2 Korintus 9:10

9:10 Now God ¹  who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.

Mazmur 41:1-3

Psalm 41 ² 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

41:1 How blessed ³  is the one who treats the poor properly! ⁴ 

When trouble comes, ⁵  the Lord delivers him. ⁶ 

41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! ⁷ 

May he be blessed ⁸  in the land!

Do not turn him over ⁹  to his enemies! ¹⁰ 

41:3 The Lord supports ¹¹  him on his sickbed;

you completely heal him from his illness. ¹² 

Amsal 11:18

11:18 The wicked person ¹³  earns ¹⁴  deceitful wages, ¹⁵ 

but the one who sows ¹⁶  righteousness reaps ¹⁷  a genuine ¹⁸  reward. ¹⁹ 

Amsal 11:24

11:24 One person is generous ²⁰  and yet grows more wealthy, ²¹ 

but another withholds more than he should ²²  and comes to poverty. ²³ 

Amsal 19:17

19:17 The one who is gracious ²⁴  to the poor lends ²⁵  to the Lord,

and the Lord ²⁶  will repay him ²⁷  for his good deed. ²⁸ 

Amsal 22:9

22:9 A generous person ²⁹  will be blessed, ³⁰ 

for he gives some of his food ³¹  to the poor.

Pengkhotbah 11:1

Ignorance of the Future Demands Diligence in the Present

11:1 Send ³²  your grain ³³  overseas, ³⁴ 

for after many days you will get a return. ³⁵ 

Pengkhotbah 11:6

11:6 Sow your seed in the morning,

and do not stop working ³⁶  until the evening; ³⁷ 

for you do not know which activity ³⁸  will succeed ³⁹  –

whether this one or that one, or whether both will prosper equally. ⁴⁰ 

Lukas 6:38

6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, ⁴¹  will be poured ⁴²  into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” ⁴³ 

Lukas 19:16-26

19:16 So ⁴⁴  the first one came before him and said, ‘Sir, ⁴⁵  your mina ⁴⁶  has made ten minas more.’ 19:17 And the king ⁴⁷  said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful ⁴⁸  in a very small matter, you will have authority ⁴⁹  over ten cities.’ 19:18 Then ⁵⁰  the second one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ 19:19 So ⁵¹  the king ⁵²  said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 19:20 Then another ⁵³  slave ⁵⁴  came and said, ‘Sir, here is ⁵⁵  your mina that I put away for safekeeping ⁵⁶  in a piece of cloth. ⁵⁷  19:21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe ⁵⁸  man. You withdraw ⁵⁹  what you did not deposit ⁶⁰  and reap what you did not sow.’ 19:22 The king ⁶¹  said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, ⁶²  you wicked slave! ⁶³  So you knew, did you, that I was a severe ⁶⁴  man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow? 19:23 Why then didn’t you put ⁶⁵  my money in the bank, ⁶⁶  so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest?’ 19:24 And he said to his attendants, ⁶⁷  ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten.’ ⁶⁸  19:25 But ⁶⁹  they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas already!’ ⁷⁰  19:26 ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, ⁷¹  but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ⁷² 

Galatia 6:7-9

6:7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. ⁷³  For a person ⁷⁴  will reap what he sows, 6:8 because the person who sows to his own flesh ⁷⁵  will reap corruption ⁷⁶  from the flesh, ⁷⁷  but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 6:9 So we must not grow weary ⁷⁸  in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. ⁷⁹ 

Ibrani 6:10

6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.

[9:10]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:1]  ² sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).

[41:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[41:1]  ⁴ sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.

[41:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).

[41:1]  ⁶ tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the Lord deliver,” see v. 2), but the preceding parallel line is a declaration of fact, not a prayer per se. The imperfect can be taken here as future (“will deliver,” cf. NEB, NASB) or as generalizing (“delivers,” cf. NIV, NRSV). The parallel line, which has a generalizing tone, favors the latter. At the same time, though the psalmist uses a generalizing style here, he clearly has himself primarily in view.

[41:2]  ⁷ tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.

[41:2]  ⁸ tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (’ashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).

[41:2]  ⁹ tn The negative particle אַל (’al) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (lo’), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.

[41:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).

[41:3]  ¹¹ tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).

[41:3]  ¹² tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.

[11:18]  ¹³ tn The form is the masculine singular adjective used as a substantive.

[11:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “makes” (so NAB).

[11:18]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “wages of deception.”

[11:18]  sn Whatever recompense or reward the wicked receive will not last, hence, it is deceptive (R. B. Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 88).

[11:18]  ¹⁶ sn The participle “sowing” provides an implied comparison (the figure is known as hypocatastasis) with the point of practicing righteousness and inspiring others to do the same. What is sown will yield fruit (1 Cor 9:11; 2 Cor 9:6; Jas 3:18).

[11:18]  ¹⁷ tn The term “reaps” does not appear in the Hebrew but has been supplied in the translation from context for the sake of smoothness.

[11:18]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “true” (so NASB, NRSV); KJV, NAB, NIV “sure.”

[11:18]  ¹⁹ sn A wordplay (paronomasia) occurs between “deceptive” (שָׁקֶר, shaqer) and “reward” (שֶׂכֶר, sekher), underscoring the contrast by the repetition of sounds. The wages of the wicked are deceptive; the reward of the righteous is sure.

[11:24]  ²⁰ tn Heb “There is one who scatters.” The participle מְפַזֵּר (mÿfazzer, “one who scatters”) refers to charity rather than farming or investments (and is thus a hypocatastasis). Cf. CEV “become rich by being generous”).

[11:24]  ²¹ tn Heb “increases.” The verb means that he grows even more wealthy. This is a paradox: Generosity determines prosperity in God’s economy.

[11:24]  ²² tn Heb “more than what is right.” This one is not giving enough, but saving for himself.

[11:24]  ²³ tn Heb “comes to lack.” The person who withholds will come to the diminishing of his wealth. The verse uses hyperbole to teach that giving to charity does not make anyone poor, and neither does refusal to give ensure prosperity.

[19:17]  ²⁴ sn The participle חוֹנֵן (khonen, “shows favor to”) is related to the word for “grace.” The activity here is the kind favor shown poor people for no particular reason and with no hope of repayment. It is literally an act of grace.

[19:17]  ²⁵ tn The form מַלְוֵה (malveh) is the Hiphil participle from לָוָה (lavah) in construct; it means “to cause to borrow; to lend.” The expression here is “lender of the Lord.” The person who helps the poor becomes the creditor of God.

[19:17]  ²⁶ tn Heb “he.” The referent of the 3rd person masculine singular pronoun is “the Lord” in the preceding line, which has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[19:17]  ²⁷ sn The promise of reward does not necessarily mean that the person who gives to the poor will get money back; the rewards in the book of Proverbs involve life and prosperity in general.

[19:17]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and his good deed will repay him.” The word גְּמֻלוֹ (gÿmulo) could be (1) the subject or (2) part of a double accusative of the verb. Understanding it as part of the double accusative makes better sense, for then the subject of the verb is God. How “his deed” could repay him is not immediately obvious.

[22:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “good of eye.” This expression is an attributed genitive meaning “bountiful of eye” (cf. KJV, ASV “He that hath a bountiful eye”). This is the opposite of the “evil eye” which is covetous and wicked. The “eye” is a metonymy representing looking well to people’s needs. So this refers to the generous person (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[22:9]  ³⁰ tn The form יְבֹרָךְ (yÿvorakh) is a Pual imperfect (here in pause) from בָּרַךְ (barakh); the word means “blessed” in the sense of “enriched,” implying there is a practical reward for being generous to the poor.

[22:9]  ³¹ sn It is from his own food that he gives to the poor. Of the many observations that could be made, it is worth noting that in blessing this kind of person God is in fact providing for the poor, because out of his blessing he will surely continue to share more.

[11:1]  ³² tn The verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “to send; to cast”) refers to the action of sending something to someone (e.g., Neh 8:12; HALOT 1995 s.v. שׁלח). The term is traditionally rendered here as “cast” (KJV, NAB, RES, ASV, NASB, NIV); however, some render it “send” (NJPS, NRSV, NEB). LXX uses ἀπόστειλον (aposteilon, “send”).

[11:1]  ³³ tn Heb “your bread.” The term לֶחֶם (lekhem) is traditionally rendered “bread” (KJV, NAB, RSV, NRSV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NJPS). However, 11:1-2 seems to deal with exporting goods overseas (D. R. Glenn, “Ecclesiastes,” BKCOT, 1002-3). It is better to take לֶחֶם (“bread”) as a metonymy of product, standing for the grain and wheat from which bread is produced (e.g., Gen 41:54-55; 47:13, 15, 17, 19; 49:20; Num 15:19; 2 Kgs 18:32; Isa 28:28; 30:23; 36:17; 55:10; Jer 5:17; Ezek 48:18; Job 28:5; Ps 104:14; Prov 28:3); see HALOT 526 s.v. 1; BDB 537 s.v. 1.b. It is taken this way by several translations: “grain” (NEB) and “goods” (Moffatt). Qoheleth encouraged the export of grain products overseas in international trade.

[11:1]  ³⁴ tn Heb “upon the surface of the waters.” This is traditionally viewed as extolling generosity from which a reward will be reaped. On the other hand, some scholars suggest that the imagery deals with commercial business through maritime trade. M. Jastrow took this verse as advice to take risks in business by trusting one’s goods or ships that will after many days return with a profit (A. Cohen, The Five Megilloth [SoBB], 181). Sea trade was risky in the ancient Near East, but it brought big returns to its investors (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:26-28; 10:22; Ps 107:23); see D. R. Glenn, “Ecclesiastes,” BKCOT, 1002-3. The verse is rendered thus: “Send your grain across the seas, and in time you will get a return” (NEB); or “Trust your goods far and wide at sea, till you get a good return after a while” (Moffatt).

[11:1]  ³⁵ tn Heb “find it.”

[11:6]  ³⁶ tn Heb “do not let your hand rest.” The Hebrew phrase “do not let your hand rest” is an idiom that means “do not stop working” or “do not be idle” (e.g., Eccl 7:18); cf. BDB 628 s.v. נוּחַ B.1. Several English versions capture the sense of the idiom well: “do not stop working” (NEB); “do not be idle” (MLB); “let not your hand be idle” (NAB); “let not your hands be idle” (NIV); “stay not your hand” (Moffatt). The term “hand” is a synecdoche of part (i.e., do not let your hand rest) for the whole person (i.e., do not allow yourself to stop working).

[11:6]  ³⁷ tn The terms “morning” (בֹּקֶר, boqer) and “evening” (עֶרֶב, ’erev) form a merism (a figure of speech using two polar extremes to include everything in between) that connotes “from morning until evening.” The point is not that the farmer should plant at two times in the day (morning and evening), but that he should plant all day long (from morning until evening). This merism is reflected in several translations: “in the morning…until evening” (NEB, Moffatt).

[11:6]  ³⁸ tn The term “activity” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[11:6]  ³⁹ tn The verb כָּשֵׁר (kasher, “to prosper”) is used metonymically to denote “will succeed.” In 11:10, it means “skill in work.”

[11:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “together.”

[6:38]  ⁴¹ sn The background to the image pressed down, shaken together, running over is pouring out grain for measure in the marketplace. One often poured the grain into a container, shook it to level out the grain and then poured in some more. Those who are generous have generosity running over for them.

[6:38]  ⁴² tn Grk “they will give”; that is, “pour.” The third person plural has been replaced by the passive in the translation.

[6:38]  ⁴³ tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured back to you.”

[19:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the royal summons.

[19:16]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.” (and so throughout this paragraph).

[19:16]  ⁴⁶ tn See the note on the word “minas” in v. 13.

[19:17]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:17]  ⁴⁸ tn See Luke 16:10.

[19:17]  ⁴⁹ sn The faithful slave received expanded responsibility (authority over ten cities) as a result of his faithfulness; this in turn is an exhortation to faithfulness for the reader.

[19:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[19:19]  ⁵¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the second slave’s report.

[19:19]  ⁵² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:20]  ⁵³ sn Though ten were given minas, the story stops to focus on the one who did nothing with the opportunity given to him. Here is the parable’s warning about the one who does not trust the master. This figure is called “another,” marking him out as different than the first two.

[19:20]  ⁵⁴ tn The word “slave” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for stylistic reasons.

[19:20]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “behold.”

[19:20]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “that I stored away.” L&N 85.53 defines ἀπόκειμαι (apokeimai) here as “to put something away for safekeeping – ‘to store, to put away in a safe place.’”

[19:20]  ⁵⁷ tn The piece of cloth, called a σουδάριον (soudarion), could have been a towel, napkin, handkerchief, or face cloth (L&N 6.159).

[19:21]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”

[19:21]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “man, taking out.” The Greek word can refer to withdrawing money from a bank (L&N 57.218), and in this context of financial accountability that is the most probable meaning. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “you” as subject and translating the participle αἴρεις (airei") as a finite verb.

[19:21]  ⁶⁰ tn The Greek verb τίθημι (tiqhmi) can be used of depositing money with a banker to earn interest (L&N 57.217). In effect the slave charges that the master takes what he has not earned.

[19:22]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:22]  ⁶² tn Grk “out of your own mouth” (an idiom).

[19:22]  ⁶³ tn Note the contrast between this slave, described as “wicked,” and the slave in v. 17, described as “good.”

[19:22]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”

[19:23]  ⁶⁵ tn That is, “If you really feared me why did you not do a minimum to get what I asked for?”

[19:23]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “on the table”; the idiom refers to a place where money is kept or managed, or credit is established, thus “bank” (L&N 57.215).

[19:24]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “to those standing by,” but in this context involving an audience before the king to give an accounting, these would not be casual bystanders but courtiers or attendants.

[19:24]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “the ten minas.”

[19:25]  ⁶⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context. Those watching the evaluation are shocked, as the one with the most gets even more. The word “already” is supplied at the end of the statement to indicate this surprise and shock.

[19:25]  ⁷⁰ tc A few mss (D W 69 pc and a few versional witnesses) omit this verse either to harmonize it with Matt 25:28-29 or to keep the king’s speech seamless.

[19:26]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”

[19:26]  sn Everyone who has will be given more. Again, faithfulness yields great reward (see Luke 8:18; also Matt 13:12; Mark 4:25).

[19:26]  ⁷² sn The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken away from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either. Three groups are represented in the parable: the faithful of various sorts (vv. 16, 18); the unfaithful who associate with Jesus but do not trust him (v. 21); and the enemies (v. 27).

[6:7]  ⁷³ 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.”

[6:7]  ⁷⁴ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[6:8]  ⁷⁵ tn BDAG 915 s.v. σάρξ 2.c.α states: “In Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as σ. or flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likew. present, and no good thing can live in the σάρξ…Gal 5:13, 24;…Opp. τὸ πνεῦμα…Gal 3:3; 5:16, 17ab; 6:8ab.”

[6:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “destruction.”

[6:8]  ⁷⁷ tn See the note on the previous occurrence of the word “flesh” in this verse.

[6:9]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “not become discouraged,” “not lose heart” (L&N 25.288).

[6:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “if we do not become extremely weary,” “if we do not give out,” “if we do not faint from exhaustion” (L&N 23.79).