Keluaran 32:2-4

32:2 So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” ¹  32:3 So all ²  the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. 32:4 He accepted the gold ³  from them, ⁴  fashioned ⁵  it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. ⁶  Then they said, “These are your gods, ⁷  O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

Keluaran 32:21

32:21 Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?”

Ulangan 9:19-20

9:19 For I was terrified at the Lord’s intense anger ⁸  that threatened to destroy you. But he ⁹  listened to me this time as well. 9:20 The Lord was also angry enough at Aaron to kill him, but at that time I prayed for him ¹⁰  too.

Ulangan 9:1

Theological Justification of the Conquest

9:1 Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan so you can dispossess the nations there, people greater and stronger than you who live in large cities with extremely high fortifications. ¹¹ 

1 Samuel 23:16

23:16 Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him ¹²  through God.

1 Samuel 23:2

23:2 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”

1 Samuel 11:1

Saul Comes to the Aid of Jabesh

11:1 ¹³ Nahash ¹⁴  the Ammonite marched ¹⁵  against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.”

1 Samuel 12:7-14

12:7 Now take your positions, so I may confront you ¹⁶  before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors. ¹⁷  12:8 When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

12:9 “But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave ¹⁸  them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s ¹⁹  army, ²⁰  and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 12:10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, ²¹  ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. ²²  Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’ ²³  12:11 So the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, ²⁴  Barak, ²⁵  Jephthah, and Samuel, ²⁶  and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.

12:12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God is your king! 12:13 Now look! Here is the king you have chosen – the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king! 12:14 If you fear the Lord, serving him and obeying him ²⁷  and not rebelling against what he says, ²⁸  and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the Lord your God, all will be well. ²⁹ 

Ayub 4:3-4

4:3 Look, ³⁰  you have instructed ³¹  many;

you have strengthened ³²  feeble hands. ³³ 

4:4 Your words have supported ³⁴  those

who stumbled, ³⁵ 

and you have strengthened the knees

that gave way. ³⁶ 

Yesaya 35:3-4

35:3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,

steady the knees that shake! ³⁷ 

35:4 Tell those who panic, ³⁸ 

“Be strong! Do not fear!

Look, your God comes to avenge!

With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” ³⁹ 

Lukas 22:31-32

22:31 “Simon, ⁴⁰  Simon, pay attention! ⁴¹  Satan has demanded to have you all, ⁴²  to sift you like wheat, ⁴³  22:32 but I have prayed for you, Simon, ⁴⁴  that your faith may not fail. ⁴⁵  When ⁴⁶  you have turned back, ⁴⁷  strengthen ⁴⁸  your brothers.”

Galatia 2:11-14

Paul Rebukes Peter

2:11 But when Cephas ⁴⁹  came to Antioch, ⁵⁰  I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. ⁵¹  2:12 Until ⁵²  certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this ⁵³  and separated himself ⁵⁴  because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. ⁵⁵  2:13 And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them ⁵⁶  by their hypocrisy. 2:14 But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ⁵⁷  in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force ⁵⁸  the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatia 6:1

Support One Another

6:1 Brothers and sisters, ⁵⁹  if a person ⁶⁰  is discovered in some sin, ⁶¹  you who are spiritual ⁶²  restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. ⁶³  Pay close attention ⁶⁴  to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

Galatia 6:1

Support One Another

6:1 Brothers and sisters, ⁶⁵  if a person ⁶⁶  is discovered in some sin, ⁶⁷  you who are spiritual ⁶⁸  restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. ⁶⁹  Pay close attention ⁷⁰  to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

Galatia 4:18

4:18 However, it is good ⁷¹  to be sought eagerly ⁷²  for a good purpose ⁷³  at all times, and not only when I am present with you.

Galatia 5:11

5:11 Now, brothers and sisters, ⁷⁴  if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? ⁷⁵  In that case the offense of the cross ⁷⁶  has been removed. ⁷⁷ 

[32:2]  ¹ sn B. Jacob (Exodus, 937-38) argues that Aaron simply did not have the resolution that Moses did, and wanting to keep peace he gave in to the crowd. He also tries to explain that Aaron was wanting to show their folly through the deed. U. Cassuto also says that Aaron’s request for the gold was a form of procrastination, but that the people quickly did it and so he had no alternative but to go through with it (Exodus, 412). These may be right, since Aaron fully understood what was wrong with this, and what the program was all about. The text gives no strong indication to support these ideas, but there are enough hints from the way Aaron does things to warrant such a conclusion.

[32:3]  ² tn This “all” is a natural hyperbole in the narrative, for it means the large majority of the people.

[32:4]  ³ tn Here “the gold” has been supplied.

[32:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “from their hand.”

[32:4]  ⁵ tn The verb looks similar to יָצַר (yatsar), “to form, fashion” by a plan or a design. That is the verb used in Gen 2:7 for Yahweh God forming the man from the dust of the ground. If it is here, it is the reverse, a human – the dust of the ground – trying to form a god or gods. The active participle of this verb in Hebrew is “the potter.” A related noun is the word יֵצֶּר (yetser), “evil inclination,” the wicked designs or intent of the human heart (Gen 6:5). But see the discussion by B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 555-56) on a different reading, one that links the root to a hollow verb meaning “to cast out of metal” (as in 1 Kgs 7:15).

[32:4]  ⁶ sn The word means a “young bull” and need not be translated as “calf” (although “calf” has become the traditional rendering in English). The word could describe an animal three years old. Aaron probably made an inner structure of wood and then, after melting down the gold, plated it. The verb “molten” does not need to imply that the image was solid gold; the word is used in Isa 30:22 for gold plating. So it was a young bull calf that was overlaid with gold, and the gold was fashioned with the stylus.

[32:4]  ⁷ tn The word could be singular here and earlier; here it would then be “this is your god, O Israel.” However, the use of “these” indicates more than one god was meant by the image. But their statement and their statue, although they do not use the holy name, violate the first two commandments.

[9:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “the anger and the wrath.” Although many English versions translate as two terms, this construction is a hendiadys which serves to intensify the emotion (cf. NAB, TEV “fierce anger”).

[9:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 9:3.

[9:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Aaron.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid redundancy.

[9:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “fortified to the heavens” (so NRSV); NLT “cities with walls that reach to the sky.” This is hyperbole.

[23:16]  ¹² tn Heb “strengthened his hand.”

[11:1]  ¹³ tc 4QSam^a and Josephus (Ant. 6.68-71) attest to a longer form of text at this point. The addition explains Nahash’s practice of enemy mutilation, and by so doing provides a smoother transition to the following paragraph than is found in the MT. The NRSV adopts this reading, with the following English translation: “Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.” This reading should not be lightly dismissed; it may in fact provide a text superior to that of the MT and the ancient versions. But the external evidence for it is so limited as to induce caution; the present translation instead follows the MT. However, for a reasonable case for including this reading in the text see the discussions in P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 199, and R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 103.

[11:1]  ¹⁴ sn The name “Nahash” means “serpent” in Hebrew.

[11:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “went up and camped”; NIV, NRSV “went up and besieged.”

[12:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”

[12:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”

[12:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “sold” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera”; NLT “he let them be conquered by Sisera.”

[12:9]  ¹⁹ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.

[12:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”

[12:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “and said.”

[12:10]  ²² tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied in both vv. 3 and 4 for clarity.

[12:10]  sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.

[12:10]  ²³ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.

[12:11]  ²⁴ sn Jerub-Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The Book of Judges uses both names for him.

[12:11]  ²⁵ tc The MT has “Bedan” (בְּדָן) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”

[12:11]  ²⁶ tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”

[12:14]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and you listen to his voice.”

[12:14]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord.” So also in v. 15.

[12:14]  ²⁹ tn The words “all will be well” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:3]  ³⁰ tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “behold”) summons attention; it has the sense of “consider, look.”

[4:3]  ³¹ tn The verb יָסַר (yasar) in the Piel means “to correct,” whether by words with the sense of teach, or by chastening with the sense of punish, discipline. The double meaning of “teach” and “discipline” is also found with the noun מוּסָר (musar).

[4:3]  ³² tn The parallelism again uses a perfect verb in the first colon and an imperfect in the second; but since the sense of the line is clearly what Job has done in the past, the second verb may be treated as a preterite, or a customary imperfect – what Job repeatedly did in the past (GKC 315 §107.e). The words in this verse may have double meanings. The word יָסַר (yasar, “teach, discipline”) may have the idea of instruction and correction, but also the connotation of strength (see Y. Hoffmann, “The Use of Equivocal Words in the First Speech of Eliphaz [Job IV–V],” VT 30 [1980]: 114-19).

[4:3]  ³³ tn The “feeble hands” are literally “hands hanging down.” This is a sign of weakness, helplessness, or despondency (see 2 Sam 4:1; Isa 13:7).

[4:4]  ³⁴ tn Both verbs in this line are imperfects, and probably carry the same nuance as the last verb in v. 3, namely, either customary imperfect or preterite. The customary has the aspect of stressing that this was what Job used to do.

[4:4]  ³⁵ tn The form is the singular active participle, interpreted here collectively. The verb is used of knees that give way (Isa 35:3; Ps 109:24).

[4:4]  ³⁶ tn The expression is often translated as “feeble knees,” but it literally says “the bowing [or “tottering”] knees.” The figure is one who may be under a heavy load whose knees begin to shake and buckle (see also Heb 12:12).

[4:4]  sn Job had been successful at helping others not be crushed by the weight of trouble and misfortune. It is easier to help others than to preserve a proper perspective when one’s self is afflicted (E. Dhorme, Job, 44).

[35:3]  ³⁷ tn Heb “staggering knees”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “feeble knees”; NIV “knees that give way.”

[35:4]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.

[35:4]  ³⁹ tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.

[22:31]  ⁴⁰ tc The majority of mss (א A D W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï as well as several versional witnesses) begin this verse with an introductory comment, “and the Lord said,” indicating a change in the subject of discussion. But this is apparently a reading motivated by the need for clarity. Some of the best witnesses, along with a few others (Ì⁷⁵ B L T 1241 2542^c sy^s co), do not contain these words. The abrupt shift is the more difficult reading and thus more likely to be original.

[22:31]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “behold” (for “pay attention” see L&N 91.13).

[22:31]  ⁴² sn This pronoun is plural in the Greek text, so it refers to all the disciples of which Peter is the representative.

[22:31]  ⁴³ sn Satan has demanded permission to put them to the test. The idiom “sift (someone) like wheat” is similar to the English idiom “to pick (someone) apart.” The pronoun you is implied.

[22:32]  ⁴⁴ sn Here and in the remainder of the verse the second person pronouns are singular, so only Peter is in view. The name “Simon” has been supplied as a form of direct address to make this clear in English.

[22:32]  ⁴⁵ sn That your faith may not fail. Note that Peter’s denials are pictured here as lapses, not as a total absence of faith.

[22:32]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[22:32]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “turned around.”

[22:32]  ⁴⁸ sn Strengthen your brothers refers to Peter helping to strengthen their faith. Jesus quite graciously restores Peter “in advance,” even with the knowledge of his approaching denials.

[2:11]  ⁴⁹ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

[2:11]  ⁵⁰ map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[2:11]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “because he stood condemned.”

[2:12]  ⁵² tn The conjunction γάρ has not been translated here.

[2:12]  ⁵³ tn Grk “he drew back.” If ἑαυτόν (Jeauton) goes with both ὑπέστελλεν (Jupestellen) and ἀφώριζεν (afwrizen) rather than only the latter, the meaning would be “he drew himself back” (see BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 1.a).

[2:12]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “and held himself aloof.”

[2:12]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “the [ones] of the circumcision,” that is, the group of Jewish Christians who insisted on circumcision of Gentiles before they could become Christians.

[2:13]  ⁵⁶ tn The words “with them” are a reflection of the σύν- (sun-) prefix on the verb συναπήχθη (sunaphcqh; see L&N 31.76).

[2:14]  ⁵⁷ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

[2:14]  ⁵⁸ tn Here ἀναγκάζεις (anankazei") has been translated as a conative present (see ExSyn 534).

[6:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[6:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[6:1]  ⁶¹ tn Or “some transgression” (L&N 88.297).

[6:1]  ⁶² sn Who are spiritual refers to people who are controlled and directed by God’s Spirit.

[6:1]  ⁶³ tn Or “with a gentle spirit” or “gently.”

[6:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “taking careful notice.”

[6:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[6:1]  ⁶⁶ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[6:1]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “some transgression” (L&N 88.297).

[6:1]  ⁶⁸ sn Who are spiritual refers to people who are controlled and directed by God’s Spirit.

[6:1]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “with a gentle spirit” or “gently.”

[6:1]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “taking careful notice.”

[4:18]  ⁷¹ tn Or “commendable.”

[4:18]  ⁷² tn Or “to be zealous.”

[4:18]  ⁷³ tn Grk “But it is always good to be zealous in good.”

[5:11]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[5:11]  ⁷⁵ sn That is, if Paul still teaches observance of the Mosaic law (preaches circumcision), why is he still being persecuted by his opponents, who insist that Gentile converts to Christianity must observe the Mosaic law?

[5:11]  ⁷⁶ sn The offense of the cross refers to the offense to Jews caused by preaching Christ crucified.

[5:11]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “nullified.”