Lukas 11:5-8

11:5 Then ¹  he said to them, “Suppose one of you ²  has a friend, and you go to him ³  at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁴  11:6 because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, ⁵  and I have nothing to set before ⁶  him.’ 11:7 Then ⁷  he will reply ⁸  from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. ⁹  I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ¹⁰  11:8 I tell you, even though the man inside ¹¹  will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s ¹²  sheer persistence ¹³  he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

Lukas 21:36

21:36 But stay alert at all times, ¹⁴  praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must ¹⁵  happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Kejadian 32:9-12

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ¹⁶  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ¹⁷  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ¹⁸  32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love ¹⁹  you have shown ²⁰  your servant. With only my walking stick ²¹  I crossed the Jordan, ²²  but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, ²³  I pray, from the hand ²⁴  of my brother Esau, ²⁵  for I am afraid he will come ²⁶  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ²⁷  32:12 But you ²⁸  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ²⁹  and will make ³⁰  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ³¹ 

Kejadian 32:24-26

32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ³²  wrestled ³³  with him until daybreak. ³⁴  32:25 When the man ³⁵  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ³⁶  he struck ³⁷  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ³⁸  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ³⁹  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ⁴⁰  “unless you bless me.” ⁴¹ 

Ayub 27:8-10

27:8 For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off, ⁴² 

when God takes away his life? ⁴³ 

27:9 Does God listen to his cry

when distress overtakes him?

27:10 Will he find delight ⁴⁴  in the Almighty?

Will he call out to God at all times?

Mazmur 55:16-17

55:16 As for me, I will call out to God,

and the Lord will deliver me.

55:17 During the evening, morning, and noontime

I will lament and moan, ⁴⁵ 

and he will hear ⁴⁶  me. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 65:2

65:2 You hear prayers; ⁴⁸ 

all people approach you. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 86:3

86:3 Have mercy on me, ⁵⁰  O Lord,

for I cry out to you all day long!

Mazmur 102:17

102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, ⁵¹ 

and does not reject ⁵²  their request. ⁵³ 

Mazmur 142:5-7

142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my shelter,

my security ⁵⁴  in the land of the living.”

142:6 Listen to my cry for help,

for I am in serious trouble! ⁵⁵ 

Rescue me from those who chase me,

for they are stronger than I am.

142:7 Free me ⁵⁶  from prison,

that I may give thanks to your name.

Because of me the godly will assemble, ⁵⁷ 

for you will vindicate me. ⁵⁸ 

Yeremia 29:12

29:12 When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, ⁵⁹  I will hear your prayers. ⁶⁰ 

Roma 12:12

12:12 Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.

Efesus 6:18

6:18 With every prayer and petition, pray ⁶¹  at all times in the Spirit, and to this end ⁶²  be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

Filipi 4:6

4:6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.

Kolose 4:2

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

4:2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.

Kolose 4:12

4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave ⁶³  of Christ, ⁶⁴  greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured ⁶⁵  in all the will of God.

Kolose 4:1

4:1 Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

Kolose 1:17

1:17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together ⁶⁶  in him.

[11:5]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[11:5]  ² tn Grk “Who among you will have a friend and go to him.”

[11:5]  ³ tn Grk “he will go to him.”

[11:5]  ⁴ tn The words “of bread” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by ἄρτους (artou", “loaves”).

[11:6]  ⁵ tn Grk “has come to me from the road.”

[11:6]  ⁶ sn The background to the statement I have nothing to set before him is that in ancient Middle Eastern culture it was a matter of cultural honor to be a good host to visitors.

[11:7]  ⁷ tn Κἀκεῖνος (kakeino") has been translated “Then he.”

[11:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “answering, he will say.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “he will reply.”

[11:7]  ⁹ tn Grk “my children are with me in the bed.” In Jewish homes in the time of Jesus, the beds were often all together in one room; thus the householder may be speaking of individual beds (using a collective singular) rather than a common bed.

[11:7]  ¹⁰ tn The syntax of vv. 6-7 is complex. In the Greek text Jesus’ words in v. 6 begin as a question. Some see Jesus’ question ending at v. 6, but the reply starting in v. 8 favors extending the question through the entire illustration. The translation breaks up the long sentence at the beginning of v. 7 and translates Jesus’ words as a statement for reasons of English style.

[11:8]  ¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man in bed in the house) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:8]  ¹² tn Grk “his”; the referent (the first man mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:8]  ¹³ tn The term ἀναίδεια (anaideia) is hard to translate. It refers to a combination of ideas, a boldness that persists over time, or “audacity,” which comes close. It most likely describes the one making the request, since the unit’s teaching is an exhortation about persistence in prayer. Some translate the term “shamelessness” which is the term’s normal meaning, and apply it to the neighbor as an illustration of God responding for the sake of his honor. But the original question was posed in terms of the first man who makes the request, not of the neighbor, so the teaching underscores the action of the one making the request.

[21:36]  ¹⁴ sn The call to be alert at all times is a call to remain faithful in looking for the Lord’s return.

[21:36]  ¹⁵ tn For the translation of μέλλω (mellw) as “must,” see L&N 71.36.

[32:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.

[32:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).

[32:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “you have done with.”

[32:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.

[32:10]  ²² tn Heb “this Jordan.”

[32:11]  ²³ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ²⁴ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ²⁷ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[32:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.

[32:12]  ²⁹ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ³⁰ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ³¹ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:24]  ³² 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]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ³⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ³⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ³⁹ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ 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.

[27:8]  ⁴² tn The verb יִבְצָע (yivtsa’) means “to cut off.” It could be translated transitively or intransitively – the latter is better here (“when he is cut off”). Since the next line speaks of prayer, some have thought this verse should be about prayer. Mandelkern, in his concordance (p. 228b), suggested the verb should be “when he prays” (reading יִפְגַּע [yifga’] in place of יִבְצָע [yivtsa’]).

[27:8]  ⁴³ tn The verb יֵשֶׁל (yeshel) is found only here. It has been related spoils [or sheaves]”); שָׁאַל (sha’al, “to ask”); נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift up” [i.e., pray]); and a host of others.

[27:10]  ⁴⁴ tn See the note on 22:26 where the same verb is employed.

[55:17]  ⁴⁵ tn The first verb is clearly a cohortative form, expressing the psalmist’s resolve. The second verb, while formally ambiguous, should also be understood as cohortative here.

[55:17]  ⁴⁶ tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive normally appears in narrational contexts to indicate past action, but here it continues the anticipatory (future) perspective of the preceding line. In Ps 77:6 one finds the same sequence of cohortative + prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive. In this case as well, both forms refer to future actions.

[55:17]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “my voice.”

[65:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “O one who hears prayer.”

[65:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “to you all flesh comes.”

[86:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “show me favor.”

[102:17]  ⁵¹ tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).

[102:17]  ⁵² tn Heb “despise.”

[102:17]  ⁵³ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.

[142:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.

[142:6]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “for I am very low.”

[142:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “bring out my life.”

[142:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “gather around.”

[142:7]  ⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.

[29:12]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “come and pray to me.” This is an example of verbal hendiadys where two verb formally joined by “and” convey a main concept with the second verb functioning as an adverbial qualifier.

[29:12]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “You will call out to me and come to me in prayer and I will hear your prayers.” The verbs are vav consecutive perfects and can be taken either as unconditional futures or as contingent futures. See GKC 337 §112.kk and 494 §159.g and compare the usage in Gen 44:22 for the use of the vav consecutive perfects in contingent futures. The conditional clause in the middle of 29:13 and the deuteronomic theology reflected in both Deut 30:1-5 and 1 Kgs 8:46-48 suggest that the verbs are continent futures here. For the same demand for wholehearted seeking in these contexts which presuppose exile see especially Deut 30:2, 1 Kgs 8:48.

[6:18]  ⁶¹ tn Both “pray” and “be alert” are participles in the Greek text (“praying…being alert”). Both are probably instrumental, loosely connected with all of the preceding instructions. As such, they are not additional commands to do but instead are the means through which the prior instructions are accomplished.

[6:18]  ⁶² tn Grk “and toward it.”

[4:12]  ⁶³ tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

[4:12]  ⁶⁴ tc ‡ Strong Alexandrian testimony, along with some other witnesses, suggests that ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou, “Jesus”) follows Χριστοῦ (Cristou, “Christ”; so א A B C I L 0278 33 81 365 629 1175 2464 al lat), but the evidence for the shorter reading is diverse (Ì⁴⁶ D F G Ψ 075 1739 1881 Ï it sy Hier), cutting across all major texttypes. There can be little motivation for omitting the name of Jesus; hence, the shorter reading is judged to be original. NA²⁷ has ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[4:12]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “filled.”

[1:17]  ⁶⁶ tn BDAG 973 s.v. συνίστημι B.3 suggests “continue, endure, exist, hold together” here.