Daniel 11:33

11:33 These who are wise among the people will teach the masses. ¹  However, they will fall ²  by the sword and by the flame, ³  and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time. ⁴ 

Daniel 11:35

11:35 Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time.

Mazmur 107:43

107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!

Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!

Amsal 1:5

1:5 (Let the wise also ⁵  hear ⁶  and gain ⁷  instruction,

and let the discerning ⁸  acquire ⁹  guidance! ¹⁰ )

Amsal 2:1-5

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom ¹¹ 

2:1 My child, ¹²  if ¹³  you receive my words,

and store up ¹⁴  my commands within you,

2:2 by making ¹⁵  your ear ¹⁶  attentive to wisdom,

and ¹⁷  by turning ¹⁸  your heart ¹⁹  to understanding,

2:3 indeed, if ²⁰  you call out for ²¹  discernment ²²  –

raise your voice ²³  for understanding –

2:4 if ²⁴  you seek ²⁵  it like silver, ²⁶ 

and search for it ²⁷  like hidden treasure,

2:5 then you will understand ²⁸  how to fear the Lord, ²⁹ 

and you will discover ³⁰  knowledge ³¹  about God. ³² 

Markus 4:11

4:11 He said to them, “The secret ³³  of the kingdom of God has been given ³⁴  to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,

Lukas 24:25

24:25 So ³⁵  he said to them, “You ³⁶  foolish people ³⁷  – how slow of heart ³⁸  to believe ³⁹  all that the prophets have spoken!

Yohanes 7:17

7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, ⁴⁰  he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. ⁴¹ 

Yohanes 8:47

8:47 The one who belongs to ⁴²  God listens and responds ⁴³  to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, ⁴⁴  because you don’t belong to God.” ⁴⁵ 

Yohanes 18:37

18:37 Then Pilate said, ⁴⁶  “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to ⁴⁷  my voice.”

Yohanes 18:1

Betrayal and Arrest

18:1 When he had said these things, ⁴⁸  Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. ⁴⁹  There was an orchard ⁵⁰  there, and he and his disciples went into it.

Kolose 2:10-16

2:10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 2:11 In him you also were circumcised – not, however, ⁵¹  with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal ⁵²  of the fleshly body, ⁵³  that is, ⁵⁴  through the circumcision done by Christ. 2:12 Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your ⁵⁵  faith in the power ⁵⁶  of God who raised him from the dead. 2:13 And even though you were dead in your ⁵⁷  transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless ⁵⁸  made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. 2:14 He has destroyed ⁵⁹  what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness ⁶⁰  expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 2:15 Disarming ⁶¹  the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross. ⁶² 

2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days –

Kolose 2:1

2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, ⁶³  and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. ⁶⁴ 

Yohanes 5:20

5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds than these, so that you will be amazed.

[11:33]  ¹ tn Heb “the many.”

[11:33]  ² tn Heb “stumble.”

[11:33]  ³ tn Or “by burning.”

[11:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “days.”

[1:5]  ⁵ tn The term “also” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[1:5]  sn Verse 5 functions as a parenthesis in the purpose statements of 1:1-7. There are two purpose statements in 1:2 (“to know wisdom” and “to discern sayings”). The first is stated in detail in 1:3-4, first from the perspective of the student then the teacher. 1:6 will state the second purpose of 1:2. But between the two the writer notes that even the wise can become wiser. The book is not just for neophytes; it is for all who want to grow in wisdom.

[1:5]  ⁶ tn The verb יִשְׁמַע (yishma’) functions as a jussive of advice or counsel (“Let him hear!”) rather than a customary imperfect (“he will hear”). The jussive is supported by the parallelism with the following Hiphil jussive וְיוֹסֶף (vÿyosef, “Let him add!”).

[1:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “add.”

[1:5]  ⁸ tn The Niphal substantival participle נָבוֹן (navon, “discerning”), rather than the noun, is used to describe a person who is habitually characterized by discernment. 1:5 forms a striking contrast to 1:4 – there was the simpleton and the youth, here the wise and discerning. Both need this book.

[1:5]  ⁹ tn The Hiphil verb וְיוֹסֶף (vÿyosef) is a jussive rather than an imperfect as the final short vowel (segol) and accent on the first syllable shows (BDB 415 s.v. יָסַף Hiph).

[1:5]  ¹⁰ tn The noun תַּחְבֻּלָה (takhbulah, “direction; counsel”) refers to moral guidance (BDB 287 s.v.). It is related to חֹבֵל (khovel, “sailor”), חִבֵּל (khibel, “mast”) and חֶבֶל (khevel, “rope; cord”), so BDB suggests it originally meant directing a ship by pulling ropes on the mast. It is used in a concrete sense of God directing the path of clouds (Job 37:12) and in a figurative sense of moral guidance (Prov 11:14; 20:18; 24:6). Here it refers to the ability to steer a right course through life (A. Cohen, Proverbs, 2).

[2:1]  ¹¹ sn The chapter begins with an admonition to receive wisdom (1-4) and then traces the benefits: the knowledge of God and his protection (5-8), moral discernment for living (9-11), protection from evil men (12-15) and immoral women (16-19), and enablement for righteous living (20-22).

[2:1]  ¹² tn Heb “my son.”

[2:1]  ¹³ sn Verses 1-11 form one long conditional sentence in the Hebrew text: (1) the protasis (“if…”) encompasses vv. 1-4 and (2) the apodosis (“then…”) consists of two parallel panels in vv. 5-8 and vv. 9-11 both of which are introduced by the particle אָז (’az, “then”).

[2:1]  ¹⁴ sn The verb “to store up” (צָפַן, tsafan; cf. NAB, NLT “treasure”) in the second colon qualifies the term “receive” (לָקַח, laqakh) in the first, just as “commands” intensifies “words.” This pattern of intensification through parallelism occurs throughout the next three verses. The verb “to store up; to treasure” is used in reference to things of value for future use, e.g., wealth, dowry for a bride. Since proverbs will be useful throughout life and not always immediately applicable, the idea of storing up the sayings is fitting. They will form the way people think which in turn will influence attitudes (W. G. Plaut, Proverbs, 43).

[2:2]  ¹⁵ tn The Hiphil infinitive construct לְהַקְשִׁיב (lÿhaqshiv, “by making attentive”) functions as an epexegetical explanation of how one will receive the instruction.

[2:2]  ¹⁶ sn The word “ear” is a metonymy of cause; the word is used as the instrument of hearing. But in parallelism with “heart” it indicates one aspect of the mental process of hearing and understanding. A “hearing ear” describes an obedient or responsive person (BDB 24 s.v. אֹזֶן 2).

[2:2]  ¹⁷ tn The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

[2:2]  ¹⁸ tn The Hiphil imperfect (“by turning”) continues the nuance introduced by the infinitive construct in the first colon (GKC 352 §114.r). The verb נָטָה (natah) normally means “to stretch out” and only occasionally “to turn” or “to incline” one’s heart to something, as is the case here.

[2:2]  ¹⁹ tn Or “mind” (the center of the will, the choice).

[2:3]  ²⁰ tn Both particles retain their individual meanings, otherwise the verse would begin with a strong adversative and be a contrast to what has been said.

[2:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “summon.”

[2:3]  ²² sn The noun recalls the second purpose of the book (1:2). It is also cognate to the last word of 2:2, forming a transition. The two objects of the prepositions in this verse are actually personifications, as if they could be summoned.

[2:3]  ²³ tn Heb “give your voice”; the expression is idiomatic for raising or lifting the voice to make a sound that carries further (e.g., Jer 2:15). This deliberate expression indicates that something significant is being uttered. J. H. Greenstone says, “If it [understanding] does not come at your first call, raise your voice to a higher pitch, put forth greater efforts” (Proverbs, 17).

[2:4]  ²⁴ tn The conditional particle now reiterates the initial conditional clause of this introductory section (1-4); the apodosis will follow in v. 5.

[2:4]  ²⁵ tn The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means “to search for; to seek; to investigate” (BDB 134 s.v.). This calls for the same diligence one would have in looking for silver.

[2:4]  ²⁶ sn The two similes affirm that the value placed on the object will influence the eagerness and diligence in the pursuit and development of wisdom (e.g., Job 28:9-11). The point is not only that the object sought is valuable, but that the effort will be demanding but rewarding.

[2:4]  ²⁷ sn The verb חָפַשׂ (khafas) means “to dig; to search” (BDB 344 s.v.; cf. NCV “hunt for it”). The Arabic cognate means “to dig for water.” It is used literally of Joseph searching his brothers’ sacks (Gen 44:12) and figuratively for searching the soul (Ps 64:7). This is a more emphatic word than the one used in the first colon and again emphasizes that acquiring wisdom will be demanding.

[2:5]  ²⁸ tn The verb בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to understand; to discern”) refers to ability to grasp, discern or be sensitive to what it means to fear the Lord.

[2:5]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The noun is an objective genitive; the Lord is to be the object of fear and reverence.

[2:5]  ³⁰ tn Heb “find” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:5]  ³¹ tn The term דַּעַת (da’at, “knowledge”) goes beyond cognition; it is often used metonymically (cause) for obedience (effect); see, e.g., Prov 3:6, “in all your ways acknowledge him,” and BDB 395 s.v. This means that the disciple will follow God’s moral code; for to know God is to react ethically and spiritually to his will (e.g., J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 18).

[2:5]  ³² tn Heb “knowledge of God.” The noun is an objective genitive.

[4:11]  ³³ tn Grk “the mystery.”

[4:11]  sn The key term secret (μυστήριον, musthrion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).

[4:11]  ³⁴ tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

[24:25]  ³⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ inability to believe in Jesus’ resurrection.

[24:25]  ³⁶ tn Grk “O,” an interjection used both in address and emotion (BDAG 1101 s.v. 1).

[24:25]  ³⁷ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to complete the interjection.

[24:25]  ³⁸ sn The rebuke is for failure to believe the promise of scripture, a theme that will appear in vv. 43-47 as well.

[24:25]  ³⁹ tn On the syntax of this infinitival construction, see BDAG 364-65 s.v. ἐπί 6.b.

[7:17]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “his will.”

[7:17]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

[8:47]  ⁴² tn Grk “who is of.”

[8:47]  ⁴³ tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “you are not of God.”

[18:37]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:37]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”

[18:1]  ⁴⁸ sn When he had said these things appears to be a natural transition at the end of the Farewell Discourse (the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:31-17:26, including the final prayer in 17:1-26). The author states that Jesus went out with his disciples, a probable reference to their leaving the upper room where the meal and discourse described in chaps. 13-17 took place (although some have seen this only as a reference to their leaving the city, with the understanding that some of the Farewell Discourse, including the concluding prayer, was given en route, cf. 14:31). They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a garden, or olive orchard, identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as Gethsemane. The name is not given in Luke’s or John’s Gospel, but the garden must have been located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.

[18:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “the wadi of the Kidron,” or “the ravine of the Kidron” (a wadi is a stream that flows only during the rainy season and is dry during the dry season).

[18:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “a garden.”

[2:11]  ⁵¹ tn The terms “however” and “but” in this sentence were supplied in order to emphasize the contrast.

[2:11]  ⁵² tn The articular noun τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (th apekdusei) is a noun which ends in -σις (-sis) and therefore denotes action, i.e., “removal.” Since the head noun is a verbal noun, the following genitive τοῦ σώματος (tou swmatos) is understood as an objective genitive, receiving the action of the head noun.

[2:11]  ⁵³ tn Grk “in the removal of the body of flesh.” The genitive τῆς σαρκός (th" sarko") has been translated as an attributive genitive, “fleshly body.”

[2:11]  ⁵⁴ tn The second prepositional phrase beginning with ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ (en th peritomh) is parallel to the prepositional phrase ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (en th apekdusei) and gives a further explanation of it. The words “that is” were supplied to bring out this force in the translation.

[2:12]  ⁵⁵ tn The article with the genitive modifier τῆς πίστεως (th" pistew") is functioning as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[2:12]  ⁵⁶ tn The genitive τῆς ἐνεργείας (th" energeia") has been translated as an objective genitive, “faith in the power.”

[2:13]  ⁵⁷ tn The article τοῖς (tois) with παραπτώμασιν (paraptwmasin) is functioning as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[2:13]  ⁵⁸ tn The word “nevertheless,” though not in the Greek text, was supplied in the translation to bring out the force of the concessive participle ὄντας (ontas).

[2:14]  ⁵⁹ tn The participle ἐξαλείψας (exaleiyas) is a temporal adverbial participle of contemporaneous time related to the previous verb συνεζωοποίησεν (sunezwopoihsen), but has been translated as a finite verb because of the complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences. For the meaning “destroy” see BDAG 344-45 s.v. ἐξαλείφω 2.

[2:14]  ⁶⁰ tn On the translation of χειρόγραφον (ceirografon), see BDAG 1083 s.v. which refers to it as “a certificate of indebtedness.”

[2:15]  ⁶¹ tn See BDAG 100 s.v. ἀπεκδύομαι 2.

[2:15]  ⁶² tn The antecedent of the Greek pronoun αὐτῷ (autw) could either be “Christ” or the “cross.” There are several reasons for choosing “the cross” as the antecedent for αὐτῷ in verse 15: (1) The nearest antecedent is τῷ σταυρῷ (tw staurw) in v. 14; (2) the idea of ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησία (edeigmatisen en parrhsia, “made a public disgrace”) seems to be more in keeping with the idea of the cross; (3) a reference to Christ seems to miss the irony involved in the idea of triumph – the whole point is that where one would expect defeat, there came the victory; (4) if Christ is the subject of the participles in v. 15 then almost certainly the cross is the referent for αὐτῷ. Thus the best solution is to see αὐτῷ as a reference to the cross and the preposition ἐν (en) indicating “means” (i.e., by means of the cross) or possibly (though less likely) location (on the cross).

[2:1]  ⁶³ tn Or “I want you to know how hard I am working for you…”

[2:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.”