Nehemia 5:7-11

5:7 I considered these things carefully ¹  and then registered a complaint with the wealthy ²  and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral ³  from your own countrymen!” ⁴  Because of them I called for ⁵  a great public assembly. 5:8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews ⁶  who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, ⁷  so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.

5:9 Then I ⁸  said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! ⁹  Should you not conduct yourselves ¹⁰  in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 5:10 Even I and my relatives ¹¹  and my associates ¹²  are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral! ¹³  5:11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest ¹⁴  that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”

Yesaya 58:3

58:3 They lament, ¹⁵  ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?

Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’

Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, ¹⁶ 

you oppress your workers. ¹⁷ 

Amos 8:4-6

8:4 Listen to this, you who trample ¹⁸  the needy,

and do away with ¹⁹  the destitute in the land.

8:5 You say,

“When will the new moon festival ²⁰  be over, ²¹  so we can sell grain?

When will the Sabbath end, ²²  so we can open up the grain bins? ²³ 

We’re eager ²⁴  to sell less for a higher price, ²⁵ 

and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! ²⁶ 

8:6 We’re eager to trade silver for the poor, ²⁷ 

a pair of sandals ²⁸  for the needy!

We want to mix in some chaff with the grain!” ²⁹ 

Matius 6:12

6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves ³⁰  have forgiven our debtors.

Matius 6:14-15

6:14 “For if you forgive others ³¹  their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Matius 18:25-35

18:25 Because ³²  he was not able to repay it, ³³  the lord ordered him to be sold, along with ³⁴  his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. 18:26 Then the slave threw himself to the ground ³⁵  before him, saying, ³⁶  ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ 18:27 The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. 18:28 After ³⁷  he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. ³⁸  So ³⁹  he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, ⁴⁰  saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ ⁴¹  18:29 Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, ⁴²  ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ 18:30 But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. 18:31 When ⁴³  his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. 18:32 Then his lord called the first slave ⁴⁴  and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! 18:33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ 18:34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him ⁴⁵  until he repaid all he owed. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your ⁴⁶  brother ⁴⁷  from your heart.”

Lukas 6:34-38

6:34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, ⁴⁸  what credit is that to you? Even sinners ⁴⁹  lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full. ⁵⁰  6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. ⁵¹  Then ⁵²  your reward will be great, and you will be sons ⁵³  of the Most High, ⁵⁴  because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. ⁵⁵  6:36 Be merciful, ⁵⁶  just as your Father is merciful.

Do Not Judge Others

6:37 “Do ⁵⁷  not judge, ⁵⁸  and you will not be judged; ⁵⁹  do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, ⁶⁰  and you will be forgiven. 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, ⁶¹  will be poured ⁶²  into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” ⁶³ 

Lukas 7:42

7:42 When they could not pay, he canceled ⁶⁴  the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Yakobus 2:13

2:13 For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over ⁶⁵  judgment.

[5:7]  ¹ tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”

[5:7]  ² tn Heb “nobles.”

[5:7]  ³ tn Heb “taking a creditor’s debt.” The Hebrew noun מַשָּׁא (masha’) means “interest; debt” and probably refers to the collateral (pledge) collected by a creditor (HALOT 641-42 s.v.). This particular noun form appears only in Nehemiah (5:7, 10; 10:32); however, it is related to מַשָּׁאָה (masha’ah, “contractual loan; debt; collateral”) which appears elsewhere (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; cf. Neh 5:11). See the note on the word “people” at the end of v. 5. The BHS editors suggest emending the MT to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”), following several medieval Hebrew MSS; however, the result is not entirely clear: “you are bearing a burden, a man with his brothers.”

[5:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[5:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “I gave.”

[5:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.”

[5:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “your brothers.”

[5:9]  ⁸ tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).

[5:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.

[5:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”

[5:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[5:10]  ¹² tn Heb “lads.”

[5:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt.

[5:11]  ¹⁴ tc The MT reads וּמְאַת (umÿ’at, “and the hundredth”) which is somewhat enigmatic. The BHS editors suggest emending to וּמַשַּׁאת (umasha’t, “and the debt”) which refers to the interest or collateral (pledge) seized by a creditor (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; see HALOT 641-42 s.v. מַשָּׁא). The term מַשַּׁאת (masha’t) is related to the noun מָשָּׁא (masha’, “debt”) in 5:7, 10.

[58:3]  ¹⁵ tn The words “they lament” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[58:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “you find pleasure”; NASB “you find your desire.”

[58:3]  ¹⁷ tn Or perhaps, “debtors.” See HALOT 865 s.v. * עָצֵב.

[8:4]  ¹⁸ tn See the note on the word “trample” in 2:7.

[8:4]  ¹⁹ tn Or “put an end to”; or “exterminate.”

[8:5]  ²⁰ sn Apparently work was prohibited during the new moon festival, just as it was on the Sabbath.

[8:5]  ²¹ tn Heb “pass by.”

[8:5]  ²² tn The verb, though omitted in the Hebrew text, is supplied in the translation from the parallel line.

[8:5]  ²³ tn Heb “sell grain.” Here “grain” could stand by metonymy for the bins where it was stored.

[8:5]  ²⁴ tn Here and in v. 6 the words “we’re eager” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “to make small the ephah and to make great the shekel.” The “ephah” was a unit of dry measure used to determine the quantity purchased, while the “shekel” was a standard weight used to determine the purchase price. By using a smaller than standard ephah and a heavier than standard shekel, these merchants were able to increase their profit (“sell less for a higher price”) by cheating the buyer.

[8:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and to cheat with deceptive scales”; NASB, NIV “dishonest scales”; NRSV “false balances.”

[8:5]  sn Rigged scales may refer to bending the crossbar or shifting the center point of the scales to make the amount weighed appear heavier than it actually was, thus cheating the buyer.

[8:6]  ²⁷ tn Heb “to buy the poor for silver.”

[8:6]  sn The expression trade silver for the poor refers to the slave trade.

[8:6]  ²⁸ tn See the note on the word “sandals” in 2:6.

[8:6]  ²⁹ tn Heb “The chaff of the grain we will sell.”

[6:12]  ³⁰ tn Or “as even we.” The phrase ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς (Jw" kai Jhmei") makes ἡμεῖς emphatic. The translation above adds an appropriate emphasis to the passage.

[6:14]  ³¹ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”

[18:25]  ³² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:25]  ³³ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:25]  ³⁴ tn Grk “and his wife.”

[18:26]  ³⁵ tn Grk “falling therefore the slave bowed down to the ground.” The redundancy of this expression signals the desperation of the slave in begging for mercy.

[18:26]  ³⁶ tc The majority of mss (א L W 058 0281 Ë^1,13 33 Ï it sy^p,h co) begin the slave’s plea with “Lord” (κύριε, kurie), though a few important witnesses lack this vocative (B D Θ 700 pc lat sy^s,c Or Chr). Understanding the parable to refer to the Lord, scribes would be naturally prone to add the vocative here, especially as the slave’s plea is a plea for mercy. Thus, the shorter reading is more likely to be authentic.

[18:28]  ³⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:28]  ³⁸ tn Grk “one hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be about three month’s pay.

[18:28]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so.” A new sentence was started at this point in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:28]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”

[18:28]  ⁴¹ tn The word “me” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:29]  ⁴² tn Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[18:31]  ⁴³ tn Grk “Therefore when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[18:32]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:34]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.

[18:35]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “his.” The pronoun has been translated to follow English idiom (the last pronoun of the verse [“from your heart”] is second person plural in the original).

[18:35]  ⁴⁷ tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.

[6:34]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “to receive”; but in context the repayment of the amount lent is implied. Jesus was noting that utilitarian motives are the way of the world.

[6:34]  ⁴⁹ sn See the note on the word sinners in v. 32.

[6:34]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “to receive as much again.”

[6:35]  ⁵¹ tn Or “in return.”

[6:35]  ⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the outcome or result. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

[6:35]  ⁵³ sn The character of these actions reflects the grace and kindness of God, bearing witness to a “line of descent” or relationship of the individual to God (sons of the Most High). There is to be a unique kind of ethic at work with disciples. Jesus refers specifically to sons here because in the ancient world sons had special privileges which were rarely accorded to daughters. However, Jesus is most likely addressing both men and women in this context, so women too would receive these same privileges.

[6:35]  ⁵⁴ sn That is, “sons of God.”

[6:35]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “to the ungrateful and immoral.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[6:36]  ⁵⁶ sn Merciful is a characteristic of God often noted in the OT: Exod 34:6; Deut 4:31; Joel 2:31; Jonah 4:2; 2 Sam 24:14. This remark also echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: “you must be holy as I am holy.”

[6:37]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “And do.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:37]  ⁵⁸ sn As the Gospel makes clear, with the statement do not judge Jesus had in mind making a judgment that caused one to cut oneself off from someone so that they ceased to be reached out to (5:27-32; 15:1-32). Jesus himself did make judgments about where people stand (11:37-54), but not in such a way that he ceased to continue to offer them God’s grace.

[6:37]  ⁵⁹ sn The point of the statement do not judge, and you will not be judged is that the standards one applies to others God applies back. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.

[6:37]  ⁶⁰ sn On forgive see Luke 11:4; 1 Pet 3:7.

[6:38]  ⁶¹ 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]  ⁶² tn Grk “they will give”; that is, “pour.” The third person plural has been replaced by the passive in the translation.

[6:38]  ⁶³ tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured back to you.”

[7:42]  ⁶⁴ tn The verb ἐχαρίσατο (ecarisato) could be translated as “forgave.” Of course this pictures the forgiveness of God’s grace, which is not earned but bestowed with faith (see v. 49).

[2:13]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “boasts against, exults over,” in victory.