Kejadian 22:15-18
Konteks22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ 1 decrees the Lord, 2 ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, 3 and I will greatly multiply 4 your descendants 5 so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession 6 of the strongholds 7 of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, 8 all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 9 using the name of your descendants.’”
Kejadian 31:11-13
Konteks31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe 10 that all the male goats mating with 11 the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, 12 where you anointed 13 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 14 Now leave this land immediately 15 and return to your native land.’”
Kejadian 32:24-30
Konteks32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man 16 wrestled 17 with him until daybreak. 18 32:25 When the man 19 saw that he could not defeat Jacob, 20 he struck 21 the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
32:26 Then the man 22 said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” 23 “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, 24 “unless you bless me.” 25 32:27 The man asked him, 26 “What is your name?” 27 He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, 28 “but Israel, 29 because you have fought 30 with God and with men and have prevailed.”
32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” 31 “Why 32 do you ask my name?” the man replied. 33 Then he blessed 34 Jacob 35 there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, 36 explaining, 37 “Certainly 38 I have seen God face to face 39 and have survived.” 40
Kejadian 48:15-16
Konteks48:15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked –
the God who has been my shepherd 41
all my life long to this day,
48:16 the Angel 42 who has protected me 43
from all harm –
bless these boys.
May my name be named in them, 44
and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.
May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”
Keluaran 3:2-6
Konteks3:2 The angel of the Lord 45 appeared 46 to him in 47 a flame of fire from within a bush. 48 He looked 49 – and 50 the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed! 51 3:3 So Moses thought, 52 “I will turn aside to see 53 this amazing 54 sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” 55 3:4 When the Lord 56 saw that 57 he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” 58 And Moses 59 said, “Here I am.” 3:5 God 60 said, “Do not approach any closer! 61 Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy 62 ground.” 63 3:6 He added, “I am the God of your father, 64 the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look 65 at God.
Yudas 1:1-3
Konteks1:1 From Jude, 66 a slave 67 of Jesus Christ and brother of James, 68 to those who are called, wrapped in the love of 69 God the Father and kept for 70 Jesus Christ. 1:2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! 71
1:3 Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you 72 about our common salvation, I now feel compelled 73 instead to write to encourage 74 you to contend earnestly 75 for the faith 76 that was once for all 77 entrusted to the saints. 78
Yudas 1:11
Konteks1:11 Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, 79 and because of greed 80 have abandoned themselves 81 to 82 Balaam’s error; hence, 83 they will certainly perish 84 in Korah’s rebellion.
Yudas 1:16
Konteks1:16 These people are grumblers and 85 fault-finders who go 86 wherever their desires lead them, 87 and they give bombastic speeches, 88 enchanting folks 89 for their own gain. 90
Yudas 1:21-24
Konteks1:21 maintain 91 yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating 92 the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. 93 1:22 And have mercy on those who waver; 1:23 save 94 others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy 95 on others, coupled with a fear of God, 96 hating even the clothes stained 97 by the flesh. 98
1:24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, 99 and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, 100 without blemish 101 before his glorious presence, 102
Yudas 1:16-22
Konteks1:16 These people are grumblers and 103 fault-finders who go 104 wherever their desires lead them, 105 and they give bombastic speeches, 106 enchanting folks 107 for their own gain. 108
1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions 109 foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 110 1:18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come 111 scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” 112 1:19 These people are divisive, 113 worldly, 114 devoid of the Spirit. 115 1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, 116 1:21 maintain 117 yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating 118 the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. 119 1:22 And have mercy on those who waver;
Yesaya 63:9
Konteks63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. 120
The messenger sent from his very presence 121 delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected 122 them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. 123
Hosea 12:3-5
Konteks12:3 In the womb he attacked his brother;
in his manly vigor he struggled 124 with God.
12:4 He struggled 125 with an angel and prevailed;
he wept and begged for his favor.
He found God 126 at Bethel, 127
and there he spoke with him! 128
12:5 As for the Lord God Almighty,
the Lord is the name by which he is remembered! 129
Zakharia 2:8-9
Konteks2:8 For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory 130 he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil 131 of his 132 eye. 2:9 “I am about to punish them 133 in such a way,” he says, “that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me.
Maleakhi 3:1
Konteks3:1 “I am about to send my messenger, 134 who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord 135 you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger 136 of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.
Yohanes 1:18
Konteks1:18 No one has ever seen God. The only one, 137 himself God, who is in closest fellowship with 138 the Father, has made God 139 known. 140
Kisah Para Rasul 7:30-38
Konteks7:30 “After 141 forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert 142 of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 143 7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers, 144 the God of Abraham, Isaac, 145 and Jacob.’ 146 Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. 147 7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 148 7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering 149 of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. 150 Now 151 come, I will send you to Egypt.’ 152 7:35 This same 153 Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ 154 God sent as both ruler and deliverer 155 through the hand of the angel 156 who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs 157 in the land of Egypt, 158 at 159 the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 160 for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 161 ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 162 7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation 163 in the wilderness 164 with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, 165 and he 166 received living oracles 167 to give to you. 168
Kisah Para Rasul 7:1
Konteks7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” 169
Titus 1:16
Konteks1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
[22:16] 1 tn Heb “By myself I swear.”
[22:16] 2 tn Heb “the oracle of the
[22:17] 3 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.
[22:17] 4 tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).
[22:17] sn I will greatly multiply. The
[22:17] 5 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[22:17] 7 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).
[22:18] 8 tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.
[22:18] sn Because you have obeyed me. Abraham’s obedience brought God’s ratification of the earlier conditional promise (see Gen 12:2).
[22:18] 9 tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
[31:12] 10 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
[31:12] 11 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
[31:13] 12 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[31:13] 13 sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the
[31:13] 14 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
[31:13] 15 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
[31:13] sn Leave this land immediately. The decision to leave was a wise one in view of the changed attitude in Laban and his sons. But more than that, it was the will of God. Jacob needed to respond to God’s call – the circumstances simply made it easier.
[32:24] 16 sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.
[32:24] 17 sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.
[32:24] 18 tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”
[32:25] 19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 20 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 21 tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.
[32:26] 22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:26] 23 tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”
[32:26] 24 tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:26] 25 sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.
[32:27] 26 tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:27] 27 sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the
[32:28] 28 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:28] 29 sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the
[32:28] 30 sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).
[32:29] 31 sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.
[32:29] 32 tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.
[32:29] 33 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:29] 34 tn The verb here means that the
[32:29] 35 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:30] 36 sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.
[32:30] 37 tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:30] 39 sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.
[32:30] 40 tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”
[32:30] sn I have survived. It was commonly understood that no one could see God and live (Gen 48:16; Exod 19:21, 24:10; and Judg 6:11, 22). On the surface Jacob seems to be saying that he saw God and survived. But the statement may have a double meaning, in light of his prayer for deliverance in v. 11. Jacob recognizes that he has survived his encounter with God and that his safety has now been guaranteed.
[48:15] 41 tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.
[48:16] 42 sn The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.
[48:16] 43 tn The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [VTSup], 67-77).
[48:16] 44 tn Or “be recalled through them.”
[3:2] 45 sn The designation “the angel of the
[3:2] 46 tn The verb וַיֵּרָא (vayyera’) is the Niphal preterite of the verb “to see.” For similar examples of רָאָה (ra’ah) in Niphal where the subject “appears,” that is, allows himself to be seen, or presents himself, see Gen 12:7; 35:9; 46:29; Exod 6:3; and 23:17. B. Jacob notes that God appears in this way only to individuals and never to masses of people; it is his glory that appears to the masses (Exodus, 49).
[3:2] 47 tn Gesenius rightly classifies this as a bet (ב) essentiae (GKC 379 §119.i); it would then indicate that Yahweh appeared to Moses “as a flame.”
[3:2] 48 sn Fire frequently accompanies the revelation of Yahweh in Exodus as he delivers Israel, guides her, and purifies her. The description here is unique, calling attention to the manifestation as a flame of fire from within the bush. Philo was the first to interpret the bush as Israel, suffering under the persecution of Egypt but never consumed. The Bible leaves the interpretation open. However, in this revelation the fire is coming from within the bush, not from outside, and it represents the
[3:2] 50 tn The text again uses the deictic particle with vav, וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh), traditionally rendered “and behold.” The particle goes with the intense gaze, the outstretched arm, the raised eyebrow – excitement and intense interest: “look, over there.” It draws the reader into the immediate experience of the subject.
[3:2] 51 tn The construction uses the suffixed negative אֵינֶנּוּ (’enennu) to convey the subject of the passive verb: “It was not” consumed. This was the amazing thing, for nothing would burn faster in the desert than a thornbush on fire.
[3:3] 52 tn Heb “And Moses said.” The implication is that Moses said this to himself.
[3:3] 53 tn The construction uses the cohortative אָסֻרָה־נָּא (’asura-nna’) followed by an imperfect with vav (וְאֶרְאֶה, vÿ’er’eh) to express the purpose or result (logical sequence): “I will turn aside in order that I may see.”
[3:3] 54 tn Heb “great.” The word means something extraordinary here. In using this term Moses revealed his reaction to the strange sight and his anticipation that something special was about to happen. So he turned away from the flock to investigate.
[3:3] 55 tn The verb is an imperfect. Here it has the progressive nuance – the bush is not burning up.
[3:4] 56 tn The preterite with the vav (ו) is subordinated as a temporal clause to the main point of the verse, that God called to him. The language is anthropomorphic, as if God’s actions were based on his observing what Moses did.
[3:4] 57 tn The particle כִּי (ki, “that”) introduces the noun clause that functions as the direct object of the verb “saw” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 81, §490).
[3:4] 58 sn The repetition of the name in God’s call is emphatic, making the appeal direct and immediate (see also Gen 22:11; 46:2). The use of the personal name shows how specifically God directed the call and that he knew this person. The repetition may have stressed even more that it was indeed he whom the
[3:4] 59 tn Heb “And he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:5] 60 tn Heb “And he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:5] 61 sn Even though the
[3:5] 62 sn The word קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holy”) indicates “set apart, distinct, unique.” What made a mountain or other place holy was the fact that God chose that place to reveal himself or to reside among his people. Because God was in this place, the ground was different – it was holy.
[3:5] 63 tn The causal clause includes within it a typical relative clause, which is made up of the relative pronoun, then the independent personal pronoun with the participle, and then the preposition with the resumptive pronoun. It would literally be “which you are standing on it,” but the relative pronoun and the resumptive pronoun are combined and rendered, “on which you are standing.”
[3:6] 64 sn This self-revelation by Yahweh prepares for the revelation of the holy name. While no verb is used here, the pronoun and the predicate nominative are a construction used throughout scripture to convey the “I
[3:6] 65 tn The clause uses the Hiphil infinitive construct with a preposition after the perfect tense: יָרֵא מֵהַבִּיט (yare’ mehabbit, “he was afraid from gazing”) meaning “he was afraid to gaze.” The preposition min (מִן) is used before infinitives after verbs like the one to complete the verb (see BDB 583 s.v. 7b).
[1:1] 66 tn Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
[1:1] 67 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
[1:1] sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
[1:1] 68 sn Although Jude was half-brother of Jesus, he humbly associates himself with James, his full brother. By first calling himself a slave of Jesus Christ, it is evident that he wants no one to place stock in his physical connections. At the same time, he must identify himself further: Since Jude was a common name in the 1st century (two of Jesus’ disciples were so named, including his betrayer), more information was needed, that is to say, brother of James.
[1:1] 69 tn Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν (en) before πατρί (patri) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”
[1:1] 70 tn Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω (threw) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 3:10; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.
[1:2] 71 tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”
[1:3] 72 tn Grk “while being quite diligent to write to you,” or “while making all haste to write to you.” Two issues are at stake: (1) whether σπουδή (spoudh) here means diligence, eagerness, or haste; (2) whether ποιούμενος γράφειν (poioumeno" grafein) is to be taken conatively (“I was about to write”) or progressively (“I was writing”). Without knowing more of the background, it is difficult to tell which option is to be preferred.
[1:3] 73 tn Grk “I had the necessity.” The term ἀνάγκη (anankh, “necessity”) often connotes urgency or distress. In this context, Jude is indicating that the more comprehensive treatment about the faith shared between himself and his readers was not nearly as urgent as the letter he found it now necessary to write.
[1:3] 74 tn Grk “encouraging.” Παρακαλῶν (parakalwn) is most likely a telic participle. In keeping with other participles of purpose, it is present tense and occurs after the main verb.
[1:3] 75 tn the verb ἐπαγωνίζομαι (epagwnizomai) is an intensive form of ἀγωνίζομαι (agwnizomai). As such, the notion of struggling, fighting, contending, etc. is heightened.
[1:3] 76 tn Τῇ πίστει (th pistei) here is taken as a dative of advantage (“on behalf of the faith”). Though rare (see BDAG 820 s.v. 3), it is not unexampled and must have this meaning here.
[1:3] sn The term “faith” has a variety of meanings in the NT. Here, the faith refers to the doctrinal content embraced by believers rather than the act of believing. Rather than discuss the points of agreement that Jude would have with these believers, because of the urgency of the present situation he must assume that these believers were well grounded and press on to encourage them to fight for this common belief.
[1:3] 77 sn The adverb once for all (ἅπαξ, Japax) seems to indicate that the doctrinal convictions of the early church had been substantially codified. That is to say, Jude could appeal to written documents of the Christian faith in his arguments with the false teachers. Most likely, these documents were the letters of Paul and perhaps one or more gospels. First and Second Peter may also have been among the documents Jude has in mind (see also the note on the phrase entrusted to the saints in this verse).
[1:3] 78 sn I now feel compelled instead…saints. Apparently news of some crisis has reached Jude, prompting him to write a different letter than what he had originally planned. A plausible scenario (assuming authenticity of 2 Peter or at least that there are authentic Petrine snippets in it) is that after Peter’s death, Jude intended to write to the same Gentile readers that Peter had written to (essentially, Paul’s churches). Jude starts by affirming that the gospel the Gentiles had received from Paul was the same as the one the Jewish Christians had received from the other apostles (our common salvation). But in the midst of writing this letter, Jude felt that the present crisis deserved another, shorter piece. The crisis, as the letter reveals, is that the false teachers whom Peter prophesied have now infiltrated the church. The letter of Jude is thus an ad hoc letter, intended to confirm the truth of Peter’s letter and encourage the saints to ground their faith in the written documents of the nascent church, rather than listen to the twisted gospel of the false teachers. In large measure, the letter of Jude illustrates the necessity of clinging to the authority of scripture as opposed to those who claim to be prophets.
[1:11] 79 tn Or “they have gone the way of Cain.”
[1:11] 81 tn The verb ἐκχέω (ekcew) normally means “pour out.” Here, in the passive, it occasionally has a reflexive idea, as BDAG 312 s.v. 3. suggests (with extra-biblical examples).
[1:11] 83 tn Grk “and.” See note on “perish” later in this verse.
[1:11] 84 tn The three verbs in this verse are all aorist indicative (“have gone down,” “have abandoned,” “have perished”). Although the first and second could be considered constative or ingressive, the last is almost surely proleptic (referring to the certainty of their future judgment). Although it may seem odd that a proleptic aorist is so casually connected to other aorists with a different syntactical force, it is not unparalleled (cf. Rom 8:30).
[1:16] 85 tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.
[1:16] 86 tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.
[1:16] 87 tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”
[1:16] 88 tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”
[1:16] sn They give bombastic speeches. The idiom of opening one’s mouth in the NT often implied a public oration from a teacher or one in authority. Cf. Matt 5:2; Luke 4:22; Acts 1:16; 3:18; 10:34; Eph 6:19; Rev 13:5-6.
[1:16] 89 sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.
[1:16] 90 tn Or “to their own advantage.”
[1:21] 92 tn Or “waiting for.”
[1:21] 93 tn Grk “unto eternal life.”
[1:23] 95 tn Grk “and have mercy.”
[1:23] 96 tn Grk “with fear.” But as this contrasts with ἀφόβως (afobw") in v. 12 (without reverence), the posture of the false teachers, it most likely refers to reverence for God.
[1:23] sn Joining a fear of God to mercy is an important balance when involved in disciplinary action. On the one hand, being merciful without fear can turn to unwarranted sympathy for the individual, absolving him of personal responsibility; but fearing God without showing mercy can turn into personal judgment and condemnation.
[1:23] 97 sn The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning.
[1:23] 98 tn Grk “hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical.
[1:24] 99 tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “free from falling” is the adjectival complement.
[1:24] 100 tn Grk “with rejoicing.” The prepositional clause is placed after “his glorious presence” in Greek, but most likely goes with “cause you to stand.”
[1:24] 101 tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “without blemish” is the adjectival complement.
[1:24] 102 tn Or “in the presence of his glory,” “before his glory.”
[1:16] 103 tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.
[1:16] 104 tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.
[1:16] 105 tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”
[1:16] 106 tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”
[1:16] sn They give bombastic speeches. The idiom of opening one’s mouth in the NT often implied a public oration from a teacher or one in authority. Cf. Matt 5:2; Luke 4:22; Acts 1:16; 3:18; 10:34; Eph 6:19; Rev 13:5-6.
[1:16] 107 sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.
[1:16] 108 tn Or “to their own advantage.”
[1:17] 109 tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.
[1:17] 110 sn This verse parallels 2 Pet 3:2 both conceptually and in much of the verbiage. There is one important difference, however: In 2 Pet 3:2 the prophets and apostles speak; here, just the apostles speak. This makes good sense if Jude is using 2 Peter as his main source and is urging his readers to go back to the authoritative writings, both OT and now especially NT.
[1:18] 112 tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”
[1:18] sn Jude cites 2 Pet 3:3, changing a few of the words among other things, cleaning up the syntax, conforming it to Hellenistic style.
[1:19] 113 tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”
[1:19] 114 tn Or “natural,” that is, living on the level of instincts, not on a spiritual level (the same word occurs in 1 Cor 2:14 as a description of nonbelievers).
[1:19] 115 tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”
[1:19] sn The phrase devoid of the Spirit may well indicate Jude’s and Peter’s assessment of the spiritual status of the false teachers. Those who do not have the Spirit are clearly not saved.
[1:20] 116 tn The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.
[1:21] 118 tn Or “waiting for.”
[1:21] 119 tn Grk “unto eternal life.”
[63:9] 120 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
[63:9] 121 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”
[63:9] sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.
[63:9] 122 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
[63:9] 123 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”
[12:3] 124 tn The verb שָׂרָה (sarah) means “to strive, contend” (HALOT 1354 s.v. שׂרה) or “persevere, persist” (BDB 975 s.v. שָׂרָה; see Gen 32:29). Almost all English versions render the verb here in terms of the former: NAB, NASB “contended”; NRSV “strove”; TEV, CEV “fought against.”
[12:4] 125 tc The MT vocalizes the consonantal text וָיָּשַׂר (vayyasar, vav consecutive + Qal preterite 3rd person masculine singular from שׂוּר, sur, “to see”); however, parallelism with שָׂרַה (sarah, “he contended”) in 12:3 suggested that it be vocalized as ויּשׂר (vav consecutive + Qal preterite 3rd person masculine singular from שׂרה [“to strive, contend”]). The latter is followed by almost all English versions here.
[12:4] 126 tn Heb “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:4] 127 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[12:4] 128 tc The Leningrad Codex and the Allepo Codex both read 1st person common plural עִמָּנוּ (’immanu, “with us”). The LXX and Peshitta both reflect an alternate Hebrew Vorlage of 3rd person masculine singular עִמוֹ (’imo, “with him”). The BHS editors suggest emending the MT in favor of the Greek and Syriac. The internal evidence of 12:4-5 favors the 3rd person masculine singular reading. It is likely that the 1st person common plural ־נוּ reading on עִמָּנוּ arose due to a misunderstanding of the 3rd person masculine singular ־נוּ suffix on יִמְצָאֶנּוּ (yimtsa’ennu, “he found him”; Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix) which was probably misunderstood as the 1st person common plural suffix: “he found us.” Several English versions follow the LXX and Syriac: “there he spoke with him” (RSV, NAB, NEB, NIV, NJPS, TEV). Others follow the MT: “there he spoke with us” (KJV, NASB, CEV). The Hebrew University Old Testament Project, which tends to preserve the MT whenever possible, adopts the MT reading but gives it only a “C” rating. See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:262-63.
[12:5] 129 tn Heb “[is] his memorial name” (so ASV); TEV “the name by which he is to be worshipped.”
[2:8] 130 tn Heb “After glory has he sent me” (similar KJV, NASB). What is clearly in view is the role of Zechariah who, by faithful proclamation of the message, will glorify the
[2:8] 131 tn Heb “gate” (בָּבָה, bavah) of the eye, that is, pupil. The rendering of this term by KJV as “apple” has created a well-known idiom in the English language, “the apple of his eye” (so ASV, NIV). The pupil is one of the most vulnerable and valuable parts of the body, so for Judah to be considered the “pupil” of the
[2:8] 132 tc A scribal emendation (tiqqun sopherim) has apparently altered an original “my eye” to “his eye” in order to allow the prophet to be the speaker throughout vv. 8-9. This alleviates the problem of the
[2:9] 133 tn Heb “I will wave my hand over them” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “raise my hand against them.”
[3:1] 134 tn In Hebrew the phrase “my messenger” is מַלְאָכִי (mal’akhi), the same form as the prophet’s name (see note on the name “Malachi” in 1:1). However, here the messenger appears to be an eschatological figure who is about to appear, as the following context suggests. According to 4:5, this messenger is “Elijah the prophet,” whom the NT identifies as John the Baptist (Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2) because he came in the “spirit and power” of Elijah (Matt 11:14; 17:11-12; Lk 1:17).
[3:1] 135 tn Here the Hebrew term הָאָדוֹן (ha’adon) is used, not יְהוָה (yÿhvah, typically rendered
[3:1] 136 sn This messenger of the covenant may be equated with my messenger (that is, Elijah) mentioned earlier in the verse, or with the Lord himself. In either case the messenger functions as an enforcer of the covenant. Note the following verses, which depict purifying judgment on a people that has violated the Lord’s covenant.
[1:18] 137 tc The textual problem μονογενὴς θεός (monogenh" qeo", “the only God”) versus ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός (Jo monogenh" Juio", “the only son”) is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in the
[1:18] tn Or “The unique one.” For the meaning of μονογενής (monogenh") see the note on “one and only” in 1:14.
[1:18] 138 tn Grk “in the bosom of” (an idiom for closeness or nearness; cf. L&N 34.18; BDAG 556 s.v. κόλπος 1).
[1:18] 139 tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:18] 140 sn Has made God known. In this final verse of the prologue, the climactic and ultimate statement of the earthly career of the Logos, Jesus of Nazareth, is reached. The unique One (John 1:14), the One who has taken on human form and nature by becoming incarnate (became flesh, 1:14), who is himself fully God (the Word was God, 1:1c) and is to be identified with the ever-living One of the Old Testament revelation (Exod 3:14), who is in intimate relationship with the Father, this One and no other has fully revealed what God is like. As Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.”
[7:30] 141 tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and contemporary English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:30] 142 tn Or “wilderness.”
[7:30] 143 sn An allusion to Exod 3:2.
[7:32] 144 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:32] 145 tn Grk “and Isaac,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[7:32] 146 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6. The phrase suggests the God of promise, the God of the nation.
[7:32] 147 tn Or “to investigate,” “to contemplate” (BDAG 522 s.v. κατανοέω 2).
[7:33] 148 sn A quotation from Exod 3:5. The phrase holy ground points to the fact that God is not limited to a particular locale. The place where he is active in revealing himself is a holy place.
[7:34] 149 tn Or “mistreatment.”
[7:34] 150 tn Or “to set them free.”
[7:34] 151 tn Grk “And now.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:34] 152 sn A quotation from Exod 3:7-8, 10.
[7:35] 153 sn This same. The reference to “this one” occurs five times in this speech. It is the way the other speeches in Acts refer to Jesus (e.g., Acts 2:23).
[7:35] 154 sn A quotation from Exod 2:14 (see Acts 7:27). God saw Moses very differently than the people of the nation did. The reference to a ruler and a judge suggests that Stephen set up a comparison between Moses and Jesus, but he never finished his speech to make the point. The reader of Acts, however, knowing the other sermons in the book, recognizes that the rejection of Jesus is the counterpoint.
[7:35] 155 tn Or “liberator.” The meaning “liberator” for λυτρωτήν (lutrwthn) is given in L&N 37.129: “a person who liberates or releases others.”
[7:35] 156 tn Or simply “through the angel.” Here the “hand” could be understood as a figure for the person or the power of the angel himself. The remark about the angel appearing fits the first century Jewish view that God appears to no one (John 1:14-18; Gal 3:19; Deut 33:2 LXX).
[7:36] 157 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.
[7:36] sn Performing wonders and miraculous signs. Again Moses acted like Jesus. The phrase appears 9 times in Acts (2:19, 22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12).
[7:36] 158 tn Or simply “in Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
[7:36] 159 tn Grk “and at,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[7:37] 161 tn Grk “to the sons of Israel.”
[7:37] 162 sn A quotation from Deut 18:15. This quotation sets up Jesus as the “leader-prophet” like Moses (Acts 3:22; Luke 9:35).
[7:38] 163 tn This term, ἐκκλησία (ekklhsia), is a secular use of the term that came to mean “church” in the epistles. Here a reference to an assembly is all that is intended.
[7:38] 165 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:38] 166 tn Grk “fathers, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new clause introduced by “and” was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[7:38] 167 tn Or “messages.” This is an allusion to the law given to Moses.
[7:38] 168 tc ‡ The first person pronoun ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “to us”) is read by A C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï lat sy, while the second person pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”) is read by Ì74 א B 36 453 al co. The second person pronoun thus has significantly better external support. As well, ὑμῖν is a harder reading in this context, both because it is surrounded by first person pronouns and because Stephen perhaps “does not wish to disassociate himself from those who received God’s revelation in the past, but only from those who misinterpreted and disobeyed that revelation” (TCGNT 307). At the same time, Stephen does associate himself to some degree with his disobedient ancestors in v. 39, suggesting that the decisive break does not really come until v. 51 (where both his present audience and their ancestors are viewed as rebellious). Thus, both externally and internally ὑμῖν is the preferred reading.
[7:1] 169 tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).