Amsal 2:4

2:4 if ¹  you seek ²  it like silver, ³ 

and search for it ⁴  like hidden treasure,

Yesaya 33:6

33:6 He is your constant source of stability; ⁵ 

he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; ⁶ 

he gives all this to those who fear him. ⁷ 

Yesaya 33:1

The Lord Will Restore Zion

33:1 The destroyer is as good as dead, ⁸ 

you who have not been destroyed!

The deceitful one is as good as dead, ⁹ 

the one whom others have not deceived!

When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;

when you finish ¹⁰  deceiving, others will deceive you!

Kolose 3:21-23

3:21 Fathers, ¹¹  do not provoke ¹²  your children, so they will not become disheartened. 3:22 Slaves, ¹³  obey your earthly ¹⁴  masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. 3:23 Whatever you are doing, ¹⁵  work at it with enthusiasm, ¹⁶  as to the Lord and not for people, ¹⁷ 

Efesus 3:8

3:8 To me – less than the least of all the saints ¹⁸  – this grace was given, ¹⁹  to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ

Kolose 2:3

2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Kolose 2:1

2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, ²⁰  and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. ²¹ 

Yohanes 5:11-12

5:11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat ²²  and walk.’” 5:12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat ²³  and walk’?” ²⁴ 

Wahyu 21:21

21:21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls – each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The ²⁵  main street ²⁶  of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

[2:4]  ¹ tn The conditional particle now reiterates the initial conditional clause of this introductory section (1-4); the apodosis will follow in v. 5.

[2:4]  ² tn The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means “to search for; to seek; to investigate” (BDB 134 s.v.). This calls for the same diligence one would have in looking for silver.

[2:4]  ³ sn The two similes affirm that the value placed on the object will influence the eagerness and diligence in the pursuit and development of wisdom (e.g., Job 28:9-11). The point is not only that the object sought is valuable, but that the effort will be demanding but rewarding.

[2:4]  ⁴ sn The verb חָפַשׂ (khafas) means “to dig; to search” (BDB 344 s.v.; cf. NCV “hunt for it”). The Arabic cognate means “to dig for water.” It is used literally of Joseph searching his brothers’ sacks (Gen 44:12) and figuratively for searching the soul (Ps 64:7). This is a more emphatic word than the one used in the first colon and again emphasizes that acquiring wisdom will be demanding.

[33:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he is the stability of your times.”

[33:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “a rich store of deliverance, wisdom, and knowledge.”

[33:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.”

[33:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “Woe [to] the destroyer.”

[33:1]  sn In this context “the destroyer” appears to refer collectively to the hostile nations (vv. 3-4). Assyria would probably have been primary in the minds of the prophet and his audience.

[33:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “and the deceitful one”; NAB, NIV “O traitor”; NRSV “you treacherous one.” In the parallel structure הוֹי (hoy, “woe [to]”) does double duty.

[33:1]  ¹⁰ tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to derive from an otherwise unattested verb נָלָה (nalah). The translation follows the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a in reading ככלתך, a Piel infinitival form from the verbal root כָּלָה (kalah), meaning “finish.”

[3:21]  ¹¹ tn Or perhaps “Parents.” The plural οἱ πατέρες (Joi patere", “fathers”) can be used to refer to both the male and female parent (BDAG 786 s.v. πατήρ 1.a).

[3:21]  ¹² tn Or “do not cause your children to become resentful” (L&N 88.168). BDAG 391 s.v. ἐρεθίζω states, “to cause someone to react in a way that suggests acceptance of a challenge, arouse, provoke mostly in bad sense irritate, embitter.”

[3:22]  ¹³ tn On this word here and in 4:1, see the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

[3:22]  ¹⁴ tn The prepositional phrase κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka) does not necessarily qualify the masters as earthly or human (as opposed to the Master in heaven, the Lord), but could also refer to the sphere in which “the service-relation holds true.” See BDAG 577 s.v. κύριος 1.b.

[3:23]  ¹⁵ tn The present progressive “are doing” was used in the translation of ποιῆτε (poihte) to bring out the idea that Paul is probably referring to what they already do for work.

[3:23]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “from the soul.”

[3:23]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “men”; here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense and refers to people in general.

[3:8]  ¹⁸ sn In Pauline writings saints means any true believer. Thus for Paul to view himself as less than the least of all the saints is to view himself as the most unworthy object of Christ’s redemption.

[3:8]  ¹⁹ sn The parallel phrases to proclaim and to enlighten which follow indicate why God’s grace was manifested to Paul. Grace was not something just to be received, but to be shared with others (cf. Acts 13:47).

[2:1]  ²⁰ tn Or “I want you to know how hard I am working for you…”

[2:1]  ²¹ tn Grk “as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.”

[5:11]  ²² tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.

[5:12]  ²³ tc While a number of mss, especially the later ones (A^c C³ D Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt sy), include the words τον κραβ(β)ατ(τ)ον σου (ton krab(b)at(t)on sou, “your mat”) here, the earliest and best (Ì^66,75 א B C* L) do not. Nevertheless, in the translation, it is necessary to supply the words due to the demands of English style, which does not typically allow for understood or implied direct objects as Greek does.

[5:12]  ²⁴ tn Grk “Pick up and walk”; the object (the mat) is implied but not repeated.

[21:21]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:21]  ²⁶ tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).