Amsal 14:12

14:12 There is a way that seems right to a person, ¹ 

but its end is the way that leads to death. ² 

Yesaya 44:20

44:20 He feeds on ashes; ³ 

his deceived mind misleads him.

He cannot rescue himself,

nor does he say, ‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’ ⁴ 

Yesaya 66:3-4

66:3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; ⁵ 

the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck; ⁶ 

the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it; ⁷ 

the one who offers incense also praises an idol. ⁸ 

They have decided to behave this way; ⁹ 

they enjoy these disgusting practices. ¹⁰ 

66:4 So I will choose severe punishment ¹¹  for them;

I will bring on them what they dread,

because I called, and no one responded,

I spoke and they did not listen.

They did evil before me; ¹² 

they chose to do what displeases me.”

Matius 15:9

15:9 and they worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” ¹³ 

Matius 15:13

15:13 And he replied, ¹⁴  “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.

Yohanes 16:2

16:2 They will put you out of ¹⁵  the synagogue, ¹⁶  yet a time ¹⁷  is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. ¹⁸ 

Kisah Para Rasul 26:9

26:9 Of course, ¹⁹  I myself was convinced ²⁰  that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

Roma 10:2-3

10:2 For I can testify that they are zealous for God, ²¹  but their zeal is not in line with the truth. ²²  10:3 For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

[14:12]  ¹ tn Heb “which is straight before a man.”

[14:12]  sn The proverb recalls the ways of the adulterous woman in chapters 1-9, and so the translation of “man” is retained. The first line does not say that the “way” that seems right is “vice,” but the second line clarifies that. The individual can rationalize all he wants, but the result is still the same. The proverb warns that any evil activity can take any number of ways (plural) to destruction.

[14:12]  ² tn Heb “the ways of death” (so KJV, ASV). This construct phrase features a genitive of destiny: “ways that lead to [or, end in] death.” Here death means ruin (e.g., Prov 7:27; 16:25). The LXX adds “Hades,” but the verse seems to be concerned with events of this life.

[44:20]  ³ tn Or perhaps, “he eats on an ash heap.”

[44:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “Is it not a lie in my right hand?”

[66:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “one who slaughters a bull, one who strikes down a man.” Some understand a comparison here and in the following lines. In God’s sight the one who sacrifices is like (i.e., regarded as) a murderer or one whose worship is ritually defiled or idolatrous. The translation above assumes that the language is not metaphorical, but descriptive of the sinners’ hypocritical behavior. (Note the last two lines of the verse, which suggests they are guilty of abominable practices.) On the one hand, they act pious and offer sacrifices; but at the same time they commit violent crimes against men, defile their sacrifices, and worship other gods.

[66:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “one who sacrifices a lamb, one who breaks a dog’s neck.” Some understand a comparison, but see the previous note.

[66:3]  sn The significance of breaking a dog’s neck is uncertain, though the structure of the statement when compared to the preceding and following lines suggests the action is viewed in a negative light. According to Exod 13:13 and 34:20, one was to “redeem” a firstborn donkey by offering a lamb; if one did not “redeem” the firstborn donkey in this way, then its neck must be broken. According to Deut 21:1-9 a heifer’s neck was to be broken as part of the atonement ritual to purify the land from the guilt of bloodshed. It is not certain if these passages relate in any way to the action described in Isa 66:3.

[66:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “one who offers an offering, pig’s blood.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line.

[66:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “one who offers incense as a memorial offering, one who blesses something false.” Some understand a comparison, but see the note at the end of the first line. אָוֶן (’aven), which has a wide variety of attested nuances, here refers metonymically to an idol. See HALOT 22 s.v. and BDB 20 s.v. 2.

[66:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “also they have chosen their ways.”

[66:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “their being [or “soul”] takes delight in their disgusting [things].”

[66:4]  ¹¹ tn The precise meaning of the noun is uncertain. It occurs only here and in 3:4 (but see the note there). It appears to be derived from the verbal root עָלַל (’alal), which can carry the nuance “deal severely.”

[66:4]  ¹² tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”

[15:9]  ¹³ sn A quotation from Isa 29:13.

[15:13]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “And answering, he said.”

[16:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “expel you from.”

[16:2]  ¹⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[16:2]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:2]  ¹⁸ sn Jesus now refers not to the time of his return to the Father, as he has frequently done up to this point, but to the disciples’ time of persecution. They will be excommunicated from Jewish synagogues. There will even be a time when those who kill Jesus’ disciples will think that they are offering service to God by putting the disciples to death. Because of the reference to service offered to God, it is almost certain that Jewish opposition is intended here in both cases rather than Jewish opposition in the first instance (putting the disciples out of synagogues) and Roman opposition in the second (putting the disciples to death). Such opposition materializes later and is recorded in Acts: The stoning of Stephen in 7:58-60 and the slaying of James the brother of John by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:2-3 are notable examples.

[26:9]  ¹⁹ tn BDAG 737 s.v. οὖν 3 states, “It has been proposed that some traces of older Gk. usage in which οὖν is emphatic, = certainly, really, to be sure etc. (s. L-S-J-M s.v. 1) remain in the pap…and in the NT…indeed, of course Ac 26:9.”

[26:9]  ²⁰ tn Grk “I thought to myself.” BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.a has “ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ δεῖν πρᾶξαι = Lat. mihi videbar I was convinced that it was necessary to do Ac 26:9.”

[10:2]  ²¹ tn Grk “they have a zeal for God.”

[10:2]  ²² tn Grk “in accord with knowledge.”

[10:2]  sn Their zeal is not in line with the truth means that the Jews’ passion for God was strong, but it ignored the true righteousness of God (v. 3; cf. also 3:21).