Yeremia 3:10

3:10 In spite of all this, ¹  Israel’s sister, unfaithful Judah, has not turned back to me with any sincerity; she has only pretended to do so,” ²  says the Lord.

Yeremia 17:10

17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.

I examine people’s hearts. ³ 

I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.

I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

Mazmur 18:44

18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ⁴ 

Foreigners are powerless ⁵  before me;

Mazmur 65:3

65:3 Our record of sins overwhelms me, ⁶ 

but you forgive ⁷  our acts of rebellion.

Yehezkiel 14:3-4

14:3 “Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity ⁸  right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek ⁹  me? 14:4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When any one from the house of Israel erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally according to the enormity of his idolatry. ¹⁰ 

Yehezkiel 33:31

33:31 They come to you in crowds, ¹¹  and they sit in front of you as ¹²  my people. They hear your words, but do not obey ¹³  them. For they talk lustfully, ¹⁴  and their heart is set on ¹⁵  their own advantage. ¹⁶ 

Matius 22:15-18

Paying Taxes to Caesar

22:15 Then the Pharisees ¹⁷  went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. ¹⁸  22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, ¹⁹  saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ²⁰  You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. ²¹  22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right ²²  to pay taxes ²³  to Caesar ²⁴  or not?”

22:18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?

Matius 22:35

22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, ²⁵  asked him a question to test ²⁶  him:

Galatia 6:7

6:7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. ²⁷  For a person ²⁸  will reap what he sows,

¹ tn Heb “And even in all this.”

² tn Heb “ has not turned back to me with all her heart but only in falsehood.”

³ tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will and the “kidneys” the center of emotions.

sn For an earlier reference to this motif see Jer 11:20. For a later reference see Jer 20:12. See also Ps 17:2-3.

⁴ tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.

⁵ tn For the meaning “be weak, powerless” for כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. The next line (see v. 45a), in which “foreigners” are also mentioned, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15; cf. NIV “cringe”; NRSV “came cringing”).

⁶ tn Heb “the records of sins are too strong for me.”

⁷ tn Or “make atonement for.”

⁸ tn Heb “the stumbling block of their iniquity.” This phrase is unique to the prophet Ezekiel.

⁹ tn Or “I will not reveal myself to them.” The Hebrew word is used in a technical sense here of seeking an oracle from a prophet (2 Kgs 1:16; 3:11; 8:8).

¹⁰ tn Heb “in accordance with the multitude of his idols.”

¹¹ tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.

¹² tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.

¹³ tn Heb “do.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “goes after.”

¹⁶ tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term which can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.

¹⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

¹⁸ tn Grk “trap him in word.”

¹⁹ sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some mss also read “Herodians” instead of “Herod” in Mark 8:15). It is generally assumed that as a group the Herodians were Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (or of Herod Antipas in particular). In every instance they are linked with the Pharisees. This probably reflects agreement regarding political objectives (nationalism as opposed to submission to the yoke of Roman oppression) rather than philosophy or religious beliefs.

²⁰ sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.

²¹ tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”

²² tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.

²³ tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.

sn This question concerning taxes was specifically designed to trap Jesus. If he answered yes, then his opponents could publicly discredit him as a sympathizer with Rome. If he answered no, then they could go to the Roman governor and accuse Jesus of rebellion.

²⁴ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

²⁵ tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.

²⁶ tn Grk “testing.” The participle, however, is telic in force.

²⁷ tn Or “is not mocked,” “will not be ridiculed” (L&N 33.409). BDAG 660 s.v. μυκτηρίζω has “of God οὐ μ. he is not to be mocked, treated w. contempt, perh. outwitted Gal 6:7.”

²⁸ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.