak.
[1:6] 12 tn Heb “I am a boy/youth.” The Hebrew word can refer to an infant (Exod 2:6), a young boy (1 Sam 2:11), a teenager (Gen 21:12), or a young man (2 Sam 18:5). The translation is deliberately ambiguous since it is unclear how old Jeremiah was when he was called to begin prophesying.
[1:7] 13 tn Or “For you must go and say.” The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is likely adversative here after a negative statement (cf. BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 3.e). The
[1:8] 14 tn Heb “be afraid of them.” The antecedent is the “whomever” in v. 7.
[1:9] 16 tn Heb “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” This is an example of the Hebrew “scheduling” perfect or the “prophetic” perfect where a future event is viewed as so certain it is spoken of as past. The Hebrew particle rendered here “assuredly” (Heb הִנֵּה, hinneh) underlines the certitude of the promise for the future. See the translator’s note on v. 6.
[1:9] sn The passage is reminiscent of Deut 18:18 which refers to the
[1:10] 17 tn Heb “See!” The Hebrew imperative of the verb used here (רָאָה, ra’ah) functions the same as the particle in v. 9. See the translator’s note there.
[1:10] 18 tn Heb “I appoint you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot….” The phrase refers to the
[1:10] 19 sn These three pairs represent the twofold nature of Jeremiah’s prophecies, prophecies of judgment and restoration. For the further programmatic use of these pairs for Jeremiah’s ministry see 18:7-10 and 31:27-28.
[1:12] 20 tn This represents the Hebrew particle (כִּי, ki) that is normally rendered “for” or “because.” The particle here is meant to give the significance of the vision, not the rationale for the statement “you have observed correctly.”
[1:12] 21 tn Heb “watching over my word to do it.”
[1:12] sn There is a play on the Hebrew word for “almond tree” (שָׁקֵד, shaqed), which blossoms in January/February and is the harbinger of spring, and the Hebrew word for “watching” (שֹׁקֵד, shoqed), which refers to someone watching over someone or something in preparation for action. The play on words announces the certainty and imminence of the
[1:13] 22 tn Heb “a blown upon [= heated; boiling] pot and its face from the face of the north [= it is facing away from the north].”
[1:14] 23 tn There is nothing in the Hebrew text for these words but it is implicit in the connection. Once again the significance of the vision is spelled out. Compare the translator’s note on v. 12.
[1:15] 24 tn Heb “they will each set up.” The pronoun “they” refers back to the “kingdoms” in the preceding sentence. However, kingdoms do not sit on thrones; their kings do. This is an example of a figure of speech called metonymy where the kingdom is put for its king. For a similar use see 2 Chr 12:8.
[1:15] 25 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:15] 26 tn Or “They will come and set up their thrones in the entrances of the gates of Jerusalem. They will destroy all the walls surrounding it and also destroy all the towns in Judah.” The text of v. 15b reads in Hebrew, “they will each set up his throne [near? in?] the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem and against all its walls…and against all the towns….” Commentators are divided over whether the passage refers to the kings setting up their thrones after victory in preparation for passing judgment on their defeated enemies in the city or whether it refers to setting up siege against it. There is no Hebrew preposition before the word for “the entrance” so that it could be “in” (which would imply victory) or “at/near” (which would imply siege), and the same verb + object (i.e., “they will set up their thrones”) governs all the locative statements. It is most often taken to refer to the aftermath of victory because of the supposed parallel in Jer 43:8-13 and the supposed fulfillment in Jer 39:3. Though this may fit well with the first part of the compound expression, it does not fit well with the latter part which is most naturally taken to refer to hostile attacks against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah. The translation given in the text is intended to reflect the idea of an army setting up for siege. The alternate translation is intended to reflect the other view.
[1:16] 27 tn The Hebrew particle (the vav [ו] consecutive), which is often rendered in some English versions as “and” and in others is simply left untranslated, is rendered here epexegetically, reflecting a summary statement.
[1:16] 28 sn The Hebrew idiom (literally “I will speak my judgments against”) is found three other times in Jeremiah (4:12; 39:5; 52:9), where it is followed by the carrying out of the sentence. Here the carrying out of the sentence precedes in v. 15.
[1:16] 29 tn Heb “on them.” The antecedent goes back to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah (i.e., the people in them) in v. 15.
[1:17] 31 tn The name “Jeremiah” is not in the text. The use of the personal pronoun followed by the proper name is an attempt to reflect the correlative emphasis between Jeremiah’s responsibility noted here and the
[1:17] 32 tn Heb “gird up your loins.” For the literal use of this idiom to refer to preparation for action see 2 Kgs 4:29; 9:1. For the idiomatic use to refer to spiritual and emotional preparation as here, see Job 38:3, 40:7, and 1 Pet 1:13 in the NT.
[1:17] 33 tn Heb “I will make you terrified in front of them.” There is a play on words here involving two different forms of the same Hebrew verb and two different but related prepositional phrases, “from before/of,” a preposition introducing the object of a verb of fearing, and “before, in front of,” a preposition introducing a spatial location.
[1:18] 34 tn See the note on “Jeremiah” at the beginning of v. 17.
[1:18] 35 tn Heb “today I have made you.” The Hebrew verb form here emphasizes the certainty of a yet future act; the
[1:18] 36 tn Heb “I make you a fortified city…against all the land….” The words “as strong as” and “so you will be able to stand against all the people of…” are given to clarify the meaning of the metaphor.
[8:1] 37 tn Heb “by not summoning us.”
[8:2] 39 sn Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest. Gideon employs an agricultural metaphor. He argues that Ephraim’s mopping up operations, though seemingly like the inferior grapes which are missed initially by the harvesters or left for the poor, are actually more noteworthy than the military efforts of Gideon’s family.
[8:3] 40 tn Heb “What was I able to do compared to you?”
[8:3] 41 tn Heb “Then their spirits relaxed from against him, when he spoke this word.”
[8:4] 42 tn Heb “And Gideon arrived at the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and chasing.” The English past perfect (“had crossed”) is used because this verse flashes back chronologically to an event that preceded the hostile encounter described in vv. 1-3. (Note that 7:25 assumes Gideon had already crossed the Jordan.)
[8:5] 43 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
[8:5] 44 tn Heb “people.” The translation uses “men” because these were warriors and in ancient Israelite culture would have been exclusively males.
[8:5] 45 tn Heb “who are at my feet.”
[8:6] 46 tn Or perhaps, “sell.”
[8:6] 47 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your army bread?” Perhaps the reference to the kings’ “palms” should be taken literally. The officials of Succoth may be alluding to the practice of mutilating prisoners or enemy corpses (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 155).
[8:6] sn The officials of Succoth are hesitant to give (or sell) food to Gideon’s forces because they are not sure of the outcome of the battle. Perhaps they had made an alliance with the Midianites which demanded their loyalty.
[8:7] 49 sn I will thresh. The metaphor is agricultural. Threshing was usually done on a hard threshing floor. As farm animals walked over the stalks, pulling behind them a board embedded with sharp stones, the stalks and grain would be separated. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63-65. Gideon threatens to use thorns and briers on his sledge.
[8:7] 51 tn This is apparently a rare instrumental use of the Hebrew preposition אֵת (’et, note the use of ב [bet] in v. 16). Some, however, argue that אֵת more naturally indicates accompaniment (“together with”). In this case Gideon envisions threshing their skin along with thorns and briers, just as the stalks and grain are intermingled on the threshing floor. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 229-30.
[8:8] 52 tn Heb “and spoke to them in the same way.”
[8:8] 53 tn Heb “The men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered.”
[8:9] 54 tn Heb “said to.” The translation “threatened” is interpretive, but is clearly indicated by the context.
[8:9] 56 tn Or “safely.” Heb “in peace.”
[8:10] 57 tn Heb “About fifteen thousand [in number] were all the ones remaining from the army of the sons of the east. The fallen ones were a hundred and twenty thousand [in number], men drawing the sword.”
[8:11] 58 tn Heb “the ones living in tents.”
[8:11] 59 tn Heb “and attacked the army, while the army was secure.” The Hebrew term בֶטַח (vetakh, “secure”) probably means the army was undefended (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 156), not suspecting an attack at that time and place.
[8:12] 60 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:12] 61 tn Or “routed”; Heb “caused to panic.”
[8:14] 63 tn Heb “from the men of Succoth.”
[8:14] 64 tn Heb “wrote down for him the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.”
[8:15] 65 tn Heb “Look!” The words “what I have” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[8:15] 66 tn Heb “Are the palms of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give to your exhausted men bread?”
[8:15] sn Gideon changes their actual statement (see v. 6) by saying exhausted men rather than “army.” In this way he emphasizes the crisis his men were facing and highlights the insensitivity of the men of Succoth.
[8:16] 68 tc The translation follows the reading of several ancient versions (LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) in assuming the form וַיָּדָשׁ (vayyadash) from the verb דּוֹשׁ (dosh, “thresh”) as in v. 7. The MT reads instead the form וַיֹּדַע (vayyoda’, “make known”), a Hiphil form of יָדַע (yadah). In this case one could translate, “he used them [i.e., the thorns and briers] to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.”
[8:18] 70 tn Heb “each one like the appearance of sons of the king.”
[8:19] 71 tn The words “I swear” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[8:20] 73 tn Heb “did not draw his sword for he was afraid.”
[8:21] 74 tn The words “to Gideon” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[8:21] 76 tn Heb “for as the man is his strength.”
[8:21] 77 tn Heb “arose and killed.”
[8:24] 79 tn Heb “said to them.”
[8:24] 80 tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”
[8:24] 81 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:25] 82 tn Heb “We will indeed give.”
[8:25] 83 tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.
[8:26] 84 sn Seventeen hundred gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold.
[8:26] 86 tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”
[8:27] 87 tn Heb “made it into.”
[8:27] 88 sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.
[8:27] 89 tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).
[8:27] 90 tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:28] 91 tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”
[8:28] 92 tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.”
[8:29] 93 tn Heb “went and lived in his house.”
[8:30] 94 tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.
[8:31] 95 sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
[8:31] 96 sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”
[8:33] 98 sn Baal-Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.
[8:35] 100 tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”
[5:1] 101 tn Or “Do not speak harshly to an older man.”
[5:1] 102 tn No verb “speak” is stated in this clause, but it continues the sense of the preceding.
[5:3] 103 sn The word honor here carries the double meaning of respect and financial support. This Greek word can imply both senses, and both are intended in this context.
[5:3] 104 tn Grk “the real widows,” “those who are really widows.”
[5:4] 105 tn Or “to practice their religion.”
[5:4] 106 tn Or “and so make some repayment to their parents”; Grk “and to give back recompense to their parents.”
[5:4] 107 tn Grk “for this is pleasing in the sight of God.”
[5:5] 108 tn Or “left all alone.”
[5:6] 109 tn For “is dead even” the Greek text reads “has died.”
[5:7] 110 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[5:7] 111 tn Grk “and command these things.”
[5:8] 112 tn That is, “his own relatives.”
[5:9] 113 sn This list was an official enrollment, apparently with a formal pledge to continue as a widow and serve the Lord in that way (cf. v. 12). It was either (1) the list of “true widows” who were given support by the church or (2) a smaller group of older women among the supported widows who were qualified for special service (perhaps to orphans, other widows, the sick, etc.). Most commentators understand it to be the former, since a special group is not indicated clearly. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles, 222-23 for discussion.
[5:9] 114 tn Grk “let a widow be enrolled if she has reached not less than sixty years.”
[5:9] 115 tn Or “a woman married only once,” “was devoted solely to her husband” (see the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 3:12; Titus 1:6).
[5:10] 116 tn Grk “if she raised children.” The phrase “if she raised children” begins a series of conditional clauses running to the end of the verse. These provide specific examples of her good works (v. 10a).
[5:10] 117 tn Grk “followed after every good work.”
[5:11] 118 tn Grk “refuse younger widows.”
[5:11] 119 tn With a single verb and object, this clause means “pursue sensuous desires in opposition to Christ.”
[5:12] 120 tn Grk “incurring judgment because they reject their first faith.”
[5:12] sn The pledge refers most likely to a vow not to remarry undertaken when a widow is put on the list (cf. 1 Tim 5:9).
[5:13] 121 tn L&N 15.23 suggests the meaning, “to move about from place to place, with significant changes in direction – ‘to travel about, to wander about.’”
[5:13] 122 tn Or “idle.” The whole clause (“going around from house to house, they learn to be lazy”) reverses the order of the Greek. The present participle περιερχόμεναι (periercomenai) may be taken as temporal (“while going around”), instrumental (“by going around”) or result (“with the result that they go around”).
[5:13] 123 tn Grk “saying the things that are unnecessary.” Or perhaps “talking about things that are none of their business.”
[5:14] 124 tn Grk “for the sake of reviling.”
[5:15] 125 tn Grk “wandered away after Satan.”
[5:16] 126 tc Most witnesses (D Ψ Ï sy) have πιστὸς ἤ (pisto" h) before πιστή (pisth), with the resultant meaning “if a believing man or woman.” But such looks to be a motivated reading, perhaps to bring some parity to the responsibilities of men and women listed here, and as a way of harmonizing with v. 4. Further, most of the earliest and best witnesses (א A C F G P 048 33 81 1175 1739 1881 co) lack the πιστὸς ἤ, strengthening the preference for the shorter reading.
[5:16] 127 tn Grk “has widows.”
[5:16] 128 tn Grk “the real widows,” “those who are really widows.”
[5:17] 129 tn Grk “who lead well.”
[5:17] 131 tn Like the similar use of “honor” in v. 3, this phrase
denotes both respect and remuneration: “honor plus honorarium.”
[5:17] 132 tn Or “in preaching”; Grk “in word.”
[5:18] 133 sn A quotation from Deut 25:4.
[5:18] 134 sn A quotation from Luke 10:7.
[5:19] 135 sn An allusion to Deut 17:6, 19:15.
[5:20] 136 sn As a continuation of v. 19, this refers to elders who sin, not to sinning believers more generally.
[5:20] 137 tn Or “censured.” The Greek word implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
[5:20] 138 tn “Before all” probably refers to the whole congregation, not just all the elders; “the rest” is more likely to denote the remaining elders.
[5:20] 139 tn Grk “that the rest may have fear.”
[5:21] 140 tn Grk “doing nothing according to partiality.”
[5:22] 141 tn In context “laying hands on anyone” refers to ordination or official installation of someone as an elder.
[5:22] 142 tn Grk “and do not share in the sins of others.”
[5:23] 143 tn Grk “for the sake of your stomach.”
[5:23] 144 sn This verse gives parenthetical advice to Timothy, to clarify what it means to keep pure (5:22c). Verse 24 resumes the instructions about elders.
