Kejadian 23:1-20

The Death of Sarah

23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. ¹  23:2 Then she ²  died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. ³ 

23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife ⁴  and said to the sons of Heth, ⁵  23:4 “I am a temporary settler ⁶  among you. Grant ⁷  me ownership ⁸  of a burial site among you so that I may ⁹  bury my dead.” ¹⁰ 

23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, ¹¹  23:6 “Listen, sir, ¹²  you are a mighty prince ¹³  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ¹⁴  from burying your dead.”

23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, ¹⁵  the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree ¹⁶  that I may bury my dead, ¹⁷  then hear me out. ¹⁸  Ask ¹⁹  Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell ²⁰  me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly ²¹  for the full price, ²²  so that I may own it as a burial site.”

23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite ²³  replied to Abraham in the hearing ²⁴  of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate ²⁵  of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell ²⁶  you both the field and the cave that is in it. ²⁷  In the presence of my people ²⁸  I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”

23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people 23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay ²⁹  to you the price ³⁰  of the field. Take it from me so that I may ³¹  bury my dead there.”

23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth ³²  400 pieces of silver, ³³  but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price ³⁴  and weighed ³⁵  out for him ³⁶  the price ³⁷  that Ephron had quoted ³⁸  in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. ³⁹ 

23:17 So Abraham secured ⁴⁰  Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. ⁴¹ 

23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site ⁴²  from the sons of Heth.

Kejadian 2:7

2:7 The Lord God formed ⁴³  the man from the soil of the ground ⁴⁴  and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, ⁴⁵  and the man became a living being. ⁴⁶ 

Kejadian 12:12

12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. ⁴⁷ 

Kejadian 49:18

49:18 I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. ⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 27:14

27:14 Rely ⁴⁹  on the Lord!

Be strong and confident! ⁵⁰ 

Rely on the Lord!

Mazmur 37:7-9

37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! ⁵¹ 

Wait confidently ⁵²  for him!

Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, ⁵³ 

a man who carries out wicked schemes!

37:8 Do not be angry and frustrated! ⁵⁴ 

Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!

37:9 Wicked men ⁵⁵  will be wiped out, ⁵⁶ 

but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 62:1

Psalm 62 ⁵⁸ 

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

62:1 For God alone I patiently wait; ⁵⁹ 

he is the one who delivers me. ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 62:5-6

62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! ⁶¹ 

For he is the one who gives me confidence. ⁶² 

62:6 He alone is my protector ⁶³  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ⁶⁴  I will not be upended. ⁶⁵ 

Mazmur 130:5-7

130:5 I rely on ⁶⁶  the Lord,

I rely on him with my whole being; ⁶⁷ 

I wait for his assuring word. ⁶⁸ 

130:6 I yearn for the Lord, ⁶⁹ 

more than watchmen do for the morning,

yes, more than watchmen do for the morning. ⁷⁰ 

130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord,

for the Lord exhibits loyal love, ⁷¹ 

and is more than willing to deliver. ⁷² 

Yesaya 25:9

25:9 At that time they will say, ⁷³ 

“Look, here ⁷⁴  is our God!

We waited for him and he delivered us.

Here ⁷⁵  is the Lord! We waited for him.

Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”

Yesaya 26:8

26:8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, ⁷⁶ 

O Lord, we wait for you.

We desire your fame and reputation to grow. ⁷⁷ 

Ratapan 3:25-26

ט (Tet)

3:25 The Lord is good to those who trust ⁷⁸  in him,

to the one ⁷⁹  who seeks him.

3:26 It is good to wait patiently ⁸⁰ 

for deliverance from the Lord. ⁸¹ 

Lukas 8:15

8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing ⁸²  the word, cling to it ⁸³  with an honest and good ⁸⁴  heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. ⁸⁵ 

Lukas 21:19

21:19 By your endurance ⁸⁶  you will gain ⁸⁷  your lives. ⁸⁸ 

Kolose 1:11

1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of ⁸⁹  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

Kolose 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁹⁰  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Kolose 1:3

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

1:3 We always ⁹¹  give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Kolose 1:2

1:2 to the saints, the faithful ⁹²  brothers and sisters ⁹³  in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you ⁹⁴  from God our Father! ⁹⁵ 

Kolose 3:5

3:5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: ⁹⁶  sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, ⁹⁷  evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.

Ibrani 6:12

6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, ⁹⁸  but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

Ibrani 6:15

6:15 And so by persevering, Abraham ⁹⁹  inherited the promise.

Ibrani 10:36

10:36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised. ¹⁰⁰ 

Ibrani 12:1-3

The Lord’s Discipline

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, ¹⁰¹  we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 12:2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ¹⁰²  12:3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.

Yakobus 1:3-4

1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

Yakobus 5:7-11

Patience in Suffering

5:7 So be patient, brothers and sisters, ¹⁰³  until the Lord’s return. ¹⁰⁴  Think of how the farmer waits ¹⁰⁵  for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient ¹⁰⁶  for it until it receives the early and late rains. 5:8 You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, ¹⁰⁷  so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! ¹⁰⁸  5:10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, ¹⁰⁹  take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name. 5:11 Think of how we regard ¹¹⁰  as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. ¹¹¹ 

Wahyu 1:9

1:9 I, John, your brother and the one who shares ¹¹²  with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that ¹¹³  are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. ¹¹⁴ 

Wahyu 13:10

13:10 If anyone is meant for captivity,

into captivity he will go.

If anyone is to be killed by the sword, ¹¹⁵ 

then by the sword he must be killed.

This ¹¹⁶  requires steadfast endurance ¹¹⁷  and faith from the saints.

Wahyu 14:12

14:12 This requires ¹¹⁸  the steadfast endurance ¹¹⁹  of the saints – those who obey ¹²⁰  God’s commandments and hold to ¹²¹  their faith in Jesus. ¹²² 

[23:1]  ¹ tn Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”

[23:2]  ² tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.

[23:2]  ³ sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).

[23:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”

[23:3]  ⁵ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[23:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”

[23:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.

[23:4]  ⁸ tn Or “possession.”

[23:4]  ⁹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.

[23:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”

[23:6]  ¹² tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.

[23:6]  ¹⁴ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).

[23:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).

[23:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:8]  ¹⁸ tn Or “hear me.”

[23:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “intercede for me with.”

[23:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.

[23:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “in your presence.”

[23:9]  ²² tn Heb “silver.”

[23:10]  ²³ tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.

[23:10]  ²⁴ tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.

[23:10]  ²⁵ sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.

[23:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.

[23:11]  ²⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[23:11]  ²⁸ tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”

[23:13]  ²⁹ tn Heb “give.”

[23:13]  ³⁰ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:13]  ³¹ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.

[23:15]  ³² tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:15]  ³³ sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).

[23:16]  ³⁴ tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”

[23:16]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”

[23:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ³⁷ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:16]  ³⁸ tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.

[23:17]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:18]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:18]  sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23,” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.

[23:20]  ⁴² tn Heb “possession of a grave.”

[2:7]  ⁴³ tn Or “fashioned.” The prefixed verb form with vav (ו) consecutive initiates narrative sequence. The Hebrew word יָצַר (yatsar) means “to form” or “to fashion,” usually by plan or design (see the related noun יֵצֶר [yetser] in Gen 6:5). It is the term for an artist’s work (the Hebrew term יוֹצֵר [yotser] refers to a potter; see Jer 18:2-4.)

[2:7]  sn Various traditions in the ancient Near East reflect this idea of creation. Egyptian drawings show a deity turning little people off of the potter’s wheel with another deity giving them life. In the Bible humans are related to the soil and return to it (see 3:19; see also Job 4:19, 20:9; and Isa 29:16).

[2:7]  ⁴⁴ tn The line literally reads “And Yahweh God formed the man, soil, from the ground.” “Soil” is an adverbial accusative, identifying the material from which the man was made.

[2:7]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah, “breath”) is used for God and for the life imparted to humans, not animals (see T. C. Mitchell, “The Old Testament Usage of Nÿshama,” VT 11 [1961]: 177-87). Its usage in the Bible conveys more than a breathing living organism (נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה, nefesh khayyah). Whatever is given this breath of life becomes animated with the life from God, has spiritual understanding (Job 32:8), and has a functioning conscience (Prov 20:27).

[2:7]  sn Human life is described here as consisting of a body (made from soil from the ground) and breath (given by God). Both animals and humans are called “a living being” (נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה) but humankind became that in a different and more significant way.

[2:7]  ⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person. The phrase נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה (nefesh khayyah, “living being”) is used of both animals and human beings (see 1:20, 24, 30; 2:19).

[12:12]  ⁴⁷ tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.

[49:18]  ⁴⁸ sn I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. As Jacob sees the conflicts that lie ahead for Dan and Gad (see v. 19), he offers a brief prayer for their security.

[27:14]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “wait.”

[27:14]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”

[37:7]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “Be quiet before the Lord!”

[37:7]  ⁵² tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (vÿhitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (vÿtokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, yÿhvah) and (2) the final lamed (ל) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).

[37:7]  ⁵³ tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”

[37:8]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”

[37:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.

[37:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “cut off, removed.”

[37:9]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and those who wait on the Lord, they will possess the land.”

[62:1]  ⁵⁸ sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.

[62:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”

[62:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”

[62:5]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “only for God be silent, my soul.” The wording is similar to that of v. 1a. Here an imperatival form, דּוֹמִּי (dommiy, “be silent”), appears instead of the noun דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”). The psalmist is encouraging himself to maintain his trust in God.

[62:5]  ⁶² tn Heb “for from him [is] my hope.”

[62:6]  ⁶³ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:6]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:6]  ⁶⁵ sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.

[130:5]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “wait for.”

[130:5]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “my soul waits.”

[130:5]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “his word.”

[130:6]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “my soul for the master.”

[130:6]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning.” The words “yes, more” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[130:7]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “for with the Lord [is] loyal love.”

[130:7]  ⁷² tn Heb “and abundantly with him [is] redemption.”

[25:9]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”

[25:9]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “this [one].”

[25:9]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “this [one].”

[26:8]  ⁷⁶ tn The Hebrew text has, “yes, the way of your judgments.” The translation assumes that “way” is related to the verb “we wait” as an adverbial accusative (“in the way of your judgments we wait”). מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (mishpatekha, “your judgments”) could refer to the Lord’s commandments, in which case one might translate, “as we obey your commands.” However, in verse 9 the same form refers to divine acts of judgment on evildoers.

[26:8]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “your name and your remembrance [is] the desire of [our?] being.”

[3:25]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “wait for him”

[3:25]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “to the soul…” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) is a synecdoche of part (= “the soul who seeks him”) for the whole person (= “the person who seeks him”).

[3:26]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “waiting and silently.” The two adjectives וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם (vÿyakhil vÿdumam, “waiting and silently”) form a hendiadys: The first functions verbally and the second functions adverbially: “to wait silently.” The adjective דוּמָם (dumam, “silently”) also functions as a metonymy of association, standing for patience or rest (HALOT 217 s.v.). This metonymical nuance is captured well in less literal English versions: “wait in patience” (TEV) and “wait patiently” (CEV, NJPS). The more literal English versions do not express the metonymy as well: “quietly wait” (KJV, NKJV, ASV), “waits silently” (NASB), “wait quietly” (RSV, NRSV, NIV).

[3:26]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “deliverance of the Lord.” In the genitive-construct, the genitive יהוה (YHWH, “the Lord”) denotes source, that is, he is the source of the deliverance: “deliverance from the Lord.”

[8:15]  ⁸² tn The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.

[8:15]  ⁸³ sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.

[8:15]  ⁸⁴ sn In an ancient context, the qualifier good described the ethical person who possessed integrity. Here it is integrity concerning God’s revelation through Jesus.

[8:15]  ⁸⁵ sn Given the pressures noted in the previous soils, bearing fruit takes time (steadfast endurance), just as it does for the farmer. See Jas 1:2-4.

[21:19]  ⁸⁶ sn By your endurance is a call to remain faithful, because trusting in Jesus is the means to life.

[21:19]  ⁸⁷ tc Some important Greek witnesses plus the majority of mss (א D L W Ψ Ë¹ Ï) read the aorist imperative κτήσασθε (kthsasqe) here, though some mss (A B Θ Ë¹³ 33 pc lat sa) read the future indicative κτήσεσθε (kthsesqe). A decision is difficult because the evidence is so evenly balanced, but the aorist imperative is the harder reading and better explains the rise of the other. J. A. Fitzmyer assesses the translation options this way: “In English one has to use something similar [i.e., a future indicative], even if one follows the [aorist imperative]” (Luke [AB], 2:1341); in the same vein, although this translation follows the aorist imperative, because of English requirements it has been translated as though it were a future indicative.

[21:19]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “your souls,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. In light of v. 16 that does not seem to be the case here. The entire phrase could be taken as an idiom meaning “you will save yourselves” (L&N 21.20), or (as in v. 18) this could refer to living ultimately in the presence of God.

[1:11]  ⁸⁹ tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.

[1:1]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:3]  ⁹¹ tn The adverb πάντοτε (pantote) is understood to modify the indicative εὐχαριστοῦμεν (eucaristoumen) because it precedes περὶ ὑμῶν (peri Jumwn) which probably modifies the indicative and not the participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi). But see 1:9 where the same expression occurs and περὶ ὑμῶν modifies the participle “praying” (προσευχόμενοι).

[1:2]  ⁹² tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated (cf. Eph 1:1). See ExSyn 281-82.

[1:2]  ⁹³ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:2]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “Grace to you and peace.”

[1:2]  ⁹⁵ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א A C F G I [P] 075 Ï it bo), read “and the Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of this verse, no doubt to conform the wording to the typical Pauline salutation. However, excellent and early witnesses (B D K L Ψ 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 al sa) lack this phrase. Since the omission is inexplicable as arising from the longer reading (otherwise, these mss would surely have deleted the phrase in the rest of the corpus Paulinum), it is surely authentic.

[3:5]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “the members which are on the earth.” See BDAG 628 s.v. μέλος 1, “put to death whatever in you is worldly.”

[3:5]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “lust.”

[6:12]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “dull.”

[6:15]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (Abraham) has been specified for clarity.

[10:36]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.

[12:1]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”

[12:2]  ¹⁰² sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.

[5:7]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “brothers”; this phrase occurs again three times in the paragraph. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[5:7]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “advent”; or “coming” (also in v. 8).

[5:7]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “Behold! The farmer waits.”

[5:7]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “being patient.”

[5:9]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[5:9]  ¹⁰⁸ sn The term gates is used metaphorically here. The physical referent would be the entrances to the city, but the author uses the term to emphasize the imminence of the judge’s approach.

[5:10]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[5:11]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “Behold! We regard…”

[5:11]  ¹¹¹ sn An allusion to Exod 34:6; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 102:13; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2.

[1:9]  ¹¹² tn The translation attempts to bring out the verbal idea in συγκοινωνός (sunkoinwno", “co-sharer”); John was suffering for his faith at the time he wrote this.

[1:9]  ¹¹³ tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ᾿Ιησοῦ (en Ihsou) could be taken with ὑπομονῇ (Jupomonh) as the translation does or with the more distant συγκοινωνός (sunkoinwno"), in which case the translation would read “your brother and the one who shares with you in Jesus in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance.”

[1:9]  ¹¹⁴ tn The phrase “about Jesus” has been translated as an objective genitive.

[13:10]  ¹¹⁵ tc Many mss (C 051* 2351 Ï^A pc) read “if anyone will kill with the sword, it is necessary for him to be killed with the sword” (εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτενεῖ, δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι). Other mss (א 1006 1611* 1854 al) are similar except that they read a present tense “kills” (ἀποκτείνει, apokteinei) in this sentence. Both of these variants may be regarded as essentially saying the same thing. On the other hand, codex A reads “if anyone is to be killed by the sword, he is to be killed by the sword” (εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι). Thus the first two variants convey the idea of retribution, while the last variant, supported by codex A, does not. (There are actually a dozen variants here, evidence that scribes found the original text quite difficult. Only the most important variants are discussed in this note.) The first two variants seem to be in line with Jesus’ comments in Matt 26:52: “everyone who takes up the sword will die by the sword.” The last variant, however, seems to be taking up an idea found in Jer 15:2: “Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.” Though G. B. Caird, Revelation (HNTC), 169-70, gives four arguments in favor of the first reading (i.e., “whoever kills with the sword must with the sword be killed”), the arguments he puts forward can be read equally as well to support the latter alternative. In the end, the reading in codex A seems to be original. The fact that this sentence seems to be in parallel with 10a (which simply focuses on God’s will and suffering passively and is therefore akin to the reading in codex A), and that it most likely gave rise to the others as the most difficult reading, argues for its authenticity.

[13:10]  ¹¹⁶ tn On ὧδε (Jwde) here, BDAG 1101 s.v. 2 states: “a ref. to a present event, object, or circumstance, in this case, at this point, on this occasion, under these circumstances…in this case moreover 1 Cor 4:2. ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν…Rv 13:18; cf. 17:9. ὧδέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπομονή…13:10; 14:12.”

[13:10]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “perseverance.”

[14:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “Here is.”

[14:12]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “the perseverance.”

[14:12]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “who keep.”

[14:12]  ¹²¹ tn The words “hold to” are implied as a repetition of the participle translated “keep” (οἱ τηροῦντες, Joi throunte").

[14:12]  ¹²² tn Grk “faith of Jesus.” The construction may mean either “faith in Jesus” or “faithful to Jesus.” Either translation implies that ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou) is to be taken as an objective genitive; the difference is more lexical than grammatical because πίστις (pistis) can mean either “faith” or “faithfulness.”